Ape’s Top 10 Of The Month: November 2025
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 the latest fashion drops to boost your wardrobe to exciting new technology and entertainment releases. 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 November your most stylish, successful and satisfying month yet.
Wes Anderson: The Archives
Step inside the meticulously crafted world of Wes Anderson this month as the Design Museum unveils the first-ever retrospective dedicated to the visionary filmmaker.
Wes Anderson: The Archives offers an unprecedented look behind the curtain, drawing from more than three decades of Anderson’s personal collection. Featuring over 600 objects – from original storyboards and sketches to instantly recognisable props, costumes and miniature sets – the exhibition traces the evolution of his distinctive cinematic style.
Expect pastel palettes, precise symmetry and plenty of nostalgia as you explore the inner workings of a true modern auteur.
Runs 21 November 2025 – 26 July 2026
Community Cutlery, Ilkley
Tucked away in the Yorkshire town of Ilkley, Community Cutlery is a love letter to craftsmanship and care. Among the Santoku, Bunka and Nakiri knives, and rows of beautifully enamelled colanders, lies an ethos that’s refreshingly simple: buy well and maintain.
Founded by Gareth Heaton – author of Do/Maintain: How to sharpen knives, scissors and garden tools – the shop champions tools that last a lifetime. Alongside its curated range of artisan knives, ceramics and kitchenware, it also offers sharpening services and hands-on maintenance classes to help you keep your tools in peak condition.
A thoughtful stop for anyone seeking meaningful gifts this season, or simply the joy of something well-made.
Buy online at Community Cutlery
Vietnam: The Cookbook
Phaidon’s acclaimed international cookbook series turns its attention to Vietnam, celebrating one of the world’s most vibrant and nuanced cuisines.
Compiled by Vietnam-based chef Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen, this comprehensive volume brings together more than 400 authentic home-cooking recipes that span the country’s rich culinary landscape – from street snacks and fresh salads to aromatic stir-fries, hotpots and noodle soups.
Each recipe has been rigorously tested and beautifully photographed, offering a rare glimpse into the diversity of Vietnamese cooking. Whether you’re mastering classic summer rolls, grilled pork with vermicelli or discovering lesser-known gems like mung bean dumplings, this is a book designed to inspire and educate in equal measure.
Sisu: Road to Revenge
If your autumn viewing needs a shot of pure adrenaline-fuelled escapism, Sisu: Road to Revenge should do the trick. The follow-up to the Finnish cult hit Sisu sees our battle-hardened commando swap Nazi foes for Soviet ones, embarking on a bloody mission to avenge his family.
Expect explosive set pieces, dry Finnish wit and more than a few nods to Mad Max: Fury Road and John Wick. It’s unapologetically over the top – in the best possible way – and a timely reminder that sometimes, cinema is at its most enjoyable when it’s utterly unhinged.
In cinemas from 21 November
Movember
The annual celebration of facial hair with a purpose is back. Movember isn’t just about cultivating an impressive ’tash – it’s about starting conversations and funding real change.
Since 2023, the movement has backed more than 1,250 men’s health projects globally, focusing on mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. With over five million moustaches grown in the name of awareness since its inception, the impact is undeniable.
This year, you can get involved in countless ways – from raising funds personally to picking up a piece from the Drake’s x Mr Porter collaboration (with all proceeds from 20 October to 20 November going to Movember). So dust off your razor, grow proudly, and help make men’s health impossible to ignore.
Arket x Barbour
Two masters of practical style – one British, one Scandinavian – come together this season for a collaboration that feels both inevitable and inspired.
Arket x Barbour fuses South Shields’ heritage outerwear know-how with Stockholm’s clean-lined minimalism, resulting in an AW25 capsule that celebrates the beauty of bad weather. Think waxed, quilted and denim jackets reworked through a Nordic lens, alongside tactile scarves, sturdy boots and autumn-ready corduroy.
Designed for those who refuse to let the rain dampen their style, this collection proves that function and fashion can get along just fine.
John Smedley x Bill Nighy
Few men embody understated British style quite like Bill Nighy – all sharp tailoring, soft knits and that inimitable air of effortlessness. Now, his sartorial signatures are being celebrated in a capsule collection with knitwear icon John Smedley.
The collaboration distils Nighy’s quietly refined aesthetic into a series of timeless pieces: a perfectly cut round-neck cardigan, a knitted V-neck waistcoat and a pair of silk-cashmere longjohns so luxurious they redefine loungewear.
It’s the kind of collection that feels both familiar and aspirational – much like the man himself.
Leica M EV1
Leica’s iconic M series just took a bold step into the future. The new Leica M EV1 keeps everything devotees love about the brand’s legendary craftsmanship but adds a healthy dose of modern tech.
It’s the first M model to feature an integrated electronic viewfinder, offering real-time shooting data and precision feedback so photographers can stay fully immersed in the moment. Expect focus peaking, zoom assist, dioptre adjustment and, at its heart, a 60MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor with Triple Resolution Technology – one of the most advanced in the world.
The result? That unmistakable Leica depth and presence, now with a sharper, smarter edge.
Osprey Daylite LTD Hip Bag
If you’ve been flirting with the idea of a crossbody bag, Osprey’s Daylite LTD Hip Bag might just seal the deal.
Compact yet impressively functional, it’s crafted from a durable, carbonate-coated ripstop shell that shrugs off rain and wear with ease. Inside, a clever system of zippered compartments keeps your essentials neatly organised and protected from the elements.
Designed to sit comfortably whether worn on the hip or across the body, it’s a versatile, hands-free option that offers all the practicality of a backpack—minus the bulk.
Koloa Kauai White Rum
This month’s pour comes with a hit of tropical escapism courtesy of Hawaii’s lush Garden Isle. Kōloa Kaua‘i White Rum is a small-batch spirit grown, distilled and bottled entirely on the island, made from pure sugar cane and blended with crystal-clear water sourced from Mount Wai‘ale‘ale.
The result is smooth and rich on the palate, with notes of cotton candy, dry sugar and a whisper of marzipan that linger beautifully.
Try it in a classic Kōloa Tai: shake 45ml of the rum with 22ml fresh lime juice, 15ml orange curaçao and 15ml orgeat syrup, then strain over crushed ice for an instant taste of paradise.
