The Black Leather Bomber Jacket

Black leather bomber jackets are making a comeback this season.   Popularized by fighter pilots during World War II, this jacket has just the right bones.  The 2011 version is all-black (ditch the Indiana Jones brown!) with just enough military details to keep the macho mojo going. Wear it in all the ways hip-hop head-turner J. Cole does here—and keep it on inside the club to drop a bomb on the competition.

Miami Beach's Delano Hotel the Jewel of the Beach

The original icon of South Beach as we know it, Delano has a hearty dose of the flash, sass and sophistication that everybody heads to Miami for. From the moment guests saunter up the breezy stairs and into the dramatic, billowing white-draped lobby (the brainchild of acclaimed designer Philippe Starck), the surreal trip begins.

AT&T Drops Bid to Buy T-Mobile

Thursday, AT&T issued a formal statement withdrawing its intent to  merger with T-Mobile. The company had previously agreed acquire T-Mobile for $39 billion. Yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., AT&T released a statement announcing its intention to withdraw its request from the FCC.

Fight Holiday Bulge With This Fat Burning Vid

Just in time for the Holidays and New Year’s resolutions, our friend Brandon Carter has put together a new  Abs / Fat Burning workout video designed burn off some of the calories you gain at the dinner table and office parties.

2013 CADILLAC XTS

It's about time Caddy got around to updating its flagship sedan, and update they did. The 2013 Cadillac XTS ($TBA) replaces both the aging (and hideously ugly) DTS and STS, breathing fresh air into the company's full-size lineup with all-new styling, the company's all-new CUE infotainment system — think multitouch and proximity sensors — and, surely, plenty of other goodies that have yet to be announced. Expect to see it in showrooms early next year.

Converse All Star Coated Sneakers

"Chuck, meet Boots. Boots, meet Chuck." Okay, so that's probably not how these Converse All Star Coated Canvas Sneakers ($70-$80) came to be, but the concept isn't far off. Available in tall and normal varieties, these kicks combine the classic Chuck outline with coated canvas uppers, D-Ring eyelets, leather ankle patches, and rounded boot laces. Just the thing for pairing with jeans and a hoodie on a gloomy winter day.

LA Fitness Acquires 171 Bally Total Fitness Clubs

Health and fitness club members throughout the country could soon notice changes to their fitness clubs as consolidation in the industry continues to take place.   This afternoon, LA Fitness, announced it is acquiring 171 clubs from Bally Total Fitness, for $153 million.  

The acquisition involves Bally clubs in 16 states plus the District of Columbia. The deal is expected to be completed on Nov. 30. After completion of the transaction, Bally will continue to operate its remaining 100 clubs. 

The states in which the Bally clubs have been acquired are Arizona, California (Southern California), Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon,

Fight Flu/Burn Fat With This One-pot Meal

Ingredients
900g beef 

200g mushrooms
1 butternut squash
3 turnips
2 tbsp tomato purée
125ml red wine
2 onions
285ml beef stock

Beef up your immunity
Escape the flu epidemic by loading up on a recipe tailor-made for fighting back. Beef offers good-quality protein as well as zinc, which has been shown to cut the severity of cold and flu symptoms. The squash contains beta-carotene, and the mushrooms are bolstered with cytokines – both are powerful natural remedies that build your body’s antiviral defences. When your office is under public health lockdown, you’ll be the only one who doesn’t need a protective suit. 

Street Style!

Bo' Diddley Diddley Dee, RIP the Overweight Lover

Heavy D, or Dwight Arrington Myers, was a rapper from a time when horns weren't used ironically musically, when the idea of a hip-hop ballad was new and taken ever so seriously, just as sunglasses inside. Choreographed dancing and rapping were practices not entirely opposed; they were celebrated. For that time, and until he passed away one week ago today, Heavy D was a man who owned what he was — 

Thinking About Starting a Business? Read This

With the U.S. and global economy pretty much stuck on stupid, and upwards of 15 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, rightfully, many are faced with creating their own job rather than joining the topsy turvy job market again. 


But, most new business startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable.  Enter "The Lean Startup", EricRies' latest book, which offers a fresh new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.  


Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom.

Andrew Nowell F/W 20111

More from the Fall/Winter 2011 collection of Washington, DC based menswear designer Andrew Nowell .  

BMW to Introduce Electric/Hybrid Cars in 2014

BMW recently previewed is i3 and i8 electric cars which will be introduced in 2014. The i3 electric car is capable of traveling from 0-62 mph in less than 8 seconds, and its high-speed charger can power the vehicle up to 80% capacity in an hour flat. The spacious interior of the i3 is well equipped for daily driving needs – it seats four and has a boot capacity of 200 liters. The i3 also makes sustainable strides in terms of its material use – the interior is outfitted in renewable raw materials like natural fibers, and all leathers used are naturally tanned. 

Gold -- The Season's Hot New Color

Style mavens across the universe are calling "gold" the new "it' color of the season.  Worn properly, the vivid color is a great way to set yourself apart.

Three Golden Rules:

1. A little goes a long way, so wear only one gold piece (whether it's a jacket, socks, or trousers) per outfit.

2. Unless you're trying to look like a dandy, pair it with neutral shades like white, gray, and navy.

3. In addition to wearing the color as a solid, try it in patterns—like a blue-and-gold-striped university scarf.

Pulling A Look Together with Accessories

Gold bracelets, sunglasses, and wallets can bring an outfit to life in ways that standard black and brown can't. Look for rich, deep hues rather than blinding yellows.

Clockwise from top: Sunglasses ($165) by Illesteva. Wallet ($150) by Acne. Lapel pins ($500) by Cast of Vices. Cuff links ($265) by Giles and Brother. Bracelet ($240) by Eddie Borgo. Cuff ($6,500) by David Yurman. Bracelet ($63) by Cast of Vices.
 

Hold It Together With Calvin Klein Body Sculpting Underwear

Winter is coming, and along with it, a few extra inches of holiday girth, thanks to all those fireside Manhattans and your coworker's addictive Christmas cookies. While adding a few more sit-ups to your workout routine, consider Calvin Klein's new Core Sculpt underwear. Unlike older, overall silhouette shapers, Core Sculpt's T-shirts and tank tops are designed with a compression fabric that focuses on the core area—managing to flatten the gut—while mesh inserts improve breathability. Slip one on under your wool sweater and no one will be the wiser—till spring, that is.

($55-60.00 at Calvin Klein.com and select Nordstrom stores.)

Street Style!

I'm not really sure that white T-shirts will ever go out of style, but this young man gives his v-neck white T and bit of personal style that is all his own.  Truly, all of us should develop a sense of personal style and confidence and own our look as this guy does.

Protecting Your Lips From the Winter Cold

With cooler weather quickly approaching, putting a layer of protection on your lips is just as important as layering your clothes.  Although some lip balms are more effective than others, all were created to do one thing, and that is to heal and protect your lips. Here is a quick guide to help you choose a good lip balm.

• Know your place - Depending on where you live, a dry climate, windy city, or just a cooler place, choose one designed for where you live. For example, drier and sunnier climates suggest sunscreen, while colder climates call for moisture rich, oil-based balms.
• Keep it natural - No need to stress yourself over all the fancy names and ingredients. If you stick with balms made with natural ingredients, you shouldn’t have to worry about your already chapped lips feeling irritated.
• Keep it oily - Vegetable oils, like sunflower seed and olive, are great ingredients to look for in a lip balm. Vegetable oils promote healing, and restore your natural oil production.               

So there you have it. Protect your lips, and that’s one less thing you have to worry about on that first date!

Cashmere: Keeps you Warm in Style

In an effort to maintain a respectable level of masculinity, your average gentleman tends to shy away from attire that may be deemed too delicate or effeminate. And that is perfectly fine if that is your preference and those are your rules. A notable exception to your rules: cashmere. The elegant epitome of cold weather refinement, this majestic offering from the Kashmir goat should definitely enjoy extended residency in your closet. If you are purchasing cashmere for the first time, your first encounter will probably involve some variety of winter sweater. 

Will & Jada Smith to Produce new Talk Show for Queen Latifah

Black star power is aligning again for Queen Latifah to host a new daytime talk show produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Latifah, Shakim Compere and their production company Flavor Unit will reportedly team up with Will Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television. Together, along with Jada, the group will serve as executive producers to the project.

This wouldn’t be the first time Latifah has worked with the Smiths. Many remember her guest role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airopposite Will. And Latifah and Jada shared the spotlight in 1996′s Set It Off.