Personal style is an expression of who we are, and never is there greater opportunity to put it to use than during the holiday season. This is the most sociable time of the year, a time for meeting and breaking bread with family and friends. And Ralph Lauren’s Holiday Collection presents you with a variety of ways of expressing yourself.

You may want to use, say, a wool-blend hoodie or a cashmere cardigan to declare, “I am a trustworthy person.“ The in-laws would thank you. It is a time for having parties, too, so you may need to use a cream rollneck or a smart tie to conform to the demands of a dress code or to announce you are here to have fun. Or you may want to say, “I am doing nothing today, please don’t bother me” – so a pair of pyjama bottoms and a polo shirt are your means of communicating this, perhaps to yourself more than anyone. If you are so inclined, this collection can help you in all those endeavours.

There’s something quintessentially merry about Polo Ralph Lauren’s Holiday Collection – as we’ve mentioned already, it captures that sense of festive joy better than any other brand – so while you’re imagining how you might wear these items yourself, don’t forget to consider how they’d look wrapped up under the tree. The spirit of giving, after all, is the true spirit of the holiday season.

This is especially true in 2021, when our concept of luxury has taken on a different flavour. In a divided world feeling the impacts of climate change, buying anything beyond our basic needs can seem frivolous, even unethical. However, before we self-shame for buying something from Polo Ralph Lauren to gift this festive season, we would invite you to consider a recent article we published on selflessness to instead focus on a positive nuance of capitalism. As we quoted in that article, doing an act of service – helping or providing for someone with no expectation or ulterior motive – is the healthiest thing you can do for your mental and spiritual well-being. Forget going for a run, drinking a glass of wine or buying a house – doing things for others is scientifically proven to bring happiness and satisfaction like nothing else. So, with this new framework, the idea of buying a festive shawl-collar patchwork cardigan – like the one pictured here – for someone you love seems, well, very much like a positive thing to do. Is it a luxury? Undoubtedly. (If you want to be a bit more understated in your gift giving, why not try a simple Oxford shirt or two?) But it is also an act of kindness in a time when we are all striving to be that bit kinder to one another.

So, whether you like the look of these clothes as a means of expressing your personal style on an occasion where you wish to make an impression, or you want to gift them to someone you love – feel free to do either. It’s the season to do such things.

Dependable, cosy, whimsical – but make it fashion. Remind you of anyone? This is the gift for them. Good for: family get-togethers and cosy winter nights in the pub.

Give the gift of luxurious comfort with this cashmere hoodie. It’s extremely soft and lightweight, plus its beige hue will go with just about everything – don’t be surprised if they never take it off.

The gift that says: this relationship is for life, not just for Christmas. It doesn’t matter if only your partner can see, why not make someone’s nighttime look and feel extra lovely?

This stocking filler is something of a keeper. If you’re going to be using something every day, it should be of the highest quality. Whoever receives this will get a reminder of your generosity every time he pays the bill (hopefully when you’re out with him).

Forgotten to get something for someone? Don’t know their style? Don’t know anything about them whatsoever? Enter the item that every man needs: a classic belt in fine leather.