Final Day of No Shopping January: An Outfit with Old Louboutin Boots

I am really happy this month is almost over.  Not because I desperately want to shop tomorrow, but I don't want to have to walk away if I did happen to see something that would be a great addition to my wardrobe.

I have learned a lot from my no-shopping adventure.

First of all, I don't actually like color as much as I thought I did.  My eyes love color on a shelf, or in a painting on the wall, but when I have to wear it I very often opt for something more subdued.  And I am itching to change the purple shirt below into one with classic blue and white stripes for instance.  I think it will have to be worn under jumpers in future.

For evening I do love a pop of very saturated color, and I have noticed I mostly want to wear red, burgundy or pink.

I love tartan and would wear it every day if I lived in Siberia.  It doesn't look right for the summer, but I happily wear it all winter long.

However, should I ever go near green, yellow, orange or purple again, please shout at me.

COS jodhpur style trouser (similar HERE)

Hermès belt (HERE)

Proenza Schouler bag (HERE)

J.Crew double breasted blazer (similar HERE and HERE)

Isabel Marant Étoile shirt (HERE)

Christian Louboutin boots (very old but similar HERE and HERE)

My go-to outfit when I am in a hurry or when I am traveling is always the same:  jeans, boots or sneakers, a white shirt or a grey jumper, and a blazer.  I have a lot of short bouclé Chanel-style jackets, but I haven't worn those at all lately.  More traditional men's style blazers cover the butt and look tidier somehow.  My shorter jackets will still be cool with long skirts and T-shirts though when it gets a tiny bit warmer (Hong Kong is in the midst of proper winter now).

I am not crazy about skinny jeans anymore.  I prefer a slim straight leg, but actually don't have any of those.  This will be on my radar as I freely walk into shops in February.  And no more holes in my jeans ever.  I am too old for them and I am not even sad about that.

Bag wise I wish I could always afford Chanel - there are no bags that make me happier, although I also love every Proenza Schouler bag I have.  They are really easy and practical to use, lightweight, not crazy expensive (relatively) and look great too.

I have barely worn any costume jewelry this month (except for a Chanel cuff), yet I always want to buy it everywhere I go.  This is crazy behavior!!!  I need to stop that.  I have, however, loved wearing my Monica Vinader initials necklace in particular (HERE), it's great quality silver with gold plating, in other words fine jewelry for costume jewelry prices.

For shoes I need to concentrate on basics, and fewer gimmicks.  For years I have been thinking I should buy a very simple pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps in plain black calf (HERE) but instead some bright pink and yellow shoes with diamanté will catch my eye.  The black shoes would make me feel happy every single wear.  Not so much the diamanté.

Another thing I have learned is that your hair, skin and teeth are more important than your clothes really.  Having spent a fair amount of time properly analyzing how I looked in every outfit, it was often the bags under my eyes I noticed more than anything.  It's the first time in my life I am sort of realizing that.  I often look horrid in the harsh London winter light, almost as if my skin has gone transparent.  So one thing I am going to look for is a good full coverage foundation and some beautiful grown up classic sunglasses (I am thinking the Céline Baby Audrey - HERE). 

I have always loved all kinds of fashion so much (although maybe more in principle than in my every day jeans-and-blazer life) that I mistakenly believed your outfit is the first thing people see.  It is not... unless it's neon orange.  It really is your face and hair, so if you care to look attractive (maybe you don't and if that is the case I would say good for you) then your money is probably better spent on skincare or treatments and hairstyling then anything else.  

By no means do I think everyone has to be beautiful - not at all, actually, I think a kind smile on any face is more beautiful than a bad attitude on a supermodel. But having smooth tidy hair and even skin does make a big difference in how people perceive you. Again, you may not care and if so good for you!  I wish I was more like that but I am not.

That awesome Gucci bag (HERE) will unfortunately not make my dark circles disappear.

So tomorrow I will be doing an amateur review of some very fancy creams and serums I have been using lately... and hint hint, as a result I am thinking some fillers and Botox are needed next.

Have a great Tuesday,

xx Dianne

PS. I am going strong on the 5:2 diet - not a significant result on the scale (2 kg) but my clothes fit much better.

Dior's Motherpeace Inspired Accessories At Selfridges

Selfridges' huge Dior concession on the ground floor has some beautiful accessories from Dior's Cruise Collection (watch it HERE; it's quite stunning) which are inspired by a set of tarot cards known as Motherpeace, drawn by Californian feminists Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel in the late 1970s (read more HERE).

And then there were these gorgeous sandals.  The tall lace up boots from the show are stunning as well.  I am super happy that designers are continuing to show longs skirts, I hope they never go away. 

No Shopping Challenge Continues in London - I almost fell for 60 per cent sale at Sandro on the King's Road

Chelsea is full of temptation.  There is a stunning Chanel concept store just one minute from where I am staying in Brompton Cross.

Chanel

There is also a great J.Crew Collection store in that same location...

J.Crew

And of course a stalwart supporter of the area, the Joseph multi brand store on Sloane Avenue.  The kooky windows here are inspiring, and it was always the first store I'd go when I lived here nine years ago.

Joseph

But fortunately, there's no place like Hyde Park to get some perspective.

I was on the brink of breaking my no-shopping vow today at Sandro on the King's Road, where I'd popped in with a friend after lunch.

But I came to my senses and left the store empty handed.  It wasn't until later having a drink with another friend in Motcomb Street, that I found renewed purpose for my dry January challenge.

My friend is a proper activist raising awareness about plastic waste*, but at the same time has always been one of the best dressed people I know.  We had a long chat about owning less stuff, but still appreciating and buying beautifully made clothes and keeping them forever.

For this day I wore jeans, pointy boots, a white tuxedo shirt and a navy blazer - topped by a wool tartan wrap to keep me warm.

* Watch A Plastic Ocean on Netflix to learn more about the amount of plastic floating around our oceans.

What I Am Packing for London: Make-up First

Makeup bag by LeSportsac

It's all about the base

Boots Flat Top Brush

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

Bare Minerals Bareskin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer

Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF15

Clinique Even Better Brightening Loose Powder

Bobbi Brown Brush

Cheeks and Eyes

Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3  (which I use on cheeks and eyes, so I don't have bring an eye shadow palette)

MAC Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden  (years old... but still love the color)

Hourglass Highlighting Brush

Hourglass Double Ended Brush

Eyes, Brows, and Lips

Charlotte Tilbury Duo Pencil Sharpener

Charlotte Tilbury Color Chameleon Eye Pencil in Dark Pearl

Benefit Ultra Fine Brow Defining Pencil

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare  (this is the best lip pencil EVER)

Marc Jacobs Enamored High Shine Lip Lacquer 318 Pretty Thing

Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss Scarlet 48  (very old but still a favorite)

One thing I pack for every single trip (and it's not a party dress)

I would love to always pack a party dress, as recommended by the lovely Amanda Brooks (HERE) but frankly even if during my trip I got a glam party invite, I wouldn't accept it.

My frequent trips to London are to see my son who is in boarding school in England and I want to spend all my time with him while I'm there.

What I do bring for every trip is a white dickie.  About a year ago in London I had packed mostly long sleeved striped T-shirts in various navy, whites and blues.  Unexpectedly we got invited to interview with a very traditional headmaster for a school place and I had nothing to wear.  I managed to get to a COS store on Knightsbridge with minutes to spare before closing and saw a few different dickies on a rack near the register.  Without thinking I grabbed two of the pretty collars knowing for sure they would fit. 

The next morning I picked my darkest T-shirt with navy and bleu stripes and wore the white collar underneath.  The crisp white made the T-shirt look immediately respectable, at least enough so to face the stern headmaster of a 400-year old boarding school.

I don't own any traditionally conservative clothes because they make me feel old.  But a dickie transforms anything you wear into something a bit more decorous, even a jumper with the words no sleep till brooklyn.  COS actually calls them "mock shirts" and always carries a selection (HERE).

My Beastie Boys inspired jumper is by Lingua Franca HERE, and other options are available HERE.

Tomorrow I will be packing my suitcase for London! 

Hope to see you again then.  Have a great Monday, dear readers.

xx Dianne

Regrets, I've Had A Few (especially that Miu Miu Black and Cream Madras bag)

No-shopping January is almost ending!  Ten more days only!!!  Can you feel the forced excitement in my three exclamation marks?  Ten days...

Have you ever noticed that the minute you decide to go on a diet, all you can think of is chocolate and pizza?

Well that's what happens with the shopping diet too.

Shopping my closet unfortunately reminds me constantly of things I did not buy over the years.  I will pick out a skirt and jumper, only to think how those grey snakeskin Céline sandals would have been the perfect accessory for this outfit.

I didn't buy the sandals at the time (in 2014 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills) because they were extremely expensive, so I got a slightly less expensive Givenchy version later.  Price-per-wear on the Célines would have been better, of course, because I truly loved those.

This is Valentino bag would not have been a rational purchase.  But I still love how it looks, I imagine it with every outfit.  And as all over grey and navy outfits are my favorite thing, this bag would have been the perfect special accessory.  But I didn't do it because I was thinking too sensibly.

The Céline sandals I described above.  These are nothing less than perfect.

This jumper is Michael Kors, from the late nineties.  It was a million-ply cashmere and cropped, and I held it several times in Bergdorf Goodman, knowing I could never afford it.  So I'd instead go to the Gap or Zara (the first one in New York, across from Bloomingdale's)  and would end up buying 5 not so perfect things.  I could have afforded the real thing had I only not wasted money on junky bits here and there.

These Chloé slippers are a recent regret.  They would have been so great with summer shirtdresses.  I think of these all the time.

But my biggest regret is a Miu Miu bag.  My friend Melbourne Fashion Girl sent me this picture years ago of a pink version of the bag.  

The one I loved had a cream body and a black flap, and it had been in my online basket for weeks, when suddenly it went on sale for HKD 6,000.  I got super excited and went on the school run - came back and it was gone.

For the past three years or so I do regular searches on Ebay and Vestiaire but the cream/black color combo has never come up yet.

The size is perfect, about 10 inches across.  The top handle is big enough to hang it in the crook of your elbow, but there is also a long strap.  The hardware is perfect too. 

Big slumping shoulder sigh..  That bag was exactly me, and my style, it was fashionexpat in a handbag.

Ten more days, dear readers, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I am going shopping.

xxxxx Lots of love,

Dianne

Avondrood brengt water in de sloot (say the Dutch)

When the sunset is red, there will be a water threat, is my own creative translation of this old school Dutch expression.  It literally says:  evening red brings water in the ditch.

In any event, rain it did!

So once I again I didn't bother to dress.

I did pop out briefly to Great, the biggest international supermarket in Hong Kong, and was greeted by a sea of orange... as Chinese New Year is not far off now.

Mandarin oranges at Chinese New Year are believed to bring good luck and prosperity.  Let's just hope for now they will bring back the blue skies from a few days ago.

I am looking forward to the year of the dog - may even get myself a dog chotsky.

The year of the cocker spaniel?

Just don't clean your house the first two days of the lunar new year... because you'll wash away all the good luck you've just created by filling your house with mandarin oranges and red trinkets...

Have a beautiful day, lovely readers!

xx Dianne

When a young woman mocks an older woman for her age and looks: Ashleigh Banfield v Katie Way

I was planning to write a light-hearted post about age-appropriate dressing today when I came across this news item HERE.

Katie Way faced an argument from a smart and eloquent veteran journalist (who has interviewed Yasser Arafat, spent time in Afghanistan, and reported live from New York while the World Trade Center towers were collapsing around her...)   and responded by saying that Ashleigh Banfield has horrible highlights, ugly lipstick, and is irrelevant to anyone under 45.

Ms Way just totally undermined her article about the fuzzy boundaries of sexual consent.  This was a conversation worth having, but now the story is all about Katie Way, a candidate for most unprofessional reporter who ever lived.

If only Katie Way is lucky enough to make it to the age of 45, she may at that time feel some shame for her spiteful comments about a fellow woman's age and appearance, back when she was a foolish and inexperienced 22-year old.

But I am not going to hold my breath. After all, her website Babe describes itself as entertainment "for girls who don't give a f*ck".

I don't want to write about age appropriateness anymore.  And I don't want to dress appropriately to make sure that someone out there won't condemn me as mutton desperate to be lamb.

Screw that.

I am wearing a mini skirt today.

Isabel Marant Étoile shirt (HERE)

Chanel bag from last summer (similar HERE)

Louis Vuitton shoes from quite a while ago (similar HERE)

Ancient but still well loved Miu Miu wool pleated skirt (similar HERE)

Hermès belt (HERE)

January No-Shopping Challenge: I am bored stiff of the clothes in my closet!!!

The no-shopping challenge is getting hard.  I am sick of everything in my closet.  Every day I go in there trying to come up with a new exciting outfit, but I've looked at everything so often that it's hardly fun anymore.

When I don't know what to wear, I always go with the simplest possible thing.  When you're not feeling it, don't try to go for something complicated.

Again, this means that you should always have really great basics (sorry that was the 283rd time I said that but is the best advice I have to give).  Beautiful good quality basics mean that you'll look great without the slightest effort.

Repetto flats are my favorite ballet slippers in the world.  They form around the foot like a real ballet shoe.  They are French and cool, and despite the gloss they also have a bit of disheveled charm. Perfect for a casual jumper and jeans day.  One note: personally I prefer the patent leather ballerinas, they hold their shape better.  Find them HERE.

My jeans are quite old but there are some very similar ones HERE.

The jumper is from last year, a collab between J.Crew and Net-à-Porter.

Similar HERE and HERE, and I really love this (stupidly expensive) jumper HERE, but a more affordable option HERE and HERE. 

Have a great Wednesday!

xx Dianne

Today's no-shopping challenge outfit: Isabel Marant, Uniqlo, Pierre Hardy and Prada

Today I have gone for a very classic Isabel Marant cocoon coat (there is still a black one HERE, styled horribly by Lagarconne, literally sucking the joy out of my heart when I look at that picture).  This coat has been 40 per cent off in the IM store on On Lan Street for a while, but I am not sure how many are left.

The black tuxedo shirt is from a collab between Uniqlo and Jill Sander.  Once again I apologise that during this no-shopping month I am wearing so many old clothes that are no longer available.  Uniqlo makes super lovely shirts though, check HERE for what is on offer now.

The acid wash pink Isabel Marant Étoile jeans stir it all up a little which is probably how I would love every outfit to be.  Some classics with some elements that feel a bit wrong.  It appears that for many people these jeans are too much because they on deep sale HERE and all sizes are still left.  I think the styling in this case is not great either - these trousers need to be toned down with a neutral.  Usually Mytheresa has great styling but this photo feels too matchy and too pink.

Prada shoes -  they are from an outlet in Holland called Maasmechelen Village.  The pointy toes are so long that I tend to stumble in these shoes...  Both Prada and Miu Miu often make their shoes more exaggeratedly pointy than I like.  But as Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga has been driving the trend for elongated pointy footwear these have become a bit more current.

The bag is by Pierre Hardy and combines black and navy, which is in my opinion the chicest color combo ever.  Yes, I agree, saying chic in a serious, non-sarcastic sentence is slightly-a-lot annoying.  But what better description for navy and black is there?  Check out this blue jean version of the bag, it is soooo pretty (HERE).  And you can trust in Barneys to know how to style a great outfit. 

Enjoy your Tuesdays, dear readers!

xx Dianne

No Shopping Challenge: Wearing the Isabel Marant Blazer I bought in October

This outfit is so comfortable and yet I feel quite put together.  Shopping my closet only has been a great experience so far.  But I am only halfway through January, so let's see how I feel in a week or so.

Saint Laurent ankle boots (HERE)

IRO white shirt (similar HERE)

Isabel Marant Étoile jacket (similar HERE)

AG Jeans (HERE)

Belt from Martin Margiela but probably ten years old

J.Crew x Net-à-Porter faux fur scarf from last year

Chanel studded bag from Summer 2017

Hope all your Mondays are going swell.

xx Dianne

View from Quarry Bay towards Central and Tsim Tsa Tsui

This view is from Swire's building One Island East.  Hong Kong seems even bigger from this angle.  The two highest buildings in the distance are the IFC on the left and ICC on the right.  The mountain on the left in the far distance is The Peak, from where I write this.

No outfit today, I am sitting around in sweats tidying up the my make-up drawers.

I've found this very pretty unused O.P.I nail polish during my clean-out, it's called Malaga Wine.  Might try to do my own nails tomo.  See what it looks HERE.

Back tomorrow with a Monday outfit!

Casual Saturday Lunch Outfit with Tweed Blazer and Sneakers (Outfit 14 of no-shopping challenge)

On this Saturday I am going to the Quarry Bay / Tai Koo area of Hong Kong, where we will have noodle soup lunch at Butao Ramen.  For my 14th outfit in January, shopping my closet rather than shopping in stores, I have picked an eight year old Rag & Bone tweed blazer. It was quite fitted and nipped in at the waist but I have asked a tailor to take out some of the shaping seams to make it look a bit more modern (and to be able to fit it!!! eight years of delicious soup noodles coming back to haunt me).  HERE is a similar jacket that I absolutely adore.

The T-shirt is J.Crew, HERE.

Point Sur jeans via J.Crew, similar HERE.

Louis Vuitton Alma bag, mine was a special issue but other Alma styles HERE.

Isabel Marant sneakers, similar HERE and a super gorgeous silver and pink version HERE.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

xx Dianne

First Hong Kong photos with my iPhone X

walking on Severn Road the city slowly comes into view

a few minutes later near the Peak tram station

then another hour later on Lugard Road - this camera is awesome

(no filters, no color adjustments)

Second attempt at Balenciaga inspired mixed checks (outfit 13 of no-shopping challenge)

click on photos for a larger version

I am suddenly quite conscious of the fact that by shopping my closet I am always showing things you can't actually buy in stores anymore.  Sorry about that.  But I hope you may look at an outfit like the one above and can still take inspiration from it, whether it's from color combinations or silhouettes. 

The wool knit skirt is J.Crew from last season, the belt is very old from Alexander McQueen, the big link bracelet was from Intermix and I have woven an Hermès twilly through it. The tweed jacket was last winter from J.Crew, the check shirt is from J.Crew (HERE), and the mules are Marks & Spencer (HERE).

The blue twilly scarf is meant to be tied around the handle of your Hermès bag, but they are also great to tie around the collar of a white shirt, or woven through a bracelet like here.  I suppose you could also cut out a strip of silk or buy a ribbon for this purpose.

The sales are great for finding special belts.  Inevitably there is a table somewhere at the end of the sale in Harvey Nichols or Harrods with loads of very expensive belts.  I carefully sort through those every time it's a sale. This Alexander McQueen skull belt may have been from Lane Crawford's outlet, and it was a total bargain - yet it has been one of my favorite accessories for years.

Shop your closet for Spring 2018 trends - Outfit 12 of No-shopping January

Today I am trying to shop my own wardrobe for Spring 2018 trends.  Some of those trends are:

The color lavender

Mixed checks

Slip dresses

Pencil skirts

Tailored dark denim

I took this photo just after Christmas on the most beautiful warm day in Hong Kong with my parents on a Star Ferry excursion across to Kowloon. This pic was taken out of the Ferry terminal windows just before our ride back to the island.

Unfortunately it's not at all spring at the moment like everywhere else in the northern hemisphere.  Here on Victoria Peak (the mountain just behind the highest building in the picture)  it's only 7 degrees this evening. 

The trend I decided on for this post was mixed checks so this morning I picked out some clothes and went off for the day expecting to take a photo later.  Well, it was so dark and dreary once I got home, that I couldn't manage a proper layout.  With no one at home I tried some fromwhereIstand snaps which failed miserably as I haven't quite figured out how to use my new iPhone X.

So here's a snippet of my mixed checks...  (I just realised it's basically a crotch shot)

Pathetic I agree!  My point for today was... why not try to mix up two different checks in your outfit.  Pants from H&M (similar HERE) and J.Crew shirt (HERE).

It was done beautifully in the Balenciaga show for Spring 2018 (HERE), and you can go as subdued or as loud with this trend as you want. 

I am on my second day this week of the 5/2 Intermittent Fasting Diet (more HERE).  My husband and I have decided to do it together, so I have high hopes we can stick to our two-month initial goal.  As I was busy today it wasn't too hard but now that I can smell the lovely scent of stir-fry being cooked in the kitchen I am very ready for this fasting day to be over.

See you back tomorrow with a more complete outfit.

Lots of love and thanks for reading,

xx Dianne

No Shopping Challenge: Outfit 11 - Inspired by Oprah's Amazing Golden Globes Speech

W.O.W.

I fear I can't be eloquent in this moment.

W.O.W.

My wow is the soft spoken kind, the kind you use when you are alone in a room, having just experienced something that leaves you speechless but then fills you up slowly from your toes to your tearful eyes with triumphant joy, pride and sooo much hope for what's next...  that you dry your tears, text your friends, tell you mom, and teach your children the importance of what you've just seen and heard.

I have always loved Oprah Winfrey as an entertainer, but now I want her for President.  As Michael Shulman writes in The New Yorker today: 

                Oprah Winfrey’s speech was galvanizing and important, forward-looking and inclusive: 

the kind we used to hear from the person running the country.

On this brand new morning I am wearing a black jumper.

Thank you, Oprah.

Zara cashmere jumper (I felt so guilty about saying bad things about the pink jumper yesterday), this one is great, much thicker and worn for a few years already.

Isabel Marant Étoile skirt (on sale HERE)

Zara sock boots (mine sold out but THESE are similar, and THESE and THESE from Topshop are said to be quite flattering)

Jeanette from Holland asked me yesterday why I don't just wear the clothes instead of putting them on a rack or on my bed for the photos.

Here's me wearing the black jumper while I was putting on make-up this morning.

Since I started posting only my own photos on this blog about three years ago, I decided that I personally prefer seeing outfits without people in them.  The reason is because a face immediately gives character to an outfit and I prefer blogs where the outfits are a total blank slate.

I love Polyvore for that same reason.  Most collages people post there have just clothes and accessories in them.

A very lovely day to you all, and see you tomorrow for day 12 of shopping my own closet, rather than shopping with money.

xx Dianne

No Shopping Challenge January 2018 - Outfit 10 Valentino Rockstuds Three Ways

I have been wondering about Rockstuds - are they classics nowadays?  Or are they simply flashy symbols of the out-of-touch one percent?

If you have been following American politics you may have seen an offensive Instagram post by the Scottish wife of the US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.  Louise Linton showed off her Rockstuds and subsequently got into an Instagram fight with a normal non-rich American mom by mocking her regular small life (read more HERE).

Comedian John Oliver's (from HBO's Last Week Tonight) reaction to Louise's vulgar rudeness was priceless but it's kind of ruined Rockstuds for me...  because in response to Linton calling the woman "adorably out of touch", Oliver said this:

It's a little ironic that Linton, a woman who actually tagged her photo hashtag-Valentino-Rockstud-heels is calling someone else out of touch, because Rockstud heels, really Louise?  What is this? Valentino's Fall 2010 ready-to-wear show?  Is there some asymmetrical pastel organza you'd like to pair them with?  Maybe something floaty with a scalloped hem? Or is it seven years ago only from the ankle down?

John Oliver is brilliant, and I cannot see a pair of Rockstuds now without thinking of his hilarious takedown.  That said, Rockstuds are still so beautiful to me... they make everything else you wear look beautiful too.  I can't imagine ever not loving the look of Rockstuds.  I do think they have become a classic just like a Chanel bag.  The toe and heel shape of these shoes is so traditional, and not tied to any trends, that the shoe will never truly look 2010.

To me they are best with day clothes. Just regular casual clothes and a cool bag.  For these outfits I have used a Proenza Schouler PS1 bag (similar HERE) which could also be considered passé because of its fringes and because it even pre-dates the Rockstud, but I don't mind that. 

The jeans are high waisted from Point Sur, bought from J.Crew.  I have looked for a website but can't find it.  In any event these are super lovely jeans and if you find them anywhere don't hesitate to try them.

The red cashmere jumper is from Uniqlo, the navy is from J.Crew, and the pink is from Zara.  I love both Uniqlo and J.Crew's cashmere but the pink Zara jumper is not very nice - the side seams are quite visible and crooked, and it's a bit transparent.  I got it a few seasons ago, and although I have in the past bought nice cashmere from Zara, I would tread carefully since it's not exactly inexpensive either.

I clearly over-invested in these shoes... but only the navy pair were full price. By 2014 Rockstud mania had died down enough that they regularly appeared in sales.  This also reminds me of my fashion motto - there is no such thing as investing in fashion, unless you never wear anything and leave them sitting in the box.

Shoes and bags will go out of fashion, and you won't be able to sell them at a profit unless you buy only the most classic Chanel or Hermès. So if you do "invest", wear them all the time until they fall apart - that means you will have at least invested in a fun life.

xx Dianne

No Shopping Challenge January 2018 - Outfit 9 Dinner with friends

It''s a super dreary day in Hong Kong and I can't get excited about my day clothes.  So for this ninth no-shopping challenge outfit I am focusing on dinner tonight.

For some reason I remembered my university days while prepping this post when my friend Pam would often tell me that she'd never seen anyone with as many new outfits as me.  The funny thing was, I didn't have a whole lot of clothes then, because I had come to America from Holland with just two suitcases.  But making do with a limited amount is great for creativity, and I used the things I did have in different combinations all the time.

In fact, I think I may have been a better dresser than I am nowadays. We have more disposable income now, as we are grownups (sort of), but I am not sure that always results in better style. 

Feeling creative after that trip down memory lane, I sat down in front of the sewing machine this morning and covered an old clutch bag with some vintage silk brocade (I used to be a handbag designer)  and I started my outfit from there.

The skirt was from H&M about six months ago and is no longer on their website, but I do like THIS and especially THIS one.

The top is a sample I made for my fledgling clothing business - it's made from a wool silk mix and I love it, but only one customer ever did (thank you Luce).  It's quite cropped and therefore perfect for high waisted skirts.

The Aquazzura shoes should have been on Ebay, but I never got around to putting them up for sale and instead moved them back to the wardrobe and now I'm kind of happy about that.  They are really beautiful shoes and still available HERE. Not at all comfortable though, so make sure it's a sit-down dinner!

I kept the bag very plain as the fabric is already stunning on its own.

But it's easy to make any clutch more special by sticking on a ribbon or a pin.  This double sided velvet is from V V Rouleaux, one of my favorite stores in the world.

The plastic cherry pin is entirely opposite to the victorian style fabric but I think that makes it work.

Or a sequin camellia from the Gap.  I have no clothes whatsoever left from the Gap since I stopped shopping there years ago, but I still have this pin from the nineties, which is also the most unlikely Gap product ever.  And one of my favorite accessories of all time as it reminds me of Chanel.

I hope you are all having a great weekend!  Lots of love,

xx Dianne