Category: Fashion

I Just Recreated Rochelle Humes’ Expensive-Looking Outfit With These Elegant High-Street Buys

Wait until you see these accessories.

Precision timekeeping remains an essential part of high-octane racing, the same now as decades ago — including when Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer first introduced the Tag Heuer Monaco. The company’s legacy of race-ready timepieces now enters a new, illustrious and stylish chapter with the introduction of the Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph in Racing Green, which manages to chart the past, present and future on (and off) roadways.

The Tag Heuer Monaco already boasts proper pedigree, performance and style winding its way through racing’s most iconic moments, as the Monaco was a trusted favorite of Steve McQueen (among others). The actor and famed driver “quickly became a style icon in his own right,” the watchmaker said, sporting a Monaco all the while. With its distinctive square case, Calibre 11 movement and water-resistant design, the timepiece was built for practically anything both beyond the wheel and off the track.

Fast-forward to 2024. The latest edition of the Monaco, in addition to its customary precision performance, pays tribute to old-school racing liveries, when drivers used country-specific colors rather than sponsors to differentiate their vehicles. British racing green makes a bold splash on the sleek 39mm chronograph in this instance.

And since the Monaco’s 1969 arrival, the watchmaker notes that “the brand has continuously been drawing a line through decades of history connecting the Maison to the world of motorsport.” Fittingly, Dutch champion Formula 1 racer Max Verstappen showcases the new Monaco Chronograph in Racing Green, a move that secures Tag Heuer’s legacy now and in the future (at least, if Verstappen’s streak of lightning-fast racing performance holds true).

The use of racing green in British autosports runs deep, as the winning shade made its first appearance in a 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup victory by driver Selwyn Edge. As the watchmaker notes, the color continues to appear today in impressive cars both on and off the course.

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Indeed, “every element of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Green is inspired by historical British racing cars and their white and yellow touches,” Tag Heuer said. Even the dial design nods to 1920s and ’30s-era engine-tuned dashboard designs.

Tag Heuer took care in engineering this watch for streamlined performance, using a lightweight Grade 2 titanium case and a green perforated racing strap, which the company notes nods to “classic British gentlemen aesthetics.” Tag Heuer also calls the timepiece the “perfect watch for the perfect gentleman driver,” with just 1,000 individually numbered timepieces on the market. For about $10,800, another handsome piece of Tag Heuer racing history can grace your watch collection.

Since 1926 the stately and laureled InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel has captivated its San Francisco-visiting guests from the moment they walk through the French Chateau-inspired marble arches into the opulent entrance. They’re even more entranced when they elevate up its 19 stories to the glass-walled Top of the Mark, the iconic Art Deco cocktail lounge and restaurant famous for its spectacular views.

The highest bar in all of San Francisco, and one of the most historic, it offers priceless panoramas of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, and its character-rich Nob Hill neighborhood with the mysterious Pacific-Union Club next door on its manicured grounds.

A triple-A Designated San Francisco Landmark, the 5-star property is the oldest in the impressive InterContinental portfolio, which it joined in 1973. The hotel is named after railroad magnate Mark Hopkins, who built an elaborate mansion for his wife on the site, at that time the highest perch in Nob Hill, in 1878. The mansion was destroyed by fire after the 1906 earthquake.

The former mansion set the grounds for the pedigree that would see the French-and-Spanish-influenced hotel designed by the estimable Weeks and Day architectural firm, open in 1926. Opulence, refined taste, and escapism where channeled into an imposing 380-room structure with 33 suites for guests who cherished history, comfort, and a feeling, well, of being above it all.

The Top of the Mark always attracted its share of affluent swells. But it also hosted countless uniformed servicemen and their gals before the men set off for the Pacific in WWII. A tradition of officers buying bottles for their battle-bound soldiers evolved into a tradition of “squadron shots,” and continued after wartime with a cabinet of bottles purchased by those wishing to do the same; the tradition continues to this day.

In its hallowed past, the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Betty Grable, and Elvis Presley all made the Mark Hopkins their escape hatch from the press and paparazzi. Plus the likes of Charles de Gaulle, Britain’s Prince Philip, Herbert Hoover, and FDR. Many were entertained by Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey who performed at the hotel in the Big Band era.

Now you can keep up with the A-listers in a modernized but still classically elegant hotel. Buckwheat blinis with Beluga caviar and a Champagne tasting are a great way to experience the Top of the Mark; the favored hour being, of course, sunset. Open for all meals, the more casual Nob Hill Club, off the lobby and serving traditional American and San Francisco-inspired cuisine, is where to have classic Eggs Benedict, Dungeness crab rolls, or a fresh-caught salmon entrée.

Equally edifying is the treasure trove of artwork throughout the hotel. The nine historic seven-foot-tall murals in the stunning Room of the Dons depict various scenes from California’s history. They were unveiled at the hotel’s opening in 1926 and were created by Maynard Dixon and Frank Van Sloun. Most recapture “discoveries,” such as Sir Francis Drake’s landing in 1579.

The Continental-evocative rooms and suites feature all the modern amenities. And the higher-floor aeries are of course all about the views, views of all the landmarks and the Bay from nearly every room. The top suites, including the California Suite, Penthouse Suite, Presidential Suite, Nob Hill Suite, and, best of all, the Mark Hopkins suite, are a lot like checking into your own private Nob Hill mansion, some complete with wood paneling and fireplaces.

As Mark Hopkins with its elevated anchor, Nob Hill is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city. Nearly every adjacent residence has its own intricate details. And besides all the restaurants, bars, and upscale retail, it is strategically located to take in all of the City on the Bay, with the Financial District and Chinatown just East and Fisherman’s Wharf to the north. Take one of the fabled cable cars on its 90-degree angle street, and visitors will pass emblems of historical and cultural divides, such as Grace Cathedral and roads that Steve McQueen made famous in car chases.

With the Pacific minutes away, as well as Napa and Sonoma wine country just to the north, it is clear why San Francisco is considered easily one of the finest culinary ports in the States. Gastronauts plan trips there annually to sample its seafood and other delights. And do not leave the city, or hotel, without asking concierges where to find the best cioppino, the port’s signature seafood stew first cooked up in the 1800s, or the intel on who has the best oysters in town.

Horror movie sequels rarely live up to expectations, but when it comes to scary cigars, Tatuaje just dropped another special-edition stogie collection that’s perfect for spooky season.

The Tatuaje Monsters package is an annual limited series of cigars. Each release since 2008 has been themed after a horror icon, from Frankenstein’s Monster to Dracula, Chucky to Jason Vorhees. Founder Pete Johnson created a total of 14 blends for the monstrous collection, but if you missed out on those releases, you’re in luck because he’s brought them all back for a gift set called the “Monster Smash.” For this 2024 collector’s set, each previous release has been recreated in a uniform size—a 5 1/4 x 52 box-pressed robusto.

That includes all 14 monsters, described somewhat cryptically in the special edition box as follows:

• Frank 
• Drac 
• Face 
• Wolf 
• Mummy 
• JV13 
• Jekyll 
• Hyde 
• Krueger 
• Michael 
• Chuck
• Tiff 
• Bride
• Creature

Tatuaje may not be a luxury name alongside Davidoff and the well-known Cuban brands, but for 21 years, founder Pete Johnson has employed some of the best factories and cigar rollers in Nicaragua and the U.S., and for nearly all of that time his cigars have found their way onto revered lists like the Cigar Aficionado Top 25. 

But the Tatuaje Monster series has an equally long (and for its creator, exhausting) history. Johnson debuted the first Monster—The Frank — in 2008. In homage to Frankenstein’s monster, the cigar was big and squarish. At the time, Johnson sold the limited collection to just 13 brick-and-mortar stores because that was the number he could supply with the tiny run of smokes. The Frank was released in a production of just 666 13-count boxes. 

Those boxes, shaped like coffins, were numbered and decorated differently each year with (fake) blood spatters, ski masks, and other gorgeous artworks in the campy spirit of classic horror films. Johnson released The Drac (a sharply pointed torpedo), The Wolfman (a shaggy-footed torpedo), and a number of other monster-inspired smokes. 

Johnson kept the 13-store format for his future releases, but almost everything else changed—especially demand. “It caught on a little sooner than I expected it to,” Johnson told CigarPress a few years ago.  The 666-box production run was amended with non-collector boxes for fans who just wanted one or two cigars—those afraid of missing out on the occasion but not about to commit to (or even find) a $200 box. 

There have been a few sequels and remakes of these cigars over the years. Johnson released the Littler Monsters about a decade ago, then the Skinny Monsters in 2017, and a 13-cigar Monster Mash in 2021. Halfwheel has a fantastic comprehensive guide if you want to see a release timeline.

This year’s package includes all 14 cigars in a book-like hinged double slide box. For $175, it’s a great way to light up some nostalgia—cinema and cigar alike .But the best news is that Tatuaje produced a total of 13,000 boxes for 2024. While it’s still a relatively small run, at least the prospect of tracking a set down for yourself isn’t as scary as it has been in the past. 

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

The It silhouette.

The best part is you likely already own a few of them.

The previous-gen Ducati Panigale V4 already verged on perfection. Its 1,103-cc “Desmosedici” V4 engine—so named for the desmodromic valve-timing system first implemented by Ducati in the 1950s to achieve more uniform power delivery—was developed from a prototypical race-only MotoGP powerplant. At the hands of rider Álvaro Bautista, the Panigale V4 has won the past two titles in the Superbike World Championship, the pinnacle competition series for production street bikes. It’s the two-wheeled equivalent of a Ferrari SF90 Stradale—a thoroughly race-bred machine that will test your ability at a track and then carry you home on public roads. In late July, Ducati announced the new seventh-generation Panigale V4. And the early consensus is that, even with a seemingly immaculate pedigree, the superbike has somehow gotten even better.

“Ducati’s mission is to enrich people’s lives through technologically sophisticated motorcycles characterized by sensual beauty,” declared Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali when presenting the bike during the Ducati World Première. “The new Panigale V4 continues a history of successes and unforgettable models, which represents the maximum expression of our values of style, sophistication and performance.”

This is the first Ducati in 30 years to employ a double-sided swingarm, which is arguably the most substantial change when compared to the preceding Panigale V4’s single-sided swingarm. There was something undeniably cool about seeing the rear wheel almost float in the space beneath the tail when viewing the old model on its throttle side, but as the RideApart site points out, MotoGP bikes employ double-sided swingarms in pursuit of ultimate performance because, among other reasons, they’re lighter. Indeed, this new Ducati Hollow Symmetrical Swingarm, connected to MotoGP-derived suspension linkages, helps shed 8.4 pounds off the rear. Thanks to the weight loss and a 37-percent decrease in lateral stiffness, the new swingarm should improve traction when exiting corners and increase feel under acceleration.

While the swingarm’s performance benefits may be obvious, many are contending that aesthetic value has suffered. Perhaps Ducati anticipated this gripe, as press materials cite the Ducati 916—widely praised for being one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever—as having inspired the new Panigale V4’s design. The similarities can best be seen in profile, where the balanced horizontal line, created by raising the Panigale V4’s front and lowering its rear, becomes most apparent. The rear-view mirror supports were mounted inside the fairing to further accentuate this line, while the rear LED unit’s “double C” shape and narrow tank are two more elements evocative of the 916.

The powertrain has also been improved—the base Panigale V4’s standard alternator, oil pump and gearbox drum come from the hardest-core performance-minded variants of the previous Panigale. Most of the engine remains largely unchanged; it’s still a stressed element of the chassis, and it’s got four camshafts that move 16 valves. The U.S. version’s power output changes negligibly, with a peak 209 horsepower coming at 12,750 rpm and 89.5 pound-feet of torque at 11,250 rpm. However, several new pieces of MotoGP-inspired componentry have been brought aboard, one of which is Ducati Vehicle Observer. According to Ducati, this algorithm “is able to evaluate a high number of kinematic and dynamic parameters that influence bike behavior and calculate acceleration, forces on the tires and the maximum torque that the vehicle can support.” This capability further enhances the Panigale V4’s comprehensive rider-aid suite, which includes traction control, slide control, wheelie control, launch control and engine brake control.

The all-new dashboard is also lifted straight from Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini’s MotoGP bikes. The 6.9-inch screen, which was optically bonded to ensure readability in all conditions, features a “Track” display that shows a series of new parameters. Among them are “g-Meter,” which indicates the g-force value when leaning, accelerating and braking; “Power & Torque,” which displays the percentage of power and torque delivered in any given moment; and “Lean Angle,” which shows the instantaneous lean angles alongside the throttle level and the pressure exerted on the brakes. A time-split table, with T1, T2 and T3 icons indicating the performance obtained in different sectors of a track, uses the same white, gray, orange, and red colors seen in MotoGP.

Perhaps the single most promising piece of data provided by Ducati is that the Panigale V4, priced at $25,995, is one second quicker than the outgoing model around the company’s test track. And that’s just the base bike: For $33,895, the Panigale V4S offers even racier features, like lighter alloy wheels and an upgraded electronically controlled Öhlins NPX/TTX suspension, ensuring more milliseconds will be dropped from lap times. The next-generation Panigale V4R, the ultimate expression of the Ducati Corse racing program in a road bike, will likely be announced at some point in the near future. Who knows? This generation of Ducati Panigale V4 just might bring about superbike perfection

The art and craft of making great bourbon has a surprising amount in common with making a stylish pair of men’s boots, and Wolverine is once again proving the two fields go hand in hand with its latest Old Rip Van Winkle collaborative work boots.

The covetable and often-hard-to-find bourbon makes for a natural source of inspiration alongside ruggedly stylish boots from the Michigan bootmaker. Case in point: Past partnerships between the two have even incorporated Pappy Van Winkle barrel wood into the boots themselves. Suffice to say, the latest and greatest Wolverine x Old Rip Van Winkle Batch IV Boots continue to check all the right boxes in terms of timeless style and countless nods to stellar bourbon.

This year’s edition brings “freshness to the collaboration,” Wolverine noted, using a workwear-friendly wedge sole hailing from the famed Wolverine 1000 Mile line. That the boots arrive in time for the middle stretch of National Bourbon Heritage Month is a fitting crossover, and design cues drawing from America’s spirit are present from the ground up in the latest envy-inducing pair.

Wolverine is no stranger to boozy partnerships, having teamed up with Dragon’s Milk on a beer-inspired set of durable 1000 Mile Boots back in 2021. The new Wolverine x Old Rip Van Winkle Boots (set to retail for $424.95 online while supplies last) draw their deep color from the ” rich caramel and wood notes of Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year,” while the tongue is adorned with a hand-numbered Old Rip Van Winkle woven label.

Better still is the fact that the first 100 buyers of the fast-selling boots will receive a special-edition duo of Wolverine x Old Rip Van Winkle coasters featuring bourbon barrel wood. And in a further nod to what Wolverine calls “timeless American craftsmanship,” a portion of proceeds will benefit student-focused workforce development organization SkillsUSA.

Between a fresh silhouette, handsome leather sure to get better with age, and a natural pairing between rich bourbon and finely crafted leather boots, the latest from Wolverine and Old Rip Van Winkle is (nearly) as covetable as Pappy whiskey itself.

And just like that, we’re back with another mid-week Taylor Swift outfit report. Since her Eras tour began, she’s made a habit of spending the weekdays in NYC, popping out once or twice in a perfectly put-together early-summer outfit (see here and here). 

Similar to her music, Swift also has style eras, and I’d call this her classic one. In keeping with the quiet luxury thing that’s happening in fashion right now, Swift has been wearing low-key, label-less pieces that would still look relevant ten years from now. Accordingly, her latest photographed look consisted of an anti-trend dress style that you likely already own yourself: a black knit maxi dress. Swift belted the dress and paired it with her favorite Mansur Gavriel bag and a pair of comfortable Birkenstock-esque sandals with gold buckles.

Just in case Swift has inspired you to add a new anti-trend dress to your own closet, scroll to shop a few of our favorite styles and similar sandals (as well as the rest of her polished look).

Next up, 29 anti-trend summer Nordstrom items we’re losing it over.