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July 2008
- Today's Hitchhikers Fly by Cushy Private Jet
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 12, 08 3:03 PM CDT
  
  Today’s brand of hitchhiker isn't on a street corner thumbing rides, but at airports that serve cushy private planes, the New York Times reports. Seeking the prestige and elation of flying in a $40 million jet, these riders reserve seats with friendly billionaires. “There are a lot of people in the social world who don’t have the equipment to fly privately on their own,” says one New York high society author. More »
- Against the Odds, Maserati Sales Jump
  
  newser | Bloomberg | Jul 10, 08 5:40 PM CDT
  
  Buoyed by wealthy, middle-aged men who can afford to defy high gas prices and a plummeting economy, sales of Maserati luxury cars are up in the US this year, Bloomberg reports. Common brands like Lexus and BMW have seen sales fall, but the very rich don't skimp when they see something that will stand out, analysts say. More »
June 2008
- Ditch the Bag: Loose-Leaf Indulgence Is Your Cup of Tea
  
  newser | Times (UK) | Jun 13, 08 7:05 PM CDT
  
  Simply dropping teabags into a mug not only yields an unsatisfying, solitary brew, Tony Turnbull writes in the Times of London—it spoils the ceremony and anticipation crucial for enjoyment. A teashop visit converted the self-described “inveterate teabag user” into a fan of the “strange alchemy” that transforms dried tea leaves into a perfect cup. More »
- The Perils of Opening an Indian Restaurant—in India
  
  newser | Gourmet | Jun 12, 08 3:10 PM CDT
  
  Modern Indian restaurants bent on messing with millennia-old recipes must "coax Indians into accepting the changes they make with beloved dishes," or continue to face the wrath of the "Authenticity Police," writes Shoba Narayan in Gourmet after an evening spent analyzing the paneer at Bangalore's upscale Masala Klub. More »
- '07 Not Looking Like Good Year for Bordeaux
  
  newser | AFP | Jun 11, 08 1:45 PM CDT
  
  French winemakers are increasingly worried about fizzling sales of futures from the 2007 Bordeaux harvest, AFP reports. Investors and drinkers are skipping the vintage because they expect little increase in price by the time it's ready to drink in 2009; one merchant says reluctance to trim prices shows "avarice and arrogance" from producers of France's flagship wines. More »
- Brangelina Twins Score $140K Nursery
  
  newser | New York Daily News | Jun 9, 08 11:35 AM CDT
  
  So much for hand-me-downs for Brangelina babies No. 5 and 6: The expectant parents plunked down $140,000 on a nursery, the New York Daily News reports. The design-savvy couple bought matching Versailles-style cribs ($3,200), changing tables ($2,800), armoires ($4,500) and pink chandeliers ($899). A Dubai couple has already called boutique Petit Tresor for an identical copy of the Jolie-Pitt nursery. More »
- Pharrell Sets Menu for Fashion Plates
  
  newser | Paper | Jun 2, 08 8:31 PM CDT
  
  NERD frontman Pharrell Williams has lent his Midas touch to more than just hip-hop, Erica Kennedy writes in a Paper profile. The multi-tasking taste-maker boasts luxe clothing and jewelry lines, and friendships and collaborations with assorted style icons. "Pharrell doesn't buy something because it's fashionable," says one comrade in charms. "Pharrell makes fashion." More »
- 10 Spots to Vacation in Style
  
  newser | GQ | Jun 1, 08 12:41 PM CDT
  
  What's the modern traveler to do in a world of ever-shrinking borders and ever-fewer spots of true exoticism? Why, simply crib off GQ 's list of the classiest spots slightly off the beaten path: Cesme, Turkey: the Hamptons of Anatolia Formentera, Spain: No foam parties allowed Stockholm, Sweden: Land of Viking nurses More »
May 2008
- Tight Economy Leaves Wealthy Vexed in the City
  
  newser | New York Times | May 31, 08 2:10 PM CDT
  
  Think you’ve got it bad in these tough times? Then consider the swarms of Wall Street bankers and Upper East Side developers whose income has slid along with the nation’s economy. Lawyers, art advisers, personal trainers, and hairstylists to the privileged say their clients gripe about having to cut back on $350 highlights and $10,000-an-hour jet rentals. More »
- For Hotels, Upgrades at Top Boost Bottom Line
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | May 29, 08 4:26 PM CDT
  
  Luxury hotels are spending money to make money, but the dollars aren’t flowing into the average traveler’s quarters, the Wall Street Journal reports. With competition growing and demand for rooms lacking, hotels are burnishing their top suites—some costing $30,000 a night—hoping the added glitz will generate buzz that draws conferences, business travelers and average Joes wishing to flirt with glamor. More »
- Pushy Waiters Should Put a Cork in It
  
  newser | Slate | May 28, 08 3:08 PM CDT
  
  Barbaric waiters are storming the dinner table, "butting in and pouring wine without being asked" and expecting diners to hurry up and pony up to replace the drained bottle, laments Christopher Hitchens in Slate. Leaving punchlines and evenings in tatters, their unsolicited interruptions aren't just a sign of bad manners; they jack up the tab and put good wine to waste, "sloshed into the glasses of those who may not want it." More »
- Brangelina Drop $60M on French Nest
  
  newser | E! Online | May 27, 08 10:00 AM CDT
  
  Whoa, baby. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have found plenty of space for their burgeoning brood now that they've plunked down a cool $60 million for a 35-bedroom chateau in southern France with 1,000 acres, an indoor and outdoor pool, 29 fountains, a vineyard, a lake, and ponies. They'll hunker down in the new digs with their four young kids at least until their twins are born, reports E! Online. More »
- Mine's Bigger Than Yours.(Cover Story: Luxury 2008; Special Report: YACHTS)(Cover story)
  
  Newsweek International (via HighBeam) | May 26, 08
  
  In a battle of egos on the high seas, size counts. Three Americans go at it to see who can build the ultimate sailing yacht.Tom Perkins, the legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist, had a dream. It wasn't to get rich, acquire power or marry into fame. He'd done all that, as part of a larger-than-life life. His firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, remains the most celebrated money machine since the Medicis. He'd help found Genentech--the first biotech company--and fund Google, the darling of the Internet age. In 2006, his resignation from the Hewlett-Packard board triggered the revelation...
- Would Kerouac Be a Nuppie?
  
  newser | Reason Magazine | May 25, 08 2:53 PM CDT
  
  The evolving lifestyle of nuppies—nomadic urban professionals—and upscale designers' efforts to outfit them catch the attention of Greg Beato, writing in Reason . Casulo, a trunk "crammed with enough stylish furniture to outfit a studio apartment," is one such easily transported option; a pair of mobile homes intends to take things further (and, ahem, farther). More »
- Best Hotels for Star Sightings
  
  newser | Travel Leisure | May 24, 08 7:14 PM CDT
  
  Ensure your vacation pics won't bore your friends by holing up in a lavish resort populated with A-list celebs. Travel+Leisure lists 10 hotels fit for the pages of US Weekly: George Clooney was spotted at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, where each 6,500-square-foot villa has a private courtyard with a fireplace and hot tub. More »
- How the Rich Can Buy Time
  
  newser | W | May 4, 08 2:49 PM CDT
  
  Time is truly the currency of the rich, and W offers tips on today's ultimate luxury. How to save a few of those grains in the hourglass: Delegate: Outsourcing isn’t just for heartless CEOs—pay people to break in your smoking jackets for you. Don’t bother with books: Enlist a minion to do the reading, then give you the highlights. More »
- Peek at Perks in $2B Mansion
  
  newser | Forbes | May 3, 08 1:43 PM CDT
  
  The world's fifth-richest man, Mukesh Ambani, beat the competition with plans to build the first billion-dollar home to grace this earth, Forbes reports. In fact, his 27-story high-rise in India will cost $2 billion when it's done next year. Some of its frills: Nine elevators dot the lobby. 80% of the ballroom’s ceiling has crystal chandeliers. Indian accents keep the modern mansion true to its surroundings. More »
- World's Best Whiskey Comes From... Japan?
  
  newser | Times (UK) | May 2, 08 8:56 PM CDT
  
  For years, Japanese whiskey has struggled for respect and praise; now, it’s on top of the world. A brand called "Yoichi 20 years old" has been voted the best whiskey in the world by Whiskey Magazine , the industry’s main publication. No non-Scottish spirit has ever won before, the Times of London reports, but judges fell for Yoichi’s “explosive aroma” and “amazing mix of big smoke and sweet blackcurrant.” More »
- Celebs Who Dress (Way) Down
  
  newser | Nerve | May 2, 08 2:45 PM CDT
  
  Just because they have tons of money and access to the hautest of couture doesn't mean they actually have to take advantage of it. Nerve highlights richie-riches who refuse to advertise their wealth with high-class duds. (Or sometimes showers.) Amy Winehouse: Even smokes crack "just to keep it real." Courtney Love: Takes grunge a little too far. More »
- Fashionistas Chase Fleeting Bargains Online
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | May 1, 08 6:58 PM CDT
  
  New online shops are hooking up high-end customers with discount flash sales on luxury goods such as designer bags and shoes. Alerting members via text message, the members-only sites sell items in private sales that often begin immediately and can last just hours. The created frenzy works: Customers of one site buy on average within just 45 seconds of logging on, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »