What Dad Really Wants

This year, in compiling our annual gift guide, we decided to skip the guesswork and go straight to the source. Below, the dads in our lives—husbands, brothers and, yes, our, own poppas—weigh in on what they really want for Father’s Day. —Noa Nichol

papa’s got a brand-new bag. Gone are the days of baby bags being a “mom” accessory—this Elwood Backpack by Tiba + Marl ($250 from Poppys Collection) can be carried with confidence by either parental unit, while offering the convenience and functionality of a traditional baby bag. It includes a luxury padded changing mat, insulated bottle holder and even a laptop compartment—oh baby!

on the cuff. Spiff dad right up with a pair of beautiful, classic 18-karat yellow gold with onyx and diamond cufflinks ($1,750) from Stittgen Fine Jewelry in Vancouver—he’ll most certainly be the sharpest man in the room.

case closed. Dad deserves a business bag as hardworking as he is. New from Coach 1941, the Rogue Brief has two suede-lined outer pockets and a centre zip compartment perfect for a 15-inch laptop. Crafted in natural or pebbled glove-tanned leather, we’re partial to the dark-denim-coloured edition ($800).

stick it. Dads, too, crave clean skin, and now there’s a macho way for them to achieve it. Morihata’s Kishu Binchotan Charcoal sticks ($16 for a quarter-pound bag at Nordstrom’s Goop Pop-In) can be added to a hot bath to remove dirt, impurities and oils with complexion-boosting minerals (best: each stick lasts for months).

eternal flame. Hand-poured in the mountains of Whistler, B.C., luxury grade Hollow Tree candles are made of cocnut wax, with scents inspired by nature. Our pick, from the company’s Backpacker Collection: the Trail’s End candle ($42 at Kiss and Makeup), which burns a lovely fragrance of violets and vanilla, plus santal and cedar woods.

table turn. Vancouver’s Quake Furniture has created a limited-edition batch of a no-coffee-table-book-required table dubbed the Juan de Fuca, inspired by the fault line that runs parallel to the B.C. coast. Designed as two separate components that appear as one, it’s a statement décor piece dad will love.

cut above. Even if he never chops a stick of wood or roughs out a carving with it, dad will surely appreciate the gleaming beauty of this McGowan Manufacturing Co. FireStone belt axe ($209 at Lee Valley Tools), with an ergonomic birch handle, stainless-steel blade and double-snap-closure grain-leather sheath.

shoe in. Gucci footwear makes the perfect Father’s Day gift for any fashion-loving dad. This pair of horsebit leather loafers ($765 at Holt Renfrew) is classic, and features a 1953 collection 60th anniversary tag.

kick it. When he isn’t in his Gucci loafers, dad can keep things low-key with these Rouu sneakers from Ted Baker ($200 in super-smooth white or black leather)—the perfect combo of smart-casual and contemporary cool, in a shoe.

tied up. Whether dad is as obsessed with wallpaper this month as we are (see page x), we’re betting he’ll love this silk number in GG Wallpaper motif ($240)—a vintage Gucci print reintroduced for SS17 (i.e., just in time for Father’s Day gifting).

cuppa joe. Celebrate dad and Pantone’s colour of the year with this launched-last-month Keurig K15 coffee maker in Greenery ($78). Compact, trendy and easy for any caffeine-craving pop to use first thing in the morning, it also makes tea, hot chocolate and a variety of specialty bevs.

skin deep. This limited-edition-for-Father’s-Day Smuggler’s Soul scrub by Lush ($9) gives dad the chance to scrub his face soft with millions upon millions of super-fine bamboo granules, plus smoky notes of sustainably sourced sandalwood.

Big gulp. Keep dad rainforest-cool with a 25-ounce water bottle ($45) from S’well’s wood collection.