The transformative power of a really beautiful pair of socks
Good socks aren't just a practical necessity — they can be far more than that, as Ryan Palmer and Dave Pickard of The London Sock Company told Giles Kime.
Style & Fashion
The luxury pages of Country Life feature some of the most exlusive clothes and accessories for men and women – not many publications cater to both. In addition, every week online we find some of the most beautiful things to buy for yourself, or a loved one. Often made by some of the oldest, and most loved British brands, these pieces are the best we can find, whether it’s a classic trench coat or a Christmas party dress.
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The Utterly Inessential Cosy Shopping List: Wrap up warm, winter is almost here
Teeth chattering? Legs shaking? Can't feel your fingers? Winter is finally here (almost), and so is the cosiest edition of our weekly shopping list to date.
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Country Life Top 10: Wellies - The best boots you can buy
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The Utterly Inessential Travel Shopping List: Everything you need for winter sun or hitting the slopes
Last week's Country Life showed you all the best places to travel for a holiday now that the summer is over, from swimming with horses in Montego Bay to curling up in a chalet in Courmayeur. Now that you've booked your trip, Alexandra Fraser shows you all the things which may make your journey a little bit easier, a little bit more luxurious and a little bit utterly inessential.
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The Utterly Inessential Kitchen Shopping List: Antique copper pans, lemon-coloured cookers and the sort of stool you'd imagine Hemingway sitting on
Sure, you could go down to Homebase, Ikea or B&Q. But where would be the fun in that?
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The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: A pet candle with a secret, an American culinary road-trip and the inevitable waterproof
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The Utterly Inessential Autumn Shopping List: Cheese subscriptions, cosy blankets and everything else you need in the run up to winter
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The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: Everything you need for the last weekend of summer
Alexandra Fraser rounds up the last few things you absolutely don't need this summer, as we reluctantly turn towards autumn jackets, broken brollies and 'do you have any tables inside?'.
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The Utterly Inessential Bank Holiday Shopping List: A few simple pleasures to indulge in over the historic August long weekend
It's the weekend we've all been waiting for since Christmas. In three short days, everyone in the UK (except the parents of young children, God bless you) will wake up at 7am, glance at their phone clocks and peacefully drift back into their downy pillows with large smiles on their faces. It's here, it's really here – the August bank holiday.
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A centuries-old altar cloth from a rural English church turned out to be the 'lost dress' of Elizabeth I, and it's set to go on public display
An altar cloth that turned out to be part of a gown belonging to Elizabeth I is going on display at hampton Court after undergoing an extensive conservation treatment.
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The Utterly Inessential Beach Shopping List: From ocean-inspired drinks to a Dragon paddleboard for the entire family to enjoy
Bored of being in the office? Well, this weekend is your chance to drop everything and jump on a train down to our gleaming coastline. Alexandra Fraser rounds up a few of the utterly inessential things that you should probably, potentially, but definitely not absolutely, bring with you.
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The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: Solid chocolate ice cream, a trackable passport cover and a £7,000 silver ice bucket
In this week's round up of utterly inessential items to amaze and beguile, Alexandra Fraser takes a look at a solid chocolate ice cream cone, the world's most expensive (probably) ice bucket and the ultimate solution to losing your passport in the airport.
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Curious Questions: What does your flat cap say about you?
You might think a flat cap is just something to keep your head warm and dry. And in some circumstances you'd be right – but there's a minefield of meaning out there, according to Rob Crossan.
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The Utterly Inessential Polo Shopping List: Everything you'll need for The Hurlingham Polo International Day and beyond
Looking ahead to this Saturday, Alexandra Fraser rounds up all of the Utterly Inessential items you may desire to attend the polo this Saturday in style, from comfy (yet stylish) shoes to the ever-present fedora.
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The Utterly Inessential Shopping List: A chocolate subscription, Highgrove's sugar bowl and an in-home bowling alley
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. Alexandra Fraser takes a look at a few little luxuries which, in a world too full of strife and woe, will help ease your way through life with a smile on your face.
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125 years of Barbour jackets — and how they've won over everyone from The Queen to Alexa Chung
As Barbour celebrates its 125th anniversary, its distinctive and much-loved jackets are still being worn by everyone from farmers to fashion royalty. Flora Watkins salutes a great British brand.
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The Utterly Inessential Outdoors Shopping List: How to grow your own drinks garnish, a water bottle that keeps ice for 24 hours and a quacking picnic blanket
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The Utterly Inessential Henley Shopping List: From this weekend's Regatta to next week's fabulous Festival
We've rounded up all the utterly inessential products that you absolutely do not need (top hats for Ascot aside) to enjoy this summers season of festivals, shows and races. This week: Henley Royal Regatta and Festival.
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Jason Goodwin: 'As soon as I tried the suits on, we realised that they represented the Three Ages of Man'
Our spectator columnist discusses three suits, donated by the same man to a charity shop, which have seen him through his first through stages of life and made him long for the fine tailoring of days-gone-by.
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Six of the best Barbour jackets from 125 years of an iconic British company
As Barbour celebrates its 125th anniversary, Flora Watkins picks out six of the finest and most successful jackets that the company has ever made.
