The utterly inessential shopping list: Spooky shoes, the art of the tarte and a royally good sweatshirt
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. In a new series, Country Life's 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.


Something wicked this way struts
Happy Halloween! Almost.
After sneaking a little bit of Christmas into our last list, I thought it would be best to firmly return to the season at hand and recommend with all my heart that you spend a lot of money on something that will only be on-theme once a year.
However, if you’re feeling a little practical today (hi, lovely to meet you, you’re on the wrong page) Oliver Brown has over 50 other beautiful motifs to choose from for these delightfully decadent shoes. Which are (surprisingly?) Men's shoes. Like last week. I’ll find some Women's slippers soon, promise.
Buy the Oliver Brown Men's Velvet Slippers for £169 and personalise with a motif for an additional £26 at www.oliverbrown.org.uk.
Would you care for a tipple?
The Royal Capri Trunk by Artemest is everything you look for in an utterly inessential product. Made of only the finest materials, it features a folding table, bottle storage, a hi-fi system and an iPad/iPhone dock. The phrase ‘one for the road’ was never so aptly applied.
Artemest describes it as an ‘elegant, multifunctional living centre’ which I find perfectly accurate because for this price, one could rent an extremely nice room in London for a month or a not-so-nice one for two.
Buy the Royal Capri Trunk for £11,565 at www.artemest.com.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Art of the Tarte
Public Service Announcement: All tart puns have been vetoed by my better judgment
If you’ve ever wanted to truly impress at a dinner party with minimal effort, this is the one for you. You’ll leave the masterclass with a Tarte au Chocolat, Tartelettes Fraises and Tartelettes Framboises Frangipane, all of which you’ll have made yourself and be able to replicate at a moment’s notice. You’ll also leave with a special PAUL apron, a certificate to mark the momentous occasion you discovered what frangipane actually is and a full stomach (a gorgeous dinner is included in the price).
Book the Art of the Tarte masterclass for £80 per person on the PAUL website, www.paul-uk.com.
Royally fashionable
Ally, I hear you say. This isn’t utterly out of my price range. In fact, I can actually afford this today, no saving required. The recent change in weather means that I would actually class this as essential. Why have you done this? This isn’t what I clicked on this link for.
While warmer clothing may be essential, it is not essential that you purchase it to model yourself on Prince Harry, but that is precisely what I am suggesting you do. It’s also very, very cosy. Case closed.
Buy the Norfolk Quarter Zip Sweatshirt Grey/Navy/Green from Whale of a Time (www.whaleofatimeclothing.com) for £52.95.
A hint of hygge
Andddd we’re back to the utterly utterly inessential.
By now, everyone has heard of the Danish concept of ‘hygge’, a word that embodies the feeling of being cosy, happy and loved. British designer Elnaz Namaki used this concept as inspiration for her new collection, Luuna’ and used it well.
The only word I can think of when I see this is ‘snuggly’. Sure, all the other furniture you buy will have to be muted to compensate for the individuality of this piece, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem as you probably wont be able to afford any other furniture after buying it. On the plus side, it’s the kind of chair you could comfortably sleep in, so you wont be needing a bed. Just this and the Artemest trunk.
Buy the Jolene Armchair for £3800, find it at www.elnaznamaki.com.
A little bit of ring composition
Let's end where we began. Featuring Godiva’s famous white chocolate praline Mielodie, it’s safe to say these will not be going to trick-or-treaters.
Godiva Ghost Pieces, box of five for £7.50, find in stores. Browse Godiva’s other luxurious creations at www.godivachocolates.co.uk.
If you purchased our entire shopping list you would have spent £15,700.45…if you want my honest opinion, you really should have spent £15,780.45 and brought someone special to PAUL with you. Share the laughter, share the disaster, take home double the tarts.
Credit: TIM SCOTT
The utterly inessential shopping list: A gold Ferrari, your very own private island and a stunning timepiece to watch
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. Alexandra Fraser takes a
Credit: Neil Watson
The utterly inessential shopping list: Serenity for the stressed in the city, terrific tweed and a loafer to take you full speed ahead
Forget about the big things. You can keep the necessities. Don't tell us about the must-haves. Alexandra Fraser takes a
The absolutely inessential, utterly indulgent and entirely marvellous weekend shopping list
Check in weekly to see the latest additions to our list – to look at, laugh at and to (occasionally) treat
Things to do: Music in the gardens, the buildings of the Weald & Downland and a circus at the cathedral
Keep your diary up-to-date with our selection of unmissable events and things to do in the next few weeks.
-
A spectacular tower for sale that's a blend of Victorian folly, architectural marvel and 21st century family home
Hadlow Tower has space, and a back story of love, jealousy and intrigue.
-
Some Like (to quiz when) It Hot: Country Life Quiz of the Day heatwave special, July 11, 2025
If you're struggling to keep cool — and who isn't? — our Quiz of the Day will at least take your mind off the soaring temperatures.
-
No strings attached: A brief history of swimwear, from heavy skirts of linen linked to women's drownings, to the skimpy two-piece named after a nuclear weapons site
From knee-length numbers to a scandalous suit denounced by the Pope, the colourful history of swimwear has been brought to life by a glamorous London exhibition.
-
Downtown Abbey is about to finish forever, and you're about to get a chance to see — and to buy — the costumes from the show
Downton Abbey's exquisite costumes and props are going on show at a free exhibition ahead of a sale being held by Bonhams later this summer.
-
‘One of the most effective pieces of propaganda ever made’: the Bayeux Tapestry heads to Britain for the first time in almost a millennium
A historic agreement between this country and France sees the 225ft-long tableau — which may have been made in Britain but has been in France since 1077 — arrive at the British Museum in Autumn 2026.
-
‘They remain, really, the property of all of those who love them, know them, and tell them. They are our stories, the inheritance of the people of Scotland’: The Anthology of Scottish Folk Tales
-
Canine muses: Lucian Freud's etchings of Pluto the whippet are among his most popular and expensive work
In the third edition of our limited series, we meet the dogs who've inspired some of our greatest artists.
-
Maybach SL680: A modern motoring marvel from the marque that once catered for Maharajas and movie stars
The Maybach name has been attached to many of Germany's most luxurious cars over the last century — so does the latest iteration live up to the reputation? Simon de Burton got behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 — but only after a quick pronunciation lesson.
-
‘What a shame when a dinosaur disappears into the mansion of an oligarch rather than being displayed for all to enjoy’: The ethics of the dinosaur auction
Fancy a stegosaurus in your living room? You can buy one at auction. But the latest luxury good is a paleontologist's worst nightmare.
-
‘There is probably no sport in the world which is so misunderstood’: 75 years of Formula 1 according to the Country Life archive
On the 75th anniversary of the first ever Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix, held at Silverstone Circuit, Rosie Paterson delves into the Country Life archives to look at how the magazine once spoke about motorsport.