The Want List: What caught the Esquire team's eye this week

Tickets to see Ragnar Kjartansson at the NGV

Find yourself in Melbourne? Take a segue into the NGV to see the new exhibition from Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson.

Kjartansson makes videos about love, melancholy and masculinity that are as funny as they are devastating. Mercy, now showing at NGV International, gathers eight of them, including The Visitors, the nine-screen house party filmed at a ramshackle New York mansion that was named the best artwork of the twenty-first century.

Expect a toe-tapping soundtrack. And possibly tears.

This bottle of Lallier Réflexion R.021 Brut champagne

2021 was a shocker of a year. I lost my favourite sunglasses, for starters.

It was also one of the toughest harvests in Champagne. Frost, rain, more frost. And yet Lallier still managed to pull something special out of Aÿ, one of the region’s few Grand Cru villages.

R.021 Brut is the second chapter of the house’s Réflexion collection and the first that Cellar Master Dominique Demarville has taken from harvest to bottle. There’s a Brut Rosé this time, too, if that’s your fancy. Chin up and chin chin.

This reversible chore jacket by Christian Kimber

It is officially freezing. Time to bring in the big guns, or in this case, the soft ones.

Christian Kimber’s Fitzroy chore jacket is cut from a double-face wool, cashmere and silk blend with the weight of an overcoat and none of the stiffness. Reversible too, taupe on one side, oatmeal on the other. Made in a limited run, so once they’re gone, they’re gone…

Le Labo’s scented notebook

Indulgent? Yes. Needed? Also, yes.

These boat shoes by Sperry

The preppy shoe of choice but also just really practical in wetter weather. The Sperry Gold Cup Authentic Original 2-Eye is the OG boat shoe. Nubuck leather uppers and rubber sole offer comfort and grip, on deck and on dry land.

Personally, a big fan of pairing these with socks.

This Balenciaga polo shirt

Balenciaga does preppy? We’re on board.

The polo shirt is something everyone should have at least one of in their wardrobe, and while the short sleeve version is the more popular it’s the long sleeve polo we believe carries more weight style-wise.

Balenciaga gives it their treatment – a little looser, a little softer with dropped shoulders for a more relaxed finish. Perfect/

A glass of G4 Extra Anejo Tequila

We’ve heard whisper that the Palomino Lounge in Newtown has become one of the best places to sip a premium tequila. Turns out those whispers are accurate.

For $200, you can enjoy a shot of the G4 Extra Anejo, aged 7 years and allegedly an Australian exclusive.

This blanket from Waverely Mills

It’s cold. Solution – invest in a good blanket. Waverley Mills in Tasmania are Australia’s last fully vertical wool mill and make some of the best blankets on the market.

Their Smith’s Lane blanket, made from 22 Micron Australian merino wool, is the winter protection you need that looks as good as it feels. Netflix and cozy.

This ring from Sarah & Sebastian

More men could do well to invest in some great jewellery.

We’ve done the hard part for you – the research. Sarah & Sebastian’s Traction range is inspired by industrial details (tyre treads, in this case) but veers short of the bulkiness a lot of men’s collections seem to fall prey to.

Embedded throughout are baguette-cut diamonds. A statement piece that’s still subtle.

The Land And It’s People by David Sedaris

It’s a good day when a new David Sedaris book comes onto the market.

The writer’s sense of absurdist, skewering the mundane and using self-reflection as a weapon of comedy is a rare skill.

“The Land And It’s People” looks at the meaning of being a brother, a traveller, and a friend. Essentially, what it means to be a human.

This hydrating face oil by Twyg

Your skin dries out faster in winter. Artificial heating, hotter showers and cold air in the mornings all strip it of much-needed hydration.

So drink more water. But we also recommend aiding it from the outside. Twyg is a New Zealand skincare brand made from natural ingredients that, when slapped on your mug, will make you as moist as a good sponge cake.