Sooner or later it had to happen: the rest of the world is discovering Moss Lipow, the brilliant, eccentric eyewear designer/historian who’s been a closely-guarded secret of the cognoscenti for years. The New York-based, self-taught fashionista (he attended film school at NYU) is a darling of high-end design aficionados for his one-of-a-kind creations, such as the sci-fi-style metal specs pictured here, made for a Vogue China shoot. He also produced the most expensive sunglasses ever, crafted of alligator and ostrich skin with a $3,800 pricetag.

But it’s his more down-to-earth men’s designs, with their impressive layers of sophisticated stylistic references, that appeal to us »

Seems when it comes to sunglasses, Kanye West is the man to follow. Since the release of his new album, the hip-hop product ho has been hosting pics on his blog featuring fans from all over the world wearing his 80s-tastic “Stronger” specs.

Sensing a market opportunity—the man is a player after all—West has teamed up with Aussie hipster outfitters (and Assembly-goers Ksubi for a line of sunglasses under the rapper’s Pastelle fashion line.

More on Mr. West’s latest endeavor»

Splish Splash: Okay, we admit we’ll never purchase any of these bathing suits, but we would buy them for a dollar. [Refinery29]

Bombay Boys: Take a gander at the men of Mumbai. [Brandish]

Unknotted: The Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, the trade group that represents American tie makers, is calling it quits at exactly the same time we realized they existed. [WSJ]

Molecular Bonds: Scientists delve into the chemistry of the shaken Martini, come up a little tipsy. [Kerala Next]

Okay, Okay We Get it Already - Preppie is the New Hipster: As they said in Old Country, “You can’t stop what’s coming” - even if it wears a sweatervest and club tie. [Miami Herald]

Ray Banned: Sunglasses to stop traffic, because that will really help out things in the city. [Adweek]

Two years after the great James Brown’s passing, Christie’s is selling off the Godfather of Soul’s most prized possessions this Thursday in an auction featuring everything from his multiple music awards, well-worn hi-fi, and metallic green vinyl sofa to childhood mementos and photographs.

The big ticket items are his custom electric organ and baby grand piano at est. $20,000 - $30,000 and $15,000 - $20,000 respectively, along with dozens of jumpsuits in denim, polyester and other flammable fabrics (and all the colors of the puke rainbow) in the $5,000 - $7,000 range.

However we were entranced by a couple of the collections Big Brown amassed, including the keys to 11 cities he was presented with over the years (est. $2,000 - $3,000), and especially this assemblage of 83 pairs of shades he wore during countless concerts and debauchs - a steal at only $1,000 - $1,500. If only they could talk…

The Blessed One: Marissa Miller is so hot, her body’s natural response is to cool itself by sweating profusely. [Egotastic]

Fatty Foods: These chain restaurants’ menu items will have you busting your gut before you know it. Avoid them at all costs. [The Bachelor Guy]

Slam Dunk: The new line of Nike SB’s debuted, and if you’re a fan of sneakers, you’re gonna need to cool your boots after looking at these photos. [High Snob Society]

No Longer A Mystery: A breakdown of famous designers’ names and the proper way to pronounce them. Now you’ll know, just in case you ever need to impress a model. [Haute Concept]

Kanye’s Inspiration: Meet the sunglasses that started a movement… A very colorful movement. [Men.Style]

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»

It’s a little too cold to be thinking about sunglasses at the moment, but maybe we just need to think warm thoughts. And grab a good pair of sunglasses…

These come from an Oliver Peoples offshoot called Mosley Tribes, and they should be hitting stores at about the same time you’re willing to go outside again. Around the time March and April roll around, these summery shades will be finding their way into window displays, and we’ll be among the first in line. We like their gingham model too, but somehow these take the cake.

Besides, the yellow reminds us of summer.

In our all consuming quest to keep you looking your nattiest, it’s once again time for our monthly look at your face. Or at least the glasses sitting on it. With the help of our good friends Jordan and Erik from Silver Lining Opticians—our vote for the best specs shop in all the land—we’re going to bring you the vintage shades you should be wearing, one category at a time. And if something catches your eye, just shoot Jordan an email and he’ll set you up.

Frames have been getting pretty round lately, but by our lights, the angular style of sunglasses is due for a revival, and the second time through should be a touch more accessible. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to present…square-frame sunglasses.

The best square-frame sunglasses money can buy»

Selectism pointed us to this promo image for Tom Ford’s upcoming Summer line. They were impressed by the oversized velour bowtie, but we’re surprised by more than just the accessories.

Read our take on Mr. Ford’s latest dispatch»

via Street Peeper

This gentleman brings us a very simple lesson: it’s all in the details. His shirt and shoes are both Levi’s (at least according to Street Peeper), but the vintage jacket and more importantly the leather boots give him enough cred to pull it off.

In fact, the drab background just makes the look seem that much more effortless. And, naturally, the shades don’t hurt.

If the shades on the top look familiar, they should. But they just got a whole lot less vintage.

As a response to the popularity of their vintage gear, Carrera dug into their archive for a set of their best old styles, and brought the resulting models back into production. Naturally, it’s still better to get the Real McCoy, but for a couple hundred dollars less, the revival isn’t too bad either.

Carrera’s newer styles haven’t done too much to catch our eye, but this reboot might be just what the brand needs to get its legs back. If they can jump back to 1986 and start over from there, they may start digging up a lot more than just nostalgia.

What this means for heritage brands in general»

It’s definitely the weather for shades, but we wouldn’t go overboard. A slight purple hue is all the protection you need…at least until those rose-colored glasses get in.

This pair comes from L.G.R., whose stated goal is combining Italian and African styles. It makes sense here: The frames are all Italy, but the lenses have a certain Sarahan glow. Which should be just about right for the west coast…

As we’ve noted before, aviators are in the midst of a serious revival. When well executed, the effect is something along the lines of an iconoclastic French novelist. When done with less skill, it’s easy to get into trouble, so allow us to steer you towards the correct path.

These frames (via SwipeLife) aren’t quite the glorious 58256s we gushed about before, but it’s hard to go too far wrong with Persol. Naturally, you can get them as shades too…but not without cutting into your French novelist cred.

Hollywood’s been trying for upwards of fifty years now, but 3D movies have just never caught on. Our theory? It’s the glasses.

So these aviators from Bless should be good news for more than just painfully hip Angelenos. Sneak them into the next enhanced Up screening and you’ll be the most comfortable person in the theater…just be sure to trade them for something a little less disorienting before you hit the streets.

In our all consuming quest to keep you looking your nattiest, it’s once again time for our monthly look at your face. Or at least the glasses sitting on it. With the help of our good friends Jordan and Erik from Silver Lining Opticians—our vote for the best specs shop in all the land—we’re going to bring you the vintage shades you should be wearing, one category at a time. And if something catches your eye, just shoot Silver Lining an email and they’ll set you up.

Whether they were skiing in the Alps with a pack of wild bunnies or playing a few sets of tennis with unthinkably small rackets, the athletes of the 70s lived it up pretty thoroughly, and they looked damn good doing it. Their gear can be hard to come by nowadays, but not if you’ve got a few friends in the business…

Ladies and Gentlemen, the best of vintage sport shades»

The liberty prints are piling up, but this is the first one we’ve seen that doesn’t bother with cloth. The shade designers at Super plastered three of the more iconic liberty patterns across the top bar of their best clear-bottomed frame, and the result is pure trend candy. We wouldn’t count on wanting to wear these when next summer rolls around, but for the next few months they’ll be just about golden.

Streetwear’s usually an all-or-nothing proposition, but if you’ve got a taste for flashy side items, it’s easy to cherrypick a wallet or a t-shirt without delving into the world of fitted caps and spaceman sneakers.

Or, in this case, a pair of sunglasses.

These come from BBC, apparently designed to match these jeans, but they should do all right on their own. The silver lenses give it an even spacier feeling—supposedly inspired by NASA—putting them worlds away from the more understated clubmasters of the world. But if you’re looking for a few edgier accents, a little astronaut flavoring might be just what you need.

These Persol-ish shades come from an unlikely source: Fiat heir and occasional Kempt icon Lapo Elkann. His Italia Independent marque tends to the “millionaire playboy” look—we can’t imagine why—but if you’re looking for something to get you through ski season, this may be the perfect item.

The clubmaster revival continues with Oliver Peoples’ latest campaign. We wouldn’t have pegged Elijah Wood as model material but he pulls off the wispy stubble look remarkably well, which is no mean feat. Yes, that’s Shirley Manson behind him and no, we’re not sure why either.

As part of our slow, creeping transition to the sunny part of the year, it’s nice to have a pair of sunglasses handy—especially if they paint the world in more summery colors. These Wolfgang shades from Danish framery Han caught our eye for the graded shading, but also the pleasant yellow haze they put over just about everything. If you ever wanted to live in an Eagles song, this is a pretty good first step.