The smartphone is the most ubiquitous accessory of the decade, but it’s only as stylish as the case that covers it. Stand out of the Otterbox crowd with these beautiful and practical cases.
Kate Spade "Lenticular Eyes" The eyes are the window to the soul, and the smartphone is pretty much the modern day window to everything else. Kate Spade cleverly marries the two with this ingenious iPhone case. It uses lenticular imaging to make two sultry vintage eyes wink at you when you tilt your phone, for a case that’s pop art inspired and eye-popping.
Book Book iPhone Wallet by Twelve South The iPhone eliminated the need to carry around a bunch of different devices, like a camera, an iPod, AND a phone -- and with the rising popularity of the iPhone wallet, it looks like our pockets and purses are going to keep shrinking. Hearken back to the days before Twitter, Instagram, and Evernote with this vintage-inspired wallet case by Twelve South. It features real leather designed to look like a distressed and bound book. The clever frame design allows you to see the full face of your phone, and includes a camera hole, pocket for cash, room for several cards and an ID window with thumb-slide access. You’ll never leave home without it, because it’s pretty much the only thing you need 24/7.
Happy Wallz on Etsy is great for iPhone cases with a sense of humor. Just like Apple’s skeumorphic detailing on their app software imitates real-life textures, Happy Wallz cases often cleverly draw inspiration from everyday items like the makeup palette and watercolor kit. Notably, they are also the geniuses behind the crying Kim Kardashian iPhone case, as well as other cases inspired by skewed and humorous images from pop culture.
Casemate "Tortoiseshell" The tortoiseshell design is undoubtedly classic, and with this Casemate piece, it’s not just resigned to eyeglasses anymore. Pick up this case to add some sophisticated vintage flair to your phone that’s more unique than a barebones solid color.
Richard Weston Professor, architect, and designer Richard Weston’s line for Net-a-Porter is innovative, visually striking, and totally cool. The cases feature magnified scans of geological and mineral formations that are then digitally manipulated to look really colorful and abstract. They come in those magnetic fold-up iPad cases, too, as well as bound hardcover notebooks for those of us who still can’t get over pen and paper.
Bonus: Gelaskins is the go-to site for customizable iPhone skins and hard cases -- you can upload pretty much any image you want, whether it’s your favorite art piece or a personal photograph. They also have a huge selection of premade prints from artists, ranging from abstract to vintage, clever and absurd. Plus, you can order them for pretty much any device you can think of -- smartphones? e-reader? PS3 controllers? All totally skinnable.
