Shady Business

This has been a 'Sunglasses and Advil' kind of a weekend, and hence the context for this post.

I'm sure just like me, a lot of us would not look presentable on Sunday brunches if not for our shades hiding away the debauched stories of Saturday nights. Sunglasses = instant swagger. They beat both high heels and red lips when it comes to making an instant statement or projecting a certain personality or mood. We remember Audrey Hepburn less for her Givenchy LBDs in Breakfast at Tiffany's but more for her signature Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses, just as trendy almost a century over and available here. Patrick Bateman's penchant for Oliver People's eyewear in the movie American Psycho or Maverick's classic gold rim aviators in Top Gun, there are sunglasses that have created iconic movie characters. Esquire mag does a cool round-up of cool movie eyewear and thank god you can still get your hands on all of them.

Audrey Hepburn in Olivier Goldsmith two-tone wayfarers in Breakfast at Tiffany's

So let's break down the psychology of why sunglasses are so popular and make for a post on little luxuries. Sunglasses rule out the need for eye contact and that is singularly how they can heighten any human interaction. At a subconscious level they give us an easy edge over the person we are talking to, signalling a cool confidence and some sort of human elevation, as if we were seeing the world with the casual disregard of an outlander. This then translates into a hint of brashness in personality and we tend to rattle the bars of our social cages a lot more while we are conversing with our sunglasses on making our conversations more exhilarant. They ofcourse make most people look better if not great and some people I know should definitely wear them all the time. They signal trendiness, a passion for glamour and the good life and just how much we love our eyes. Sunglasses make people more interesting and RayBan summed up this prophecy damn well with its long-running and iconic Never Hide campaign.

Some people cannot be imagined without their sunglasses. Karl Lagerfeld.

No discussion on eyewear can be complete without mentioning Luxottica, the world's largest 50 year old eyewear company controlling 80% of world's major eyewear brands. This Italian behemoth manufactures its own brands, your household names in the eyewear game like RayBan, Persol, Oakley, Vogue as well as licenses the eyewear category for the world's top luxury brands - from Armani to Chanel (yes I'm sorry to break it to you, Chanel does not make its own sunglasses). Luxottica also owns all major eyewear retail brands like Sunglasses Hut and Sears and thus is perhaps the foremost example of great vertical integration in the luxury space. Wherever and whenever you are buying a pair of shades, Luxottica is basically adding more euros to its 5.6 bn euros in annual sales.Well if not Luxottica then either of the 2 other Italian behemoths, Safilo (licenses Dior and Marc Jacobs) or Marcolin (Tom Ford and Zegna). Eyewear as you may notice, is an italian job.

However if you are the indie type and prefer cool niche brands and not be a part of this corporate trio poly here are a few brands you could consider :

1. Illesteva - Launched in 2009, this NY based custom eyewear brand produces its frames in Italy. Using offbeat materials like titanium and bamboo Illesteva takes classic shapes like the wayfarer and rejigs them in unusual colors and exaggerations. The Leonard is a popular version and you can lay your hands on some cool fashion forward but vintage designs for less than $200.

The Leonard -Illesteva

2. Cutler and Gross - These guys are from London but their frames are manually cut and hand polished at their family factory in Italy. Cutler and Gross does limited production and became popular almost entirely by word of mouth and designer collaborations. The brand comes with a quintessential British style and is known for some cool vintage frames.

Cutler and Gross - vintage eyewear from London

3. Selima Optique - A fusion of French sensibility and NY style, this brand was started by designed Selima Salaun who is a trained optician focused on creating eye-protecting eyewear that would flatter a wide variety if face types. Her iconic designs include 'Onassis' and 'Chad' and reflect the vibrant personalities of its core customer base, design editors and fashion bloggers.

Ryan Gosling wearing 'Chad' sunglasses in Crazy Stupid Love

So now a little cheat sheet on how we can exercise a little more discretion in buying our next pair of sunglasses rather than getting coaxed by a pushy dealer making margins at Sunglasses Hut.

1. The brand : You can easily translate your overall luxury brand preference to your eyewear, being assured that it will be ultimately be of an Italian-make. Brand-led decisions rely on what your favourite logo is or whether you prefer a double G, double C or capital D on the temples besides what shape looks good on your face.

Gucci's SS 2015 eyewear campaign

2. Face shape : Most of us do not pay enough attention to whether a frame suits our overall face type and there are some easy ways to do this. Face shapes can broadly be divided into round, oval, heart or square and depending on that you can choose a style that either accentuates or sets off your face type to create a seamless look. Below is a cool infographic on how to shortlist styles based on face shapes.

3. Frames: When deciding the eyewear frames, you can go for signature or trendy materials depending on whether you are more classic or fashion forward. Acetate in colors or textures work great for a more en-vogue vibe while metal certainly brings more chic. Another good point to consider is your skin tone and hair color to select a complementary frame color. One of the most iconic frames you can get your hands on is the Persol 714 worn by the patron of cool, saint Steve Mcqueen in The Thomas Crown Affair.

PO 714 SM from Persol

I'm personally going through this major love thing for sunglasses with sweat bars and hoping to get my hands on these Raybans Outdoorsman aviators in green with a cute pink brow bar. Hello August, come soon! :)

4. One or many? : Interesting point to consider when it comes to sunglasses. Must we opt for a signature look or should we add more variety for seasons, utilities and moods? I used to be a patron of the former and considered myself to be a 'Wayfarer' person till some Portuguese stole my beloved pair enroute Bordeaux a few summers back. I hurryingly picked up a pair of oversized Alain Afflelous in the city next morning to realise that I was totally loving my change of look and falling in love with the new ones all over again. So I conclude in favour of building a sunglasses collection, just like fragrances. Once you have determined your face type, go wild in choosing shapes, colors and materials that augment your personal sense of style and mood, and try to evolve both with time. I now own 3 Aviators, a Wayfarer, a Clubmaster, an oversized and a cat eye and love picking, pairing and playing with them when going out. There is no such thing as too many pairs of sunglasses. But remember, a strong pair of sunglasses can define your look so make sure you keep other frills like jewelry, accessories and makeup tempered down.

It's always fun and uplifting to wear sunglasses, no matter what we might be upto and how we might be feeling. So go ahead entertain yourself and exude your celebrity swag in your favourite pairs of shades whenever you want as long as...you are not wearing them at night. That just seems kind of douchebaggish unless you are Anna Wintour or Jay Z.

Expert tip 1 : Get yourself a pair of Dior So Reals in bicolor - easily the most futuristic looking pairs designed by Raf Simons last spring summer and perched on all celebrity eyes these days.

Olivia Palermo in Dior So Reals

Expert tip 2 : For more insights on whether you are an Aviator or a WayFarer person, check out this awesomely witty GQ survey!

And now what a great time to create a pic collage of my photos wearing different sunglasses. Weehoo!!

Many moods, many shades and a lot more to come! ;)

Seeing Art

I love spending time in galleries and going far and wide to see art in cities that I am travelling to. When travelling solo I can be quite heavily planned and pretty much know what exhibition I need to catch in what city, given the sublime experience seeing art can be and given the scarcity of such experiences in India. I'm also of the opinion that it is an activity best done alone as art can have this profound effect on you which gets somewhat diminished (if not ruined) if you over-discuss it, unless it is in highly knowledgeable company or unless ofcourse you both have shown up drunk.

There is something about the subjectivity of art which speaks directly to the kind of person you might be and the kind of life stage you are at. We interpret artworks not as they are, but as we are. That's probably why seeing good art can subconsciously address our deep-seated fears and anxieties and that could explain how we always walk out of museums feeling somewhat lighter. Swiss modern philosopher and author of Essays in Love, Alain de Botton (I'm a fan) goes on to explain in great detail how art can help us with our most intimate and ordinary dilemmas in his book Art as Therapy - a colossal must read. The currently trendy art blog  Berlin Art Parasites is infact founded on this very philosophy - using art as a means to alter how we live and love. Art not just for art's sake.

Museums and galleries take as much of our time as an otherwise wasted Sunday afternoon but fill it up with sensibilities of a life time. Seeing art is luxury for all and being at a museum paying homage to the arts, the best kind of idol worship.

Given this subjective nature of art, I'm most particularly drawn towards contemporary works even though Impressionist remains by far my favourite artistic period and those works create similar 'impressions' in us. While there is a whole lot of average work in the name of modern art, the reason why we tend to get drawn towards it the most, is the calming feeling that it is the creation of someone like us - with similar joys, sorrows, ecstasies and anxieties of a modern world, the one that we belong to.

The calming effects of Monet's Water Lillies at Musee L'Orangerie in Paris

I have distinct love for art museums that reside in spaces that bring their own unique character to the art viewing experience. The space carrying its own story interacts with the works it houses in very creative ways evoking a range of connections with the audience.

Hence I thought of sending your way a little round up of some of my favourite physical spaces that are home to certain major contemporary works, set in some of the most gorgeous cities of the world. Summer's right here and as you depart on your long vacations, keep some time (and just a few euros) aside to see and marvel at these stunning centres of living, breathing art that double up just as well as datey afternoon cafes, for those who couldn't care less about the art side of things.

1. Andalusian Centre of Contemporary Arts, Seville
   for a lazy sunny garden lunch date

This one is from my recent vacation in the South of Spain and came highly recommended by my Italian painter host. Couldn't possibly have gone wrong. The centre of contemporary art in Seville, set on the other side of the Guadalquivir river is housed in what can be called a wonderland garden. Amidst magical hanging creepers and bougainvillea on steroids, lies a museum inside the Cartuja monastery which once used to be a ceramic factory. The centre presents an overview of the artistic trends that developed in Spain from the mid-20th century through to the present day and includes pieces by Luis Gordillo, Candida Höfer, Rebecca Horn, Pablo Palazuelo, and Joseph Kosuth amongst others. 

The magical gardens of CAAC, Sevilla

The museum is celebrating its 25th year and is curating a stellar exhibit on the role of the artist in a world of economic troubles (See Not, Hear Not, Speak Not is running till Sept'15). With opening works by Curro Golzalez, this exhibit, divided in different galleries analyses the art acquired by the Centre in 25 years within the modern world's economic framework and is a resounding must see.

As a Backdrop (Immaculada Salinas)
Introspective piece on art as backdrop in various scenarios rendered in all pantone shades

Stepping out of the galleries set apart by vast sunny quiet spaces, you will enter a charming garden cafe where you can muse and bemuse the art you just saw over a cafe long and amidst views of lifesize bougenvilla gates and scents that emanate from endless trees of neroli and oranges. A complete feast of the five senses. 

Sipping a coffee at the museum garden cafe

Bougenvillea facades at the CAAC gardens

2. Maxxi, Rome
    for a night of martinis and caviar and hanging with Italian actors

Entrance, MAXXI Rome

Designed as a multidisciplinary space by celebrated architect Zaha Hadid and standing tall in its stark modernity against the classical eternal city of Rome, Maxxi is dedicated to innovation in the arts. I went to Maxxi last April and even though the word is that this centre is running into huge losses, there can be no finer example of a gallery where the medium is the message. Navigating through the steel and glass of this brazen structure, you almost become a part of the art on display, making you a central piece in this interactive experience , the protagonist in a novel. I was quite moved by the work of a Dutch architectural firm unStudio which has developed unique 3D architectural concepts, real enough for you to imagine yourself in your future establishment.

unStudio's Living Spaces installation

Or this jaw dropping piece by Emilia Kabakov called Where is our Place, a lifesize installation that makes you examine the relationship between ancient and contemporary art by the means of humans who are in three different temporal planes viewing art from three different eras.

Where is Our Place? (Emilie Kabakov)

Maxxi is a must visit for perhaps just for the sheer dichotomy it offers from say the Colosseum in Rome. And for some of the best installation art you are likely to see in Italy. And for a hip dinner date at the swish, black and white Maxxi 21 bistro. There is something for everyone here.

Towards MAXXI's hip bistro

3. Peggy Guggenheim museum, Venice
    for a rained-down romantic afternoon 

As unreal a city Venice is, taking a boat in the rain to visit someone's private drawing room is enough of an ethereal experience in itself. Located on the Grand Canal, Peggy Guggenheim museum is devoted to modern art, with works ranging from Cubism to Abstract Experessionism. Peggy Guggenheim was an American art collector and socialite with a body of collections on display from New York to Bilbao, who came to live and display her works in Venice in 1949. She was later buried within the gardens of this museum.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection at Grand Canal, Venice

Spending an afternoon at her Venice museum is akin to being invited for a private viewing of works inside her home, such is the intimacy and solitude this space recreates. Walk down rooms and rooms filled with works of celebrated abstract painters like Piet Mondrian (his Composition 11 in Red, Blue and Yellow is on my bedroom wall), Kadinsky and Picasso, lounge on a sofa to ponder a little or play hide and seek with a friend amongst the room walls. You will be at home at Peggy's Venezia museum and a stroll away from a magical gondola ride back into the rest of the city.

Piet Mondrian at Peggy Guggenheim, Venice

View of Grand Canal from the museum

The museum also houses a relaxing garden cafe set entirely in glass and displaying additional works from her collection. You will be in fine company.



4. Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
    for an elitist evening champagne and carpaccio

   
Luxury brands have been historically known to patronise the arts because luxury like art, is handmade and invaluable. So fter the Cartier Centre for Contemporary Art and the PPR museum, it was time for LVMH scion Bernand Arnault to offer his monumental tribute to contemporary arts. Enter Franck Gehry's architectural masterpiece (is it a bird? is it a plane?) and the creation of Foundation Louis Vuitton. This is scale unprecedented.

External View - Fondation Louis Vuitton, a stellar structure by architect Frank Gehry

So what is so cool about this space? Well, its better than better. A 5 level glass and concrete space set over a giant blue grotto. I walked 2 kms in 5 inches to make it to this masterful strcuture in Jardin d'Acclamation in the 16th arr of Paris, only to realise that I would be walking 12 kms more discovering its endless collection of best artworks from popular modern artists. A decade in the making and a budget undisclosed, this is a broken down Sydney Opera House that locks you inside its infinite vastness of space and art, intimate and grand, children's playground and futuristic spaceship.

Paris's skyline from Fondation LV's terrace

Glass and concrete over the blue grotto, Fondation LV

Arnault is a man of boundless influence, and with the Fondation he has managed to bring in what are by far the best works of the most famous influencers of contemporary art in one single opening exhibition (Les Clefs d'Une Passion, running till Sept'15). There's Edward Munch's The Scream brushing shoulders with Henri Matisse's The Dance, Kadinsky's Composition VI next to Fernand Léger's Trois Femmes. If you haven't seen any art expos in your life, there cannot be a better place to start and you would have pretty much seen it all by the end of it. For those who have seen it all, the Fondation brings highly original commissioned works by the likes of Ellsworth Kelly (Spectrum VIII in the auditorium) and Olafur Eliasson (Inside the Horizon) whose interactive work with 43 yellow prisms is this ginat structure's selfie-central.

Henri Matisse's The Dance (Les Clefs d'Une Passion - Fondation LV)

Inside the Horizon ( Olafur Eliasson) - Fondation LV

On your way out, stop for a champagne (or five) at Le Franck, the gallery restaurant run by a protege of Alain Ducasse and celebrate this glorious coming together of the best of luxury and art in the heart of Paris.

I wish you an arty summer vacation!

XX

A Shirt in White.

My wardrobe is in general a monochrome of black and white (with the occasional gold flash) and come summer I can hardly wait to fill it up with all things in white.

White is the most pristine of all colors and nothing signals good breeding and taste as a good white shirt in a great fabric. I have often debated (with the people in my head) whether white or black is my favorite color and even though black inches above in an overall sort of way, I can easily say that I love the white things in my closet a lot more.

The pleasures of a good white shirt are various. It is versatile, goes from formal day to casual night without as much as a whisper.  It pairs well, with black, blue, brown, navy, khaki, white and most of the colors in between, including fuchsia. It’s an all weather accomplice and a summer best man, looks good in all fabrics, and looks cool even if heavily worn in. White shirts complement all skin tones, help you look fresh as hell and give out a relaxed and easy vibe when worn on formal occasions making you instantly congenial and approachable. White shirts are as much Monday morning as they are Friday evening. They look great with shorts! And if you wear only white shirts, it certainly means you have someone back home to clean them.

A day linen white shirt paired with khaki shorts

White shirts are an investment piece and hence a luxury. So what are some white shirt basics that we should keep in mind while choosing and wearing and most importantly keeping them?

The cut – The point of wearing a white shirt is to look relaxed. Hence opt for classic construction than a slim one to allow the ‘ease’ of white wearing to come through in a boxy cut.  Spread collars work better on white shirts for the same reason. Barrel cuffs allow you to roll up better, another necessity for a white summer day-to-night shirt. Try to choose the split yoke, to allow the fabric to stretch more comfortably. Keep contrasting shirt elements (patterned collars, cufflinks and the likes) to the minimum as they will break the look. All in all let your Italian sprezzatura shine through in the casual elegance of your white formal or polo shirt. You can subscribe to The Sartorialist for your daily low down on this cool Italian nonchalant way of wearing anything.

Old Italian men in all-white on The Sartorialist

For an easy induction into choosing and comparing various fabrics, cuts and tailoring of white shirts, head to the White Shirt Bar at Thomas Pink for an afternoon consultation over a drink. They keep over 140 styles and combinations and are a perfect starting point into white shirt luxe.

 

Thomas Pink's trademark White Shirt Bar with over 140 styles of white shirts to choose from

The fabric – Apart from the cut and the construction, the fabric and weave of a white shirt defines its level of formality and occasion of use. As a general rule, shirts should be made of 100% pure fabrics like cotton, linen, wool or a blend of these. Two additional terms are necessary to know regarding a good shirt weave:

Ply : 2 ply weaves are usually finer and tigher than single ply and create more breathable fabric

Yarn Count : The number you see on shirt fabrics indicates the size of thread in the fabric and thus number of threads per inch. Thus, higher yarn counts leads to a softer and lighter fabric as the threads are finer.

Thus a 2 ply 200 yarn count shirt manufactured in a high quality mill is what will give it its feel and fall.

3 most commonly used weaves are Poplin , Twill and Oxford. Poplin is a plain weave made with higher thread counts making the material more durable and giving the fabric its silky hand feel.

Twill requires weft and warp weaving to create interesting shirt patterns that gives this kind of shirt its trademark sheen and even softer hand feel.

Oxford is a type of weave created with weaving hick yarns in a basket weave. Single colored threads are usually crossed with white to give the oxford its unique thick textured appearance. Can be used both casually and occasionally.

 

Shirt fabrics and weaves - knowing the basics

The keep  - It can be a real pain in the everywhere to keep white shirts white and not have them change colors after a few washes. Hence when you invest in a white shirt you buy the lifelong hassle of keeping it white. Though this could be a daunting challenge, remembering a few key things and keep white shirts whiter, longer.

• Wash whites by themselves and as far as possible, group by fabric type
• Wash whites in hot water for best results
• Use a high quality detergent (with brighteners) with a combination of 3/4^th cup bleach.
• Pre-treat any stains by adding a few drops of vinegar or baking soda and applying on the stained area. Or just use a mild clear shampoo for easy stains
• Dry them in bright sunlight on a hanger
• Steam iron only

The brands – If you are not going bespoke, here are a few brands where you can find a perfect fit and yet buy in bulk :

Brooks Brothers – Great quality white shirts at a moderate price. They have a huge selection of collar and sleeve-size combinations.

Hugh and Crye – Experts in shirting, Hugh and Crye have Fit Finder, a sizing system to find the best fit for your white shirts. Their SILO oxford button down whites are perfect for an easy, unplanned day. Just in the details and shop online.

Charvet – a high end Parisian shirtmaker who used to make shirts for the royalty. For a special experience of bespoke shirt making, head to Charvet at Place Vendome for 18 measurements and wait 30 days to get your hands on it. Here's a cool Style.com video on bespoke shirt making at Charvet.

Charvet Store, Place Vendome, Paris

Ermenegildo Zegna – When Italian luxury menswear meets high quality cotton twill, you get the most luxuriously textured white shirt in the world for $345.

The Zegna twill

Ralph Lauren – Do we look any further for the Sunday lunch chic white polo?

Benetton – Safe bet for your summer double pocket white linen shirts

I hope this post has helped you get better aquainted with the basics of a good white shirt. Now spend some time to hunt down your favourite white and make sure you wear nothing else to the next ten black ties and brunches.

Expert Tip : Ladies, I will have a separate post for your white shirts coming out soon. Till then, find the perfect white shirt for your boyfriend and wear it with that Italian nonchalance!

In a light, white cotton button down at Dune du Pyla, 60 kms off Bordeaux
June'13

Classy Water

Who said water was for quenching thirst?

If luxury is all about creating detail and discernment in ordinary things and to uplift the mundane to the level of art, there is nothing more luxurious than sparkling water. Isn’t there something about bubbles? They add a sense of celebration to any moment. Whether you pop open Champagne to celebrate a promotion or a bottle of Badoit to bring a sense of cheer to a relaxed Sunday lunch, effervescence is the sign of ‘good times’.

Acqua Panna of the Tuscan mountains

What began as a health fad the world over, thanks to the ascribed digestive benefits of sparkling water has become an elevated lifestyle choice of body conscious millenials who replaced their lattes, sugary colas, overtly fizzy sodas and oh-so-plain still water with something more elusive and sexy. The global elevation of water into a more luxurious drink hankers back to the simple logic that we need excitement in the minutest parts of our lives.

So if you want to choose sparkling water over still for reasons other than its universal snob value, here’s what you need to know.

What it really is : Sparkling water results from the miraculous mineralization of mountain water over centuries of contact with hot volcanic gases which creates natural thermal springs. This natural spring water is then uniformly carbonated during the bottling process to give us the well-proportioned level of effervescence in every sip, from every bottle, in every brand of sparkling water. And where are these thermal springs located? In the coolest of places – the French Alps (Perrier),  Lombardia (San Pellegrino), spa towns in Loire valley (Badoit), Mount Fuji (Fine), northern Finland (Veen) and so on. This ‘terroir’ of the spring water gives is what gives it its distinct flavor and makes it a wonderful feeling to know that the water on your table is coming from 600m under Mount Fiji.

The point above should more or less be able to let you explain a recurring question in your and your friends’ collective sub-conscious– why the duck is sparkling water so expensive???

Why it is better than your average water : Let’s admit, sparkling water is not the green tea of beverages. But there are plausible reasons why its better than a lot of  drinks (barring alcoholic ones) you normally pick from a beverage list. 

• Because the source of sparkling water in natural springs, the water is well endowed with necessary minerals that ordinary water doesn’t have. Thus having sparkling keeps you hydrated much better and longer allowing the necessary flow of these nutrients in our systems.
•  It’s a superior choice than any array of sugary soft drinks because duh, it cuts out the sugar and the caffeine. Also, it tempers the carbonation, which is why you don’t feel like you have been drinking out of a bubble maker when you sip your Perrier, the feeling you normally get after consuming huge amounts of soda. It is just the right amount of fizzy that doesn’t bloat you up and guess what, you can even choose the size of your bubbles. Precision in bubbles…this is totally dream world territory.
• It aids your digestive system (thank you CO2!) and helps you eat less by filling you up more. It can actually make you feel lighter even after a decadent 6 course Sunday brunch. Quel plaisir!
• It most certainly pairs better with food than still, thanks to its freshness, sapidity and fragrance which helps enhance your overall dining experience. Sparkling water is meant to awaken flavours in paired meals and get along fabulously with a wide variety of cuisines. No wonder why top sparkling brands of the world are collaborating with snooty chefs and snootier restaurants to create food pairing and signature dishes around the taste of …water. Badoit also created a Badoit Express, and served a Michelin starred meal to unassuming passengers aboard an RER train in Paris, how totally cute!

How to go sparkling like a pro: Now let’s venture into the much-awaited snob zone. Now that you are aware that sparkling water comes in various shapes and sizes of bottles and bubbles, how do you choose and rock your own bubbly?

•  Decide your terroir of preference – As with all things of luxury, the origin or provenance of sparkling water counts for the largest percentage of its snob value.  Some of best names come from France. Châteldon , the champagne of sparkling water comes from the Auverge region of France and has a production so limited you’ll only find it in top restos in Paris. German Gerolsteiner boasts of the highest mineral content and water purity. So basically whether you prefer a fussy French, a precise German or a laidback Italian, your choice of sparkling water can reveal your personal inclinations.  

The champagne of bubbling water - Châteldon, France

• Choose your cool imaginative history – Hannibal and Napolean? Perrier. The court of Louis X1V? Châteldon. Leonardo da Vinci? San Pellegrino. The mighty waters come with mightier histories of early sixteenth century battles and  violent conquests and depending on your historical figure preference , you could choose your heritage water.

• Choose the bottle you would most like to recycle - Normally served in clear glass to observe the magic of bubbles, sparkling waters come in iconic bottles with strong brand identities. San Pellegrino is the most  elegant looking of the lot, with its tall neck, Serifed font and the red star, while Perrier looks more ‘accessible’– bright green and pop logo and is also the most widely ordered worldwide. Badoit comes in the delicately bubbled green and intensely bubbled red bottles, you may choose the one that goes better with your personality, as long as you are in France. Sparkling water brands frequently come out with funky limited edition bottles that are definitely collectors worth – Perrier and Andy Warhol, San Pe and Bvlgari and the $40 Bling H2O and Swarovski, are all stunning bottles that work fabulously as casual gifts to friends.

Perrier Andy Warhol Limited Edition bottles

Fancy Swarovski encrusted sparkling? Bling takes bling seriously!

• Add your personal touch of flavor - On the rocks, with a slice of lime or flavoured with raspberries, grapefruits, pamplemousse, bitter orange or green lemon, you can customize your sparkling all the way to the taste of the bubble pop in your mouth. Well you can also own a sparkling water maker and enjoy homemade flavoured bubblies at home with SodaStream!

Homemade water made exciting with SodaStream USA

• Simply order it everywhere – Feel the thrill of excitement running down your spine when you casually order your San Pe over a brunch with friends. Ordering sparkling is easy signalling that you have taste, money and overall, a sense of indulgence. Flatter your ego with the double pleasure of ordering it and then paying for it, especially if you are in lesser developed parts of the world.

Immerse yourself to the world of frivolous yet meaningful bubbles. Cheers!

Expert Tip : Go to Colette's Water Bar, this cultish concept store cum bar in Paris carries over 90 types of eau gazeuse on its menu! Take your pick while Gaspard Ulliel on the next table takes his!

Spoilt for water choice chez Colette, Paris