The Most Controversial Ads in Fashion History: We still can’t believe they got Josie Maran to do that—isn’t she lactose intolerant or something? (NSFW-ish) [Debonair Magazine]

Curiosity Shop: The emotional stories behind all that junk on eBay. [Sentimental Value]

Goggle Hoodies Banned in California: We warned you. [LA Times]

Team Players: Trovata to wash ashore at Earnest Sewn. [Material Interest]

The Day After: If you survive Christmas, discounts on Uniqlo basics await on the 26th. [Village Voice]

Mustache Rides: “Porn star” handlebars cropping up on the faces of the damned. [Styledash]

After the recent turbulence, we’re struggling to adjust to a post-Maybach world. The early signs suggest it’s going to be pretty trill.

My Fashion Life is reporting a 243% jump in jewelry listings on eBay as the price of gold climbs past $1000 an ounce.

In other words, that chain just got 32% gaudier»

Moleskines have been a staple of the scribbling, sketching and café-going set for a while now, but recent etching trends have made them a lot more stylish. And as arts collectives start devoting their attention to the new medium, the result is a lot of very good stuff.

Case in point: this Clint-inspired sketchpad with more than enough glower power to balance out the coffeehouse vibe the notebooks usually suggest. The collective is Modofly, and they’re turning all their attention to moleskine creations like this one. (Canvas is so 18th century.)

More on the new generation of moleskines»

We’re always looking for someone bucking convention, even if the convention wasn’t so bad. For instance, we love a good pair of Ray-Bans, but there’s always someone out there with a new idea…

In this case, the idea comes from Alexander Hi Tek, a British subject with an uncanny knack for steampunk-inspired frames that you could actually wear on the street.

We knew it was only a matter of time before someone took this mainstream, but it’s not quite there yet. So far, Hi Tek is an eBay-only proposition, but hopefully someone will get this into a store some time soon.

A few more frames»

Watch culture is full of mini-obsessions to get lost in, each one promising its own unique style. And, based on our love for the mid-70s, it was only a matter of time before we found something that fit.

Seiko Bullheads might just be the official watch of the era, even if you have to dig through collector’s shops to find them. These days, eBay makes the hunt a lot easier—for watches and for vintage gear in general—so there’s even less keeping you away from your own personal bullhead.

See a few more bullheads»

Now that they’re competing with iPhones for the timepiece market, watch styles have been trending towards the vintage. But since they still need to keep the watch mills running, that can lead to the occasional awkward moment…

For instance, this beautiful Longines Silver Arrow is a tribute to the classic ‘50s version, and it’ll set you back a steep-but-not-unheard-of $1500. The good news? As Hodinkee demonstrates, you can get an original version without cracking $500 provided you’re willing to dig around a bit. It’s bad news for watchmakers, but right now eBay and its brick-and-mortar counterparts are teeming with classic mid-century items that pack more character than anything you can find on an assembly line. The gears might be a bit creaky, but it’s not like you’ll be using them to check the time.

Sneakerheads are a pretty obsessive bunch, so it makes sense that they’d take to the internet in force. And since counterfeits make eBay too sketchy to rely on, it was about time someone started up a marketplace just for them.

The site is SneakerListing (hat tip to Josh Spear), and it’s an online flea market for a whole world of obscure sneakers, with many of them on sale for free. A quick tour digs up purple Nike Dunks, Jordan XXIs, and a whole cohort of heavily worn hi-tops. As for the high-end, there’s a pair of gold Ice Cream Colettes on the block for five grand, but somehow we don’t see them selling any time soon. Sites like this are perfect for obscurists—and there are quite a few—but these kicks won’t take the place of a fresh pair. On the other hand, if you’re putting a museum together…

High Marks: We’re guessing this picture was taken somewhere in South America. [BModels]

Give ‘em the Boot: Mark McNairy and Engineered Garments join forces for an Alden-esque high boot. Awesome stuff. [A Continuous Lean]

The Electronic Bay: A gentleman’s guide to shopping on eBay. [Put This On]

Shiny Things: The last colorful iPhone case you will ever need. Shouldn’t they be moving onto the Nexus by now? [CoolHunting]

If you checked out GQ’s recent “work style” roundup, you may have caught a glimpse of their preferred brown wingtip, from Florsheim by Duckie Brown. What they didn’t tell you is that if you’re willing to do a little digging, you can probably pick up a pair for less than twenty bucks—provided you don’t mind one with a little history.

Florsheim’s been turning out handsome, durably shoes for upwards of a century, so eBay is literally flooded with past renditions. (A victim of their own success, we know.) You’ll want to search for something with a Goodyear welt (for resole-ing) and no serious creases, but there’s enough floating around that you shouldn’t have trouble—especially if you give yourself a couple weeks. Here’s a couple to get you started…

After the advent of Zippos and more elaborate devices, matches are already a bit anachronistic—so we were thrilled to find a few packs with some genuine vintage to them. These were designed by none other than Saul Bass—you might know him for making Hollywood’s most famous title sequences, or designing the only AT&T logo you remember—and they’ve got us considering a whole new lease on light-giving. As it turns out, old school matchbooks aren’t that hard to find, and there’s plenty of inspiration at the Matchbook Registry. We may never handle butane again.