Leaving You With Three Thoughts For The Weekend

A great white shirt works with every outfit in every situation, always.  Paris Vogue March 2013.

I cannot think of a more timeless designer than Phoebe Philo.  This was all Céline 2012.

Please let's pray she starts her own brand.

Stripes are the chicest summer pattern ever.  Paris Vogue March 2016

The more things (in fashion) change, the more they stay the same.

Have a great weekend,

xxxxx Dianne

At Jordan Baker in Cottesloe, a super pretty green and pink skirt takes my fancy...

... and makes me reflect on the new dichotomy in fashion:  although style-wise anything goes and there are no more rigid trends in fashion today, business-wise it is harder than ever for unique independent retailers to build viable fashion companies.

Last week I was seeing lots of pretty green around me everywhere and started thinking I'd love something green and flowy to wear with T-shirts and sandals.  I ended up picking this lovely skirt.

Jordan Baker silk green skirt with pink tigers, find it HERE

For full disclosure I should say my friend Jane owns the Jordan Baker shop, but in fact I have been thinking of independent shops a lot recently after my trip to London where the high streets in each part of town have started looking so identical you needn't bother going to more than one.

The same is the case on social media - if you love fashion on Instagram you may have noticed that many fashion posts are all about selling clothes nowadays.  There are dedicated apps like LiketoKnow.it so that we can all buy the exact same high street clothes from companies with the deepest pockets to use the most popular influencers.

For as much as influencers claim to only work with companies they truly love, they still have to eat, and often there is a whole string of them promoting the exact same company at the exact same time.  Last year there was suddenly an incredible amount of shared love for Aspinal of London, a perfectly lovely company I have nothing against, but not exactly known for its cool factor and/or young customer base.  All the attention was a matter of sponsorship, no different from a full page advertisement in a magazine, yet presented in a more ambiguous way as the personal choice of instagram stars.

To me this illustrates that at a time when fashion is more democratic than ever and social media could be a great tool for new designers or retailers, the deck is often still stacked against small companies with less money to play the advertising game.

(For all of Instagram's protestations, it is not hard to believe that accounts with many followers and sponsors are much easier to find than smaller newer accounts).

My fashion M.O. has always been that I wanted to look like myself, and not necessarily the same as everyone else - I haven't always succeeded at that but I still admire women who have a style all their own, and whose identity is woven into their clothes.

That brings me back to my friend and her independent shop.  I am grateful for the risk takers out there who bring us something fresh, an alternative to the ubiquitous, and keep our high streets looking interesting.  Another small shop owner shared this on Instagram:

As I have said here before, I am not trying to sell you anything, I want this blog to be more about inspiration than about buying more stuff.  That said, I feel very strongly about supporting small businesses everywhere, so if this post inspires you to think about that, then I'd like to say thank you very much indeed - I am grateful for your time.

As I mentioned at the top I was thinking of green lately.  Hong Kong does green really well.  Here are some photos of the places that inspired me:

Table setting at Duddell's on Duddell Street (HERE)

The Star Ferry between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

Wanchai behind Star Street with Mondrian blue in front of pale green

Lugard Road on the Peak

Wyndham Street

The proprietor's simple Cantonese lunch on plastic table cloths in my favorite fabric shop in Sham Shui Po

 Sitting on the back of a junk anchored in Deep Water Bay wondering about the quality of the water

Thank you very much for reading,

xxxx Dianne

Zara TRF Yellow Tweed Cardigan Jacket: If You Wear Color, Don't Stop At Just One

Zara yellow jacket HERE

Isabel Marant T-shirt HERE

Malone Soulier shoes HERE

I think bright color can be jarring and unflattering when it's combined with just neutrals.  Think of a red jacket with a white top and black trousers for instance.  The red will dominate, and you won't notice anything else in the outfit.  However, if you wear a complementary green top under the jacket, even in lighter tone, the outfit will immediately appear much more balanced.

Because I am pale and blond, I don't like wearing entirely pale outfits.  I always prefer to anchor anything light with something navy or dark grey to provide a bit of contrast to my hair.  If you have dark hair this jacket would be lovely with pale blue jeans.

It's from Zara, who describe it as a cardigan - the fabric is loosely woven and the jacket is lined.  There's is no structure and no shoulder pads, so a really easy cover up for summer evenings.

Have a nice day everyone!  Lots of love from Hong Kong and thanks for reading,

xxx Dianne

Happy Mother's Day From Hong Kong Where I am Trying On Some Pre-Fall Dior Loafers

J.Crew handed out Mother's Day flowers as they do every year (see more HERE).

I am Spiderwoman!  Scaling Hong Kong in Dior Pre-Fall Loafers. Help me out please, black or burgundy?

Maria Grazia Chiuri can do no wrong where I am concerned - she was instrumental in refreshing Valentino with co-designer Pierpaolo Piccioli and has now turned Dior into a purely fun of-the-moment fashion extravaganza.  Her clothes at Dior may not appear as serious as those of her predecessor Raf Simons (HERE) but they deliver just what fashion should do: happiness to the wearer, and a healthy dose of spiderwoman invincibility confidence.

Raf's clothes were as intriguing and intelligent as paintings at the MOMA, but Maria's clothes make me want to go out and live life.  My life is leading me to permanently moderate weather in London, so I tried on some of Dior's brand new Pre-Fall 2018  shoes in their Landmark store.  The perfect beautiful walking shoes for London!  Now all I need is a really great blazer.

Something like this maybe.  Brigitte Bardot looking stunning in double breasted blazer.  Or perhaps I will try a cape?

Hope you all had wonderful Mother's Days.  Thanks for reading and let me know which color loafer you like best?

xxx Dianne

I am now obsessing over those Gucci espadrilles from yesterday...

So I have wasted some time making my dream outfit to go with them....  These espadrilles can be quite good city shoes I think because of the very sturdy lined canvas and the black leather trim. 

I am not even putting in links - all of these are stupidly expensive, therefore a dream only outfit.  The Saint Laurent jacket is soooo beautiful.  I am channeling Elle Macpherson with this whole look.

She was in my baby play group in Holland Park 15 years ago, and I am still horrified by games where the mums had to form a train by putting hands on the hips of the person in front of them.  I hated having to be behind or in front of her!  She seemed a lovely person but so much physical perfection is hard to abide when you've just given birth and feeling horribly frumpy.

Have a lovely Thursday!  And thanks for reading,

xxxxxx Dianne

This J.Crew Dress Needs a Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Tote, And Maybe Some New Gucci Sneakers

J.Crew dress HERE

Saint Laurent tote HERE

Gucci trainers HERE

It was only a few weeks ago when I announced I will never buy a dress again.  And then summer came around and I made the mistake of walking into the J.Crew shop in IFC.  I mean, what the f is wrong with me.  I have no waist, I used to be straight up and down, but now I have a wine belly too, so dresses are not so good.  

This one, however, comes with a very loosely elasticated waist, so somehow it worked.  And the feeling of soft fluid fabric on a hot day is of course far preferable to my normal daily jeans.

The even bigger problem I have with dresses is that they make me look like a goody two-shoes middle aged mom person.  I have to accept the middle aged mom bit, but I'd like to think I have a cheeky side, however, when I put a dress on, any hint of edge or personality disappears in a flash.

So then I start thinking if I only had some really cool sneakers or a modern tote...  and suddenly there is an urgent need for more shopping. 

Sandro jacket HERE

Gucci espadrilles HERE

Valentino bag HERE

Or I try to make it too complicated with layers, mismatched prints, and overly fussy accessories.  I love those Gucci espadrilles, but they would have so much more impact with something simple.

Like I said two weeks ago, I should stay away from dresses!

I don't know if I will ever have my style fully sorted.  Am I the only one, or do you lovely readers out there still make fashion mistakes as well?

Lemme know if you have a minute,

xxxx Dianne

Charlotte Tilbury at Lane Crawford And London In Spring

Charlotte with P and me

Last week I got invited to the Charlotte Tilbury launch in Lane Crawford by my well connected friend in the picture above, and it was for sure the highlight of my year.

One of Charlotte's makeup artists had painted my lips in a dramatic red, and I was completely starstruck when Charlotte commented it went well with my "pretty green eyes".  For a good 24 hours after I was walking on sunshine, grinning about the brief exchange all day.

I don't get compliments a lot nowadays.  That's no sad sob story, it's just a fact of life as a middle aged mom.  So when someone looks at you and sees just you, it's surprisingly lovely.

I am in London this weekend, walking around the neighborhoods we may end up living in, and on this beautiful spring weekend it all feels very exciting.

This is not some enchanted forest far outside of the city, it's just a pretty corner at the back of the Duke of York Square, smack in the middle of London.  

There are bloggers everywhere posing in front of the pastel houses of Bywater Street, and waiting in line to get a coveted terrace spot at Peggy Porschen, a cake shop on the corner of Elizabeth and Ebury Streets.

It's every aspiring influencer's dream photo, but in this case the rather disinterested and impatient boyfriend charged with taking the photos may not have succeeded.  Where is his giant, five lens DSLR camera?  Does he know nothing about capturing a pink cake?  She's come all this way to London, god knows how many bridges and tunnels were crossed, and he's not putting his heart into it at all.  I have a feeling this relationship is doomed.  

Last week in Hong Kong I walked past a similar scene, but this guy is taking his job seriously.

Instagram is a bit ridiculous nowadays.  I love a pink picture as much as the next middle aged mom girl, but with many influencers posting exactly the same sponsored bags and outfits, in the exact same locations, I am desperate to find something fresh.  Let me know if you know some good accounts I should follow!

This jacket has been on my back for the last three days - it's lightweight, a linen mix, and perfect for the weather.  It's from Sandro, find it HERE.  My face is not camera ready - jet lag wrinkles all around.

I hope you are all enjoying this lovely Spring day, and thank you very much for reading.

xxxxx Dianne