Father's Day Gift Guide

Most fathers own one jumper that has been through everything. It has a mended elbow, sawdust in the cuffs, and a hook of its own by the back door. The best Father's Day gifts are the ones that eventually earn that hook. Possum merino knitwear, knitted in New Zealand from natural fibres, is warm enough for the first cold morning and well made enough to still be in use years from now. Here are our picks across jumpers, vests, jackets and the smaller things.

We've kept this guide deliberately small. For other occasions, see our natural fibre gift guide. Father's Day in New Zealand and Australia falls on the first Sunday in September, when winter hasn't quite let go: frost on the windscreen first thing, a cold southerly by mid-afternoon. Everything here suits that weather, and most of it suits the rest of the year too.

Something to layer

If you're buying one gift, make it a layer he can put on over whatever he's already wearing. Vests and quarter zips don't ask for any thought about outfits, and they come off easily as the day warms up.

The Koru Zip Vest with Collar keeps the warmth around the body and leaves the arms free, which suits a morning in the garden or an afternoon at the workbench. It's knitted in New Zealand from 50% merino lambswool, 40% possum fur and 10% mulberry silk, and sits neatly over a collared shirt, or over a crew neck with jeans.

The Trilogy Zip Collar Jumper is a quarter zip, with a short zip at the neck and a collar in a contrasting tone. When the sun comes out, he can unzip it rather than take the whole thing off. It's worn on its own with jeans, or under a jacket when the temperature drops.

The jumper he won't buy himself

Plenty of men will keep wearing the same jumper for a decade rather than spend money on a new one. That's exactly where gifts come in.

The Koru Classic Crew Neck is a plain crew neck with ribbed cuffs, hem and neckline. It's knitted as a whole garment, shaped in one piece on the knitting machine rather than sewn together from panels, so there are no side seams. It goes with denim, or over a collared shirt when he needs to look a little tidier.

If he prefers a collar, the McDonald New Zealand Stepped Stitch Polo has a textured stepped stitch across the body and a classic knitted polo collar. It's made in New Zealand from 55% merino wool, 35% possum fur and 10% mulberry silk, and wears well with tailored trousers or straight-leg jeans.

The smaller gesture

Not every gift needs to be a grand statement. Something small and well made, chosen with him in mind, is often the one that gets used the most.

Most men won't buy themselves good socks, then wear them constantly once someone else does. The Koru Dress Socks are a fine knit in 45% merino lambswool, 35% possum fur and 20% nylon-elastane, with a subtle rib at the cuff. They're best in office shoes and slippers, or keeping feet warm at home, rather than for hard daily wear.

The Koru Fern Gloves carry a single grey silver fern on black, a familiar symbol of Aotearoa without being a souvenir. To go with a good coat, the McDonald New Zealand Check Scarf is reversible, giving two looks in one, and is finished with genuine lambskin leather at each end.

If you want to go all out

The McDonald New Zealand Lambskin Collar Jacket is a full-zip possum merino jacket with a genuine lambskin collar, which sits right where cold air tends to find its way in. He can wear it with dark denim and leather boots, or with tailored trousers and a collared shirt.

Every house has one chair that belongs to Dad. The Brushtail Herringbone Throw belongs on it. It's plated, two yarns knitted together for a soft two-tone finish, in 75% fine merino wool, 20% possum fur and 5% mulberry silk. At 120cm x 125cm (47" x 49"), it covers his knees through the second half of the rugby without taking over the couch.

A note on gift cards

If you know possum merino is the right call but you're not sure which piece, our gift cards start at $100 and never expire. Choosing knitwear for someone else is hard, and picking his own is half the fun.

All of these pieces ship from New Zealand with free domestic delivery on orders over $150. For international orders, visit our shipping page for rates and delivery times. Each brand sizes a little differently, so check how our brands size before choosing a jumper or jacket.

Browse the full range in our men's collection, or explore gifts by brand: Koru, McDonald New Zealand, Royal Merino, and Trilogy.