Comfortable in her skin

Jennifer Lopez last night in the Asia Expo Arena in Hong Kong

photo from www.aceshowbiz.com

photo from www.singersroom.com

Jennifer Lopez is a very pretty girl. She's prettier now than when she started out as a Fly Girl on In Living Color, but we'd all be prettier with the benefit of top make-up artists and hair stylists at our beck and call. Yesterday evening I saw her perform live in Hong Kong - a lot of dancing and not quite as much singing. She whipped the crowd into a frenzy in minutes - a real achievement for a Chinese audience, who tend to be quiet and seated during shows. Her voice was pretty decent but her dancing and jumping and infectious energy were, well... inspirational. 

Don't laugh now.

I swam harder today because of that body. Did a whole series of lunges because of that body. Turned on her songs and danced around the room because of that body. Her butt is big, just like everyone always says, but it moves in a way I couldn't begin to learn ever, and its size accentuates her tiny teensy waist. She is so comfortable in her own skin that more than anything it makes you want to feel like that,  it's not even about looking like that. I now totally get why she is so popular. She is as fabulous as can be. Malaysia and Australia are next.

In Vogue: The Editor's Eye

For you lucky ducks who live in the United States, do not miss HBO's new documentary about Vogue magazine. This time it's all about the fashion editors and it is surprising and great to see the women in the trailer are not just twenty somethings. This will be good I think! December 6!

Tweed jacket

Emmanuelle Alt (editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue), photo from www.whowhatwear.com

I am having a jacket made. I had my first fitting today and I love it already. This has got to be one of the greatest benefits of living in Hong Kong, to have thousands of extremely good tailors right on our door step. I chose a tweed fabric with a windowpane pattern, mid grey with camel. I am having fun already imagining it with a grey sequined jumper and some silk slouchy trousers, cos there's nothing more fun than taking a classic and messing it all up.

pictures of Harris Tweed from the tweedmanvintage-blog

Aussie Aussie Aussie

I have not bought Vogue Living in years. Many years even. It's too Australian for me - I don't mean that in a bad way forgoodnesssakes I love the people from Oz. I think I have even coined the phrase "goddammit you're an aussie, act like it". It's just not as useful if you don't live there. But this cover, well, it is too beautiful and I had to get it. 

I often think that a person's style is better reflected in the way they decorate their house than in the way they dress. Dressing can be more haphazard - you can throw something on because it happened to be clean, or because it's the only thing that fits today, but the look of a house often grows over years, and each purchase was considered and reflected on. Well, I'd like to think this duck egg living room is the perfect match for my style. Please don't correct me if you think I am wrong....  I'd prefer to blissfully ignorant.

Btw, this is the pretty jumper I wanted to show you the other day when Google demanded its photo storage ransom. It's JCrew Collection and has just the perfect modest amount of Christmas bling.

Yay! I'm back!

I have nothing exciting to share but had this picture of Christmas decorations in the IFC mall. From afar it looks like a Christmas tree. Woohoo, glad to be back, now I'll go and think of a worthwhile post.

About oatmeal and blue and what to do with argyle

In the early nineties I would walk around Madison Avenue and admire the discipline of the many ladies in oatmeal - oatmeal trousers, oatmeal suede pumps, oatmeal cashmere wraps. Their nails were manicured in a lighter oatmeal, and of course their hair a flawless bounce of blond oatmeal. I admired the high maintenance perfection but oatmeal was the safe opposite of adventurous in fashion. I doubt these ladies would have considered messing up their monotone perfection with a shout of cobalt blue. But how well they go together. A color combination I have never really tried before. The picture of this bag stopped me dead in my tracks. I can't take my eyes of it because the colors. It was made by a company I am extremely fond of (Serapian Milano), for I have worked with the owner closely over the years. But more about Serapian soon.

I bought this oatmeal and blue argyle jumper at the JCrew Collection store and I am not entirely sure what to do with it. The pie crust collar is so wrong, it was almost right. But I didn't know what to wear on the bottom (I fear looking like a housewife version of Alex P. Keaton) so I took it off again. Givenchy's version of argyle has little to do with 80s prep, and although I like the picture, this outfit would be contrived on me (and pretty much everyone else). 

I am also not keen on emphasizing my knees

photo from www.elle.com

I love how this last argyle jumper has been combined with a checked silk skirt/shorts in a clashing pattern. I have been thinking I have to change the proportions around my argyle sweater, but the proportions in this picture are perfectly classic. It's adding the silk and the clashing pattern that's made this look fresh.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I was going to show a picture of another JCrew jumper I will wear tonight for dinner at my neighbors - because it is so super cute - but my free blogspot blog has suddenly informed me I have run out of photo storage space and must buy some Picasa space. I may turn myself into a wordpress blog! Blogger offers free blogs but I can't remember seeing a warning that said you can have a free blog with us as long as you don't stick with it for too long cos then you'll run out of photo storage.

I am a very stylish guy

There's a new mall in Causeway Bay between Sogo and Times Square. It's a big shiny looking operation and you have the sense quite a bit of cash was spent on this project. Always funny though how much is still lost in translation.

I am a very stylish guy - which advertising agency came up with that genius slogan

who do I make that check out to?  Shelter...., S, H, E, L, apostrophe, T, another T, E, R

But I mustn't poke fun... there is also a Holly Brown coffee shop and a lovely outdoor space to take a break and eat a macaroon. It's been a while since I've lived in Europe, so I don't know if this is a world wide phenom, but what's with all the macaroon shops in Hong Kong? And now one of the original macarooneurs, Ladurée from Paris is joining all the imposters.

thank goodness the bread is urban

your teenagers will love you - but do bring a flashlight to the Hollister shop

Hysan Place is at 500 Hennessy Road, across from Sogo. There's also an Apple store, possibly not as hectic as the other ones quite yet. The only question remains: are you a very stylish guy?

One more great navy bag

The only thing I wish Anya Hindmarch would change is the hardware. I love the simple embossed bow between the handles, and in my mind this would be a forever bag if it didn't also have the gold and black logo clasp on the front pocket. That said, I would highly welcome this present under the tree. Find it on www.matchesfashion.com. 

Navy blue bags

Sophie Hulme at www.net-a-porter.com

Sophie Hulme at www.matchesfashion.com

Marc Jacobs and Lanvin on www.neimanmarcus.com

gorgeous soft and worn-in bag seen on the school run

Phillip Lim at www.shopbop.com

Suddenly there are lots of navy bags around. A bit softer than black, but still goes with absolutely everything. Navy blue leather also ages well, and starts looking as if it's been your favorite bag for centuries, whereas old black bags often look as if they need a good polish, a bit more sloppy than casual. A good one for your Christmas list...

Prada does it better

So many studded shoes around now, but Miuccia does them better. I love the low block heel and the overall mod look of these boots. If I had unlimited money.... Excuse the grainy blackberry picture thru the window of the Alexandra House Prada shop.

Ana in Adidas

Other than fashion I am fairly obsessed with tennis and Ana Ivanovic is my favorite of the girls. I came across this picture on www.rolexblog.blogspot.com (Ana is sponsored by Rolex) and I love the old school Adidas warm-up jacket. So cool, so simple and so beautiful. There's been an explosion of fitness clothes around, with the likes of Lululemon leading the pack. I think that's a good thing, but when you see something so simple and timeless I just want to throw out all those fussy over-designed bits out and start fresh...

Eddie Borgo

Eddie Borgo rocks

Yellow roses

Nothing like a Curlywurly to make you feel young on your birthday!  And I love yellow roses. It's mum's favorite color, said my son to the flower-shop-girl.

Fashion Election

The Obamas now

The Obamas then  (photos from Associated Press)

If this election was about fashion, there is no way the Obamas could lose. What a breath of fresh air they have brought to presidential dressing.

White after Labor Day

                    

Young Anneke dropped by this summer in Holland cos she's about to start a term abroad in Hong Kong, so she came with her mum and dad and loads of questions about her future residence at the university. Anneke looooves shoes, and in her spare time works at Marjon Snieders (www.marjonsnieders.nl), a gorgeous shoe shop with branches in Weert and Roermond in Holland. The Roermond shop is in a palatial old building - it's a tiny bit of Bergdorf right there in the Low Lands. 

Marjon Snieders shoe shop in Roermond

Anyway, she was wearing white brogues that day in June and I loved them so much I became fairly obsessed with white shoes. I even found some white brogues for myself at Robert Clergerie. I can't say I wear them much, because they make me feel a little bit more butch than I'd like to be... something's just not right between them and me quite yet. I need to try them with more short dresses I think, but even here in HK it's getting colder now.

Anneke was far ahead of the crowd - white shoes are popping up in a lot of fall editorials and even white pumps are getting the fashion seal of approval. I asked Anneke to send me a picture of herself wearing the white shoes and I love how she's made them look perfect for fall.

From far left, brogues by Sergio Rossi and Manolo Blahnik, white pumps by Manolo Blahnik

How's that for a new look?

Keira Knightley gets a spectacular make-over from W Magazine, www.wmagazine.com