While their designs are inspired by the styles seen on surfers and coastal sportsmen, Howler Brothers can be worn by anyone with style from coast to coast. Howler Brothers, a clothing brand born from the passions and adventures of two men who believe in designing clothes that are functional, brings detailed style to clothes perfectly adept for the active outdoorsman.

Howler Brothers recently launched their Fall collection, so we thought it’d be the perfect time to introduce Howler Brothers gear to you.  My favorite pieces from the fall collection (and the ones that I personally ordered) are the Merlin Vest, the Workman’s Shirt and the Horizon Hybrid pants.

Howler Brothers’ Fall Collection

First up – the Merlin Vest – is an exceptionally light and easily packable vest that’s warm enough for pre-dawn coffees, and while crafted to look and act rugged, it’s still comfortably soft. It’s constructed of water resistant polyester micro ripstop and insulated with breathable and thermally efficient Primaloft One (a lightweight, waterproof and super warm alternative to down). It’s perfect over the Workman’s Shirt or used as a mid-layer. Style wise, the vest features a tonal shoulder yoke, simple pocket configuration and contrast liner and zippers for a touch of color. It comes in Shipyard/Beachfront (blue with tan accents), Thunderhead Grey (grey with black accents and Bison Brown (brown and brown and my color of choice).

Howler Brothers’ Fall Collection

Underneath the Merlin Vest, the Workman’s Shirt. Don’t let its name confuse you though, this shirt, despite its traditional button down style, is truly at home in the great outdoors. Made of 100% cotton and featuring contrasting reinforced arms, its rugged construction will take you through the entire weekend of hiking, fishing or drinking by the fire. Available in Signal Blue Microstripe, Dark Earth/Brown Heather, Grizzly Heather/Deep Brown (my choice, see photograph), and Verde/Brown Heather.

Howler Brothers’ Fall Collection

Rounding out my perfect weekend outfit is the Horizon Hybrid Pant. They’re go anywhere pants that can handle the city, the woods or the beach and keep you comfortable while doing it. The pants feature the same simple pocket configuration, belt loops and ripstop nylon construction as Howler’s Horizon Hybrid shorts, but they add in the bonus of below-the-knee protection to ward off the elements. Available in Desert Khaki, Ultramarine, Fatigue and Phantom Grey (my personal color of choice).

These are my favorite pieces from the 2014 Fall Collection but there are several other pieces on my want list, like the Technician Shirt and the Gaucho Snapshirt, or any one of their easy to wear t-shirts and hats. Check out the entire collection at the official Howler Brothers site.

Here’s a quick fact you may not have known:  while you may think that wrinkled clothes are a modern day dilemma, historical records show that man has been concerned with pesky wrinkles all the way back to the 1st century BC.  The first iron?  A heavy pan filled with hot coals which was then pushed over fabric.  Several centuries later, someone decided that ironing was a common enough task that it warranted a dedicated tool, and thus the first fire-heated solid irons were produced.

Since then, irons have taken numerous shapes, sizes and heating sources, with the most common today being the electric iron. But just like in history, not all irons are created equal, with modern day irons suffering from numerous design flaws ranging from  poor performance, not enough heating power, water leakage, etc.  The problem is, ironing is chore that none of us can escape, whether you’re a business professional, a stay-at-home mom or a student, wrinkle free clothes are a necessity no matter what your occupation.  And because running to the dry cleaners every time a shirt has a wrinkle isn’t a viable or cost-effective option, ironing had become, for me, one of the things around the house that I simply hated to do, as I was never truly happy with my iron’s performance.  It was tedious, time consuming, and my clothes never matched the quality they did when I took them and had them professionally cleaned and pressed.

That’s when a friend introduced me to the Laurastar Lift +.  Forget what you know about irons – the Laurastar Lift + is anything but.  It’s an iron and steam generator that’s lightweight and portable, but more importantly, it’s like having a professional presser in your own home.

Laurastar Lift +

The magic behind the Lift + comes from a combination of smart technology and design, the first of which is that the Lift + diffuses steam evenly across your fabric in short intermittent bursts at a pressure of 3.5 bar.  And while that number may not mean much to you, in actual use, the Lift + can easily penetrate four layers of jean material, eliminating the need to iron each leg individually.  In other words, you’re cutting your ironing time in half.  What about extremely delicate fabrics you ask?  Simply hold the Laurastar Lift + about an inch away from your delicate clothing, and it releases the wrinkles as you go without ever touching the fabric.  And it works amazingly well.

Another problem that I’ve had with numerous irons is the infamous white residue, which is basically a scale buildup from the water in your iron.  There’s nothing worse than doing a load of laundry, only to find leftover residue on them once you’re done ironing.  With the Lift +, water first passes through an anti-scale filter, thus eliminating any white residue that you would commonly see left behind when using other lesser irons.  Your clothes are not only wrinkle free, they stay perfectly clean as well.

And then there’s the shape.  You know how irons are made to travel in one direction, as the straight edge on the back will cause new wrinkles if you try move the iron backwords?  With the Lift +, a unique almond shaped plate is curved at the back, allowing you to iron forward and back without any creasing.  This alone has made me love my Laurastar Lift +.

Laurastar Lift +

From there, Laurastar has re-engineered virtually ever part of the Lift +, transforming the iron into a modern technological marvel.  There’s a heat resistant mat for setting the iron down without fear of burning your clothing.  There’s a huge 1 liter water reservoir that lets you finish an entire load of laundry without refilling. The water tank is backlit, so you can easily see when it’s time to refill, and in the event you do need to refill during an ironing session, you can do so while ironing without needing to unplug and wait for the iron to cool.  There’s an automatic power cord winder, which may seem like a minor detail, but it saves time and keeps the Lift + packed neatly away.  And there’s an integrated safe iron storage, so you can put the iron away while it’s still hot. No more leaving the iron out and having to come back later to pack everything away.  Everything on the Lift + has a place and packs up easily and quickly – so even if you only have one piece to iron, you won’t hesitate pulling it out due to a long setup and takedown time.  You can even use the Laurastar Lift + while your clothes are still on the hanger.  Simply plug it in, and three minutes later you can quickly steam your favorite piece of clothing right in your closet.

And that for me is the Lift +’s biggest benefit.  Whereas other irons are a chore to use, the Laurastar Lift + is just so quick and easy that I’ve found myself using it significantly more than my old iron.  In a conventional setup, ironing is so much faster thanks to the Lift +’s ample amount of power.  But when I’m in a hurry, I can still take the time for a quick steam – something that was impossible with prior irons.  My clothes look better, I feel better, and I’m still spending less time ironing than I did with my old iron.  Add in my kids’ clothes and my husbands clothes, and the Lift + is a dream product that feels as though it was designed just for me.  Ironing has become something I actually enjoy doing, and for me, this is the biggest compliment I can give.  I’d never even consider going back to a conventional iron again.

You can learn more about the Laurastar Lift + and see the full range of available colors, Ultimate Black, Pure White and Pinky Pop in the U.S., at Swiss-Steamer.com.

Mercedes-Benz released a complete fashion collection inspired by both Formula 1 and DTM motorsports. Comprisied of a wide variety of sporty and dynamic fashion items as well as functional accessories, the collection’s high-quality materials, refined features, authentic designs and excellent workmanship are a perfect match for the high standards set by Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The dynamic world of Formula 1 is the theme on which the Formula One Selection 2011 is based. Men’s T-shirts in black with Michael Schumacher’s name (also available for children), or in white and featuring Nico Rosberg’s name, as well as caps in the team colours of grey/white/petronas green with the signatures of one of the two Grand Prix drivers, all give their wearers the opportunity to create their own motorsport look. All items also bear the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS logo.

For those who do not have a favourite driver but still want to feel part of the exciting motorsport scene, there is also a choice of fashionable clothing and caps without the drivers’ names. For example, the Team Selection range includes an authentic team shirt in silver-grey with cutaway collar and Mercedes-Benz and PETRONAS logo, as well as all of the sponsor logos. The same style is reflected in the men’s and women’s team polo shirts in black. By way of exceptional accessories, the Formula One Selection 2011 includes a lanyard with carabiner hook, a set of earplugs presented in a small, elegant aluminium case, or a drinking bottle finished in matt black aluminium with insulating neoprene lid.

The special fascination for the DTM race series has been expressed in another selection of products, also comprising a men’s black T-shirt and a cap – each featuring a printed or embroidered DTM vehicle and DTM logo.

In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Motorsports Highlights Selection 2011 is also made up of attractive fashions and popular accessories which do not reference any specific race series but nevertheless reflect the close connection with Mercedes-Benz motorsport thanks to Mercedes-Benz motorsport logos and various printed motorsport elements. This collection includes a functional waterproof men’s jacket in black with inner mesh lining, zip with star emblem, mobile phone pocket and two inside pockets with Velcro fasteners, a men’s polo shirt and also men’s and women’s white T-shirts. The women’s shirts feature a rhinestone Mercedes-Benz star on the chest area.

The glittering star is also to be found on the front of the matching women’s cap in white, with elegant coloured embroidered Mercedes-Benz motorsport logo. The men’s cap in black has light grey mesh inserts on the sides, which help the wearer to keep a cool head even in the heat of the racing action.

Thanks to their stylish design, the attractive accessories of this selection are bound to be the centre of attention. Prestigious manufacturers help to ensure high quality. The same applies to the three new models of watch – two of which have real carbon dials, while the third is limited to 1500 examples – as well as a pair of high-quality Rodenstock sunglasses, a carbon-fibre ballpoint pen, a highly functional sports bag with toiletry bag, wash bag and shoe bag, a rucksack made by Deuter with special back system for high wear comfort, a stylish beach towel from Möve, an innovative kite-shaped, two-person golf umbrella, seat cushions, wallets and children’s earmuffs from UVEX.

Finely-made and highly-detailed models from well-known manufacturer Minichamps provide an opportunity for enthusiasts to add the world of Mercedes-Benz racing cars to their collection. One particular highlight is Michael Schumacher’s Formula 1 car from the 2010 season, faithfully recreated in 1:18 scale. The 2010 season MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula 1 cars of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are also available in the popular scale of 1:43, while other 1:43-scale models include the AMG-Mercedes C-Class vehicles, which caused something of a stir during the last DTM race season. The prototypical miniature cars are finished in the colours of drivers Gary Paffett, Bruno Spengler, Paul di Resta, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard.

For those of you who need to do more than drive a smart car to make a statement, the cult car brand has released a catalogue of trendy fashions for the spring and summer. The new smart Collection 2011/2012 is designed for people who are looking for unconventional style and are fully in tune with the zeitgeist for spirit of the times.

An attractive look and high-quality materials are the defining features of the innovative and functional new smart Collection. Modern cuts and elaborate details along with special prints lend the textiles a special flair. The logo of the smart lifestyle brand has been artistically incorporated into many of the accessories as an expression of a pulsating city lifestyle.

The new smart Collection features various themes covering the most diverse urban lifestyle scenarios. Themes such as electric drive, smart BRABUS and beach volleyball are also covered by a small selection of products. This reflects the philosophy of the successful smart fortwo – the trendsetter for urban mobility: joie de vivre in tune with well considered ecology.

Highlights of the new smart Collection are hoodies for men and women, new polos, windbreakers, a bowling bag and a special beach volleyball rucksack which has been designed together with the Deuter company. The smart Collection also offers textiles and accessories in a young design to provide a definitive individual touch. These include caps and shirts, off-beat sleeves for notebook and iPhone, writing implements, ice cube makers in smart design and keyrings with a smart badge. The Collection even takes care of toddlers’ needs, offering baby bodysuits and bibs in smart style.

Moderate pricing also forms part of the smart philosophy. Clothing pieces from the new Collection are available at between € 29.90 and € 79.90, while accessories range in price between € 4.90 and € 99.90.