Well in my general understanding, guys like to pamper their girlfriends/ fiancees/ wives with expensive gifts, but don't always like the return in a comparable monetary value. Obviously, their huge egos get ruffled when the 'lady' brings in the better, more expensive present.
Also, not all men are perky and metrosexual. My man for once doesn't object to wearing branded clothing but doesn't necessarily shop for them either. If a gift comes his way, he'll take it, or if he likes smthng classy or there's a sale, he'll gladly get it but he would never specifically go to holt's to do his shopping.
I think you should buy him any gift that you please, expensive or not, but focus more on doing somthing extra special instead. I think that will tug at his heart harder than any thing that you 'buy'.. ;)
My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies. When we used to meet up before we got married for movies or just aimlessly driving around, I would make some and individually wrap them up in pretty paper and ribbon and leave a note in each package. Later I would sneak the package behind his seat and after he'd drop me off, we'd be on the phone again and I would tell him how I left something for him on the backseat. I can't tell you how much that just made him happy and how he couldn't stop talking about it :)
Similarly, I also surprised him a couple times by calling him from outside his workplace when he was at a break. And then I'd just show up or ask him to come outside and he would just whoop me up and carry the hugest grin ever.