Give us the luxuries of life, and we will gladly dispense with its necessities.
-John Lothrop Motley, 1867

It seems to make no difference where one lives these days - causes for worry are so common that they are almost impossible to escape. In addition to being concerned about international terrorism, the erosion of the ozone layer, the warming of the planet and the vague but ever-present fear of nuclear annihilation, taxes are too high, income is too low, and people at all walks of life are becoming increasingly rude. In the shadow of all this (perhaps even because of it),
my thoughts have turned to luxury shopping. Because luxury shopping relies on a sense of cultured sophistication,
we may use it as a model to build or return to our lives some of the things that are lacking - things that while they may not make the problems go away, will at least make our cities and our towns more pleasant places to inhabit.

Luxury shopping is an undoubted joy. Apart from the superb quality and ready availability of everything on offer, such shopping sould be a gentle, unhurried affair. People should shop as if they have all the time in the world and shops should be luxurious and comfortable, offering their customers a cup of coffee or tea, even a glass of fine wine. Once purchases have been made, a delivery service should be available.

There should be a broad variety of shops available to us, and each should have its own distinct flavor. Even though some of these shops will sell the same type of thing (antiques or wines or cigars or boots or perfumes, for example), each shop should be unique. More than this, all shops, even those selling crafty things, should have elegant facades.

One of the charms of such shops is that many of the staff will have been there for many years, having become as much a part of the establishment as the facade. The staff members, polite and courteous, should be well dressed, well informed and helpful. Even though liveried doormen are not necessary, someone on staff should be available to open doors for clients and find taxies for them when necessary. Customers should also know that no less important than the merchandise for sale or the staff on hand, these shops offer impeccable service.

Those shops that specialize should have a special kind of intimacy, the kind where the staff knows regular customers just as regular customers know them. The ultimate in good service is when one of the staff telephones to say "We have just the thing for you". No request should seem extraordinary in such emporiums, and it should be known that if a customer wants something they do not have, they will either find it or have it made.

Variety is important. There should be shops that specialize in sunglasses, pipes and tobaccos, leather accessories, hand-knit sweaters, fragrances and soaps, hats, enamel boxes, clocks, antiques, linen sheets and pillow cases, and boots. Every city should have at least one shop that specializes in pens that are not only aesthetically pleasing to look at but also pleasing to use. There should also be a large number of excellent, specialized food shops - French butchers, Italian delicatessens, Korean groceries and the like. In each of these one should be able to sample any comestible on display.

Boutiques, whether for men or women, jewelry shops and chocolate shops should be in soft, restful colors and every window should have an interesting, tasteful display. Shops where clothing is sold should have spacious, comfortable dressing rooms (not like those that require the skill of a Houdini to change clothes). Wine merchants should have tasting facilities where one may comfortably sample fine vintage Burgundies, Champagnes, Loire Valley wines and everyday drinking wines. As in all other luxury shops, the staff should be here to help, not to chat.

Bookstores should have a huge, well chosen stock that covers every possible subject. They should have the "feeling" of a bookshop: smart without being intimidating and erudite without being too scholarly. Whether one is seeking out fiction, biography history, humor, travel books, Bibles, books on politics, art, antiques, sports, ornithology, cookery, literature or the performing arts, it should be a joy to shop here. The store, should also have a selection of standard classics in half and full leather. It goes without saying that such shops will have a binding and repair service and will offer to try to find any book, in or out of print, from anywhere in the world.

Every neighborhood should have a coffee shop that features, in addition to Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, a sampling of coffees from Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mysore, Java and Ethiopia. All coffees sold in such shops will be roasted and, if required, ground on the premises before being wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied with a string.

There should also be department stores, but these must be modeled after London's Fortnum and Mason. Such establishments will have plush red carpeting (green would also be acceptable), crystal chandeliers and floor walkers in formal attire. In addition to selling fine china, glass and silverware, they will have departments devoted to antique furniture, custom-designed stereo units and Swedish cutlery. Department stores will also have a provisions department that is an Epicurean paradise. They will offer magnificent picnic lunches that include such delights as Scottish salmon, and a variety of Stiltons, Gorgonzolas and other fine cheeses. There will be hand made chocolates, crystallized fruits, and at least 27 different types of tea. There will also be a restaurant that serves morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. Ideally the restaurant will have a pianist or a flautist.

Regardless of the size of the store or the type of merchandise for sale, every shop should have one or two sales annually (ideally one in late Autumn and another in the Spring). Other than at sales times, the prices shown should be the prices payable. Even though a particularly large order might merit a discount (which should never have to be asked for), prices should not be negotiable. Exceptions to this rule might be antique and picture dealers, but such "dealing" should always be at a high and sophisticated level.

That we live in frightening times is inescapable. While luxury shopping will not eliminate our fears, it can make our lives more socially and aesthetically pleasing. If we succeed in that, we may even take time to reflect that life is indeed
worth living. And then we may set out to find the solutions to the things that really ail us.

© Daniel Rogov