Dress your new iPhone to impress

Apple has done it again with the iPhone 5. It is a beautiful device. But since it's also the best-selling device in history, you need to make yours stand out from the crowd. Even though the phone is in its infancy, a slew of cases are already on the market.

The classiest iPhone 5 case available is a sleek leather casing by J. Crew. It’s plain and unobtrusive. It’s soft to the touch and on the eyes. It won’t make your iPhone much thicker than it already is, and the case provides the necessary grip, so your new baby doesn’t slip out of your hands like a bar of soap.

The case is available for pre-order at jcrew.com for $38, in three different flavors: brown leather, rustic red, and black saffiano. A neutral shade of leather goes with any outfit ensemble and keeps your iPhone feeling sturdy and safe in style.

But if the classic feel of leather isn’t your thing, you might want to go for a real fashion statement: carved wood. Dutch company Miniot specializes in wooden tech cases, and they’ve just released their iPhone 5 iteration.

The case is slick and thin, hugging your iPhone 5 like a glove and giving it a solid grip. All of the buttons are recreated out of wood, and all of the ports, microphones and speakers are left accessible. As if this weren’t a statement enough, you can also have any design or phrase you want laser-etched into the back. And you get to choose from seven different types of wood, from Padouk to Walnut to Oak.

Although a Miniot case will set you back $103 and won’t necessarily add a secure layer of protection, it will tell the world that you like nice things, and that you are a person worth talking to. If this case isn’t a conversation piece, then nothing is.

But if you prefer function over form, you’ll want something more practical. And that’s where the Crossover comes in, which has virtually redefined how a case relates to its phone.

The Crossover, which has been announced on Fab.com, consists of just two silicone bands, affixed to opposite corners over the back of the device to create a thick “X”. This isn’t intended to absorb energy if the device is dropped or help with scratch prevention. Instead, it’s made so that you can store credit cards, bus passes, cash, etc. on the back of your phone.

It adds a splash of color with a ton of utility. We always have our phones with us, so why not combine it with our wallet?
If you want a cheap, bare minimum option to keep scrapes off of your phone and style in your pocket, take a look at the simple hard shells by Proporta for $19.95.

The iPhone 5 is a gorgeous device. But your iPhone is just like the other billion of them out there—unless you dress it up, that is.

Whether you want form and function or just want to use your case to strike up a conversation, there are plenty of ways that you can dress your shiny new device to impress.