Extraordinary to Be Ordinary This Season

This gift-giving season there really is no excuse for buying a man you know anything, well, ordinary.

Stores are stocked with a mix of luxury items, new gear for the active life, classic looks with a twist . . . and, occasionally, the exotic.

A shirt, for example, bearing a label reading “by appointment to the Prince of Wales” from Turnbull & Asser Ltd., is definitely not ho-hum.

A simple pair of suspenders becomes a snazzy gift if it’s printed in a paisley pattern.

Leather insets turn a bulky wool sweater into a high-yield investment item.

And cashmere argyle socks are guaranteed to warm both feet and heart.

Elegance is the last word, as always. Consider men’s crest pins, pocket squares, fur-lined bomber jackets and a tuxedo with drop lapels and a single-button jacket, the newest look in formal wear.

Department stores report that the big sellers are traditional gifts, such as socks, shirts and sweaters.

But the way they look this year, tradition isn’t such a bad idea.