In the summer, civilized people should not quaff wine coolers, light beers or novelty liqueurs; they should play croquet and drink Pimm's. Created in 1840 by James Pimm, the owner of a famed London oyster bar, the concoction was first offered as an aid to digestion, and was served in a small tankard. The gin based drink, which contained quinine and a secret mixture of herbs, came to be known as Pimm's No. 1 Cup.

From these somewhat humble origins, Pimm's became the English gentleman's drink of choice, and various other Pimm's "cups" were invented after the Great War, using Scotch, brandy, rum, rye and so on as bases. Only the No. 1 really thrives to this day, its austere bottle immediately calling to mind British officers quietly having one to many in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, and tipsy toffs doing likewise at the Henley Royal Regatta.

In the 1930s, Pimm's tried to find its market among the crumbling aristocracy who could no longer keep up their massive country mansions. One Pimm's ad featured such a troubled toff sighing, "We had to let the west wing go, but thank heavens we can still afford our Pimm's." Nowadays, like everything else, Pimm's is trying hard to be hip - it even has a Facebook group.

Aquascutum, the London luxury brand founded in 1851, has brought back Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bundchen to star in its new Fall ad campaign. The pictures, co-starring model Jamie Doran, were shot at London's historic St. Paul's Cathedral, Vogue UK reports.

Meanwhile, the company which invented and patented several waterproof materials and pioneered the trench coat, is introducing its first ever line of bags for both men and women. The traditional brand began its foray into high fashion a couple years back when it hired Pierce Brosnan to star in a series of James Bond-style ads.

Over the years Aquascutum coats have sheathed the likes of the Queen Mother, Winston Churchill, Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo, Sean Connery, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Bamford & Sons, the bastion of top-drawer British style whose killer custom Rolex we wrote about a couple months back, has come out with a stunning fall collection that actually has us looking forward to the end of summer. In addition, the company is launching a new Bath & Body line to add to their already impressive lineup of clothing and accessories, which includes everything from cashmere blankets to limited edition sterling silver iPods.

Bamford's sporty classics with a bit of a natty twist - check out this cashmere shooting jacket paired with a purple cashmere sweater - are known for being extremely comfortable and well made. The company's motto is "A man's life should determine his clothes; not vice versa." Their craftsmanship and blend of "innovation and heritage" calls to mind a classic British sportscar with beautiful burled walnut inlays, chrome gauges and hand-stitched leather seats.

For fall, traditional items such as this shooting jacket, the classic pea coat, tweeds and trench coats are given a lighter, more contemporary feel. Organic, sustainable and natural fibers are used, never synthetics. It may surprise you to know that not only is this shooting jacket water-resistant, but it is treated with a natural moisture repellent derived from the lotus flower rather than any nasty chemicals. If you bought one of those beautiful $100,000 Asprey shotguns we wrote about, this is the jacket to do it justice.

Earlier this month we reported on the Royal Ascot races, one of the highlights of the English social season. This week ushers in another classic British sporting event-cum-society pageant, the Henley Royal Regatta. The five-day Regatta, held on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, takes place over the first weekend of every July and runs from Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th this year.

International crews compete in various races at the Regatta, which has been held every year since 1839 except during the two World Wars, the main event being the Grand Challenge Cup for Men's Eights. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, became the Regatta's first Royal Patron in 1851, a tradition carried on by the reigning monarch ever since, though unlike Royal Ascot they don't always deign to attend.

Even more so than at Ascot, Henley provides an opportunity for aristocrats from the sporting and social sets to dress in that distinctively British style which has inspired so many fashion designers over the decades. The commercialization of Henley, unlike Ascot, Wimbledon and cricket at Lord's, has been slower to take hold, and as Godfrey Smith writes in The English Season, it is something of "an Edwardian time warp."

Since it was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the annual Royal Ascot races have become the highlight of the English social season. Ostensibly a five-day sporting event, it's also evolved into something of an immense fashion show, marked by the arrival of the Royal Family in ceremonial horse-drawn carriages every day. It has become the style for ladies to sport increasingly outrageous hats, and lately the traditional rules about "formal day dress" in the coveted Royal Enclosure have been rather loosely interpreted, much to the Queen's dismay.

This year officials have cracked down, declaring that "Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and/or miniskirts are considered unsuitable," while "Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and color." Those not in compliance will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure. Gentlemen have always been required to wear full morning dress with top hats. Lest all the pageantry detract from the business at hand, it's worth noting that prize money at this year's event, which runs through Saturday, has reached an unprecedented $7.8 million.