R29’s Xiyin Tang reviews the coming year in menswear with a guide to dressing in 2009. “When it comes to fashion, you guys don’t always have it so easy. Updating your favorite wardrobe staples could easily be a no-brainer, but somehow, the idea of adapting runway trends to real life always turns into a bit of a fiasco. That’s why we’ve assembled a venerable man’s manifesto for dressing in 2009…”

Read “Man in Uniform” at R29’s Trend Watch.

Gabriel Bell puts together an interesting look at “50 Brands, Shops, People, and Mags That Kicked the Bucket in 2008″ over on Refinery 29. “It’s been a long, hard year, and the financial mess of the last few months has just made it longer and harder. For this, and many other reasons, fashion lines, magazines, and beloved boutiques have been dropping like flies. There are some we’ll miss…”

Read the full report over a Refinery 29.

R29’s Pipeline takes focus on California’s LOVA line. "Though the line conjures images of Rebel Without a Cause James Dean with a splash of Ward Cleaver for good measure, LOVA Design never descends into costume. According to Murphy, ‘by applying specialty fabrics like sharkskin, silk, and cashmere with modern tailoring, the clothing has a decidedly modern appeal.’ Slim gingham shirts with button-down collars paired with expertly cut suit shorts, summer-weight silk jackets, and short-sleeve cardigans are perfect for the gentleman with a raffish edge (or those who wish they were.)"

Read the full story on LOVA at Refinery29.

The Pipeline takes a look at eyewear company, Salt. With some solid looks (and frames handmade in Japan), their bound to flourish. "Established in 2006 in sunny southern California, the sharp eyewear brand Salt. was created as a chic, peeper-protecting alternative to all the mega-brand optics that shade the eyes of the Hollywood elite (and those who wish to look like them)."

R29 covers the opening of the new 3.1 Phillip Lim Store in West Hollywood with photos and an interview with the man himself; Philip Lim. "the Lim legend continues to grow with his latest addition, a sprawling new boutique in the designer’s native Los Angeles. The luminous, amoeba-shaped space—gorgeously overhauled from a former auto-body shop—marks Lim’s second store in the U.S. (his third in the world), and he tells us this new 5,000 square-foot baby … feels like a sort of homecoming."

A full report at Refinery29.

Refiner29 catches up with Band Of Outsiders. For all fans of the brand, a definite must-watch video!

Refinery29 has released their “Best Albums Of 2007″ list. You should definitely check it out, they put together a nice mix of chill out, road trip, subway ride, all-night benders. You find the likes of Radiohead, Of Montreal, Feist, Panda Bear and many others in there.

You can check out the complete review here.