Innehållsförteckning för December/January 2026 från Town & Country

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S CHRISTMAS FEAST For T&C’s December 1968 issue, we paid a visit to Alfred Hitchcock at his home in Bel Air and asked him to plan an imaginary Christmas feast for Santa. He did not disappoint. The director began by rattling off the guest list: Scrooge, Lady Chatterley, Bronco Bill, Casanova, Marie Antoinette, and, “for a very special touch of gore, Anne Boleyn, who will arrive headless and carry her head on a claret velvet cushion.” He then went into extensive detail about the two-act, 11-course menu, complete with wine pairings and an intermission (“a sorbet of sauterne”). The whole affair would take place in a private room at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, “decorated with period French tapestries, the table set with the best Irish linen damask, fine…

We’re not here to tell you about the legions of militarily effcient VIP guides you can book for $900 an hour. You already know about them. You also already know that the Four Seasons Orlando is the best bar none, and that the 11-course chef’s table at Victoria & Albert’s for $425 a head is worth it, as is the $120 water pairing—that is, if you can score the single reservation they offer per night. Thanks to the likes of the Kardashians and a slew of TikTok influencers, a lot of the secrets of how the fancy do Disney have been out for a while. But not all. The things mentioned above are child’s play to certain diehard Disney devotees on the Upper East Side, who long ago figured out…

Nena Woolworth sits cross-legged on the floor of her Napa Valley home, gesturing to an altar piled with icons, heirlooms, and dollar-store prayer candles. “I call this the shaman shack,” she says, “and you’re looking at HQ.” Every item has special meaning to Woolworth and her clients. “It always surprises people who think these things have to be expensive,” she says, “but it’s really the importance you put on them. They can be drugstore finds or ancient artifacts.” It’s not what you might expect from one of the most in-demand shamans in the business, but with Woolworth, preconceived notions go out the window. From her wine country perch—or anywhere in the world she is called to go (with a portable altar packed in a Tumi carry-on)—the 52-year-old five-and-dime heiress is…

12 AM: THE STAYCATION There’s no place like home, sure, but after a long day (or year), nothing hits like midnight room service. GUCCI SUEDE DUFFEL BAG ($3,700), GUCCI.COM 5 AM: THE WORKOUT You already bought a pair of Hermès boxing shoes—might as well master your fighting stance. LANDS’ END CANVAS BAG ($90), LANDSEND.COM 9 AM: THE C-SUITE You could impress the board with your command of AI, but we prefer this. CELINE FLAT CABAS NEW LUGGAGE ($2,100), CELINE.COM NOON: THE LUNCHEON In times like these, who can say no to a boozy brunch? Keep it classy. VALENTINO GARAVANI DEVAIN BAG ($3,900), AVAILABLE AT VALENTINO BOUTIQUES 2 PM: THE SCHOOL PICKUP Whether at Brearley or Brentwood, PTA sartorial codes are universal. SABYASACHI POSTINO BAG ($1,050), 646-799-9400 4 PM: THE MARKET…

SIX SENSES PLACE The hotel brand’s forthcoming London location will include a members-only wellness club. SIXSENSESPLACE.COM SNAKE RIVER SPORTING CLUB Sample the wilderness offerings at this Jackson Hole OG from its new Sylvan Lodge. SNAKERIVERSPORTINGCLUB.COM MOSS A 20,000-square-foot wellness center is the draw at this vast NYC members club, which just opened near Bryant Park. MOSS.NYC THE WELLINGTON Residences will start at $6 million in this private community being developed in Palm Beach horse country. THEWELLINGTON.COM…

JANUARY 1 PANAMA Why There’s much more to it now than the canal and the glittery skyline of Panama City. Details On the Pacific side, the private island resort of Islas Secas, with casitas and serious eco-cred, has long drawn the barefoot luxury crowd, and now it has Casa Cavada, an 8,300-square-foot clifftop holiday home. On the Caribbean side, Nayara Bocas del Toro is adults-only, with overwater villas. Inland, the new Hotel La Compañía del Valle, a Hyatt, sits 2,000 feet up on the crater of an extinct volcano surrounded by rainforest; it has a megaspa. But back to Panama City: There’s Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, in a restored 1917 building in the historic quarter. Steps away is buzzy Cantina del Tigre, on Latin America’s 50 Best list. It’s starting…

OCTOBER 10 AUSTIN Why The new Canyon Ranch resort, which opens in September. Details Wellness destinations are increasingly leaning into women’s health (SHA, Ananda, Kamalaya), but none as fully as Canyon Ranch. The centerpiece of its 600-acre property on Austin’s outskirts will be the physician-led Women’s Wellness Collective, which tends to everything from postpartum to menopause, with specialists in sleep, nutrition, bone density, and hormones. The lakefront retreat will also have the largest spa in Texas and offer concierge medicine services in addition to Canyon Ranch’s signature mind-body therapies. Given its proximity to Austin’s ever-evolving cultural attractions, there may be no better place to camp out for some truly transformative TLC. To book CANYONRANCHAUSTIN.COM April Long SEA/LAND SUPERTRIP Why Because it’s three journeys of a lifetime—the Galápagos, Easter Island, and Antarctica—in…

Views of Brandenburg Gate. You’ll see the famed monument up close from almost everywhere in the hotel. It defines and elevates your stay. Unlimited caviar at breakfast. Seriously—various kinds, with fixings. Spa suites. Private, fully appointed, with sauna, whirlpool, fireplace, and champagne, bookable for two hours. Elephant fountain. The sounds of its spouting water and ice being shaken at the bar make it easy to linger in the Adlon lobby’s lounge late into the night. One of Berlin’s ways to unwind.…

We are in the midst of a preppy revival, and Jack Carlson may be more responsible for it than anyone. As the founder of Rowing Blazers, Carlson wasn’t just at the forefront of the preppy zeitgeist, he was its leader. Then in September he was tapped to take over the ne plus ultra of preppy brands: J. Press, the original purveyor of Ivy League fashion. “I think J. Press encapsulates preppy, but it also kind of predates the word—and even the idea and the aesthetic,” Carlson says. “The Oxford button-down shirt with the collar roll and the flap on the front chest pocket, the navy blazer, the khaki trousers, the ribbon belts, the schoolboy scarf, and all these accoutrements—they are many decades older than the word preppy entering the mainstream…

When Eric Best joined the Houston Ballet in 2022, he made a point of setting a goal for himself. “I said I would like to be a soloist in five or 10 years’ time, if that might be possible.” It was a reasonable dream for a 20-year-old, although many professional dancers never make it out of a company’s corps de ballet. Best ended up on a different trajectory. Near the end of the 2022–3 season he was promoted to soloist, skipping the position of demi-soloist. Then, at the end of the following season, he was promoted to first soloist. “I had a pinch-me moment when the news was announced to the entire company,” he says, “but mostly all I could think about was that I had to make sure I…

1. AIM FOR EARNEST When delivering what is called a velvet dagger, it’s best to appear sincere. “Bless your heart” hits only because you might actually mean it. 2. EMBRACE DENIABILITY If you seem too sweet to be making a nasty dig, it’s much easier to get away with it. Bonus points for batting your eyelashes. 3. MEAN TO BE MEAN You’re insulting someone, so if they catch you, don’t backtrack. Instead, wink and say, “You’re sharper than you look.” 4. CHANNEL MAGGIE SMITH Nobody delivered (or received) a burn like the Dowager Countess, who took everything as a compliment: “It saves many an awkward moment.”…

Here we thought Marie Antoinette had it good at Versailles (for a while, anyway), but her older sister may have had it even better down in Naples. Maria Carolina of Austria became Queen of Naples and Sicily in 1768, when she married Ferdinand IV. The union wasn’t her choice, but as these things go royal life wasn’t so bad, not least thanks to her new house: La Reggia di Caserta, a colossal Baroque complex that her father-in-law, the future Charles III of Spain, commissioned in 1752 as his ambitious answer to Versailles. It was against Caserta’s soaring backdrop that Max Mara staged its resort 2026 show, the palace’s theatrical splendor a perfect match for creative director Ian Griffiths’s silky, slinky, supremely elegant ode to another period in Neapolitan history when…

IN THEORY & PRACTICE TIP 1: LEARN THE LANGUAGE A quick visit to the Met makes clear that our prehistoric ancestors had a flair for drama. Dangling earrings have been around as long as humans have pierced their ears. TIP 2: IDENTIFY YOUR IDOLS A statement necklace always delivers, but what’s more fun than a pair of earrings shimmering under the holiday lights? Better yet, take a cue from Phyllis Diller: Do both. TIP 3: EXERCISE GRAND GESTURES You know that story about Cleopatra and her crushed pearl? It might have come from a dangling earring. While we’re not for liquidating assets, it’s good to have options.…

This year marks the centenary of Guerlain’s iconic vanilla-amber masterpiece, Shalimar, first unveiled at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, the fair that introduced the world to Art Deco. To celebrate, the house partnered with Franco-Brazilian artist Janaïna Milheiro to create a new iteration of the perfume’s legendary pedestal flacon, originally designed by Raymond Guerlain and crafted by Baccarat. Inspired by Frida Kahlo (a Shalimar devotee), the creation brims with feathers and flowers that nod to the artist’s penchant for self-adornment and the vivid hues of her Mexico City home, Casa Azul. Each piece (only 66 exist) holds 1.5 liters of a reinvention of the classic scent: Guerlain perfumer Delphine Jelk composed Shalimar L’Essence to honor the original while dialing up the vanilla for a…

APRIL 4 TUNIS Why It’s Marrakech 30 years ago, one of the world’s great travel spots you might actually have largely to yourself. Details What Tunis lacks in polished service and resort amenities, it makes up in culture and personality. La Villa Bleue in Sidi Bou Saïd, north of the city center, is a charming base on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean. Dar El Jeld, a restaurant in a mansion on the edge of the medina, is spectacular. And, of course, here are some of the most powerfully symbolic Roman ruins, on the site of what was once the mighty trading city of Carthage. Farther afield: the cave town of Matmata in the southern salt flats (the location for Tatooine in Star Wars), the holy city of Kairouan, and miles…

A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE—IN WINTER Off-season sailings in the Mediterranean are not just about escaping the heat, they’re about escaping the crowds. Imagine seeing the Sagrada Família without lines; Pompeii deserted, as if you’ve just stumbled upon it; Venice, exquisite under gray skies and slicked with rain. Two cruise lines, Viking and Windstar, are pioneering Mediterranean itineraries in late 2026 (in the very last days of December) and early 2027 (January to March). They’re calling it “the quiet season.” Viking’s sailings will depart from Barcelona, Istanbul, Rome, and Athens; Windstar’s from Rome, Venice, and Barcelona. The Viking ships come with the bonus of a warm, glass-enclosed pool and Scandichic lounges with reindeer throws and flickering vapor fires. To book You can go directly to WINDSTARCRUISES.COM and VIKING.COM, although we find advisors…

Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory. Only Kempinski guests can tour this secret, hushed world of exquisite artisanship. A must. Tea in the hotel’s Nymphenburg Room. Beautiful setting and towers of treats: a perfect ageless ritual with an hourglass provided for steeping. The Ludwig Suite bathtub. Astonishingly, made entirely of mother-of-pearl. The Jahreszeiten Bar. Chairs (not stools), a charmingly illustrated cocktail menu, and a convivial ambience.…

People think the Frick is a place where nothing changes, where time stands still,” Aimee Ng says. “But I firmly believe—and I hope I’m not sounding too woo-woo—that whenever a new person, from whatever walk of life or background, encounters these objects, they start a new conversation that has never happened before.” The same might be said for Ng herself, who in October was named the Frick Collection’s Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, a well-deserved promotion that follows a decade of curatorial service at the institution. It has been an eventful 10 years, to say the least. The period has included not just landmark exhibitions (see: the Moroni survey in 2019 and the Barkley L. Hendricks show in 2023) but also a colossal $220 million renovation that took five years…

Just as the surf town of Puerto Escondido fades into the rearview mirror, the asphalt road up the Pacific coast of Oaxaca narrows to one lane and then dirt. After roughly 20 miles of farms, mangrove forests, and coastal lagoons, the car pulls to a stop, with tumbling ocean waves to one side and the green foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur on the other. The area has no offcial name, though locals sometimes call it Punta Altares (Altars Point). Fittingly, a mini-mecca has developed here over the last few years for aficionados of global contemporary art and design. But few know the story of how a surprisingly diverse international group of friends came together to build it all. “Is this the Puerto Power Posse?” I ask at a…

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23–DECEMBER 21 In December your ruling planet, Jupiter, is out of sync, so results may be slow in coming, even though you’re feeling revved up and ready to go. Try to be patient. As January rides in there is a strong accent on decisive moves—especially financially—which will turn the tide in your favor, and speaking frankly takes you down a new path. COLETTE ($2,600), COLETTEJEWELRY.COM CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22–JANUARY 20 You’ll become aware that the times are changing in December and you appear to be emerging from a paralyzing fog that has been holding you hostage. Dare to act boldly as January unfolds and also to engage closely with others who appear to be very much on your side. Your actions will prove you right as the month winds…

WHERE ARE WE GOING? Few things foster a sense of unity like rooting for the same team. Come February, we’ll get a chance for some much-needed togetherness when the XXV Winter Olympics kick off in Italy. This year’s festivities will take place in locations between Milan, where the opening ceremony will be held, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the Dolomites some 250 miles away. We suggest you make your travel plans now. WHAT ARE WE WEARING? The Olympic mascots for 2026 are a pair of ermines named Tina and Milo. Since they’re not likely to reach the cult status of the Labubu (but who knows?), here’s a better investment: Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra, with its brushed black ceramic bezel and striking turquoise dial. The real flex, though, is inside: The caliber…

If the Breton stripe was France’s solution for protecting its men at sea, the cable knit was the Irish answer. The style emerged in the Aran Islands around the turn of the 20th century, when fishermen’s wives started knitting thick sweaters for their husbands. The distinctive intertwined rope pattern, for all its nautical and even slightly Celtic vibe, served a practical purpose: It provided an additional layer of warmth against the Atlantic’s harsh elements. By the late 1960s the cable knit sweater, much like the sailor stripe, had become a classic in more patrician circles on this side of the ocean. Its reputation was further buoyed by the impeccably costumed Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair—a film that warrants a rewatch this season, for obvious reasons…

ZENDAYA & TOM HOLLAND The Hollywood version of high school sweethearts, Tom Holland and Zendaya met as teens on the set of Spider-Man. Next on the horizon? The wedding, of course, but they’re also co-starring in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey (he’s Telemachus, she’s reportedly Athena). Holland’s brand of non-alcoholic beer should help power them through a busy year. We’re also sending preemptive thanks to her stylist, Law Roach. TAYLOR SWIFT & TRAVIS KELCE “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle” is hardly Shakespeare, but who needs sonnets when you’ve got fame, fortune, and a combined 289 million Instagram followers? We all know the story (see page 98): The NFL-er proposed in August, and rumors have swirled that they’ll get married at her Watch Hill manse. But first:…

It’s a sport beloved by kings and queens, one with centuries of tradition for which participants wear custom-made tweeds and tromp across acres of meticulously tended land. Enthusiasts from around the globe will mention one destination where they want to raise their shotguns and take aim—and it’s in Idaho. For shooting savants and Anglophiles alike, Blixt & Co., in the Gem State’s Teton Valley, is the ultimate destination not only for traditional driven pheasant and partridge shooting but also for living out one’s Downton Abbey fantasies without leaving the U.S. It began in 2009, when Lars Magnusson leased 2,000 acres in Idaho to offer an authentic shooting experience in the American West. Magnusson was raised about an hour south of Gothenburg, Sweden, where he learned to hunt and shoot from…

When Zoe Wechsler was in high school, she often brought friends to her apartment so that her dermatologist mom, Amy, could inject their painful cystic pimples with corticosteroids (parental permission given first, of course). “I was lucky to have my mom take care of my acne the second it started,” Zoe says. Now Amy can do the same for you: The mother-daughter duo are opening Spotless, the first walk-in acne clinic, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It’s in the same neighborhood as schools like Chapin and Buckley, but it won’t attract just teens. “Patients text me repeatedly with things like, ‘I’m getting married out of the country in two days, and I woke up with this huge pimple,’ ” Amy says. “But most people with acne can’t see a derm,…

When I first arrive at one of the most storied grand hotels in Europe, the Adlon Kempinski in Berlin—my first leisure trip to Germany, with Munich next—I can’t tear myself away from the windows of my fifth-floor suite. A staffer regales me with the names of figures in politics and culture from all over the world for whom this hotel has been their Berlin home (“Obama slept in this bedroom, by the way”), but I’m transfixed by the view—it’s as if someone has created a life-size diorama of major moments in the history of the West. Just 300 feet or so from the hotel’s main entrance is the Brandenburg Gate, the neo-classical ceremonial entrance to the city built between 1788 and 1791 by King Friedrich Wilhelm II to signal Prussia’s…

What’s one thing New York City’s most stylish tables all have in common? Daniel Emilio Soares and his culinary design studio, Alimentari Flâneur. From an East Harlem headquarters, the 31-year-old choreographs menus and mise-en-scène for clients who want their parties to taste and look like a dream. “We have to remember we’re in the business of hospitality,” he says. “Our job is to make sure guests are having a great time.” That can mean Diet Coke in glass bottles beside caviar canapés, or tables piled high with a tiramisu tower—reminders that pleasure outranks formality for clients like Proenza Schouler, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hôtel La Fantaisie, and the Waldorf-Astoria. Soares’s rise began when he staged a pop-up called Grace Balducci Doria, a nod to his roots: His great-grandfather founded Balducci’s, and his…

In his 20 years as CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s biggest bank, Jamie Dimon has done pretty much everything anyone could ask. He successfully integrated three disparate parts of the company—the old Chase Manhattan Bank, the old J.P. Morgan & Co., and Bank One—which were operating quite poorly as independent fiefdoms. He overhauled the company’s outdated technology. He made the bank by far the biggest and most powerful in the country, with a market capitalization of $825 billion and counting. And recently he oversaw the construction of a new $4 billion headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan designed by Norman Foster. And then there is the company’s ongoing stellar financial performance, thanks in large part to Dimon’s leadership. JPMorgan Chase will likely earn $60 billion in profit in 2025,…

“My mother,” says Victoria Brynner of Doris Kleiner Brynner, “would sit on this tiny chair near the phone in our kitchen, and her friends would all call: Sally Aga Khan, Valentino and Giancarlo, Georgina and Cristiana Brandolini. Annette and Oscar de la Renta. Elizabeth. Audrey lived just a stone’s throw away, so they visited in person. And Gianni Agnelli—they spoke practically every morning, but he had a special line.” We can now only dream about eavesdropping on those conversations: Doris Brynner, ex-wife of Yul Brynner, head of Dior Home for more than 30 years, and friend to some of the most creative minds of the 20th century, died at home in Switzerland in February. But Victoria has photos: her parents at the premiere of Cleopatra, her mother in the room…