Welcome to Ape to Gentleman’s Top 10 of the Month feature. We have curated the top trends, insights and advice to help you live your best life.
In this instalment, we’ve handpicked 10 essential topics covering everything from sneakers to luggage, luxury accommodation to must-see TV.. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for a wardrobe overhaul, eager to enhance your grooming routine, or simply looking for the best and latest releases, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s explore how to make July your most stylish, successful and satisfying month yet.
Paris 2024 Olympic Games x OFF Paris Seine
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games kick off this month (Friday, July 26), and the opening ceremony is set to be special. For the first time in Olympic history, the ceremony will take place not at a stadium but on water, with Paris’ Seine taking centre stage.
Of course, you can roll up and watch it riverside, but why not take it up a notch? OFF Paris Seine, a floating design hotel on the city’s famous river, is open for reservations throughout the Olympics. Expect a luxury stay with unique views of what is set to be a remarkable piece of sporting history.
Book now at offparisseine.com
Love Trails Festival
You started running in the pandemic, and you’ve been addicted ever since. You’ve stocked up on all the gear, joined a club and even been on a few trail runs. The next logical step in the evolution of the modern running man is to get your ticket for the Love Trails Festival.
Not only is it an excuse to run some of the most idyllic trails rural coastal Wales has to offer, but you can also indulge in body-boosting wellness activities. These include yoga, running mechanics, strength and conditioning, a luxury spa and massage opportunities, complemented each evening with live music.
Book tickets at lovetrailsfestival.co.uk
Ooni Koda 2 Max
An Ooni isn’t just for pizza, you know. The new Ooni Koda 2 Max, now available for pre-order, is the outdoor cooking brand’s latest gas-powered all-in-one masterpiece.
A 24” cooking area provides plenty of pizza space, with two independently controlled cooking zones and plenty of height, making for serious outdoor cooking versatility, whether searing steaks or flame-cooking veggies.
Meanwhile, a digital temperate hub and Bluetooth app connectivity make precise temperature tracking easy, ensuring perfectly timed cooking.
Pre-order now at ooni.com
The new Royal Scotsman luxury cabins
As if the UK’s most luxurious train, The Royal Scotsman, wasn’t opulent enough – with its Dior spa, five-star culinary dining car experiences and decadent observation carriage – Belmond has managed to outdo itself.
As of June this year, The Royal Scotsman will offer two new cabins in its lineup. The new cabins provide an even more spacious and indulgent way to watch the passing splendour of the Scottish Highlands.
The new Grand Suites feature Scottish larch dining tables, handmade Scottish driftwood armchairs and bespoke Tartan furnishings, not to mention more space than you could ever imagine on a train.
Suites start from £12,000 on an all-inclusive basis. Don’t worry; personal butler service is included.
Book now at belmond.com
The CQP Summer 2024 Lookbook
Let the CQP Summer 2024 Lookbook inspire your end-of-summer fit and Christmas on the beach getaway. It’s all about keeping things tonal.
The Bumper sneaker in Flax is a mature skate and tennis sneaker mix that allows the wearer to slip some yellow in without being too cutesy. The Meander in brown and pink does a similarly covert job, easily making the case for a colour combination that doesn’t seem as enticing on paper.
Dig out your subtle striped shirts, invest in a wider pant and combine with a bargain from the CQP end-of-season sale.
See more at c-qp.com
The new Reebox Nanocourt
You only needed to look to Spain and Scandinavia to know it was coming. Now, the courts are sprouting up, and you can’t get a game. We’re heading towards peak Padel (the VHS to Pickleball’s Betamax), and Reebok has a sneaker for it.
The new Nanocourt is a performance-forward nostalgia nod to classic Reebox styles. Built for heel stability, mid support and responsive cushioning, it’ll keep your foot stable and balanced, with the right amount of grip while preventing toe drag.
If Padel’s not your thing yet, they’ll do the job for tennis and badminton, too.
Shop now at Reebok
Papa Salt Coastal Gin
We’ve been drinking a lot of Hugos lately. The Alpine cousin of the Aperol Spritz seems apt in light of a Euros set in Germany, accented by an in-form Austria.
For the uninitiated, a Hugo is a refreshingly light mix of prosecco, gin, elderflower cordial, sparkling water and a few sprigs of mint over ice. Our gin of choice lately is Papa Salt, an Australian coastal botanical gin with a citrus-forward profile. It works nicely in a Paloma and a dirty dry Martini, but it’s especially refreshing in a Hugo.
Arriving on these shores with some hype behind it – notably selling out within 48 hours of launch in Australia and a Margot Robbie affiliation – it’s a great option for a refreshing summer spritz alternative.
Shop now at drinksone.com
Bennett Winch x 24 Hours of Le Mans
Bennett Winch has done it again. Not content with making the luxury suit carrier that actually works (a seemingly impossible task), they’ve also gone and brought out a piece of luggage that makes us want to buy a motorcycle.
The Bennett Winch x 24 Hours of Le Mans collection features a stunning made-to-order motorcycle helmet bag. A world first, the bag is made from full-grain, vegetable-tanned Italian leather and features two carry handles and twin-track zips for easy access.
It is another scene-stealing piece of luggage from the Savile Row native.
Shop now at Bennett Winch
Bentley Continental GT Speed
Boy oh boy, are Bentley having fun. Launched alongside a Coupe sibling, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed is the most powerful road-going Bentley ever made.
Single headlights have been introduced for a sleeker look, there’s a hybrid upgrade with 50 miles of pure electric range, as well as four-wheel drive and a top speed of 208mph.
Inside, it’s packed with tech, notably an all-new electrical architecture and full app integration.
See more at bentleymotors.com
The Bear (Season 3)
Of course we’re on the bandwagon, it’s impossible not be. When it’s not giving us PTSD from past lives in hospitality, The Bear provides some of the most emotional, well-written, aesthetically pleasing and masterfully-soundtracked moments on TV. Not to mention its services to fashion and style, notably another back-to-basics relaunch of the plain white T-shirt.
With the new restaurant launched, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and co are set for another frenetic season of trying to make it work, hopefully with some more designer cameos on par with last season’s Thom Browne chef’s whites.
Watch now on Disney+
