As Americans work their way to the other side of the Great Recession, their nostalgia for simpler times will be the driving force behind new trends in collectibles. 

Appraisal guru Lark Mason, founder of iGavel Auctions and a former staple on the hit PBS series "Antiques Roadshow," says the key will be quality over quantity in the new year.

"Only those pieces in tip-top shape and the best quality will be in demand," he says.  "Even the slowest markets have bright areas and in those, buyers will always be more interested in pieces that are the best over those that are not."

Mason was kind enough to share his predictions for the hottest collectibles trends for 2013.

Swanky timepieces

Among older men, checking the time on smartphones and tablet computers won't do. In the new year, they'll be clamoring for classic timepieces –– especially if the art scene isn't their thing. 

"Watches make sense to guys," says Mason. "The engineering, appearance, materials all have value and communicate something to the other members of their particular tribe and they are practical."

Fine wines

Given the fact that we're on our way to a possible wine shortage, you can bet connoisseurs and amateur winos alike will be stocking up in 2013.

"Like watches, [wine] can be collected in quantity because of the size," Mason says.

"Both wine and watches are not limited to a particular age group. We all need to tell time and we all like good food and drink ... this market is going to continue to keep ticking." 

Contemporary and modern art

Collectors around the globe who are flush enough to justify the soaring costs of modern art will flock to galleries this year, Mason projects.

"This market is international," he says. "The one tenth of the one percenters want the best and will pay to get it to fill all those empty walls of all those houses.  This market will remain vibrant regardless of downturns in Greece or elsewhere." 

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

This incredible image of fern spores is just one of the many mind-blowing images that won the Olympus BioScapes Imaging Competition in 2012. Here are the top ten images and videos captured by life-science researchers.

See the winning images>

The first prize winner, Ralph Grimm, took home $5,000 worth of Olympus equipment for his first-place video of tiny creatures known as rotifers.

"These fascinating and beautiful images tell important stories that shed light on the living universe around us, showing us the intimate structures and dynamic events of life in ways that we cannot ordinarily see," Brad Burklow, of Olympus, said in a press release. "BioScapes movies and still images remind us of the fascination and beauty of the natural world, and highlight important work going on in laboratories across the globe."

The winners were announced yesterday, Dec. 16. You can see all the runners up on the Olympus website. A selection of these images and movies will be displayed on a museum tour this year.

Ralph Grimm caught this movie of Rotifers, snagging first prize. Rotifers are tiny creatures that live in freshwater environments around the world. The constant movements of the hair-like cillia sweep food into their mouths.

Arlene Wechezak snapped this image of red algae. The image shows its reproductive machinery.

www.olympusbioscapes.com.

Igor Siwanowicz took this image of a common East-coast fern. It shows a cluster of spore-filled reproductive units and the specialized protective hairs around it.

www.olympusbioscapes.com.

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

Here's a Snapple Fact for you: the president of the beverage company is leaving his Upper West Side brownstone and has listed the house for just under $7 million with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Curbed NY reports.

Jack Belsito and his wife bought the four-story townhouse for $2.475 million back in 2002. The couple even invited The New York Times into their townhouse in 2003 for a profile on their new family home.

The 5,000-square-foot property comes with its own backyard, and has four bedrooms and four baths in total. It was originally built in 1890, but has been completely renovated with a chef's kitchen, modern amenities such as a steam room, as well as a full basement with laundry room.

Here's a street view of the pre-war townhouse, courtesy of Google Maps. Check out that whimsical staircase!

The French posters are courtesy of Belsito's wife: "She's a romantic. The African masks are her doing too."

Source: The New York Times

The renovated kitchen includes a full breakfast bar.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Just because the weather's getting colder doesn't give you an excuse to neglect your fashion sense. 

Although the workplace has become more casual, your ensemble still plays a role in the way you're perceived, says Tiffiny Dixon, the founder of MEO, a fashion consultancy. 

"You want to wear something empowering," she says. "When you look empowered, you feel empowered, and you'll perform better in your job."

"During the winter, you should avoid the urge to be overly casual as you're layering up."

There are some basic rules to follow, no matter if you work on Wall Street or at a startup.

To convey Dixon's tips, we've asked some of our colleagues at Business Insider to model for us.

Clusterstock Editor Linette Lopez models her winter dress coat, which is something everyone should invest in, says Tiffiny Dixon, founder of fashion consultancy MEO. "Wearing a suit with a ski parka is not going to work."

To protect long pants, go for a nice pair of boots, like what Clusterstock Reporter Julia La Roche is wearing here. "You don't want a damp, soggy hem," Dixon says.

Money Game Editor Sam Ro is wearing a nice pair of leather shoes. Dixon says this is a great investment, because the leather will protect your shoes from snow and rain.

Please follow Careers on Twitter and Facebook.

Climb behind the wheel of the new apple-green 2013 Continental GT Speed, and whatever notions you have about driving a Bentley go out the powered window.

The car will make you grin from ear to ear—and that gleeful feeling ratchets up on Germany’s infamous Autobahn, where speed limits matter little. The $215,000 Continental GT Speed (bentleymotors.com) can hit 205 miles per hour, but traffic concerns constrained us to a comfortable 140 miles per hour.

Check out the other ultra-fast cars >

The two-door sedan boasts a six-liter, twin-turbo W-12 engine and can sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds. You won’t, however, feel like a rocket man—the super-smooth ride made it feel as though we were well below an American speed limit.

Our road trip began after a night’s stay at the elegant Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich (Promenadeplatz 2–6; 49-89-21-20-0; bayerischerhof.de). The next destination was the InterContinental Resort overlooking Berchtesgaden (Hintereck 1; 1-800-652-3705; ichotelsgroup.com), an area famous for being Adolf Hitler’s Alpine retreat.

The InterContinental is built on the site of a villa once owned by Nazi henchman Hermann Göring. Though some scribes have dubbed travel to Berchtesgaden a trip to “evil mountain,” 50 years of allied occupation seems to have quieted the ghosts of World War II. The hotel is lovely and home to some stunning views.

Back on the road, we realized there are few seats more luxurious for enjoying the Bavarian countryside than the one in the Bentley GT Speed.

The cabin interior features diamond-quilted, perforated leather on all four seats, door trims and rear-quarter panels. An eight-inch touch screen controls navigation and entertainment options, among them an impressive 11-speaker setup from Naim, the British audio company.

The return trip included a detour through parts of the Austrian Alps, where the car exhibited superb handling capabilities, particularly in the sport mode, on the windy road leading to a delicious coffee-and-strudel break across the border at the Feuriger Tatzlwurm Hotel Resort & Spa (D-83080 Oberaudorf; 49-80-34-3008-0; tatzlwurm.de), which is named for a mythical cat-size Alpine dragon and located in Oberaudorf, Germany. Everyone smiled as the Continental GT Speed pulled away, and while the car does indeed take the cake (or, in this case, strudel?), Bentley doesn’t have a lock on fast autos.

Take a look at these other models—from the likes of Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and Jaguar—and hit the road.

Check out the other ultra-fast cars >

More from Departures:

World's Most Thrilling Drives >

Unforgettable Road Trips >

Here's To Luxury Cars >

Audi S8

You might think that driving the Audi S8 ($110,000), with its top speed of 155 miles per hour and ability to zoom from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, would be frustrating under the constraints of a 40 miles per hour speed limit.

But if the roads are curvy like those around Bear Mountain in New York’s lower Hudson Valley, the experience is still vastly entertaining.

The Audi S-Series (S6, S7 and S8) offers sportier versions of the German automaker’s A-Class cars. What makes the S8 fun to drive is the adaptive air suspension.

The comfort mode keeps things, well, comfortable; switch to the dynamic mode and find a four-door sedan that handles like a sports car. The difference is most notable on the bigger S8, but the S7 and S6 employ the same technology.

The S8 packs a V-8 engine, which is smaller than previous incarnations but offers 16 percent more power at 520 hp.

These S-Class cars also use a great fuel-conservation trick: At highway speeds, four of the eight cylinders deactivate—a move that leaves no audible impression, thanks to some very sophisticated noise-cancellation technology.

audiusa.com.

2014 Corvette

The 2014 incarnation of the new Corvette won’t be unveiled until January 13, 2013, but it is already creating a buzz, thanks to a new direct–fuel injection engine that some observers say is comparable to that of a Porsche 911.

Called the L1, the new 6.2-liter V-8 engine offers 450 hp, 450 foot-pounds of torque and acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds.

Perhaps just as remarkable is the projected fuel consumption—in excess of 26 miles per gallon on the highway.

gm.com.

Jaguar F-Type Convertible

Jaguar’s new F-Type two-seat convertible hits the streets next summer, with the rear-drive car offered in three configurations: a standard F-Type (from $69,000) with a supercharged V-6 engine with 340 hp; a sport version (from $81,000) that boosts the V-6 to 380 hp; and a supercharged V-8 with 495 hp (from $92,000).

Features include a deployable rear spoiler and hidden door handles, and the top goes up in 12 seconds.

jaguarusa.com.

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Of the world's big emerging markets, China is widely seen as the most significant and reliable engine for growth, even despite its recent slowdown.

Meanwhile, India has been a disappointment with its infrastructure problems and notoriously slow bureaucracy.

But legendary economist Gary Shilling tells us not to write India off just yet.

In the latest edition of his must-read newsletter Insights, Shilling makes a brilliant bullish case for India.

"In the long run, India has many advantages for economic development, especially compared to China, thanks in part to the systems and traditions left over from British colonial rule," wrote Shilling.

Of course, he warns that India faces many setbacks on this path and needs to implement reforms, improve education and infrastructure, speed up urbanization.

But India has the foundation in place to eclipse China.

India has no limits on population growth

As of 2011, India had a population of 1.24 billion, compared with 1.34 billion in China. And with China's one-child policy, India's population is set to overtake China's.

Moreover, the age distribution in both countries is very different. The dependency ratio i.e. the ratio of children and seniors to the working-age population is expected to continue to fall in India and rise in China. Of course this would only translate into more productivity if the population got education, job training, and job opportunities.

Source: A Gary Shilling's Insight

India's demographic mix will continue to be much more favorable than China's

India has historically had more free market orientation than China

In the years following independence, Indian politics were dominated by the Congress party which tried to emulate the Soviet Union, nationalizing many industries in the 50s and causing foreign investment to decline. But starting 1991, the country shifted towards liberalization and capitalism.

"Nevertheless, India has historically had a much more free market orientation than some other large developing countries, notably Russia and China." State controlled companies account for 14 percent of GDP in India, compared with 50 percent in China.

"India also has a number of large and sophisticated companies such as the Tata complex that can compete globally. In contrast, China is burdened with government-controlled banks and other hugely-inefficient state-owned enterprises that still produce 50% of GDP and employ a quarter of the workforce."

Source: A Gary Shilling's Insight

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

Untapped New York is a proud to be a partner of Let’s Go, with our shared vision for off-the-beaten path exploration in your own city and while traveling.

See the best "untapped" places in NYC >

To launch the collaboration, we curated a list of our top “Untapped” places from our home base in New York City.

These are all tried and true urban exploration sites that we’ve gone behind the scenes to cover on Untapped New York.

How many have you been to? What others would you add to the list?

1. The TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport

Decommissioned in 2001 after the construction of the Jet Blue terminal, this cathedral to aviation by Eero Saarinen fills you with the pride and optimism the aviation industry had in the 1960s. Preservation efforts have saved it from the wrecking ball and there are proposals to turn the TWA Flight Center into a hotel.

2. High Line Section 3

In the concrete jungle that is New York, it’s surprising to see nature in its chaotic, uncontrolled form.

The celebrated High Line still has a section yet to be converted into a park and you can sneak onto it if you know where to enter. Groundbreaking happened earlier this year on this sectio, which will become part of the Hudson Yards development, so see it soon.

3. Doyers Street Tunnel

On notorious Doyers Street in Chinatown, nicknamed “The Bloody Angle” because the curvilinear street enabled gangs to creep up on each other, you can still visit one of the tunnels which enabled some escapes.

One entrance to the tunnel is in the middle of Doyers Street, near the the trendy bar Apotheke, and takes you out into Confucius Plaza on Bowery.

The tunnel is populated by small businesses, ranging from medicinal shops, employment agencies, travel agencies, law firms and reflexology.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

It should go without saying that the perfect gift isn’t the same for everyone: There are men hoping for cologne and women longing for power tools.

But that doesn’t stop us from having some fun and a contest around truly horrible gifts. Today’s post is about bad gifts for women – tomorrow it will be the boys’ turn.

Those five lame gifts aren’t the only ones that will disappoint.

Before you hit the check-out lane, check out this year’s list of the 15 worst gifts for women.

1. Any appliance she didn’t ask for

Unless she specifically asked for a waffle maker or blender, don’t buy her one.

Even women who enjoy cooking don’t want to feel it’s expected.

2. Clothes

Clothes are a no-no for several reasons.

There’s the size issue – if you get her something too big, she’ll probably be offended; if you get her something too small, she might feel bad about herself.

There’s also the style issue.

If a wardrobe makeover is what she wants, make a nice card promising to take her on a shopping spree with your cash.

3. A framed picture of yourself

This “gift” is strangely common, based on personal experience and its presence on almost every “worst gifts” list out there.

Nothing says you’re self-absorbed like a framed photo of yourself posing like a model.

And the picture of yourself when you were 6 years old? That’s not cute either.

Better idea? A picture of the two of you doing something memorable.

Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Alan Levenson, chief economist for T. Rowe Price, has put together an excellent primer on the state of the U.S. economy and the outlook for 2013.

"The good things that are happening are in the private sector of the economy, where there's been a great deal of restructuring and adjustment in the wake of the financial crisis that internally self-regenerating part of the recovery gaining traction," says Levenson.

"The not good is the uncertainty, and particularly in the policy and the external arena that continues to apply a brake on growth, and this has to do with uncertainty over the fiscal cliff, the fact that we're tightening fiscal policy at all levels of government, and uncertainties in the global environment, and so that I net this out to a not very inspiring outlook for next year."

What follows is a very quick and concise overview of the economy.

Thanks to T. Rowe Price for giving us permission to feature this presentation.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

IBM researchers are exploring new inventions and trends that will change every aspect of your life—everything from your health to your commute.

They just released their annual "Five in Five" year-end predictions, in which they name five crazy-sounding technologies that will be ordinary in five years.

The predictions they made in 2007 for 2012 were spot on—for example, voice-controlled cars and mobile payments. So we looked back at IBM's past predictions to see what they anticipate coming to fruition between 2013 and 2017.

When will your PC or smartphone be able to smell things?

By 2017, smartphones will have a sense of smell

Tiny sensors that can "smell" can be built into smartphones and other mobile devices.

Those traces of chemical compounds can be fed to a powerful cloud app, detecting everything from carbon monoxide to the flu virus.

As a result, if you sneeze, the phone can tell you if you are getting sick.

When will data centers heat our cities?

Please follow SAI: Enterprise on Twitter and Facebook.

The adorable frog to the right is one of several great new species just announced in the World Wildlife Federation's annual Greater Mekong survey.

See the species >

In all, there were 126 new species (82 plants, 13 fish, 21 reptiles, 5 amphibians and 5 mammals) discovered in the region in 2011, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan.

Check out the Extra Terrestrial report [PDF] for more information on 10 of these great species. The WWF hopes to spur conservation by highlighting the diversity of amazing species in the area. 

"While the 2011 discoveries affirms the Mekong as a region of astonishing biodiversity, many new species are already struggling to survive in shrinking habitats," Nick Cox, of the WWF, said in a press release. "Only by investing in nature conservation, especially protected areas, and developing greener economies, will we see these new species protected and keep alive the hope of finding other intriguing species in years to come."

A dazzling new miniature fish, named Borarus naevus, was recently discovered in southern Thailand. Called the "fantastically colored fish," it measures just 15 to 20 millimeters long, and is named after the large blotch on its body (the Latin naevus means blemish).

A new species of snake called the ruby-eyed green pit viper (Trimeresurus rubeus) has been discovered in forests near Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park is a stronghold for Trimeresurus rubeus, which inhabits a rather small geographic range, where pressures on forests are high.

This sweet singing frog (Gracixalus quangi) chirps like a bird! While most male frogs attract females with repetitive croaks, this little guy spins a new tune each time. No two calls are the same, and each individual mixes clicks, whistles and chirps in a unique order. It was discovered in the high-altitude forests of northern Vietnam.

Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.

When Apple introduced a front-facing camera on its iPhone 4 in 2010, it was supposed to usher in a new form of mobile communication.

It did. Sort of.

Unfortunately, FaceTime didn't work over cellular data connections, so you had to connect to Wi-Fi to use it.

Tango luckily launched its iPhone app a few short weeks after the iPhone 4's launch and its ability to let you video chat over cell networks proved more than valuable.

The app was recently updated to support a push to talk feature, sort of like those old Nextel phones. Besides push to talk, users can make voice calls, text, video chat, and send multimedia messages.

What's unique about Tango is that the service is strong on iOS, but the company is more dedicated to Android. It also has apps on  Windows Phone and PCs. Tango supports more than 2,000 Android devices and is the 12th most-downloaded app in all categories.

Tango is free and available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and PC.

After you download the app in your respective app store you'll want to launch it by tapping the orange icon.

Tango is a great way to communicate either over voice, video, text or photos.

Once you're inside, you'll have to give the app access to your contacts.

Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has had quite the year. 

Christie rose to national prominence as a Republican firebrand with a penchant for saying exactly what's on his mind.

It's a habit that has infuriated Democrats, and even irked members of his own party, some of whom claim his last-week campaign embrace of President Barack Obama during superstorm Sandy cost Mitt Romney the election.

From his Jersey Shore boardwalk brawl to the Twinkie jokes, we've compiled some of the best moments from Christie's breakout year. 

He read Matthew Silverman's illustrated history of the New York Mets and "The Reagan Diaries."

Town hall meetings became a key part of Christie's effort to sell Jersey residents on his 10 percent income tax cut. Here he is at a town hall meeting in January.

He delivered a eulogy for Republican Assembly Leader Alex DeCroce in January, who tragically collapsed and died at the New Jersey Statehouse.

Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.

Recently, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen said that he believed in the value of college, but mostly for math-based majors like engineering, rather than "softer stuff," like English. 

"I'm sure it's fun, but the average college graduate with a degree in something like English is going to end up working in a shoe store,"he said.

There are many exceptions to that idea. People who have majored in English, sociology, history, and everything in between have been hugely successful in business, government, and technology. 

Some went on to earn higher degrees, while others started out at the bottom rungs of their companies, as copywriters and sales representatives, before rising all the way to the top.

Here are 30 people who prove that success is about the person, not the major. 

Mitt Romney, Bain Capital CEO and English major at Brigham Young University

Mitt Romney acquired a multimillion dollar fortune running private equity firm Bain Capital. His success in business was a popular selling point during his 2012 presidential campaign.

But he didn't get that background from an undergraduate degree. He actually graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in English before going on to Harvard to get his MBA and J.D.

Peter Thiel, 20th century philosophy major at Stanford University

Thiel was the co-founder and CEO of PayPal. He currently serves as president of Clarium Capital, and as a managing partner at venture capital firm, the Founder's Fund. He was the first outside investor in Facebook.

Despite his well-publicized criticism of higher education, Thiel got his undergraduate degree in 20th Century Philosophy at Stanford in 1989, and a law degree in 1992. His pronounced libertarian streak came out at the school, and he co-founded the conservative/libertarian Stanford Review newspaper in 1987. 

Carly Fiorina, Ex-HP CEO and medieval history and philosophy major at Stanford University

Carly Fiorina was president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Company from 1999 to 2005 and served as chairman of the board from 2000 to 2005. 

In addition to her undergraduate history and philosophy degree, which she earned in 1976, she holds an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, and an M.S. in Business from MIT's Sloan School.

Please follow War Room on Twitter and Facebook.

Have you heard that the world may be ending December 21?

The date marks the end of the Mayan calendar, and believers are predicting the demise of earth.

If the end really is near, you might as well have some fun.

We've rounded up the biggest and best "end of the world" celebrations happening in New York City this Friday.

Know of a party we missed? Let us know at thelife@businessinsider.com.

Beaumarchais

409 West 13th St.

The restaurant/club is planning an end of the world dinner party on the night of December 21st with music by resident DJ Jacques Dumas.

For all those who make it to the next day, it's also throwing a "survival brunch" with food, booze, and music the morning after.

Hudson Terrace

621 West 46 St.

If you're too spooked to leave home on December 21, venture out to Hudson Terrace's "Beats & Booze" party to celebrate the end of the world on Dec. 20.

DJ Lulo & Bones will be spinning. Tickets to the bash, hosted by iAdventure.com, are $30 and available online.

The Bowery Hotel

335 Bowery

Finish off your stay on earth with a bit of culture at The Bowery Hotel's end of the world party at 7 p.m. on December 21.

The party, which is free of charge (register here), will feature comedian Seth Herzog, singer/songwriter Rhett Miller, Mario the Magician, DJs Brooke Williams and Chris Sgroe, and an art-filled gallery with apocalypse-inspired paintings and sculptures.

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

Getting into a top school used to be all you needed to become successful.

But times have changed.

“Your choices in college matter more than your choices of college,” say Peter D. Feaver, Sue Wasiolek, and Anne Crossman, authors of Getting The Best Out Of College in a Q&A with Freakonomics. 

We compiled tips from Feaver, Wasiolek, and Crossman, along with other experts, on how students can get the most out of their college experience.

A 'designer degree' is not as important as most people think.

Too many students focus on the name of their alma mater rather than the choices they do or don’t make while they’re there, say Feaver, Wasiolek and Crossman. While it may seem important to get a brand name degree, it may not be as important as most think.

What's more important is what students choose to do during college. According to the Huffington Post, the extracurricular activities, internships, and jobs you have during and between semesters “are the things that will truly contribute to a depth of self-discovery, transforming college students into adults with not only education, but confidence, job skills and a global perspective.”

Get to know your professors before they get too busy to know you.

Feaver, Wasiolek and Crossman call your professors the “heartbeat” of your undergraduate institution, so you should invest as much time as possible in your relationships with them. Sooner is better than later, as they are more likely to become swamped with grading and assignments halfway through the semester.

Your professor is more than just a teacher. He can serve as a great mentor, can guide you through life at your college, and can introduce you to others who may serve as valuable resources. After graduation, be sure to keep in touch with your college professors, who will likely have many connections to others who can help you launch your career.

Take classes out of the realm of your major.

Branch out and take a class in an obscure topic that interests you. This will make you think differently and potentially inspire you in the future in unexpected ways.

“Taking interesting classes reminded me of Steve Jobs talking about how he went to calligraphy class, which ended up influencing the typography for Apple," Kim says. 

Please follow Careers on Twitter and Facebook.

John Linehan, director of U.S. Equities for T. Rowe Price, recently presented his 2013 Investment & Economic Outlook to the Princeton Club of New York.

Linehan is somewhat flummoxed by the strong performance of global markets given tepid U.S. growth, vulnerability to adverse macroeconomic shocks from the E.U. or China, and lingering uncertainty caused by the Fiscal Cliff.

Looking forward, he sees 2013 as a "tug of war" between many material (and obvious) headwinds and tailwinds.  But overall, he remains bullish, primarily because he believes "that valuation remains the key for U.S. equity market performance, and valuation is reasonable. Corporate fundamentals are improving."

What follows is a quick look at the state of the markets and what investors should look forward to in 2013.

Thanks to T. Rowe Price for giving us permission to feature this presentation.

Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.

A new crop of supermodels is ready to take over the world.

The 18 models we selected went from obscurity to near-ubiquity in a very short time period.

Some models got their big breaks in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, while others relied on cosmetic campaigns or the Victoria's Secret runway.

The up-and-comers also reveal growing diversity of the fashion industry. A Chinese model is making her country proud by breaking into the profession like no one else. Curvy models are also making an entrance like never before.

Their beautiful faces and flawless figures earn them millions of dollars a year.

Dree Hemingway, 25, is the great-granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway. She's appeared in campaigns for H&M, Chanel and Valentino. She's also appeared in a variety of independent films and music videos.

Karlie Kloss, the 20 year old bombshell stole our hearts at this years Victoria's Secret fashion show. She's also done campaigns for Juicy Couture and Mercedes.

Frida Gustavsson, is a beautiful 19-year-old Swedish model who has already starred in campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Prada and H&M.

Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

In a crystal-clear indication of how much parity defines the 2012 NFL season, here were the combined records of the teams in last week's power rankings in this week's games:

• Top 10: 5-5
• Middle 12: 6-6
• Bottom 10: 5-5

Amazing.

As we steam toward the playoffs, there are 16 teams vying for 12 spots.

Click here to see the rankings >

Once again, here's how we came up with them.

We took our rankings from last week and moved teams up and down based on the following criteria:

• A win: up 2 spots
• A loss: down 1 spot
• A loss by 10+ points: down 2 spots
• A win against a top-5 team from the week before: up 2 spots
• A win against a top-12 team from the week before (aka, a playoff team): up 1 spot
• Covering the point spread: up 1 spot
• A winning record: up 1 spot
• A losing record: down 1 spot

1. Denver Broncos (#2 last week): Beat the Ravens

Record: 11-3

Biggest thing we learned this week: Even though Denver has only lost once since September, they desperately needed a signature win. They got that with a solid W over Baltimore on the road.

2. San Francisco 49ers (#3 last week): Beat the Patriots

Record: 10-3-1

Biggest thing we learned this week: Colin Kaepernick is great, but he's he hasn't revolutionized the QB position in San Francisco the way some people say he has.

3. Houston Texans (#4 last week): Beat the Colts

Record: 12-2

Biggest thing we learned this week: JJ Watt isn't regressing. He had his best game of the year with three sacks and six tackles for a loss in a meaningful bounce-back win for Houston.

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Even though the fashion discount website StreetWearDeals only launched on December 3rd, it already has a solid following.

"Our fan base is rabid. Some sites have visitors coming three times a week, but we have people coming three times a day and spending an average of 7 page views on our website," says Dejan Pralica, the site's founder. "That's not the norm for a new company."

Click here to jump right to the 2013 looks >>

The early success is thanks in large part to the website's predecessor and sister site, KicksDeals, which launched a year ago in November.

KicksDeals, much like StreetWearDeals, is dedicated to finding the best price on designer goods around the internet for their 20-something readers. Both reach out to select brands and retailers directly, and try to get the most exclusive and steep discounts available.

And the websites really feed off and expand on one another — KicksDeals is all about sneakers, whereas StreetWearDeals is fashion from the feet up.

"People aren't looking for the bargain, they're not looking for the $20 sneaker," Pralica explains. "They're looking for the $150 sneakers or the $200 jacket that they can get for half off. They're looking for the high end at the medium tier price."

Their target audience is 20-something, stylish, urban males — which makes StreetWearDeals a uniquely good fit for its partner, the Complex Media Network. It's a cross-promotional relationship where Complex Magazine can associate itself with brands sold on StreetWearDeals such as OBEY, 10.Deep, BLVCK SCVLE, and Billionaire Boys Club. And StreetWearDeals has access to Complex's reader base.

And that's a huge part of the company model — giving the readers what they're searching for. The men behind StreetWearDeals are 20-something guys themselves who are not only looking for the best deals, but the best brands and styles for the Complex Magazine and StreetwearDeals audience.

Both continue to grow with the readers, and listen to the consumer feedback. StreetwearDeals in particularly often reaches out through social media to its followers to ask what brands, styles, and looks they're trying to find. "We're your buddy that wants to find you awesome deals, not that kind of press release tone," says Pralica. Which makes StreetwearDeals on the pulse of what its audience is looking for.

So what trends are they seeing for 2013? "It's heavily Americana-influenced," explains Complex writer Justin Korkidis. "Camo, military peacoats, and a whole lot of basics. Subtlety is really key."

They shared some of their favorite looks for the new year.

Diamond Supply Co City Cuff Beanie

Winter is beanie season, but stay away from looking like your 16-year-old self by choosing one that's both good quality and not your average black hat, like this maroon Diamond Supply Co example.

Price:$21 (originally $30)

Publish Silmore Trench Jacket 

Trenches are a classic staple that every guy should really own, but this asymmetrical zippered jacket kicks the classic up a notch.

The army green color and oversized fit keep it casual, but the asymmetrical zipper and custom buttons are fashion-forward and aesthetically surprising.

Price:$74 (originally $148)

BLVCK SCVLE Banded Cobra Button down 

This BLVCK SCVLE oxford shirt takes a regular button down and updates it by adding a trippy geometric pattern. Pair with neutrals to keep it office appropriate, or with colorful sneakers on your days off.

Price:$54 (originally $72.90)

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.