Ray Ban wayfarer-inspired eyewear has definitely reached fever pitch, and I must admit, I might be right at my threshold for the look. I wouldn’t mind making allowances for this line of shades from Retro Super Future. Based in Italy (arguably the mecca of stylish sunglasses), the company’s Super sunglasses collection takes the classic Wayfarer shape and wipes it clean of all embellishments and distinguishable markings. It’s all about the geometry of the shades–like the body of a freshly carved soapbox derby car.

They come in several slick styles, but the most emblematic of the Super approach are the Basic (looks just like it sounds), the slyly unique Flat Top (again, just like sounds), and my personal favorite, the Ciccio (a thicker, bolder version of the Basic, also comes in a flat-top look).  All are available in a dizzying aray of colors, including two-tone and neon categories. The summer’s nearly over, but there’s still time for one last sunny-weather fashion statement, so make it count.

Buy: $116 to $181

Alexander Olchs has been creating buzz around his handmade neckties since not long after he made his first pieces on a whim as presents for his film-school buddies at Harvard. Since then, Bergdorf’s, Opening Ceremony and even United Arrows in Tokyo have started stocking his uniquely dapper designs, and well-dressed men everywhere have taken notice.  Want to learn more about this new necktie sensation?  continue reading after the break…

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Martin Margiela is definitely the man of the moment in menswear. His impressively simple, well-tailored designs have become the look of choice for celeb-adjacent artistic types who are in the know.  One thing these patrons tend to have in common is their need to travel.  Margiela, ever accommodating, has provided a mid-sized duffel as smart, suave and understated as his clothes. Fusing country-club brown leather and black nylon, it’s the perfect combination of tech and prep. The brass buckled strap gives the bag a decidedly equestrian feel, and the straps are just long enough that over-the-shoulder carriage looks appropriately masculine.  If you’ve got the dough, you’d be hard pressed to find a more sophisticated carry-on.

Buy: $1,555

An AP report for 2007 found that over 10,000 electric bikes were sold last year (a 6000% increase from the year before).  So, are they worth it? The newest effort from Giant just might be.  Originally slated for May of this year, the Twist Freedom DX will now reportedly be available this coming fall. Only a few test reviews have surfaced, but what initially made us confident about the Twist is its reputable ancestry.  The Twist is the phoenix from the ashes of Giant’s first electric bike, the now-discontinued Giant Lite.  Upon the Giant Lite’s 2005 debut, this model was widely reviewed as the lightest, most nimble and all-around best electric bike on the market.

The first thing Giant wants you know about the Twist is that it’s not an electric bike! The Twist represents a new innovation in hybrid biking, what Giant calls “Hybrid Cycling Technology”.  The concept is a fully integrated, motor-assisted riding system that employs Giant “RideControl”.  The Twist has sensors hidden in the pedals that register the amount of power generated by the rider and tells the motor how much assistance to provide.  The result, ostensibly, is an ultra-smooth commute that takes you farther (75 miles per charge, according to Popular Mechanics) with less effort.  That means all the greenness of biking with half the sweat. Check out the Giant website for more details or get the brochure here.

Buy: $2250 (Fall ‘08)

New York boutique streetwear brand Alife NYC has trickled out its footwear Fall/Winter collection for 2008. The collection features a take on its signature high-top as well as new style loosely based on the Stan Smith. But, my favorite is the all-new Chuck, a chukka-style shoe with suede hush-puppy-meets-desert-boot upper and a rubber sneaker sole. The color of the sole is what makes these hot. The chalky cobalt blue–which I’m really into these days–is really smooth and a tragically under-utilized accent color. The Chuck looks equally good in creamy tan and high-contrast black. Right now, the only place to get ‘em is at Japanese online store Flauge, but look for them to hit more stores in the coming weeks.

Buy: $231 (Approx.)

Cut Brooklyn founder Joel Bukiewicz’s first ambition was to write novels… now he makes knives. An MFA grad who’d moved to Georgia to write but had failed sell his manuscript, he wandered into a tool shed one day, and after a few hours with a belt sander and some old steel, he’d fashioned his first knife. Before long, there was a six-month wait list for one of his handcrafted cutting tools.

After some experimenting, Bukiewicz eventually landed on kitchen knives– He moved back to New York and opened a shop in the Gowanus neighborhood in Brooklyn. Made from high-carbon steel (the kind used in turbine engines) and glass laminate for the handles, each handmade knife is cut, ground, and finished by Bukiewicz himself. What also sets Cut Brooklyn blades apart from other knives, and accounts for their hefty price tag, is the strength of the steel. Generally speaking, the harder the steel the better it is, but if it’s too hard it has a tendency to chip. Whereas most carbon steel knives are about 55 Rockwell (the standard measure of hardness for steel) Bukiewicz got his up to 62 with no chipping issues. The unique finishing touch is the high-gloss handle–in bold, unconventional colors ranging from classic black to brilliant blue to hot pink.

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In your never-ending quest to dress better than everyone else, It’s good to make a habit of collecting style icons as key points of reference. When it comes to men’s style, movies are the well that never runs dry. The most influential style icons, male and female, in history can be found on-screen McQueen in Bullitt, Belmondo in Breathless, Keaton in Annie Hall–movies are to style what sports are to business analogies. In honor of the sharpest dudes ever committed to celluloid, this is the first StyleCrave installment of Film Style, featuring a fresh-to-death film characters who should definitely be in your style encyclopedia.

#1 Tony Leung as Chow Mo-wan in 2046

Widely considered the best Hong Kong actor of his generation, Tony Leung is best known by American art-house buffs and film students for his roles in the films of acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai (who recently directed his first American film). Often called, “Hong Kong’s answer to Clark Gable.” Leung earned his cool in the Hong Kong action masterpieces Hard Boiled and Infernal Affairs, then became a dramatic leading man in Chungking Express and Happy Together. But, in no film is his swag more magnetic or his character more stylish than in 2005’s 2046.

Learn more about the timeless style of Hong Kong’s leading man after the break…

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We love Belkin here at GearCrave, and the new Flywire is the perfect example why. This new home entertainment gadget allows you to consolidate all of your HD audio/video inputs into one box and wirelessly transmit content to your HDTV anywhere in the house. Belkin has proved time and again that they’re uniquely capable of merging form and function in perfect proportion, and the Flywire is no exception.

First, it’s gorgeous. A slim, beautifully shaped module that blatantly exploits my mild fetish for black exteriors and electric blue LED lights. Second, it’s about as practical as HD technology gets. One of the most annoyingly ironic things about flatscreen HDTVs is that the elegance of wall-mounting your unit is often completely nullified by the clutter of cords and cables needed to reach all your toys.

FlyWire transmitter has six inputs, three of which are HDMI, while the ultra-slim receiver attaches discretely to the back of the TV. The signal is then transmitted via FlyWires high-bandwidth uncompressed wireless connection, offering support for resolutions from 480i all the way up 1080p/24 True Cinema, without any lag or dropouts. It’s also compatible with non-HD, analog equipment, as well as Blu-ray®, DVRs, HD set-top boxes, stereo receivers, and probably whatever else you can think of. It’s not quite out yet, but you can pre-order it through their website.

Buy: $999.99

When one of my high school friends got a pair of Persol sunglasses not to long ago, I thought they were dope, but I didn’t quite understand why he liked them so much. I just took his enthusiasm for the brand at face value, since out of everyone I grew up with, he probably had the best eye for style. I came across the brand again the other day and did a little research. What makes Persol sunglasses so special is the company’s history, one that situates them as one of the world’s first major innovators in sunglasses, as well a seminal force in Italian design. And what makes them even cooler are the people who wore them–Steve McQueen, Marcello Mastroianni, and Greta Garbo, to name a few. Continue reading to learn more about this iconic eyewear brand, and how you can get a pair of your own…

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