case

Groomstars.com Review - Formal Gifts For Men

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, Luxury Shopping

The website Groomstars.com is founded on an interesting idea - that being the concept that men are hard to shop for (especially when it comes to gifts for special occasions). As the name of the site implies, the focus of the site is offering gifts for the men who participate in weddings (not like routinely or anything). Along with the fact that guys are not super easy to shop for, most gift websites usually have items that either appeal only to women, or are gifts guys don't normally want. Groomstars strives to offering an enticing selection of male-minded gifts, and like many other gift based websites, Groomstars also features most (if not all) of their products as being personalized.

Featured products including a range of decent quality pens, holders, valets, watch cases, clothing accessories, hobbyist goods, nice tools, and other things men usually like, but wouldn't normally buy for themselves. I actually appreciate the selection a lot. It is as though someone waded through most of the obvious (and many non obvious) gifts a man would like and presented them in an easy to navigate place.

A lot of people will likely enjoy the site when shopping for groomsmen, a best man, the father of the bride - or anyone else who may be a friend, boss, or relative. Prices aren't cheap, but part of what you are paying for is the curated content. One such item that is nice is the Groomstars Striped Wedge Wood Watch box. It contains space for a few watches and related accessories, while the inside is cloth lined to prevent scratching. It comes in a nicely veneered closing box case with a personalized plate near the push-button opener. The inside is lined with soft cloth and quality is better than you might expect (or perhaps I simply have jaded expectations). Their watch boxes also come in a few different finishes and retails for $265 - all of course available for purchase online.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Groomstars watch box

Tags: box, case, gifts, groom, groomstars, men, personalized, watch, wedding

Luxist Giveaway: Element Case Vapor Pro iPhone 4 Case

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

According to Element Case, the Vapor Pro is the most expensive non-designer iPhone 4 case available. This version is masculine looking and made in aluminum. Rather than snapping on to the iPhone 4, it is screwed on (with a supplied tool). The ports to all the buttons and connectors on the phone are easy to access, while the case further gives the iPhone a more ergonomic shape for holding. There is even a polymer section over the antenna to prevent signal issues. Element cases offers the Vapor Pro iPhone case in a number of colors and finishes. Retail price is $149.99, and you can enter to win one below.

THANKS FOR ALL WHO ENTERED. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.

To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing why you'd like to win this case. The giveaway ends on March 18th at 8:00pm PST. See additional rules below.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before March 18th, 2011 at 8:00PM Pacific Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive one Element Case Vapor Pro iPhone 4 case valued at $149.99.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See full giveaway rules here.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: case, element case, expensive, iphone 4, vapor pro

Grabbit iPad Grip Case Review

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

When I first learned about this new case/grip for the Apple iPad I was stoked - it seemed to be exactly what the iPad needed to be more more usable in a lot of instances. I don't hide the fact that I think Apple designs pretty piss poor items from an ergonomic standpoint. The iPhone is like a slippery pebble, and holding the iPad with one hand and using it with another causes wrist and hand strain after prolonged use. Basically, the iPad is like a heavy piece of paper, with nothing to really hold on too. They just sort of deferred usability to the world of accessory makers that happily come to the rescue.

Tags: case, grabbit, grip, handle, iPad, review

Continue reading “Grabbit iPad Grip Case Review”

Montblanc iPhone Case

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Need to add some Euro luxury style to your iPhone? Well then the value proposition of this Montblanc Meisterstuck iPhone case should make total sense. Your iPhone will be able to easily slip in and out of this very straight forward design. The high-quality black leather molded case comes complete with Montblanc star logo letting onlookers know you shun silicon skin style cases. Given that you need to take your phone in and out of these cases to do anything with them - cases like this make more sense from a style rather than utility standpoint, but people still buy them, and having "Montblanc" anything is usually pretty satisfying. Not sure on price yet, but these should be available about now in Montblanc boutiques.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: case, iphone, iphone case, iphone cases, meisterstuck, Montblanc

Supreme Court To Decide Fate Of Luxury Items Gray Market: Costco v. Omega

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This topic is near and dear to my heart because of the legal aspect and the watch aspect. I am not going to present to you a law school style outline of the legal history or implications of this case, but rather what it all means.

Back in 2004 Omega got pissed at Costco for selling Omega watches that it purchased not from Omega as an authorized dealer, but rather from gray market distributors. Costco has some good deals on high-end watches because it legally buys watches from people who have inventory acquired from unsold authorized retailer inventory or otherwise from retailers around the world. Costco is able to buy these slightly older model watches at lower prices. At the same time, they are not bound by Omega's pricing policies that govern authorized dealers.

Omega can't stop Costco from selling the watches because Costco legally bought them from sources that somewhere down the line, legitimately bought them from Omega. So after much bitching and moaning, Omega sued on a copyright claim.

The claim says Costco had no right to sell products with Omega intellectual property without Omega's permission. The first court sided with Costco, and Omega appealed. The second court sided with Omega, and the Costco appealed to the Supreme Court. At this point the Supreme Court doesn't need to hear the case. For the most part, the Supreme Court chooses the cases it wants to hear. Recently, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear the case in the Fall. The case is: Costco Wholesale Corp. v. Omega, S.A., 08-1423.

Aside from being interesting as the parties are companies most people know well, the outcome of the case has some serious implications. On the one hand, the case might strike a serious blow to the life of the gray market, which are lower cost goods that are resold into the market and ultimately sold at lower prices to consumers. On the other hand, the case might validate the gray market, forcing brands like Omega that are highly price sensitive to rethink their business model and reduce their reliance on third party authorized dealers.

The watch world will be looking very closely at the issue, especially as the decision is published in the next year.

Major watch brands are also preempting the gray market issue by making serious changes to the way they do business. This of course also applies to luxury brands that offer products other than just watches. Instead of selling as much product to authorized dealers as possible, the business model of the future for luxury brands may likely be to sell directly to consumers. This strategy would bypass traditional dealer networks altogether.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: case, costco, court, gray market, omega, suit, supreme court

Griffin & Threadless Team Up For Fashion Forward iPhone Cases

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

It is not always the case that iPhone cases must only be used to protect your iPhone. They can also help make a statement about you. This concept has been clear to many, which is why the business of selling iPhone cases is probably as big as that of selling the phones. Unless you are serial butter fingers and need a heavy duty two inch thick rubber case to keep your iPhone out of the "dead gadget bin" you'll want something thin enough to not detract from your enjoyment of the phone, as well as something that makes a more individualized statement about you than "I am among the millions of people who have this Apple product." To help solve this problem Griffin Technology and the UGC (user generated content) trendy shirt maker Threadless have teamed up to offer two special iPhone cases based on popular shirts - and you can get the matching shirts too. Plus, you can download a matching wallpaper for your iPhone. They have really thought this all out. Now your iPhone will actually match your attire.

The first design is called the "Birds of a Feather" and uses Griffin's ultra-thin soft blue rubberized exterior iPhone case with a design by Ross Zietz. Then you have "Clouds Within The Thunder" by Joe Van Wetering that is a stylized thunder bolt on a yellow version of the case. Each artistic iPhone case is $34.99. You can visit Threadless from links above to check the out more, where there are also links to get the matching shirts for $18 a piece. The cases are also available at select Apple store locations. These items are nifty, and it is smart to change your iPhone case once in a while to keep things fresh. Certainly a minor luxury to have art on anything functional - and that is why I like these particular iPhone accessories.

Gallery: Griffin Threadless iPhone case

Tags: art, birds of a feather, BirdsOfAFeather, case, clouds within the thunder, CloudsWithinTheThunder, Griffin, iPhone, shirt, Threadless

deLaCour Liberata watch: That Much Harder To Tell The Time

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Oh how I appreciate novelty in luxury watches, but this one could almost be described as a prank for those who actually want any comfort in telling the time. The deLaCour Liberata watch has a watch that is actually free floating in the watch case. It is not a new watch line, but I felt it worth discussing. The independent smaller case simply moves and spins around freely being called upon do to so by gravity. The result is a watch face that can be all over the place and in any direction. Thus you can't rely on 12 o'clock being in any regular orientation.

Why do this? Why not? deLaCour doesn't really care about taking over Timex - there are plenty of other watch makers out there who simply display the time without regard to being different. There is a big game in the watch world of "we are the first to do XXX." Though sometimes it feels like an answer to a question no one asked, or alternatively a solution to a problem that simply didn't exist. "I was just so bored being able to tell the time with ease." Look deeper and you'll find that my sentiments may be wrong. While not a luxury watch maker like deLaCour, Japanese company Tokyo Flash thrives off the release of oddly designed watches where deciphering the time is like doing a math problem. So perhaps my feelings on the matter are isolated and many watch consumers DO want these types of "novelties."

Unlike Tokyo Flash, deLaCour is a luxury Swiss watch maker - so the privilege of having such an avant garde watch comes at a much more substantial price. The watch is likely to be considered "unisex" (though mostly for women) and comes in several colors (including, but not limited to, white, yellow, red, and black). The case is in steel either polished or in the shown black PVD. There are about 6 carats of diamonds on the two bezels and in the center of the actual watch face. The case is water resistant to 100 meters. There is the issue of setting the time of course. The smaller case with the time has a quartz movement and is likely set via opening up the back of the main watch case and removing the smaller case that can be adjusted on the back of the watch. This also allows you to change the battery. There are various different dial styles as well. Want to up it a notch? The timepiece can be ordered with up to three smaller watch cases inside the overall case - for multiple timezones. Price is about $12,000 - $25,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: case, delacour, diamonds, free moving, FreeMoving, liberata, timepiece, WAST2057-0048, watxh

How A Louis Vuitton Case Is Made

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Men's Style

Vintage Louis Vuitton from Bentleys London

Louis Vuitton makes a case for everything. Really. If there's something you want to carry in a Louis Vuitton case, they will probably make one for you.

The only criteria-strictly enforced to honor the original spirit of the 150-year-old company-are that the item is portable and that its raison d'être is transport. "We are in the business of movement," says Patrick-Louis Vuitton, a fifth-generation member of the founding family who oversees all of LV's custom projects. "A special order is a compromise between desires and needs from the client and our aesthetic and technical requirements." - Men's Vogue

Louis Vuitton makes about 450 special-order cases every year at their Asnières, France workshop. The process of creating a perfect case for a client's needs can take four to five months, but their policy is to never exceed eight.

Over the years, cases have been created for everything from hookah pipes to a portable altar for a French priest heading to a desert archaeological dig in the 1920's.

Louis Vuitton won't make just anything, though. If they don't like your request (say, to put little LV's all over the interior of your car, a move similar to the one that ended up with Britney Spears on the losing end of a Vuitton lawsuit), they'll modify the idea and make a suggestion - their polite version of refusal.

[via Men's Vogue]

Source

Tags: bags, case, cases, louis vuitton, LouisVuitton, luggage, suitcase, suitcases

Luxury iPhone Cases from Orbino Italy

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style

The iPhone 3G is a beautiful accessory, yet to be properly attired...till now. Orbino Italy has designed three cases for your iPhone 3G, and each is lovelier than the last. Finally, you can protect and adorn your iPhone without cheap plastic or garish designs.

At right, you see the Strada:
"The Orbino Strada Tre Case transforms your 3G iPhone into a premium Italian accessory with a case entirely stitched by hand in gorgeous Tuscan leather. The case features an open face for easy access and includes Orbino's patented spring-loaded removable combination belt clip and desk stand in polished palladium metal. Prices start at $99."

This is the limited Brown Crocodile edition, available here.

Click below to see the other two new 3G iPhone designs, as well as other elegant, Apple-specific cases from Orbino.

Gallery: Elegant Cases for Apple Products by Orbino Italy

Source

Tags: case, iphone, iphone case, ipod, italian leather, italy, orbino, phone, phone case

Globe-Trotter For J. Crew

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Men's Style

Globe-Trotter, a British company specializing in luxury luggage since 1897, has teamed up with J. Crew to bring you a beautiful line of travel cases.

Pictured at right is the Globe-Trotter Centenary, a 21" case at $1,800. The Centenary is made from the finest materials, including leather trim and straps and a Vulcan Fibre® shell.

The line also includes suitcases in other sizes and a vanity case. Don't miss the 26" suitcase in black!

Source

Tags: baggage, case, globe-trotter, globetrotter, j crew, j. crew, JCrew, luggage, suitcase, travel

Glashutte Watch for Rimowa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The new Glashutte watch for Rimowa is more than just a watch in a case, it's practically a whole tool kit. The watch is a limited edition of 100 pieces in stainless steel with the the automatic Glashutte caliber 100. The watch comes in a sleek Rimowa case that contains a spare watch band and tools that enable you to change the watch from stainless steel to a sapphire display back. The watch is a limited edition of 100.

Gallery: Glashutte Rimowa Watch

Source

Tags: case, glashhutte, rimowa, timepiece, watch

Outfit Your Nano in an $800 Titanium Case

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

People are serious about their iPods, there's no doubt about that, but are they $800 serious? The FACTRON Re-Nano case is betting on it, made of pure titanium (titanium!) and ending up quite industrial-looking. Priced at just over $800, of all the iPod designs it will only fit the nano -- which doesn't make much sense to me. Either make a version for all the iPods, or if you only want to make one at least make it for the biggest and baddest of the iPods, not the younger brother version.

I love my nano, but believe you me I'm not spending five times more on the case than I did on the gadget itself! Not unless it's a heck of a lot cuter than this anyway.

Source

Tags: case, factron, iPod, mp3, music, nano, re nano, re-nano, renano, titanium

Calder Laptop Cases

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Very simple in design, Calder laptop cases are understated and classic inside and out. Crafted with full-grain leather made by one of England's oldest tanners, the cases also have a hand-laid carbon fiber shell that's amazingly strong while not being too heavy. A silk velvet lining and suspension system protect your laptop from damage in your travels, and the whole setup reminds very much of an instrument case as opposed to a shoulder or tote bag (which is no surprise considering they make guitar and violin cases as well). Available for £2020 through the Bill Amberg store.

Source

Tags: calder, calder original, calder originals, CalderOriginal, CalderOriginals, case, cases, computer, computers, guitar, guitars, instruments, laptop, leather, violin, violins

The Gravity Powered Bookshelf

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Bookends can be cute, and they come in all different shapes and sizes, but what if you never needed them again to keep your books straight and standing up in the bookshelf? The Gravity Powered Bookshelf will do just that trick, no matter if you have 10 books, 2 books, or just a lone floppy magazine on the shelf.

The name makes it sound like it's got moving parts or something, but it's really just an interesting-looking bookcase that uses gravity to its advantage. And although I do like it, I also think it looks a little homemade (like in a college dorm room kinda way).

Via CribCandy

Source

Tags: book, bookcase, books, bookshelf, case, gravity, gravity powered, gravity powered bookshelf, GravityPowered, GravityPoweredBookshelf, shelf

laptop@home

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

laptop@home is a line of soft laptop accessories designed by Mike and Maaike that are intended to make using your laptop a bit more comfortable, especially if you prefer to actually work with it on your lap than set up at a desh. The PocketTop ($50) is a mobile workstation/laptop bag, with pockets for accessories. The CushTop ($35) is a lap desk that keeps the heat from the laptop from building up on your legs, as well as giving you a more comfortable angle for typing. The SleeveTop ($40) is the most streamlined of the line, very thin with built-in cooling pads for lap work.

Source

Tags: case, cases, computer, cooling, desk, laptop, pad

case

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL