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.