Luxury & Style

The Spectator Guide to Style - Winter 2011

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12th November 2011
What is style? Well, according to Taki, you can’t buy it. But if you want to try, we’ve got plenty of people willing to help. The BBC’s Jon Sopel shares his love of handmade leather shoes and Andrew M. Brown explains why only the best, hand-stitched silk ties will do. Martin Vander Weyer helps us navigate the minefield of what to wear to a country dinner party and Gemma Soames tells us how women’s fashion has finally grown up, thanks in part to two new sophisticated style icons. Move over Kate Moss: Samantha Cameron and the Duchess of Cambridge are the first ladies of fashion now.

When it comes to entertaining, Victoria Mather knows how to get delicious food and wine with the minimum of hassle. There’s no need to slog round Sainsbury’s when you can have fresh scallops and smoked chicken delivered straight to your door. And if you’re throwing a party, why not do it with a really big bottle of champagne? Mark Mason celebrates his 40th birthday in style with a Salmanezah of Pol Roger.

Material goods aside, both Joan Collins and Lucy Beresford agree the greatest luxury in life is time — or time out. To that end, Jonathan Ray has selflessly searched the globe for the ten best massages.

Finally, spare a thought for Freddy Gray, whom I gleefully sent lingerie shopping for his wife, knowing he would be well outside his comfort zone. Read his advice on how to buy presents for women. You’ll be relieved — or disappointed — to hear that lacy undies are a bad idea.

The Spectator Guide to Luxury and Style - Spring 2011

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2nd April 2011
What is luxury, anyway? What is style? These are not the most enduring questions, perhaps, but they are worth considering. So, for this supplement, we have asked Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian businessman, to define what luxury means to him, Melanie McDonagh to explain the stylish significance of smoking, and several experts to write about that most obvious extravagance, jewellery.

Elsewhere, Nick Wheeler tells men what they should wear at weddings, Harry Mount takes a turn down Mount Street, Mary Wakefield has her feet nibbled by fish, Beatrice Marre asks what makes the perfect christening present, and there’s much more. Please have a read, and look out for our next Luxury & Style edition in November.