Kiki Niesten in Maastricht

One of the best shops in Holland, Kiki Niesten in the Stokstraat in Maastricht

Lanvin dress

The river Maas

The Bobbel - the cosiest café in town

Lanvin Mary Janes

About Piet Mondriaan and Isabel Marant Étoile

The local train station has chosen these wise words to decorate the walls:

"Convention, a type of memory, is the biggest obstacle to the enjoyment of life and art"

Piet Mondriaan

I took that to mean I should buy shoes I would never usually choose - these very heavily discounted boots by Isabel Marant Étoile.

Almost Five Years Of I Love Fashion

I am five years older, but despite the new wrinkles those years have etched into my face, I thought I looked surprisingly much like my 12-year old self the other day. Maybe it's the hair cut or the goody-two-shoes look in my eyes, or maybe even the freckles on my nose. I suppose after the filters erased all the distractions of age, all that was left is my expression, and maybe that part of our self never changes.

Holland is warm for the time of year, but the skies are beautiful as always.

I bought this J.Crew coat the day before I left Hong Kong, but it is far too warm to wear it. It's surely going to be a favorite though, the fit and fabric are so lovely. Currently on sale in Hong Kong at the IFC mall.

My hands look a hundred years old in this country where even in a mild winter central heating is always present. Makes me realize how lovely tropical humidity works for skin. Two current favorite rings, Claire's Accessories on the left and J.Crew on the right.

The Dutch magazines are full of Imaan Hamman, a Dutch/Maroccan/Egyptian model. She is mesmerizing and her success in the fashion world has made me think of what multiculturalism means today (when the scariest man in America, Donald Trump, may possibly be the next president of the United States).

Sometimes in the past five years I have doubted this medium: a blog on the internet feels positively ancient nowadays. But then today I checked my Instagram (@hendricahubertina) and I had several sponsored messages on my feed, and I thought, maybe the my little old blog is not that bad after all. At least for the past five years you (lovely) readers have never had to deal with advertisements on my site.

Even though this year has been my least diligent year in terms of total amount of posts I still love doing this and I hope to continue I LOVE FASHION for many years to come... because I will always love fashion - that's one tiny little thing in this vast confusing world I actually know for sure.

The Alberta Ferretti Windows On Sloane Street

Two days ago the windows were beautifully white, which looked gorgeous with the antique gold of the lamp and the necklace.

And then tonight the three white dresses had been changed to dramatic black - I think these are my favorite windows in London so far.

Happy Christmas From London

London looks light and bright at nighttime - maybe because the sky has been white as snow for a few days now.

Whiter than the white stucco houses in Knightsbridge. By the way, the very British looking vintage car has Russian writing on it. I wonder what it says. Anyone?

Chanel always makes for an attractive holiday display.

Harrods with Brompton Road visible on the right.

Amanda Brooks' Blog Is Back!

I think it's been back for a few months but for some ridiculously strange reason I didn't know until yesterday. It is ridiculously strange when you take into account how obsessively I love Amanda Brooks' books and instagram. I even have stalker thoughts, like how we would be besties the minute we met - yes for real !!%*(@##??!

Here in Hong Kong I have two friends a few houses down who went to uni with Amanda and I constantly ask them questions about her (which I must stop doing). But don't take my word for it - check her out for yourself HERE.

an outfit inspired by Amanda's style

Club Monaco cashmere cardigan

COS wrap skirt (this season)

H&M shirt (this season)

J.Crew shoes

Bag from Shenzhen

What I love about Amanda's country style is that nothing is ever perfectly ironed. She is serene and regal and perfectly ladylike from the inside out, but then in her outside appearance there is often something imperfect that dominates - maybe it's bare feet, a make-up free face, or a pair of dusty shoes. I am so happy her blog is back. I love people who inspire - I imagine that moment when you feel inspiration rouse, thru a little internal leap of joy, a plan that brews up from your belly, a jolt of energy that opens your eyes - I imagine that moment is really healthy, don't you think?

Hong Kong Is Massively On Sale

and Miu Miu had the best shoes this season - go quick before they're all gone!

A Super Woman Christmas

Martine is a very successful lawyer with four daughters, and also the best dressed woman I have ever met. When I don't know what to wear, I almost always imagine what Martine would pick. Tonight she wore a dress by the Row with a beautiful low back.

Gigi and I had another Shoe-Off and once again Gigi won

The hostess apologized for not wearing new shoes - but who needs new shoes when you have THOSE crystal encrusted Louboutins. No finer shoes will ever be made.

It's been quiet around town all week - view from Kennedy Road

Best dressed guest - this beautiful girl is amazing!  She wore that stunning white skirt and then added another pattern with the black lace top. What an eye for style. Most people would have chosen a plain top, but it is the combination of the two patterns that makes her outfit so spectacular. She was also drop dead gorgeous by the way, and an independent fundraiser for the movie industry.

Christmas Party Season

Enough about cold weather dressing, it's the Christmas Party Season! 

Tonight I will attempt to beat little Gigi in our annual Shoe-Off at her parents' Christmas party. I have been reliably informed Gigi is going for all-out sparkle tonight. Stay tuned for a full report of the evening's shoes.

Is It Possible To Look Good In Cold And Rain?

And the answer is: no, instead stay inside the house, wear a cosy jumper over ankle pants and put your bare feet into some very cute shoes. At least, that's how my favorite catalogue company (along with every online site under the sun) dresses its models for winter.

I am no stranger to dressing without tights or socks even in the harshest New York City winter days. When I worked at Kate Spade we had a rather specific dress code, and socks or tights were not part of that. I would wear boots from West 77th Street on the N/R train down to 28th, and in a dark corner of the lobby I would change my boots for some cute flats and go to work. And why not, I never wear socks at home either, so I quite liked it. That office was full of super cute girls in very cute outfits, and winter was never going to put a damper on the bright young spirit of early Kate Spade.

But I digress. The reason I am thinking about this is because I will be spending a week in London soon, and I don't want to sit around the house, I want to walk around town and be outside even when it rains. And I guess in my ideal vision my outfit will be super cosy and protect me from the elements, and at the same time it will demand instant respect from the staff at Browns and Dover Street Market (Ha!) Can it be done? What do you think? I certainly don't have the wardrobe for it, after living in Hong Kong for the last seven years.

This is what I would love to wear, but then it has to be dry in London in December... which is not so likely.

J.Crew Collection herringbone coat with jeweled collar

J.Crew navy cashmere turtle neck jumper

Zara jeans

E'clat boots bought from Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong*

* in my personal opinion a terribly overpriced store, their shoe department is particularly guilty of selling middle-of-the-road reasonable quality shoes for very posh high end prices - so at 50 per cent off these were still the same price you would buy them for in Europe - I guess that makes me the sucker, but I do really like them and wore them a lot last winter.

Comfort Clothes

I am in the middle of my first proper cold, complete with fever and scary barking cough - so have pulled out my most comfortable clothes ever.

High waisted jeans by Point Sur for J.Crew

Zara cashmere jumper (the softest and thickest cashmere I own, really I am not kidding)

Jacket I had made by a tailor here in Hong Kong

IRO sneakers

Proenza Schouler bag (light as air, cut from the softest leather, with huge back pocket for phone and other things you repeatedly need)

A Few Recent Faves - Highly Recommended For Your Christmas List

This book was a birthday present and I very highly recommend it as a Christmas gift or just a gift to yourself - it's full of funny and serious anecdotes about clothes by hundreds of different women.

And some very good advice (and justification for your next pair of good shoes)...

My husband bought me this locket by Loquet London - mine has initials in it, but you can add birthstones, zodiac signs and many other charms.

J.Crew's Christmas shoes - there are quite a few very cute sparkly and red tartan styles in the IFC store - not crazy expensive but definitely crazy cute.

Charlotte Tilbury's Wonder Glow - this stuff is like a filter for your face before you have even taken your photo - I slather it on like there's no tomorrow.

A pair of old school sunglasses - the RayBan Caravan. I was reminded of the existence of these classic beauties while watching the movie Aloha, in which Emma Stone wears them. I bought some in Los Angeles and have not worn another pair since. Super highly recommended.

Indulging In A Birthday Ramble And Recommending Garance Doré

Birthdays inevitably inspire reflection - reflection on shallow things like wrinkles and freckles (at what point are they considered liver spots?) and sometimes the more introspective kind, usually when a 9 has suddenly appeared in your new age.

I did a bit of both. My hands are full of the most darling freckles I have discovered, and freckles they shall be forever. And this year I felt pretty accomplished because my boy and my girl have become such interesting and funny and sweet little humans - and I hope I had a tiny little bit to do with that. After Paris last week it is even more clear to me that we have to appreciate all the tiny little pleasures and kindnesses of life right now in this very moment.

Over the last few weeks a Dutch expression has kept popping up in my head: Je moet mensen in hun waarde laten - which roughly means that every person deserves a level of respect, and deserves to be treated with dignity. It seems terribly irrelevant and old fashioned today, such courtesy, so I am making it my 2016 resolution to keep talking to my children about such values so that these important victories of civilization don't quietly disappear.

Last week my friend Denise organized a gorgeous lunch at Café Gray, on the 49th floor of the Upper House Hotel. I looked around me a few times at the beautiful warm smiles dancing in my direction and I felt utterly sure right in that moment that a sincere smile is the most beautiful thing about any woman. One of my presents was Garance Doré's book Love Style Life. If you love fashion or even if you don't, you must read this book. It's going to inspire you, I promise, and I know Garance agrees with me about the smiles.

Is this the most charming birthday card ever, or what? From Sugar Paper in Los Angeles, find them HERE.

Garance's super useful chapter on how to hide your liver spots look good on camera.

The Grey Culottes From Yesterday With Sneakers

the shirt was a super lucky find at J.Crew - it's J.Crew Collection, beautifully embroidered and I found it on double sale (40 % off of 40 % off) in the Santa Monica shop

Shirt J.Crew

Sneakers IRO Paris

Culottes COS

Culotte Love At COS

COS is THE place for culottes.

Grey ankle length with center crease

Navy just below the knee with a really wide leg

Black with creases ironed in all around the fullness of the leg (these are full length on me so technically not culottes but on a super model they would be)

I was a doubter for a few seasons but now I am positively addicted to the comfort, ease, and flowiness of culottes. And they go with pretty much any shoes I own (flats, heels, sneakers), although I haven't figured out how to do boots with them. Anyway, for a reasonable price you can pick some up at COS, they have heaps.

Here's the navy ones from an earlier post

November 17, 2015 on Lugard Road

very hot and sticky day in Hong Kong

More Christmas in Hong Kong

lights are up in front of the IFC mall

and inside Lane Crawford all the most festive shoes and bags have come out to play

Edie Parker clutches for the merry season

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

I LOVE PARIS

It's Christmas At Lane Crawford

And that's good enough for me. Two days ago we saw a truck full of Christmas trees in the Cross Harbour Tunnel. It's gotta be only a matter of days now before they show up at my local Marketplace. Who cares if Thanksgiving is not even close. It's Christmas at Lane Crawford, and that's good enough for me.

A Huge Apology For Not Posting - I Went To LA

I would have normally posted - but thought my mum would be worried, with the recent plane crashes and all. So I am posting now that I am safely back home in Hong Kong.

I went on a birthday trip with two friends - LA is always a good idea.

And Fall in America is the best season.

We shopped a lot - my favorite haul was from Anine Bing's brand new spacious shop.

Spent a good amount of time in LV - look at the stunning terrace they have attached to their shop. Click on it to see the Hollywood hills in the background.

And Nicholas Ghesquiere's shoes are out-of-this-world beautiful.

If you have not been in Gucci for a while, go check it out. The clothes are so exciting and colorful. I could spent a week in there.

We had a good long rummage through Dior on Rodeo and Raf Simons' designs for the company are so beautiful up close, that I felt quite sad he is leaving. Some designers are at their best when they interpret another company's spirit, in other words when they have to work with parameters. I am not saying Raf Simons is such a designer, but he certainly was brilliant at interpreting Dior for today.

His fabrics are featherlight and relatively casual, but cut into shapes with such a feminine effect that they seem richer than the finest silk. He has made Dior the perfect choice for a (rich) modern millennial girl.

We went to Malibu and the Malibu Farm café, had some coffee/wine and sheltered from the storm.

A storm that then turned into a perfect golden sunset complete with rainbow.

Aviator Nation was by far the funnest shop we visited.

The sweatshirts are softer than anything you have ever worn.

The 1970s have never died at this the hippie surf haven staffed by two gorgeous Austrayans/Australians.

After a glorious week in LA, time to go home. LA was such a good idea.