Good news in the blogosphere: Mordechai Rubenstein, a.k.a. Mister Mort, whose photographic record of his daily wanderings turns up a wealth of style, is resuming his blog. It takes a perceptive eye to find the sartorial logic in outfits like this extensively patterned older gentleman's, left, but given Mordechai's pedigree (he worked at Jack Spade and later Men's Vogue) and history of being ahead of the curve, we wouldn't be surprised to see similar from many designers in the seasons to come. We hope they'll remember to give credit where credit is due.

As you might have noticed, we've been intrigued by varsity jackets for a while now—well, the updated ones, anyway. Our most recent favorite? This one from Junya Watanabe's fall collection. There's no denying the thinking that went into it: From the ribbed shawl collar and snap buttons to the extra-heavy felted wool, it's every ounce a varsity while still remaining distinctly a blazer. The downside, of course, is sticker shock—it retails for $1,500. Even more shocking? Despite the economy, it's sold out everywhere in New York save Bloomingdale's.

At least one automaker is feeling flush enough to experiment (and sadly, it's not domestic). BMW will introduce a test run of its Mini E, the German company's new, 100-percent electric, zero-emission car sometime next year. The battery-operated two-seater tops out at 95 mph (0-60 in eight seconds), and travels 150 miles on a single charge. No word on pricing or availability yet, but the concept's intriguing enough. The styling, on the other hand, might need some work—unless, of course, you like your vehicles detailed with canary-yellow trim.

[via Green Car]

When it comes to aviators, we're usually interested in two qualities—understated design and authenticity. Randolph Engineering features both: The company has been providing shades for the DOD since 1982, and they don't mess around with aesthetics, keeping the look plain and simple. (It helps, too, that they come with the polarized lenses you'd expect and that the frames themselves have some heft.) And it's not just us, either: The brand has earned other fans in the fashion community. For proof, see Michael Bastian's spring show. (No, seriously, he really loves those sunglasses.)
$99, available at randolphusa.com

With nautical style, there's talking the talk, and then there's walking the walk. So we've got to hand it to TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie: While we've been going on about fishermen's sweaters and boat shoes, the guy's been living on his houseboat, The Alpargata. Photographer Todd Selby (who's previously been invited into the likes of Swaim and Christina Hutson's digs) paid a visit to the boat for his photoblog. The decor? Dials, bundles of rope, and (helpfully for novices) a DVD called The Sixty Minute Sailor. Click through Selby's gallery to catch Mycoskie in his element.

If you've ever wanted to design your own sneaker, you're in luck: The Nike Sportswear store in Soho introduces its new Bespoke program today, allowing customers to choose up to 80 individual aspects of the Air Force 1. (In case you're wondering, it takes the old NikeID concept to the next level.) Sounds daunting, I know, but it was fascinating when I tested the process over the weekend. The company provides you with a consultant who explains the available materials, which are arrayed about the room. Think patent leathers, calf skins, and exotics, as well as the iconic elephant skin of the Jordan III (which had been previously unavailable in the ID program). Once you pick them, you can also tinker with other elements, like the laces, soles, and threads. But regardless of what you choose, you'll gain an in-depth knowledge of how a sneaker is made. To make an appointment, head down to the store and set it up in person (they're only available on Sundays and Tuesdays). The shoes take about four weeks to be made, but in the meantime, the store will give you a key chain with swatches of your materials. See mine below—just don't copy it.
Nike Sportswear Bespoke, 21 Mercer St., NYC, no phone, nike.com

It may not save the ailing publishing industry, but the new collaboration between accessory designer Bill Amberg and Penguin Books does breathe a little life into the classics. Amberg selected six of his favorite titles—unassailable choices all, like Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled The Big Sleep and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby—to bind in pliable leather. The books come with an attached leather bookmark and a built-in incentive to actually, you know, read them: The leather's grain and sheen improve with handling and use. Fair warning to those who receive them as gifts this holiday season: Expect to be discovered if you only pretend to crack the spine.
About $75, available at billamberg.com

[via Acquire]

J. Edgar Hoover, who was neither black nor (ostensibly) a criminal, is the subject of BET's newest installment of American Gangster. The engrossing docu-series, which, typically, addresses offenders like Frank Lucas, Melvin Williams (who helped inspire The Wire), and Philly's Black Mafia, digs deep to investigate the FBI director—and his unsettling war against the civil rights movement. Think beefs with MLK, alleged assassinations of black activists, and the creation of COINTELPRO, or "Counter Intelligence Program," the happily abolished, clumsily named agency that makes Gitmo look like a bed and breakfast. There's no video to embed, but BET's archives are worth the time spent. Watch them here.
10 p.m., BET

Ron Arad is, of course, familiar with the anatomy of a chair, but the designer-architect's far more likely to turn a seat into artwork, as the image here demonstrates. Titled New Orleans, the glass-fiber and polyester hybrid is from a series of 18—and just one of dozens of Arad's signature designs now on display at the Centre Pompidou. The retrospective is called No Discipline (to which, of course, the designer claims he belongs) and includes projections of Arad's architectural creations throughout the space, along with a full-scale reproduction of his Tel Aviv Opera House foyer. Paris not in your travel plans? The collection is set to travel to MoMA next summer, but in the meantime, the designer has a solo show in Manhattan called Guarded Thoughts. The latter show emphasizes his new direction—highlighting the sculptural qualities of his furniture. In other words, pay attention to the "Do not sit" signs.
"No Discipline," through Mar. 16, at Centre Pompidou, Place Georges Pompidou, Paris, (011) 33-(0)1-44-78-12-33, centrepompidou.fr; "Guarded Thoughts," through Dec. 20, at Friedman Benda, 515 W. 26 St., NYC, (212) 239-8700, friedmanbenda.com

Five things worth knowing today

- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's underrated fourth season comes to an end tonight. With this and the imminent conclusion of The Shield, they'll be hardly a reason for FX at all—until Sunny's next season, at least.
- Seattle music fans can enjoy the Ballard Jazz Walk. Good music, Blackbird-adjacent—okay by us.
- The American Museum of Natural History hosts its annual gala. Finally, a benefit where the blue-hairs attending won't be the oldest specimens in the room (sorry).
- Today in 1985, Windows 1.0 was released, changing the personal-computing game entirely.
- And today in 1971, The Soup's Joel McHale was born. He's better than most of the show's previous hosts, but still, nobody's perfect. Below, some of McHale's less-stellar moments: