Our summer suitcase is ready. How about yours? 🧳

Cover photo credit: Rimowa

Sun, idleness and luxuriant nature: that's what we wish for all those of you lucky enough to be going on vacation in August.

And because clothing is made to accompany you in your most beautiful moments of life, we invite you to discover in this Minute Selvedge the contents of our suitcase to escape and rest for a few days before attacking the new season. All without sacrificing style.

Benoît - a relaxing vacation

I'm off to the Basque country for a short week in August, in a more family atmosphere than before. No restaurants, bars or late-night parties, just sunsets on the beach or family time.

So I want clothes that are comfortable, but still have a touch of elegance.

And lucky for me, our collection offers a few of those.

The first thing I take with me is...

Bonnegueule clothing

As you can imagine, I'm packing a few items of Bonnegueule clothing. So this year, I'm taking :

• Poetto pants, my favorite summer pant. I wear them with loafers and a tucked-in shirt, as well as a simple t-shirt and espadrilles,
• Numana polo shirts, honey-colored and also the terracotta-striped version. A summer staple for me, I now take them with me on all my summer trips,
• a silk scarf, the one with the prints referring to the Basque country, Biarritz,

• and a 100% merino wool Newtim t-shirt, because I'm convinced that we've created one of the best t-shirts ever with this exceptional material from Reda Active. In any case, I've yet to see a wool jersey that can match it.

So, I think Bonnegueule will be worthily represented on the Basque coast!

Short Khumla The Observer

I've often mentioned the work of Robert Spangle, a former Marine turned designer, reporter and photographer.

I really like his world, where tailored pieces sit side by side with vintage military pieces.

He created a small, very high-end accessories brand, and now offers a very narrow clothing line.

I was tempted by his Japanese fabric shorts, with their original gurkha-inspired fastening system brought up to date.

These shorts are very, very expensive, but given the thickness of the fabric and the sturdiness of the finish, they'll last you many years and add a real something to your summer outfits.

Wear with a t-shirt or a nice shirt.

Bryceland's oxford shirt

Bryceland's is an unjustly unknown brand in France, yet the quality of its pieces and its universe, blending workwear and sartorial, have quickly given rise to a very loyal fan base around the world.

I treated myself to one of their shirts during my trip to Tokyo. It's an oxford model with pink stripes, whose very straight cut and imposing collar won't please everyone, but I find it perfect for summer. And it has an unsuspected, practical advantage on vacation: it doesn't really need ironing if dried on a hanger.

Made by Ascot Chang, a world-renowned shirt manufacturer born in 1953 in Hong Kong.

Espadrilles Iker Don Quichosse

As a Basque, it's impossible for me to go on vacation without a good pair of espadrilles made in Mauléon.

This year, I chose Don Quichosse's Iker, because it has a right foot differentiated from the left, like a "normal" pair of shoes, which makes it really comfortable.

Don't forget: I've been campaigning for years for the espadrille to be worn with elegant clothes, and we shouldn't be afraid to hijack it, as our Basque grandfathers used to do.

A few years ago, we collaborated with another brand: Escadrille. I'd recommend it too, because even though it's more expensive than a classic pair of espadrilles, its comfort is unprecedented.

Leven" tote bag

The story behind this tote bag is quite funny: Leven is a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant that opened near me. They offer a tote bag with their logo. I picked one up to show my support, in my small way, and I'm pleasantly surprised by this bag.

As it happens, this tote bag is surprisingly practical, not only because of its size, but also because of its sturdiness. So it's the ideal bag to hold lots of beach towels and my next accessory, which is...

Helinox x Fragment table

Helinox is a Korean brand of outdoor furniture, whose distinctive feature is, among other things, the use of a very strong aluminum alloy, TH72M, developed by DAC (incidentally, it was DAC who founded Helinox).

Recently, they opened a pop-up in Paris for two weeks to hold an archive sale of their past collaborations at discounted prices, many of which were made with big names in Japanese streetwear.

And that's when I was tempted by this camping table in collaboration with Japanese streetwear legend Hiroshi Fujiwara. Perfect for sunset picnics on the beach!

The TH72M aluminum exudes solidity, as well as having a pretty matte finish.

That's it for me, but there's more to come! After my week in the Basque country, I'm off to complete a major physical challenge for me: crossing the Pyrenees, not via the GR10, but via the Haute Route des Pyrénées (the HRP). I' ve made a long video about it on my personal channel, for those who want to hear me talk about technical matters for 50 minutes.

Let's hear it for David!

David - a suitcase for a seaside festival

Background

What's in Cannes in August?

The Croisette, the sun or pissaladières? No, there's the Plages Électroniques, where over 60,000 people flock every year to dance with their feet in the water.

My plan: to wiggle in the middle of the stage for 3 days. So here's what I'm planning to bring, with a two-stage val(i)se.

Practical, functional festival gear

First of all, a festival outfit :

• lightweight,
• with just the right amount of style,
• and not afraid of sweat, Mediterranean salt water or drink splashes.

As you've seen, the main stage is on the beach, and it's swimmable, so the first piece I'm packing is my Derek Rose striped swim shorts.

It's got enough fullness and length to go through a full outfit, like a classic pair of shorts. The material is nice, with a peach-skin feel, it dries quickly and has a zipped pocket at the back. It's at times like these that I realize how much more useful a good swimsuit is than a cheap entry-level model.

Above, a vintage cotton Hawaiian shirt, found at a thrift store. I don't have an exact photo, but in spirit it's a bit like this (photo from Champ de Manoeuvres), being more bluish and focused on the sea rather than palm trees.

On the feet, I had to think about what to wear, and finally decided on Nike Flyknit: comfortable, airy and quick-drying after a swim. They're a good choice compared with flip-flops or open sandals, which aren't ideal for moving between stages or just for dancing.

On my nose, I put on my Jacques Marie Mage Plaza model (we're in the theme) on which I've fitted Nikon polarized lenses for my eyesight, myopia obliging. They're only category 1, so it's light, but it still provides some protection from the sun and, above all, makes the pair portable indoors.

I add a simple fanny pack from Muji to store a few extra items, including an external battery or essential sun cream, and that's it.

An outfit for strolling around town

Next, my city outfit. The watchword here is: French Riviera.

The basis for such a silhouette: light-colored pants. I chose linen pants from the Bonnegueule x Informale collaboration. I could have worn our ecru Poetto pants in the same spirit.

On top, a beige Scott Fraser Collection blouse with contrasting panels. It's both original and easy to wear. The cut is boxy (wide and short), just the way I like it.

On the feet, moccasins of course. Could have been fisherman sandals, but I don't own any (yet). Brown suede is perfect for continuing the monochrome look. Mine are from G.H. Bass, but our Wembley tabac will also do just fine.

Last but not least, very important in summer: small accessories to personalize and elevate your outfit.

For me, a necklace, a bracelet and my trusty Harpo rings in turquoise.

What are your summer essentials? We're listening and responding, on our Discord or our networks.

Enjoy the month of August, and we'll see you in September for the rest of our adventures!

Benoît and David

Discover the other contents of our "Minute Selvedge" series