Treasure from the bottom of my wardrobe

Wardrobe clean-up treasure: pointy snake leather slingbacks with low heel and red lining. That's 5 shoe trends right there in one dusty old shoe box.

Love that clash

photo from www.elle.com

I love how Bianca Brandolini d'Adda takes two busy clashing patterns and ends up looking super cool.

5 must-haves in pictures

                       Nina Ricci skirt via www.vogue.com                       Marc Jacobs top via www.vogue.com

Phillip Lim trousers via www.vogue.com

Vionnet lace up boots at www.net-a-porter.com

Stella McCartney dress at www.net-a-porter.com

impressions of the season

Favorite things for Fall

This is the time when journalists and bloggers alike start sharing their must-have lists for the season - and I have made one myself. I personally have always had this annoying hang-up that I can only take advice from people who I think are well dressed, or who have style as one might call it slightly pretentiously.

Cathy Horyn did her 5 must-haves for the New York Times, so I looked her up on www.zimbio.com, and although sometimes quite mumsy, I can tell she has a sense of what proportions work, and in a few outfits she manages to look cool enough. So fine, I am listening. 

Her specific examples of items to buy for Fall are Theyskens Theory rust colored corduroy trousers, a bright orange wool Burberry Prorsum jacket, a fitted Celine turtleneck, a 1940s Miu Miu dress and a black Givenchy pump with a gold bangle around the mid foot, creating a Mary Jane effect.

For full disclosure, this is what I am wearing today. One of the few benefits of being an unknown blogger is that there are no pictures of me on www.zimbio.com. So I can manipulate my images with abandon. I like it blurry, and I like to cut off my head and legs. If you think this outfit stinks, don't read on.

Cos jumper, Carven leather skirt, Vicomtesse necklace and Lanvin ring

My items to buy this season:

1) a top in a medium weight fabric with a strong shoulder, either a raglan sleeve or a drop shoulder
2) a pair of roomy men's style tapered trousers - roll them up and wear with heels or flats.
3) a gathered skirt, long if you are Taylor Tomasi Hill or Anja Rubik, for everyone one else stick with somewhere above the knee.
4) a lace up shoe or boot
5) a 60s style knee length dress with a bracelet sleeve.

Images to follow tomorrow.

Journalism versus Blogging

W Magazine has a very interesting article about the current state of newspaper fashion journalism and the influence of blogging on their field.
Suzy Menkes (International Herald Tribune), Hilary Alexander (just retired from the Daily Telegraph), and Guy Trebay (New York Times), among others, give their opinions on the blogging scene, and of course they are not always positive. I totally get that - these people have been doing their thing for a very long time, and have earned their reputations. I think the article leans to the conclusion that journalists are qualified to be writing about fashion, whereas many housewife bloggers are not. Interestingly, W reveals that Hilary Alexander never went to college and that Guy Trebay dropped out of high school, but managed to fall in with Andy Warhol, and let's face it, in New York that buys you credibility for the rest of your life, even if all you ever did was wipe Andy's butt.
There is no doubt in my housewife mind that Hilary and Guy are excellent writers and entirely qualified to be fashion journalists for reputable newspapers, and thankfully, someone a long time ago decided to take a leap of faith and give these very talented people a job.
I think I will do the same for the fashion bloggers, give them a chance and see how they develop.
And as for me, I went to university, did well, graduated, and then went on to FIT, did well, and once again graduated. Aside from that I have been obsessively reading about fashion since I was about 9 years old. I know my bias cuts from my straight grains and my satins from my plain weaves. Rest assured, dear readers, you are safe with me.

Another long skirt and another pic of Anja

Anja is still gorgeous and although maybe the blue denim shirt of the other day was more striking on her, I like how she does a floaty long skirt with a leather jacket and flats. AND the ubiquitous Proenza Schoulder PS1 bag, which btw I don't care for at all. It's an "it" bag, which I don't do in the first place, and it's not one I have ever liked. Sorry to you fans of it. I know it's quite popular. Read JDCamicetta Jane's account of handbag shopping at Jamin Puech in Paris, http://jane-fivegirls.blogspot.com/2011/08/best-line-from-salesperson-ever.html.

Beautiful clothes need a beautiful home

Shirtdress aficionado Minnie Mortimer has a gorgeous place - featured in Vogue, check out more at http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/apt-with-lsd-minnie-mortimer/#/gallery/apt-with-lsd-minnie-mortimer/4.

www.minniemortimer.com

More Taylor Tomasi Hill

She dresses incredibly beautifully and looks so original all the time. It is her job, I guess, but still to pull that off day after day must not be easy. Here she does the impossible - make a long dowdy skirt look super cool. Sorry for picture quality. I literally took a picture of my Mac screen because I wasn't able to otherwise put it on my blog. But it is such a great outfit in my humble opinion, I really wanted you all to see it. And those Vuitton heels!! Regrets.... deep sigh - should have recognized at the time those would be forever great.

Vicarious shopping trip to Barneys

Taylor Tomasi Hill styles Amanda Hearst in a no expense spared shopping trip to Barneys. Watch it at http://vimeo.com/27746446. Makes me wish I was a billionaire publishing heiress too. Or just a plain billionaire. Or maybe a millionaire. Okay I would settle for just one outrageous shopping trip. Anyone out there want to indulge me, give me a call.

How gorgeous is Anja?

New Samples

We are working on this style of earrings - sample due soon

In summer Hong Kong almost seems to come to a complete stop - from the wives' point of view, that is. Many people leave for a long time to visit family back home. But both Nerida and I are back now and thinking about necklaces again. We are working with a new factory, which does extremely professional work, and supplies many famous American costume jewelry companies. We are trying all kinds of new products, bracelets and earrings as well and in different finishes. But when I previously said the new things will be available in August, I may have been a tad optimistic! Still working hard... but would love some feedback. And check out pictures from Nerida's trip to London and S.J. Phillips, the home of the original Anna Wintour Georgian necklaces. Www.nerida1.blogspot.com.
xx

Natural Style

I don't know much about Zoe Saldana (yet - although I have a feeling that's about to change), but I do know she is one of those rare actresses that can actually dress herself. Most manage to a certain extent to look good for red carpet appearances but Zoe always looks great in her every day clothes as well. And for events, she goes a bit more dressy but still with her own edge. Well it turns out Zoe's interest in fashion is not just a hobby - she and fiance Keith Britton have founded an online fashion database, www.myfdb.com, which is meant to be the fashion version of IMBD (the internet movie data base). All pictures from www.zimbio.com.

Marisa Berenson

Looking forward to this one. Marisa Berenson's exquisite style explored by Hamish Bowles - out on 11 October. See www.amazon.co.uk.

Purple and Brick Red

Having done the post about Fashion Mistakes I am particularly keen this season not to make any, so I have spent a good amount of time seeing what's already in my wardrobe. One conclusion is that I am not good at buying easy-to-wear shoes - I have so many colored ones that I have a dedicated purple drawer, for both flats AND heels. But lucky me, I stopped by a fabric agent yesterday and found this purple lace and brick red silk. I think those purple shoes are going to see the light of day soon!

I am wondering if I could go a whole season without buying anything. I guess it would be better in terms of reducing the earth's garbage piles and pollution, but then again not so good for world economy if we all stop buying. There is a movement of people who pledge, for all sorts of reasons, to wear only six items of clothing for a month and share their experiences. Check it out on www.sixitemsorless.com.

Snacking

One of my neighbors is married to a girl who loves her shopping - and I think he properly appreciates beautiful things too. He's one of those guys that always very gallantly compliments you on a small detail of your clothes as you meet them for dinner. I had an interesting conversation with him the other day as he told me about his wife's shopping pattern that very day in London. He said "she's been doing lots of snacking today despite the fact I keep telling her to go ahead and buy herself something very nice". He went on to explain that snacking is buying lots of inexpensive disposable things rather than one beautiful piece of clothing - he said it's not good to be snacking all day, much better to eat a proper meal breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think he's entirely right, and I will always be reminded of that when I peruse the racks at H&M.

Of course my trainer will beg to differ. One must indeed snack between meals, albeit not on Snickers bars. In my effort to look more like Jenny from the Block and less like a housewife just back from a 6-week eating holiday, I have found the best snacks recently - all raw, savory and sweet whole food energy bars, which are so delicious, you can't believe they are so super healthy.  Buy at Great in Pacific Place or check out www.sjluxury.com.

Rag & Bone

I am reading everywhere skinnies are dead. So I am feeling a bit out of touch for loving this Rag & Bone image so much. Picture from www.shopbop.com.

Short Boots

Www.net-a-porter.com is styling lots of their short boots, booties, ankle boots with equally short skirts. Yikes. If you could afford to buy only one piece of fashion this fall, I suppose short boots would be a good bet. There are lots of very nice ones around, and in HK winter they are not too hot either. But how to pull them off without looking like a garden gnome? Many of us don't have the legs of n-a-p's house model - super tall and toned. Www.usmagazine.com asks if nude pantyhose are "hot or not" after both princess Kate and Pippa have been seen wearing them.... Don't go there ever please!! Instead use Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or (gold oil) for a bit of shimmer. Lovely Stephanie introduced me to this product 10 years ago, buy at Sasa or even www.amazon.co.uk.

Shirtdresses are everywhere

Shirtdresses are everywhere this season. Some I love (the denim Etoile Isabel Marant dress on the right for instance), some seem to try too hard to be interesting. A shirtdress is a classic, and really doesn't need fancy design details. Clockwise from left: Proenza Schouler, Etoile Isabel Marant, Boy by Band of Outsiders, and Thom Browne.

All dresses available at www.lagarconne.com

Outfit crush of the day

Isabel Marant jacket at www.net-a-porter.com.

Jewelry this Fall

Costume jewelry shows no signs of retreating. The real stuff is getting bigger as well. I look forward to seeing lots of it around on real people (see JCrew's interpretations below).

JCrew above and below

LA and Art Deco

Now that I am back in HK, suddenly California is everywhere I look and it is making me already homesick for my fave vacation spot. Paris Vogue is showing Fall fashions on the streets of LA in the August issue. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform in HK next week.

I am on a mission to get people to recognize the beauty of LA. Here some of its spectacular art deco architecture. Check out www.laplaces.blogspot.com - a very informative blog from a fellow LA enthusiast. We are growing in numbers :)

LA viewed from the Griffith Observatory

Eastern Columbia Lofts in downtown LA - nice place to live...

Thrift shop with style