Dinner Party Outfit with Isabel Marant, Zara and Gucci

I am keeping it very comfortable (as I am hosting) with jeans, a voluminous shirt (tucked in) and some block heels, but packing on the detail with zips on the jeans, embroidery on the shirt, and gold hardware on the shoes.  Less is more is not on the menu tonight.

(that's lovely morning sunlight in my picture)

Isabel Marant Étoile jeans, find them HERE

Zara shirt, similar HERE

Gucci pumps, same shape, but different detail HERE and HERE

(I love Gucci's crazy shoes!  Pure delicious fantasy, exactly why I love fashion)

Bringing out the Mom Jeans after my third Mini Mango Bonbon this week

The Mini Mango Bonbon at Korean dessert shop Café de Paris est. Korea, 18 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay.  With both kids off school we have been spending a lot of time in Causeway Bay (a teenage favorite for its amazing shopping) and taking too many bonbon breaks.

But nothing like a pair of mom jeans to solve a belly weight problem...

H&M mom jeans (find them HERE)

Zara flower print blouse with bow (from last year but similar HERE)

Chanel bag with studs (last season but similar HERE and HERE, HERE)

J.Crew velvet shoes (last season but similar HERE and HERE)

With Love from Hong Kong

Building Your Fall Wardrobe

I am always quite jealous of those vloggers on youtube who have their capsule wardrobes well settled before we are knee deep in fall foliage.

How wonderful it would be to have a perfectly color coordinated closet with perfectly fitting clothes for all occasions, easily accessible on pretty hangers and brilliant white shelves...

My closet (in our rented house) is big but super ugly.  It's made of cheap poo brown veneer which I should have changed right before we moved in, but I didn't, and now I feel it'll be too disruptive to change it.

I am also beginning to think size is not always an advantage. I'll never be a capsule wardrobe person, but some limits are helpful for a well edited closet.  Like most people, I don't buy a whole new wardrobe every season, instead I add things that will cheer up old favorites, and I buy other things just because I love them and I love change in fashion.  

Unfortunately, they then often disappear behind one of those twelve doors and it is easy to lose track of what you have already bought. 

I have had all this space for nine years now, and typically I've organized the clothes by tops, bottoms, jackets, sweaters, dresses, shoes/handbags.  But this season I am taking on a tip from Amanda Brooks* to hang all my brand new things front and center.  New coats, jackets, jeans, jumpers, shoes, you name it, are now all mixed together on one rack so that I can actually see, wear, and combine the new things with older but still loved items in my wardrobe.

I considered everything I bought since June to be new, as Hong is still warm, and my newish summer clothes can still get a lot of wear.  It's immediately become my favorite spot in my wardrobe, and I can easily see myself losing interest in what is behind the other ten doors. 

This system may become very useful for wardrobe editing in the future.  If you pick all your favorites and put them in one place and you find yourself forgetting about the other stuff,  it may be time for a trip to the charity shop.

My fall 2017:

A few big jumpers

An interesting pair of jeans

A big faux shearling coat

Some ruffled tops

Two silk skirts

An oversized blazer and a dressy blazer

Suede boots, some slip-ons, and a cross-body bag

* from Amanda Brooks' book Always Pack A Party Dress

40 Per Cent Off This Hava Bag (Proenza Schouler) at Forzieri

The other day (Friday) I was searching for Proenza Schouler Hava bags specifically, because I was hoping they would be doing a dark red or brown version this season.  I like using www.shopstyle.com and www.lyst.com for searches like that, and I will usually also have a look on my big three: www.matchesfashion.com, www.net-a-porter.com, and www.mytheresa.com.

Within seconds I found this color listed on www.modaoperandi.com, same bag but the strap was all in red as well. 

The second Hava bag I found in this color had black details on the strap, which I liked better (as it makes it really easy to wear with black shoes).  I clicked on it only to find it was 40 per cent off for a limited time only.  

I wasted no time and neither did the people at Forzieri.  Three hours later the bag had been shipped from Italy and I am sitting here admiring it on Monday morning in Hong Kong.  First experience with www.forzieri.com, but a good one so far.  The only thing that could be an issue is that there is no automatic return slip in my box like you would find with the other online retailers mentioned above. 

But at 40 per cent discount, I am not concerned.  I knew exactly what I wanted and was quite sure I wouldn't need to return it.

Proenza Schouler's designs are intelligent, for lack of a better word.  All styles have back pockets for easy reach of Octopus cards or phones, the straps are always easily adjustable, the hardware is as practical as it is beautiful, and the bags feel featherlight compared to many other popular styles in stores.  These guys are designer's designers: they are never just going to slap a logo on a bag and call it a day.

I am so pleased with this arrival, coming after a weekend reuniting with old friends and my son's arrival home for half term.  A happy Monday from Hong Kong everyone.

Supper Club in Isabel Marant

Late afternoon on Lugard Road.  I had a quick run around the Peak before getting ready to go to Supper Club, which used to be Book Club, until we all stopped reading the books.

Whenever I want to look nice but a bit casual at the same time, I go for Isabel Marant.

This blouse is from last season (HERE), but with my Marant clothes I never worry about seasons. They are remarkably timeless, even though the designer often sets the trends. The fabrics are always of exceptional quality, and this particular top has beautifully detailed accents.

The blouse is from Isabel's main line (a lucky sale buy), but the lower priced Étoile line is also gorgeous.

Have a look HERE.

I don't know how to carry off this J.Crew skirt

J.Crew skirt (HERE)

J.Crew cashmere jumper (HERE)

Chloé shoes (few years old but similar HERE, HERE, and HERE)

The skirt is so bright and ladylike that I feel it has to be casualised.  That's not a word but you know what I mean.  So I am thinking a big jumper (maybe a camel color instead?) and a thick heel or a sneaker.

I don't know, anyone have any advice?  I was seduced by the colors, but maybe I should have slept on it...

Franca: Chaos and Creation

As recently as May 2016 there was a law in Holland which forbids insulting a friendly (i.e. ally) head of state.  Turkish leader (and well known creep) Recep Tayyip Erdogan got insulted by a German comedian and promptly lodged a complaint with the German government.

In the photo above people with gold balloons proudly exercise their right to insult the president on Fifth Avenue in New York.  But by posting this photo, am I breaking the law in Europe?  Just to make it clear, I very much agree with the balloons.

In the documentary Franca: Chaos and Creation, Franca Sozzani's son paints a portrait of his mother, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia.  For me the most interesting aspect of her story is how she managed to create such outrageous, often politically motivated content at such a conventional publishing company.  If you are looking for feminism and girl power in fashion, Franca Sozzani was the real thing.

If she had been able to continue her work (Franca died in December 2016) she would have no doubt participated in the current political debate - I imagine the issue title to be something like this:

L'imperatore il presidente è nudo 

the emperor the president has no clothes

I went through my magazines to see if I had any of Franca's issues left, and unfortunately I could only find the June 2011 magazine, Belle Vere, which was featured in the documentary and celebrated curvy (i.e. normal) women.

You can watch Franca: Chaos and Creation on Netflix.

Casual(ish) Date Night Outfit

The other day I waxed lyrical about my new grey jumper.  I now want to wear it with every outfit.  There are few things more versatile than the perfect grey jumper.  Here it tones down a dressy skirt for a slightly more casual but chic date night outfit.

J.Crew lace skirt (similar HERE, HERE and HERE)

& Other Stories jumper (HERE)

Miu Miu bag (similar HERE)

Miu Miu pumps (similar HERE)

Add some modern earrings to your simple outfit.  The book underneath is possibly my favorite ever fashion book.

J.Crew earrings (HERE)

Book: The Little Black Jacket by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld (HERE)

And then maybe add a smoky eye for a bit of edge.  

This palette is from Victoria Beckham's new range with Estée Lauder.  Find it HERE.

Super Easy Matching Style Tip

Match your bag to your top and your shoes to your bottom.  It's super easy and it makes your outfit look really polished.  It works best with solids although I have tried it with similar prints before and that works too (see HERE print skirt and print shoes with black top and black bag).

For years now magazines have been saying you should not match your shoes and bag because that's old fashioned.  I still like matching (I am just anal that way), but try this for a more modern match.

Dream Outfit with Isabel Marant Skirt, & Other Stories Jumper, and Those Zara Boots

Isabel Marant skirt (similar HERE)

& Other Stories cashmere jumper (HERE)

Zara boots (HERE)

I can't, unfortunately, wear my dream outfit, because it is 34 degrees again today.  Buts as soon as it gets to 24 I will be wearing this every single day. The gray jumper is awesome. It's from & Other Stories, and is more tightly knitted than the average high street cashmere. This means it doesn't feel quite as soft but it has a nice weight and the heather gray is absolutely beautiful. The arms are quite fitted while the body is a bit more loose and cropped. This is a really good jumper.

And Zara finally started selling these boots which were featured in so many looks on their website. If you are a regular reader you may remember I was obsessing over these last month. Now that they have arrived at my house in size 37 and size 38, I love them just as much as I thought I would.

My feet aren't perfect for them though.  I have a high instep which makes the leather wrinkle a bit on top of my foot.  Size wise I think the boot is a bit on the narrow but large side, therefore I am keeping the 37. If you have narrow feet with a regular instep you can size down.

This skirt is unbelievably lovely (and it has an elasticated waist) but I am aware it is quite expensive*.  Find some nice less expensive alternatives HERE, HERE, and HERE.

* This blog is not about showing off possessions...  I put outfits together for the reader's entertainment, and I enjoy a cheap high street purchase just as much as something more fancy. Thought I'd just mention that - it feels necessary after Louise Linton's instagram savagery.

A few moments of sheer bliss in the Surrey Downs

The view from Platform 1 at Woldingham train station

Anytime I am just about to lose faith in human decency I should get on a train to the English country side. In country towns in England, you may well come to believe that social media hasn't been invented yet, and that community spirit and kindness are the most important values in the world.

I am back in London now where my daughter asked me about THIS and all I want to do is get straight back on that train to that other innocent world we visited only a few days ago.

But.. we are about to get on a plane home to Hong Kong, so no such luck.

See you back in the tropics.

A Classic With A Twist

I spent most of the day roaming around the area between Oxford Street and Piccadilly. Wherever you look there is something spectacularly beautiful, whether it be an intricately sculpted coat of arms or a delicate wrought iron gate.  I don't think I'd ever shop online if I lived in London.  It's too much fun to have the full shopping experience here.

I've been thinking of getting something in velvet, but most pieces in stores feel too much like one-hit wonders - I swear I have seen the exact same velvet bomber jacket in at least five stores.  They are cute I agree, but I prefer to buy classics, things that won't feel last season in just a few months.

This Sandro jacket is perfect:  there's a nod to the season's velvet obsession but this navy double breasted classic will look beautiful long after the trend has passed. Find it HERE.