Рубрика: General

It’s a classic in every well-dressed man’s wardrobe – but the style you pick reveals more than you think. 

They’re trendy as well as timeless, and have become somewhat of a go-to piece of footwear. Slip into a pair and it sharpens the casual, relaxes the formal, and brings balance to everything in between. Are you drawn to the restraint of a horsebit? The character of a Kiltie? Each variation carries its own codes and connotations. Consider this your guide to knowing what your choice reveals about you.

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Penny loafer

This is the style you’re likely going to see the most, and for good reason. Its sleek and simple design is finished with a strap across the tongue that traditionally held pennies (hence the name), and can be styled with most pieces. Its versatility mirrors its wearer: you’ll don them just about anywhere because you’ll be just about anywhere, whether a rooftop bar in Los Angeles or a business trip in Beijing. Reliable, composed, and understated, the penny loafer is a constant. A stand-up shoe for a stand-up man.

Kiltie loafer

The man who chooses a Kiltie loafer is entirely comfortable being noticed – but never for the wrong reasons. He is as at ease carving down black runs in Courchevel as he is commanding a room at a private dinner or wedding reception. He isn’t afraid of a little personality – provided it’s delivered with polish, which is precisely the appeal of the Kiltie. The tongue’s fringing and tassel add a bit of flair to an otherwise standard loafer’s silhouette. 

Horsebit loafer

Gucci aficionados will know that the horsebit loafer was invented by Aldo Gucci in 1953, and it purposefully nods to the equestrian culture he encountered on a visit to London. Now, the design has become a whole category within the loafer world. It’s a great accessory for the entrepreneurial types who are passionate about their work. If this is your inclination, the horsebit is unlikely to be confined to office hours. Ambition rarely adheres to a timetable, and neither does your wardrobe.

See also: How To Dress Smartly in Single Digit Temperatures

Venetian loafer

Are you the type of guy who’s streamlined their life? Do people often ask how you manage to fit an ab-building session, eight hours of efficient work, and quality time with your loved ones in one day? Do you always get everything on your to-do list done? Then you’re in need (but you probably already have a pair) of some Venetian loafers. Their fuss-free design devoid of a penny strap is minimalist, serious, and refined – much like the men that wear them.

Driving loafer

If you regularly wear driving loafers, then you likely enjoy a visit to Tuscany or the South of France, where the day’s agenda consists of pottering the sun-drenched countryside until it’s an appropriate time to have a glass of wine. Even if your driving loafers are made of leather, those gommino soles will never be in contact with wet ground. Despite their name, these are the type of shoes you slip on when you’re not planning on doing much movement. But if you are behind the wheel, it’s a convertible only.

Adding a six-year age statement to its core whiskeys’ labels is a big step for Woodinville Whiskey. Adding a six-year age statement to its core whiskeys’ labels is a big step for Woodinville Whiskey.

Designed by the acclaimed architect Rick Joy, this seven-bedroom residence perched above the Pacific Ocean offers full access to the resort’s luxurious amenities.  Designed by the acclaimed architect Rick Joy, this seven-bedroom residence perched above the Pacific Ocean offers full access to the resort’s luxurious amenities. 

First offered for nearly $50 million, the singer and songwriter’s longtime home in New York’s Centre Island traded hands in a series of transactions in 2025 and 2026. First offered for nearly $50 million, the singer and songwriter’s longtime home in New York’s Centre Island traded hands in a series of transactions in 2025 and 2026.

The ultimate expression of the marque’s most luxurious SUV will be limited to 120 examples. The ultimate expression of the marque’s most luxurious SUV will be limited to 120 examples.

Both notes contain battle orders for Lieutenant Colonel William De Hart. Both notes contain battle orders for Lieutenant Colonel William De Hart.

In a battle between modern technology and elemental forces, the possibility of reaching the destination hangs in the balance. 

Japan’s most northerly prefecture has it all – glorious nature, exceptional dining, a fascinating history, and a raft of new luxury hotel openings. 

From mineral content to carbonation level, experts explain how choosing the right sparkling water can elevate your highballs, Martinis, and other cocktails. 

“The style of sparkling water is actually really important – it can dramatically alter the character of a drink,” says Zoe Burgess, founder Atelier Pip , a drinks consultancy whose clients have included ArtFarm and The Fat Duck. “It impacts flavor and texture and can influence acidity and bitterness. Bubbles also play an important role in carrying aroma.”

Two key considerations when choosing a water are the level of carbonation and the mineral content or TDS (this is short for ‘total dissolved solids’ and is measured in mg/l and usually stated on the back label).

Naturally sparkling mineral waters tend to have a fizz that’s finer and softer – a classy example is Chateldon 1650 (1882 mg/l) which has been bottled in the Auverne in central France since 1650, and was a favorite of Louis XIV. Its subtle taste and luxurious texture would make a really elegant white-wine spritzer.

Artificially-carbonated waters – such as club soda – tend to have bigger bubbles with much more bite (the higher levels of CO2 also boost acidity and make the drink taste ‘brighter’). The Mexican brand Topo Chico (493-630mg/l) is naturally sparkling and carbonated for a really bold fizz – great in a thirst-slaking Ranch Water with tequila and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Waters with a high TDS will be more flavorsome – a great example is Vichy Catalan (3052g/l), which is packed with sodium and bicarbonates that give it its satisfying, salty taste.

See also: The Hunt for Paris’ Greatest Cocktail Bar

At Veau d’Or , a neo-bistro in New York City, they serve the house Martini with a ‘sidecar’ of Vichy Catalan, mixed with 2oz of González Dry Vermouth, a twist and the ice left over from stirring the Martini. 

“Vichy is one of my favorite mineral waters,” says the sidecar’s creator Sarah Morrissey, “mainly for its salt/mineral content. It’s replacing the need for brine or an olive so that Dirty Martini drinkers can enjoy the Martini as well.”

The Japanese malt whisky Yamazaki makes a namesake sparkling water specifically designed for highballs, which comes from the same water source that supplies its Kyoto distillery. Suntory Yamazaki Premium Sparkling Water is a favorite of Tokyo’s Bar High Five: “It has bubbles that are small, gentle, and elegant – you can also feel some sweetness from the water,” says owner/head bartender Hidetsugu Ueno.

See also: I Spent a Week Tasting Tequila in Mexico – And Rated These Bars

The whisky-centric Apollo Bar, also in Ginza, carbonates all its water in-house, and adjusts the pressure of the fizz to the whisky that’s being served. “I think a light carbonation, that gives a sweeter taste, is preferable for a rich whiskey aged in sherry casks,” says owner Komatsu Hidenori. For a more refreshing highball he uses a gas pressure “the same as that of champagne.”

In Italy, spritzes are generally zhuzhed with water from a seltz gun – an innovation that made its debut in 1915 at Campari’s Camparino in Galleria bar in Milan. “At the time it was revolutionary,” says Camparino’s head of mixology Tommaso Cecca. “The continuous flow of chilled, pressurized seltz arriving directly from the cellars was something entirely unprecedented in Milan – and it helped turn Campari Seltz into an instantly recognisable experience, not just a recipe.”

He describes the effervescence as “very fine yet powerful,” resulting in a “compact, creamy foam and a lively texture. Rather than sitting ‘on top’ of the drink, the carbonation actively works within it, reshaping the mouthfeel and enhancing aromatic perception.”

In addition, Campari’s signature seltz glass has a concave base which encourages turbulent mixing of the ingredients, further enhancing the frothy head.

The old-school soda siphon has also been making a return. At the Italianate bar and restaurant Martino’s in London’s Sloane Square, the white-jacketed bartenders use glass-and-chrome soda siphons straight out of the Roaring Twenties. For more vintage examples, keep an eye on The Italian Collector or 1stDibs.

However you serve your fizzy water, make sure it’s really, really cold, says the founder of Crucible drinks research lab, Stu Bale. “That will help keep the CO2 locked in – ensuring your drink stays fizzy for longer.” And ensuring your highballs don’t fall flat.

Car collectors are getting younger – as are the objects of their affections. And it’s
transforming the auction market, says Ben Oliver. 

In 2023, the 10 most valuable cars sold at the Monterey Car Week auctions dated, on average, from 1950. A year later, their average was 1968. Last year it was 1984, meaning that the top 10 had become 34 years younger in just 36 months. The effect was even more marked among last year’s top five: four were from the 1990s onwards and two of them – including the top seller, the $26m 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 sold for charity – were from the 2020s.

Our notion of what constitutes a blue-chip collector car is changing rapidly. The best auctions are now awash with cars that are plainly neither ‘vintage’ nor ‘classic’ and are often fresh from the factory. They’re making huge money, drawing attention – not to mention cash – away from what were traditionally seen as the more beautiful, glamorous, and historically significant cars that have up to now dominated the collector-car market.

See also: Why Porsche 911 Restomods Are Every Collector’s Dream

Of RM Sotheby’s’ nine major auto auctions last year, three were almost exclusively for cars from the 1990s onwards. Its last sale of the year was held in December in Abu Dhabi, where it set a new world auction record for a 1994 McLaren F1, the most desirable and valuable modern classic, at over $25m. That’s around three times what it would have made 10 years ago and high into the value stratosphere once dominated by the great Ferraris of the 1950s and ’60s.

Some of this is down to a natural demographic shift. Collectors typically get started in their 40s, and the cars they buy first are those they wanted in their youth. You expect a car to start appreciating in value as it hits 30, when those who had pictures of it on their bedroom walls as teens acquire the means to put the real thing in their garage. But what’s different is how hard and fast these ‘young-timers’ are rising in value, and how the same effect now extends to the most recent releases.

There are two things going on here. The first, somewhat obviously, is that people are getting rich younger. The new cars that a 25-year-old multi-millionaire coveted at 15 are only 10 years old now, and younger buyers are more likely to want cars laden with technology rather than history, as tech is what they understand (and it’s often how they made their money).

See also: I Took Bentley’s $396,000 Continental GT For A Spin – Here’s What Stood Out

The second is that the supercar-makers are manufacturing scarcity like never before. Around 15 years ago, Ferrari began producing more limited-production, even-higher-price models: think LaFerrari and the new F80, the Icona series referencing its historic models, the more extreme versions of its standard road cars such as the 812 Competizione, and the track-only FXX series. Greater supply of supposedly rare models has been more than counterbalanced by seemingly unlimited demand. These cars sell out instantly to loyal customers who also buy an example of every standard new Ferrari just to stay on the list for the special stuff. McLaren, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin are all now attempting the same trick, and the established supercar-makers have now been joined by low-volume producers such as Singer and Gordon Murray Automotive, whose cars sell out equally rapidly.

If you missed out on one of these models from the factory and one comes up at auction, you’ll try pretty hard not to miss out twice. The clamor for them is just as fierce on the secondary market as it is at the factory gates, and it’s transforming the auction scene. A $600,000 Ferrari 812 Competizione from 2024 is $2m at auction already, and a $2m LaFerrari Aperta from 2017 is now $7m. The final examples of the GMA T50 are only just being delivered but it made its auction debut at that Abu Dhabi sale. The car offered cost $3m new but was hammered at $5m: not a bad return for a few months’ ownership. The fact that all 100 sold within 48 hours should have been a clue.

See also: How I Learned to Become a Racing Driver in a Single Day

Steve Wakefield heads the Swiss-based Kidston K500 classic-car market intelligence service which spotted that stat from the Monterey sales. “Those cars, that scene: that’s where the buzz is now,” he told me as last year’s auction season ended in Abu Dhabi. But what does that mean for you, as a collector? If you’re offered a low-numbers Ferrari, take it. Be prepared to pay strong prices for almost anything rare, collectible, and recent. If you already have one of the greats, like a 1960s Ferrari 250 or a 1930s Alfa 8C, your many millions are probably safe, as those cars are currently seen more like Old Master paintings, their values less susceptible to changing tastes. But as the tide of interest and cash begins to wash away from the cars of the ’70s and earlier, many will be left unfairly ignored and undervalued, despite their beauty, rarity, and significance – and the way they sing when you drive them. Many of the younger crew might not know what a 1950s OSCA or Cisitalia is, yet. If you do, now would be time to buy one.