If you have ever been tasked to buy a gift for a gentleman without a notion of where to even begin the process, we offer an easy to follow guide on how to select the perfect gift for a man.

Selecting the perfect gift for a man can be a challenge for the 'fairer' sex. Women, we have noticed, can have a rather complicated approach to this tradition of giving and receiving 'things' to mark milestone occasions in life. The annual cycle of the day of one's birth, for example. Or the annual reminder that one is, in fact, matrimonially bound to the woman sharing the home, children and bank account one administers on a daily basis. Women, we surmise, inflect a lot of meaning into a gift. Blokes? Not so much! 

Apparently women tread a fine line in gift selection: It can't be too cheap - or too pricey - at the risk of offending the recipient. Certain gifts offer varying degrees of affection, we are told. Hidden messages and nuances of emotion such as 'love' or mere 'like?' Most guys don't think in those terms. If a man offers a gift it is usually because he saw something, it triggered a thought of you, he had cash to burn in his wallet and so he bought it. Tyres for your car, an ugly bedraggled puppy or a garish set of knickers...Gift selection for guys is a pretty spontaneous event and we seldom manage to coincide these things with life changing events such as marriage proposals, births or deaths. Forgive us, we're wired that way. Since ladies are wired differently and want  to gift for specific occasions, we have created this how to guide to help you along.

1. Where does a lot of his time and money go? Look for his perfect gift in a similar genre.

Chances are, if a chap spends an inordinate amount of time in the ocean, on the golf course or wrapped in tech; this is his passion and he will appreciate any gift in the same genre. Do a little research: a golf ball is not a golf ball is not a golf ball. Even something as mundane as a golf ball has particular qualities for particular shots. It may bore you, but if you listen closely, you can usually hear him expounding the virtues of a particular gadget over another to his mates. Get that. 

2. What does he go back to repeatedly? 

If you pay attention, your boy will return several times to the same thing. He may pick it up, turn it over and put it back, but know that if it drew his attention in the first place, he will appreciate such as a gift. Watch his browsing patterns in-store, walking by or 

3. Know his tastes.

If he wears a particular colour often, brand of clothing or scent of cologne, you can shop along similar lines. If he has the shaving cream, add the aftershave in the same. By the way, most men loathe the 'chore' of shaving. Great smelling, thick lathering, easy gliding shaving gear goes a long way to turn this daily 'bother' into a morning ritual of meditative contemplation. The Gentry stocks both international and local brands of grooming soaps, creams and shaving accessories.

4. Jocks and Socks are always okay.