Ape’s Top 10 Of The Month: June 2026
Welcome to Ape to Gentleman’s Top 10 of the Month feature, where we curate the trends, insights and smart recommendations designed to help you live well and stay ahead of the curve.
In this instalment, we’ve handpicked 10 essential talking points spanning everything from elevated summer luggage and outdoor kit to film, books, sport, cars, drinks and design-led home upgrades. Whether you’re planning a seasonal refresh, looking for smarter ways to spend your time or simply want to know what’s genuinely worth your attention this month, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s explore how to make June your most stylish, successful and satisfying month yet.
Bennett Winch Sport Holdall
You can always count on Bennett Winch to make everyday luggage classier. The London brand has already revolutionised the suit carrier, and now it’s the humble tennis bag’s turn for an upgrade.
The Bennett Winch Sport Holdall does away with the cumbersome nature of traditional racket bags and the stylistic defeat of the common gym holdall, offering something far more refined. Twin low-profile pockets are designed for whatever racket you’re stashing — tennis, padel, squash or pickleball — while a vented central compartment, removable shoe pouch and internal laptop sleeve make it equally useful before and after court time.
Made from high-performance waterproof 600-denier nylon with veg-tanned Italian leather trim, military-grade cotton handles and a shoulder strap, it’s available in navy, olive and black. A proper grown-up fitness carry.
Haglöfs L.I.M Horizon Hike GTX Mid
It was the new L.I.M Horizon footwear collection — a set of lightweight trail shoes packing Vibram soles and minimalist GORE-TEX uppers — that first took us to the Haglöfs website. Then we saw these beauties.
The L.I.M Horizon Hike GTX Mid is one of the best-looking hiking shoe hybrids we’ve seen in a while. Light, waterproof and built from a combination of ripstop fabric, GORE-TEX ePE laminate and abrasion-resistant TPU film, it manages to feel sturdy without becoming clunky.
That balance is exactly what you want from summer outdoor footwear. Protective enough for changeable weather and rougher ground, but still mobile enough for long days exploring at home or abroad. A sharp, capable option for anyone who wants technical performance without looking like they’ve raided a mountaineering warehouse.
Ferrand SDA Selection Des Anges Cognac
Father’s Day is on the horizon and your old man deserves better than socks. We’d recommend Ferrand’s award-winning SDA Sélection des Anges Cognac, a welcome opportunity to explore a less obvious fine spirit and one limited to just 7,575 bottles.
Rich and fruity, it opens with notes of crystallised orange, dried rose petals, jasmine, violets, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, before developing into blossom honey, soft vanilla and toasted hazelnut. In other words, exactly the sort of bottle that feels like a proper occasion.
Visit him more, pour slowly and make a tradition out of sharing a glass from time to time. A far better gift than anything that comes in a multipack.
Buy now at The Whisky Exchange
The Last Viking
There’s plenty going on in cinemas this month, from franchise noise to big studio spectacle. Flying slightly under the radar, however, is Mads Mikkelsen-fronted Danish dark comedy The Last Viking.
The film follows two brothers: one newly released from prison, played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and the other suffering from dissociative identity disorder, played by Mikkelsen, as they attempt to track down money buried after a previous heist. Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen, the filmmaker behind Riders of Justice and Men & Chicken, it promises exactly the sort of strange, sharp-edged Scandinavian humour worth seeking out.
The film has already gone down well in Denmark and picked up positive attention on the festival circuit, so we’re keen to see how its particular brand of absurdity lands over here.
In Cinemas 26 June
Wimmy Road Boyz by Sufiyaan Salam
Our summer holiday reading recommendation is Sufiyaan Salam’s Wimmy Road Boyz, a Manchester-set rollercoaster tearing through Rusholme’s Curry Mile.
The novel follows three best mates — Immy, Haris and Khan — over the course of one wild night out, as each of their turbulent pasts begins bubbling to the surface. Written with real energy across prose, screenplay-style vignettes, poetry and street slang, it’s a captivating debut that dissects masculinity, friendship and belonging without losing its pace.
More than that, it paints its setting with vivid texture, capturing the culture, rhythm and particular electricity of a place rarely given this kind of literary spotlight. One for the suitcase, certainly, but don’t be surprised if you finish it before you reach the hotel.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Merry football Christmas to all those who celebrate. The expanded 48-team tournament, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, kicks off this month on Thursday 11 June with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.
England begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday 17 June, while Scotland open against Haiti in the early hours of Sunday 14 June. Expect brand collaborations galore, lock-ins for the less sociable kick-off times, and hopefully the joy of a few upsets at the hands of proper tournament minnows.
The group stage runs until 27 June, before the newly expanded knockout phase begins. Make us proud, Curaçao.
2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
As Ferrari’s debut electric car gets pelters in some quarters, with unkind comparisons being thrown around with real enthusiasm, we welcome the early rumblings surrounding the 2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.
AMG’s first proper fully electric production car — not counting the lesser-spotted 2013 SLS AMG Electric Drive — is packed full of serious tech. Preliminary figures suggest 0-62mph in as little as 2.4 seconds, a top speed of 186mph and the ability to charge from 10 to 80% in around 11 minutes when connected to suitable ultra-fast infrastructure.
Visually, we’re into it. Sleek, aggressive and unmistakably AMG, it suggests the future of performance saloons might still have a pulse after all. And as we’ve seen elsewhere, it could be a lot worse.
Universal Works Indigo 13oz Selvedge Denim Duke Pant
Denim, yes. Jeans, no. The Universal Works Indigo 13oz Selvedge Denim Duke Pant is very much a trouser, and all the better for it.
We’ve seen them doing the rounds lately and we want in. You get the trademark Universal Works wide leg, a slight taper, a single-pleat front and a fixed waistband, all cut from handsome 13oz indigo selvedge denim. Two patch pockets at the back add a touch of workwear charm, while the cropped finish sits neatly above the shoe when the fit is right.
They look excellent with a crisp white T-shirt tucked in and a prominent derby or loafer doing the heavy lifting below. A strong reminder that denim doesn’t always have to mean five-pocket jeans.
Folk Relaxed Assembly Short
The last week has provided plenty of evidence for the importance of shorts. Sometimes the weather simply calls for legs out, pasty or otherwise.
Sartorialists will happily go on for hours about inseam lengths and, while we’re partial to a short short, there’s plenty to be said for something wider, more relaxed and more nonchalant. Step forward Folk’s Relaxed Assembly Short.
Available in a welcome array of summer tones, they offer ample room, ease of movement and just enough structure to feel considered rather than lazy. Build out your summer silhouette a little and wear them with a camp-collar shirt over a vest. Effortless, airy and exactly what warm weather requires.
Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Electric Kettle
We love great design. The kind of household object that provides a genuinely useful function while also looking excellent just sitting there. The Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Electric Kettle is one such aspirational piece of kit.
Undoubtedly built with pour-over coffee enthusiasts in mind, it offers precise temperature control, a refined gooseneck spout and the sort of considered silhouette that makes most kitchen appliances look like they’ve given up. That said, we’re sure the delicate pour would also do wonders over a Yorkshire Tea bag.
At a time when we’re exploring caffeine alternatives and trying to slow down for a second, turning tea or coffee into more of a ritual feels like a worthy resolution. This is certainly one handsome way to stick to it.
