Australia does Christmas differently. It lands in the middle of summer, half the country is at the beach by Boxing Day, and the present that gets the biggest reaction is usually the one that gets worn on the day. So this guide is sorted by who you are buying for, with a Kris Kringle section for the name you drew out of a hat and a plan B for when you have no idea what size they are.
What makes a good Christmas present for an Australian summer?
Three things. It has to work in the heat, it has to survive salt water or a backyard cricket match, and it has to be something they would not buy for themselves. That rules out a lot of the usual suspects and rules in swimwear, socks, tees and anything with a print loud enough to get a comment at lunch.
Sizing is the other half of it. Board shorts, tees and socks are forgiving. Anything fitted is not. The sections below flag the safe bets.
Christmas gifts for him
Start with board shorts. They are the one summer item most blokes own exactly one pair of, usually three summers past its best, and they are easy to buy because the fit is forgiving. The Cactus Jack boardies in yellow are the loud pick, So Jelly in royal blue is the one with a story behind the print, and Sunny Boy in charcoal is for someone who wants the print without the fluorescence. If you are weighing up styles, read board shorts vs swim shorts first.
After that, Aussie slang tees. The Lucky Duck tee and Happy As Larry in green both do the job of being funny without being a novelty item he will never wear twice. If he is the sort who will actually quote it back at you, our guide to Aussie slang explains what each one means.
Christmas gifts for Dad
Dad is the hardest one, because he has already bought the thing he wanted and told nobody. Two angles that work.
The practical one: a UPF 50+ rashie. Most Australian dads are overdue one, very few will buy it themselves, and it is the gift that quietly gets used every weekend. Our explainer on what UPF 50+ actually means covers why the rating matters.
The one he will wear to the shops: Utility Shorts in navy for the cargo pockets, or a polar fleece for when the weather turns and he is standing on the sideline at 7am.
Christmas gifts for teenage boys
The sizing trap: our kids range runs to size 14, which fits most early teens, and the adult range starts at XS. So a 13 or 14 year old sits right on the join. If he is tall for his age, go adult XS rather than kids 14.
Safe picks at that age are board shorts, a slang tee and sweats. Loud prints land better than subtle ones, and anything with a joke on it beats anything with a logo on it.
Christmas gifts for kids
Kids get the easiest run, because the whole kids range is built for Christmas Day into the pool. Kids board shorts come in the same prints as the adult pairs, which is how you end up with a matching family photo nobody planned.
A kids rashie is the one grandparents should buy, because it is the thing parents keep meaning to replace. For sizing and sun cover, our kids swimwear buying guide walks through it.
For smaller presents: kids socks with slang knitted into them, a cord cap, or a kids crew neck for the cooler end of the holidays.
Kris Kringle and Secret Santa gifts under $25
Kris Kringle is what most of Australia calls Secret Santa, and the brief is always the same: funny, useful, under the cap, and not obviously a servo purchase.
Socks win this every year. Alpine Resort socks, Ridgy Didge in light green and Sweet As in blue all sit under the usual $25 limit, they fit anybody, and knitted Aussie slang reads as a joke and a real present at the same time. For a kids Kris Kringle, kids beanies and kids socks do the same job for less.
Stocking fillers that are not rubbish
The test for a stocking filler is whether it survives to January. Socks, beanies and caps do. Anything novelty does not. A pair of slang socks per stocking, in a different saying each, is the easiest way to do a whole family in one order.
Matching family sets for the Christmas photo
Most Skwosh prints run across mens and kids sizes, so matching father and son sets are a real option rather than a gimmick. Buy the adult pair and the kids pair in the same print, and the Christmas morning photo does itself. It also means one of them cannot claim the other one started it.
What if you do not know their size?
Two ways out. The first is a Skwosh gift card, delivered by email, no processing fees, which is also the answer for a last-minute present that still needs to arrive before Christmas.
The second is to buy something size-proof. Socks, caps and beanies fit almost anybody. Board shorts and tees have enough give that one size either way is survivable. If you want to check before you commit, the size guide has measurements for every range, and the returns policy covers exchanges.
When should you order for Christmas delivery in Australia?
Australia Post publishes its Christmas cut-off dates each November, and they move every year, so check those before you count on anything arriving. As a rule, the first week of December is the safe window for standard post within Australia, and the week before that if you are sending to WA, the NT or anywhere regional. Current dispatch times are on our shipping page. If you have left it too late, the gift card is instant.
Common questions
What do you get an Aussie bloke who has everything? Something he already owns but needs replaced. Board shorts, a rashie and socks are all things most men wear well past their use-by date and never think to buy new.
What is a good Kris Kringle gift under $25? Socks with something funny on them. They fit anyone, they get used, and they do not end up in a drawer.
Are board shorts a good Christmas present? In Australia, yes. Christmas is three days before the peak of summer, the fit is forgiving, and almost nobody buys themselves a new pair until the old ones fail.
What do you buy a teenager who says they do not want anything? A loud print in the right size. Teenagers will not ask for something with a joke on it but will wear it. Size 14 fits most early teens, and adult XS fits the taller ones.
Can I get matching outfits for a dad and kids? Yes. Most prints run in both adult and kids sizes, so the same board shorts or tee can be bought twice in different sizes.
Still stuck? Have a look at new arrivals for whatever has just landed, or get in touch and we will point you at something.