I got a bottle of alcohol and had it engraved for S when he turned 21.
My son wanted a messenger bag. I got him the Levenger Bomber one. I have not seen it for years, as he uses his backpack. I gave him an IOU for a watch, and when in Switzerland, he bought one. However, that wasn’t worn much, but now he likes his Apple Watch, and got one for his g/f. My g/f and I took him out to dinner a day after he turned 21. He ordered a chocolate martini, and we all enjoyed it when he got carded and passed inspection.
My point is, no matter how we try, to give them something memorable, their tastes change rapidly. It doesn’t need to be a quintessential gift. I think an experience would be just fine, if not better.
1 Like
Well, maybe I am putting too much pressure on myself about this milestone!
Perhaps a party at an escape room? I’ve heard some folks have had a great time at them. Both my kids have experienced these “events,” and it seems pretty trendy at the moment. I’ve never had any desire to try it. My D went to Las Vegas with a few friends when they all turned 21.
We gave younger kiddo a wine tasting tour of Napa and Sonoma when she turned 21.
If GS is Goldman Sachs, how is he doing in the professional wardrobe department? A nice suit, a good pair of dress shoes? If you go with cufflinks, then he’ll need appropriate shirts to go with them. Some nice ties. Be careful to not go too flashy with the cufflinks as newbies can get razzed for dressing “above their station”.
Really nice wine screw and bottle opener. Maybe bottles of wine and beer to go with.
I like the idea of a really nice leather backpack, but maybe a gift certificate to a company that sells them so he can pick it out? Also, if he’s a beer drinker,the monthly craft beer membership might be fun for him.
Because D was going to be abroad for her 21st birthday two weeks from now, we did a combo party before she left for her and my Mom who turned 75. We rented two very nice townhouses at a luxury oceanfront resort a few towns over (off season/employee discount was a steal) and 9 of us stayed over, took their limo service to dinner, played board games and drank champagne until security had to come and then spent the following day at the spa where Mom and D got the works including massages and the rest of us had manicures and laid around the giant hot tub in the snow.
I agree that the younger professional men seem to use messenger bags. I would just make sure there is a good return policy and let him know he can exchange it for another style.
I just read that Pew Research is defining millennial as being born from 1981 to 1996.
We bought our youngest son a nice Bose Bluetooth speaker. It’s 360 degrees, the one we bought was $300. He didn’t want a watch, and he’s just hard to buy for. He loves the speaker, uses it everywhere. The sound is terrific. Got it at Best Buy.
We like to give knives (e.g. a good German or Japanese set) as gifts if they are in an apartment and cook. Otherwise cash is what they really need at that age. Kind of boring, but that way they can prioritize.
We try to do memory makers in one way or another.
Girls at 16 got pearls from Tiffany’s . Boys got very nice watches.
18 is a trip-one chose Norway, one Paris, one Grand Canyon. Each kid different.
High school graduation-a new computer, for college.
For other people’s sons at graduation, I order monogrammed blazer buttons. Cuflinks are lovely but how often do you wear a dinner jacket (tuxedo) in a year? Order a set of monogrammed buttons (plus one or two spares) and sew onto a favorite blazer or onto a good suit. That’s always enthusiastically received.
By the time we get to 21, they are off on their own and we are unlikely to see them. Off getting that “first” drink with peers. Gift from us is usually no big deal.
“Cuflinks are lovely but how often do you wear a dinner jacket (tuxedo) in a year?”
You can wear cufflinks with any suit.
I see fewer and fewer people wearing suits on a regular basis for work.
We gave our son an upscale raincoat from Nordstrom’s for his 21st. All he owned were casual jackets and an inexpensive leather jacket. And now he lives in Seattle so it worked out well.
That’s a very nice gift! Raincoats are one of those things that dont get replaced often by men, if ever.
H still has a raincoat we bought on our honeymoon—1986!
A 21 year old girl?
I’m considering a camera. Most kids want to use their phones, but sometimes a real camera is nice. Tonight I was at a rocket launch and was jealous of all the cameras, on tripods. Also of the binoculars.
I have friends who do bird watching and the cameras and binoculars are the topic of many discussions.
If the students does a lot of traveling, how about a TSA pre-check pass (or Clear, or global entry)?
I agree with the suit. With his internship at GS and then ultimately a job to follow in that field you will be buying him a suit regardless.
I also would put money on his debit card and let him go out with some friends at school to enjoy his night courtesy of mom/dad
That he will remember
1 Like