When it comes to groomsmen gifts, our suggestion is to cut out the cliche gifts such as pens, shot glasses or pocket knives and consider some of these less traditional items they’ll use for years.

1. Wooden Six Pack
Walk into the party with your own wooden six pack. This is a cool, alternative groomsmen gift that will have everyone talking. The carrier is designed to be lightweight yet protective so your bottles are kept safe during transport.
$42, WoodThumb.com

2. Two-Tone Linen Pocket Square
J.Crew’s pocket squares are made of the finest Italian linen. Your groomsmen will look sharp tipping this out of their pocket. Get them monogrammed for futher personalization. They also have them in white if this marigold color is too bold.
$45 + $10 for monogram, JCREW.com

3. NYC Subway Tokens Cufflinks
Rather than personalize a gift with a monogram, get even more creative! If you’re having a NYC wedding these cufflinks will put your groomsmen back in a New York state of mind every time they wear them and it provides a fun segue for telling wedding day memories.
$64, Owen&Fred.com

4. Luxury Soap Box
Cool Hunter identified Pearl + Luxury soap as a hot holiday gift, but we’re loving them for groomsmen! Janet Jay, former head of marketing for Diane Von Furstenberg and Estee Lauder began this soap company as a hobby and its popularity has since exploded! This boxed set has 4 travel-sized soaps and the cedar box itself doubles as a soap dish.
$35, PearlPlus.com

5. Monogrammed Round Flask
Who wouldn’t love being gifted a flask? Hey, your bridal party may even be able to utilize it on the wedding day! And the best part is you can personalize it with any engraving you’d like.
$20 each, TheKnotShop.com

6. Custom Leather Luggage or Bag Tags
We just love these customized leather tags. Each comes with steel cables so they attach solidly and help you ID your bag when it arrives on the luggage carousel. This product was named by GQ as “best stuff” so it’s basically guaranteed to be a hit among your groomsmen!
$81 for a pair or $45 for one, Owen&Fred.com

> Find Your Tux Style
> 21 More Bridal Party Gift Ideas

Yes, I liked T. Swift’s cream J Mendel gown and Rihanna looked radiant in red, but I’ve got to say, we were way more impressed with the guys on the red carpet this year! Bow ties and snazzy suits were spotted on the industries top celebs at the 55th annual Grammy Awards and here are a few of our favs.

The Traditional Black & White Combo

Justin Timberlake suddenly set the bar high for guys (especially grooms) out there with his super swanky suit and bow tie. He’s definitely channeling the Jazz Age. What do you think? Loving those shoes as much as we are?

Like this look? Check out these Editor’s picks for the groom! Classic Tuxedo Styles We Love

The Sleek Satin Lapel

Similar to Justin, Drake pulled out all the stops in his sophisticated satin lapel suit (and bow tie) too. From shiny shoes to a eye-catching gold watch, Drake’s sleek style made our best dressed list.

Like this look? Check out these Editor’s picks for the groom! Sharp Modern Suit Styles

The Modern Blue Velvet Suit

Last, but not least, John Mayer provided a little shock and awe action in his royal blue velvet get-up. Got to say, I’m a fan of this. Bow tie and all, this vintage ensemble could be totally wedding-worthy. Would your groom rock this? Better question: Would you let him?

Like this look? Check out these Editor’s picks for the groom! Casual Yet Classy Suits For The Groom

> Find The Perfect Look For The Groom

> How To Tie A Bow Tie (Find out here!)

> 4 Unique Wedding Attire Ideas For The Groom

Out are the days of bachelor parties with strippers and in are extreme sports and outdoorsy getaways. For wintertime that means ice fishing and more.

Dalma Heyn

Bobsledding

In this case, there’s no bachelor party mantra more fitting than, “Feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme. Get on up, it’s bobsled time!” For about $100-200 a person, you can fly upwards of  80mph down a mountain while snuggled in a bobsled with your closest friends. (That’s up to 5g’s of force.) Tip: Don’t try it on a hang over, guys.
Where to go: There are only a couple places across the country that actually have bobsled tracks (shocker). One of them is the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City at Utah Olympic Park. The other is in Lake Placid, New York — home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.  If your man heads to New York, he could stay at  The Lake Placid Lodge. There, they do grilling classes so he can learn how to burn burgers the right way.

Edmontonsun.com

Curling

You don’t have to be on the Olympic team to get in on the action. All you need are eight dudes and an ice skating rink and some gear. Bonus: Not one of your friends has probably ever curled before so you’ll be working with a level playing field.

Where to go: We talked to Terry Kolesar, director of communications for USA Curling team who informed us that there are curling club locations in 40 of the 50 states. (No seriously, you’ll find a map of US curling clubs right here.) 

Gateway North Outfitters

Ice Fishing

What better way to bring the group together than by cracking open a few beers and huddling around an ice fishing hole for a day?

Where to go: Anyplace there’s subfreezing temps, snow and ice. We’ve heard Caspian Lake in Vermont, Higgins Lake in Michigan and Caples Lake in California are good options — just to name a few.

iBackPackCanada.com

Igloo Building 

Guys like to build things, so why not have an igloo-building contest?
Where to go:  Anyplace with snow — you just have to make sure you have the proper tools. A snow shovel won’t do it. Apparently you ideally need an “Icebox Igloo Tool” and a “Snow Shelter Door (like one of these) to get the job done.

More on bachelor parties

> 10 ways to deal with his bachelor party

> Who pays for the bachelor party?

> 7 bachelorette games that don’t suck