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.
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.
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'I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed': Inside Jane Austen's Winchester home, the house where she penned her final words and drew her final breathJane Austen spent the last days of her life in rented lodgings in Winchester, Hampshire. Adam Rattray describes the remarkable recent discoveries made about the house in which she died.
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An utterly charming island home in Scotland with gardens so beautiful they made the cover of Country LifeAn Cala on the Isle of Seil has a fascinating history that is only enhanced by its amazing setting.
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Ineos Grenadier: What price nostalgia?Ineos's Grenadier is a rugged off-roader with a simple job — to go anywhere. Its simplicity and singular purpose is the foundation of its success.
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This obscure and unloved picture that turned out to be Turner's first oil painting — and it's about to sell for 500 times what it last costJMW Turner's 'The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent’s Rock, Bristol' was lost and forgotten for years — but now it's been rediscovered, and is going under the hammer in July.
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Fields and fashion: why luxury loves the British countrysideFrom Perthshire to Paris, 'Anglomania' is taking over high fashion. Amie Elizabeth White tells us why
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What was Andy Warhol really like? The Newlands House Gallery exhibition shows the artist like never beforeThe exhibition, in Petworth, West Sussex, shows the many layers behind the artist's public persona.
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The world’s most iconic handbag could be on your arm40 years after its conception, the original Hermès ‘Birkin’ bag, owned by the OG It Girl Jane Birkin, is going up for auction with Sotheby’s on July 10.
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Sparkling diamonds: Nancy Astor and Ann Fleming’s jewellery is up for auctionAstor’s Cartier tiara will be sold by Bonhams, while the accessories of the wife of the James Bond author go up for auction with Dreweatts.
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'More of a family member than a car': 50 years of the Volkswagen PoloHalf a century? That’s a milestone for humans, never mind cars, so join us as we raise the bunting, stuff our faces with cake, and cheer for one of our favourite little memory makers.
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A five minute guide to the new V&A East Storehouse’s treasuresSamurai swords and 350,000 books are just some of the curios in the new Victoria & Albert storehouse in Stratford, London, which is now open to the public.
