Father’s Day 2022 | Unusual gifting ideas for dads with varied interests

A gift coupon for a gaming arcade in Mumbai, Bengaluru or Gurugram could be just the ticket for fun-loving Dads who dig gaming machines, bowling alleys, and laser tag wars. (Representational image: Karla Rivera via Unsplash)

Printed shirts are steaming hot, but hotter still are printed kurtas. Independent Indian brands such as Chidiyaa (check out their purple block-printed kurta) and the House of Rare (in prints such as ivy) have great kurtas to choose from online. Every designer who caters to menswear, such as Anita Dongre, has a range of men’s printed kurtas on the shelves right now. Pernia’s Pop-up shop, Tata Cliq and Jaypore are good e-commerce sites to ferret out printed kurtas at different budgets.

And while we are at uber-cool fashion, Dandelion’s nightwear makes for an offbeat gift. Who gifts a pyjama suit, you say? Dandelion is more loungewear (sport it during the day at home) in soft cotton fabric. Made for summer weekends spent at home.

Who doesn’t love grooming products? Men’s grooming wardrobe rivals’ women’s now (and some would say it is far more extensive). Beard oils, undereye creams, skin care products, gels, and potions — there is a lot in the beauty care arsenal to choose from. Some great brands to gift your father: The Man Company's Charcoal Grooming Kit—face wash, face scrub, cleansing gel, body wash, shampoo, and soap bar—all infused with charcoal, the ‘it’ beauty product of the season; Saint Beard’s All Essential Grooming Kit with a beard wash, beard and moustache wax and a beard comb; Forest Essentials Kashmiri saffron-infused face cream; Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night undereye cream; not to forget the uber-cool Dyson hair styler set, which you can buy off Nykaa. Kimrica, which makes fragrances and scents for luxury hotels, has launched skincare products for men, and among its top-billed is the After Sun Soothing Serum Lotion, for any sun-related issues including sunburns.

Fragrances are always a hit, and here are a few unusual options. Sarawak Mazzo has a rich blend of Malaysian Oud as its base, with Belgian Rose and cedar wood as accents. Palo Santo will remind you of lazy days on Amalfi Coast, infused with lemon, mint, and cedar. Get the perfumes off Nasoprofumi.com.

Alcohol doesn’t make for an ‘offbeat’ gift, but this one will. Codigo 1530 Blanco Tequila is the best-kept secret of a select group of Mexico’s elite families. The tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave which is left to grow for over seven years before being distilled. It is unrested, never touching a barrel, so the agave taste is intense. A 750ml bottle costs Rs 10,250. Another great gift is El Compadre, a roasted and concocted Mezcal. It has a rich fragrance of dark chocolate and is great for cocktails.

Gift your dad a shot at gaming outside the confines of a home. Give him a gift coupon to SHOTT, a spanking new gaming arcade in Mumbai. It is a gamers' paradise with its 100+ gaming machines, bowling alleys, and laser tag wars. There is more to the experience: a bar programme and a private butler service. In Gurugram, options include Smash and Unlocked, and Bengaluru has PLaY Arena. 

I know it is not winter, but this may be the best time to buy Cashmere shawls and stoles by Kashmir’s many artisans. With the orders easing out for a bit, the artisans are more likely to produce that one brilliant piece your Dad will love. Some of the best work is being done not within the Valley, but at a 35km distance, where studios such as Tubruk work with artisans whose families have been weaving for generations. If it is brands you are looking at, Kashmir Loom is one of the finest and sells more in fancy boutiques in Europe than in India.

For dads who smoke a pipe, Tabac tobacco leaves could make for an interesting gift. The edible black bean extract in the tobacco releases a rich and earthy aroma when lit, with a finish of sweet vanilla.

Think watches are rather safe gifts? What about gifting dad a watch organiser with satin cushions to drape his watches on. Brands and e-commerce platforms such as Jaypore, Trunk Company, Nappa Dori, and Pepperfry have a selection of watch organisers with plush cushions to save them from any damage and moisture.

NYTSTND’s charging tray melds traditional crafts with great looks in a range of sizes that can handle a variety of devices. Each model is crafted from sustainable and natural materials that include handcrafted Amish-sourced wood and high-quality leather.

Books, particularly books on niche subjects, make for great gifts. Assouline, the publisher of books on all things luxurious and experiential, has just released two wow tomes. Formula 1: The Impossible Collection, chronicles the milestone that lifted Formula One from a gentleman’s game club in 1950 to a global sport, with evocative photographs and narratives. Moon Paradise is a book dedicated to the mystery of the moon, with carefully curated images of all things moon, from fashion to space travel, presented alongside writing by space journalist and TV host Sarah Cruddas.

Why limit a Father’s Day gift to just one day? Gift him a travel-meets-food experience. CGH Earth’s century-old heritage property, Visalam, near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, offers culinary experiences revolving around the famous Chettinad cuisine. They have an Acchi (mother figure) who cooks these meals using recipes she has inherited. Indulgent meals, cooking demonstrations, and village visits to meet the ‘Muruklu’ who has been making the famous savoury snack for years are part of the experience.