Man in the Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate and jeans, hands in his pockets, standing on a pale sandy beach, in a close view of the ribbed knit, raglan sleeves and rolled collar.

Gifts for the Man Who Loves the Sea: What He Wears on the Shore and After

The best gift for a man who loves the sea is the clothing he wears on the shore and pulls on after the water, not another thing for the shelf. He already has the mug with the lighthouse on it. What he rarely buys for himself is the jumper he reaches for in the car park, or the dry shirt he changes into after a swim. Five gifts from Ghillie cover it, from £25 to £115, with two larger pieces further down:

What does the sea do to his clothes?

The sea does three things to his clothes that a walk inland does not: salt marks them, wind cools him while he stands still, and the half hour after the water calls for dry layers within reach. A good gift answers at least one of the three.

  • Salt. Spray dries into cloth and leaves a white line on dark colours. Whatever he wears closest to the water should go in the washing machine at home without a second thought, which is why the tee and the flannel here are cotton that washes cold or at 30 degrees, and the jumper goes over them.
  • Wind. On the shore it rarely drops. A man standing at the tideline is not moving enough to keep himself warm, so warmth around the body matters more than it does on a hill walk. So does a cap he can tighten, because the one he cannot is in the water inside a minute.
  • The changing moment. The best half hour of a sea day is often the one after it: the towel in the car park, a dry shirt, a jumper pulled over damp hair before the drive home. What matters then is small: buttons he can manage with cold fingers, and a chest pocket for the keys he has just dug out of a shoe.

Five gifts for the man who loves the sea

For the shore: the Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate

The Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate is the one to start with. It is a fisherman's jumper in a wool blend, 20% wool with recycled polyester, polyamide and viscose, knitted in a heavyweight 5 gauge rib with raglan sleeves and a rolled selvage collar that leaves room for a shirt collar underneath. There are no logos on it. It is cut in a Relaxed Fit, which makes it the most forgiving of the sized pieces if you are guessing, and it goes over a flannel on the shore walk or over a damp tee after a swim. Care is hand wash cold with a wool detergent where possible, or a cold, gentle wool cycle in the machine, then reshape and dry flat. The story of the stitch covers the rib, and fisherman's jumper vs Aran jumper explains how the two differ.

For after the water: the Munro Flannel Shirt in Seastorm

Bearded man in the Munro Flannel Shirt in Seastorm, sleeves rolled, and an olive cap, working a piece of leather at a workbench, with both buttoned flap chest pockets in view.
The Munro in Seastorm, back indoors and still wearing it.

The Munro Flannel Shirt in Seastorm is the dry shirt for the car park. It is plain brushed cotton in the Seastorm colourway, with two deep pleated chest pockets under buttoned flaps for the keys and the car fob, and a hidden button-down collar. The fit is regular, cut to layer: over a tee, under the Tarbert, on its own the rest of the time. It goes in the machine cold or at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle, which matters for the salt. Seastorm runs S to 3XL.

If he prefers a check, the Brae Flannel Shirt in Offshore or Marine, £95, is 100% cotton brushed on both sides. Neither has every size at present, so check his is in stock first. There is 20% off two or more flannel shirts.

The layer underneath: the Logo Tee in Sea Fog

The Logo Tee in Sea Fog is 100% cotton, cut true to size, light enough to wear alone in summer and thin enough to go under the flannel the rest of the year. On its own it is a small gift; with a cap it makes a pair.

For the glare: the Tarvie in Shoreline Blue or the Sutherland

Tarvie Cap in Shoreline Blue with a pale stone contrast peak and an embroidered Ghillie logo badge outlined in red, on a plain off-white background.
The Tarvie in Shoreline Blue. No size to guess, only a colour to choose.

Light off the water is hard on the eyes, and a peak helps. The Tarvie Cap in Shoreline Blue is unstructured, washed 100% cotton with a contrast peak and a brass fastener at the back that sets the fit and holds it. The Sutherland Trucker Cap is the structured choice: a mid crown, a cotton canvas front with a woven logo patch and a mesh back. Both adjust, so there is no size to choose. Headwear cannot be returned, so pick the colour that goes with what he already wears; trucker or dad cap explains the two shapes.

What if you want a bigger present?

For a larger gift, the Torr Wool Gilet in Heather Green, £185, keeps his body warm and his arms free, and the Arkle Wool Jacket, £240, is the same Tech Wool with sleeves. Both are dry clean only, aired between wears. With the Arkle, on the wettest days it sits under a shell. The rest of the time it is the jacket. Gilet or jacket sets the two side by side.

What is a good gift for a sea swimmer?

A good gift for a sea swimmer is the dry layer he pulls on with cold hands once the robe comes off: a cotton tee, a flannel shirt and a heavy jumper over the top. Ghillie does not make a changing robe or a tow float, so buy those from a swim specialist. The Logo Tee in Sea Fog goes on first. The Munro in Seastorm goes over it, and it washes cold or at 30 degrees, which matters once salt has dried into it. The Tarbert goes over both in the car park, and either cap covers wet hair.

What is a good Christmas present for a man who loves the coast?

The best present for a man who loves the coast is the Tarbert Fisherman's Jumper in Slate as the main gift, with a cap or the Logo Tee in Sea Fog as the small one alongside it. The gift guide's Coast and the Garden list has the same pieces in one place, and its price bands sort them by budget.

If you do not know his size, lay a shirt or jumper he wears often flat and measure straight across the chest 2.5cm below the armhole. Match that figure to the "Chest, flat (cm)" column for the exact garment on the size guide. The worked example is in how to find his size without asking.

Exchanges are free, orders placed between 1 November and 24 December can be returned or exchanged until 31 January, and UK delivery is free over £150 by Royal Mail Tracked 48, with the steps under what if it does not fit and timings in the delivery policy nearer the time.

What if you cannot choose?

The Ghillie Gift Voucher is sent by email, on a date you can choose, in amounts from £25 to £250, with no expiry, and he picks the piece and the size himself. Like headwear, gift cards cannot be returned. The voucher section of the gift guide has the detail.

Questions about gifts for sea lovers

How much wool is in the Tarbert?

The Tarbert is a fisherman's jumper in a wool blend: 20% wool, 30% recycled polyester, 30% polyamide and 20% viscose, knitted in a 5 gauge fisherman's rib with no logos.

What is a good small gift for a sea lover?

A cap is the simplest small gift for a man who loves the sea, because it needs no size. The Tarvie in Shoreline Blue and the Sutherland Trucker Cap are the two on this page, and both adjust. The Logo Tee in Sea Fog is the other small choice if you know his size, and it pairs with either cap.

What counts as a coastal gift for him?

Coastal gifts for him are the pieces he wears on the shore rather than things for the shelf: a fisherman's jumper in a wool blend for the walk, a brushed cotton flannel for after the water, a cotton tee underneath and a cap for the glare.

What if he has a boat?

If he sails or keeps a small boat, what he wears on the water is a different question, and what to wear on a boat trip covers it. This page is what he changes into on the quay afterwards.

Bought once. Worn often.

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