Category Archives: Fashion

FW10: New Basics

22 Monday Feb 2010

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The FW10 runway for The Row was nothing too striking or anything. But it did have an understated chic about it that was quietly cool and oh-so-Olsens.

It reminds me that I should get my hands on some updated classics like a pair of casual black silk pants (maybe they can be my new jeans?) and a long tuxedo blazer (definitely nothing new, but it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon). I should also maybe give that tshirt under strapless dress look another try. I’ve tried but never really “made it work”, but it looks oh so very mod in the picture. And my, those flat simple gladiator sandals are very very versatile indeed. I should look out for something similar this summer.  

Image Source: Style.com

Miu Miu Mesh Flats

08 Monday Feb 2010

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Every since the caged flats made their come out on the YSL runway, I’ve had half an eye out for it. But somehow the whole cage thing just didn’t look right.

Not even when Miu Miu came out with these gladiator cut out flats, that looked like the gladiators above (left) but with the pattern on the right. Miu Miu usually does a good translation of trends, and even my mom was all for them, but I couldn’t bring myself over to them. It is just… not really flattering on the feet.

But then I found this pair of Miu Miu suede mesh ballerina flats, and thought, maybe it’s not so bad after all! The slim and elegant ballerina shape with the bow, gives the mesh a feminine touch, toning down the severity of the mesh. And even though the metalltic pointy part is slightly odd, I am loving it. It makes me think that at least this pair won’t get snuffed from my way of walking (nearly all my pointy shoes are destroyed this way, even my round toed ones actually!). The metallic also adds back the “edgy” feel that mesh is supposed to have. The only downside is that this is made of suede. So not exactly spring/summer friendly.

Image Source: Net A Porter

Vuitton Vernis

03 Wednesday Feb 2010

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The love for Vuitton has ran in my family for decades now. Consequently, I inherited quite a few of them. One of my favourites back in high school was this Lexington in a lovely sky blue vernis color. The design was simple, the color was young and vibrant and it’s made of this shiny water proof looking material that made me think that I wouldn’t have to worry about scratching/spilling on it too much.

Recently while taking stock of my collection, I rediscovered it. I was disappointed to find that the lovely sky blue color had discolored into patches of an unpleasant greenish yellow shade. You’d think that a Vuitton bag will keep a bit longer.

Indeed, this phenomena is not limited to bags. My mom went through our shoe collection last night and dug up a few pairs of Vuitton vernis pumps from way back then. This gorgeous pair of silver pumps had turn a silvery aqua color. The discoloration was so bad that we had to throw most of them away. The ones above are the only ones remaining that we deemed was still (kind of) wearable. Note the deep yellow shade at the back of the heels- it is not the lighting!

I asssure you that we’ve been taking good care of these items. They’ve been living in their original dust bags since they arrived. The only thing I can think of is perhaps the humidity of Hong Kong, but alas, there is not much I can do to change the air. I guess the vernis is not so wear-proof after all. I don’t think I’ll be investing in this material any time soon.

Ps. I really have no idea why there are purple borders around my images. Anyone else have this problem?

Diamonds 101

28 Thursday Jan 2010

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Continuing from Pearl 101, we move onto a girl’s best friend. Who can resist these shiny shiny things? Here’s the low down:

  • It’s all about the 4Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight
  • Cut: Not matter how big a diamond is, if it isn’t cut properly, it won’t be able allowed to shine to it’s potential. The perfect cut to let it shine, is the “ideal” cut, which is all about proportions. If the diameter is 100%, then the ideal cut would have the table around 55%, the crown height at around 15% and the pavilion depth around 43%. This cut allows light to be reflected back through the top of the stone making it shinier. Otherwise, light will be reflected sideways if it’s too deep or go right through if it’s too shallow, making the diamond look dark inside

 

  • Generally the best cutters are from Belgium, Russia and Holland
  • Our instructor, Alex, claims that the best cut is the round cut, cause then there are more facets of the for light to reflect from. The princess cut on the other hand (the one I’ve always secretly want just because of the name), is not that great cause it’s just a square. Plus, it’s harder as a craftsman to securely put a ring clasp on it
  • Color: For colorless diamonds, obviously the clearer the color the better. Colors are graded alphabetically, with D as the best (just remember, D for diamonds!). E and F are still quite clear and it gets progressively yellower.
  • A common trick by jewelers is to put diamonds with lower grades on gold bands, to hide the yellow color. If you put that diamond on a silver/platinum brand, it will be too obviously yellow. So it’s always safer to go for the silver/platinum bands!
  • According to Alex, the difference between crystals and diamonds is that crystals reflect more rainbow prism colors than diamonds, which are whiter. Though I just read somewhere else that diamonds reflect rainbow colors too…… so I’m not sure how valid this is
  • Clarity: Inherent “inclusions” of a diamond, such as scratches and black dots, mars a diamond and interferes with light reflection and consequently the brilliance of it. So the clearer the diamond, the rarer it is. To be honest though, he showed us a few examples under the magnifying glass and pointed out the blemishes and I simply did NOT see any blemishes/dots, even though I pretended to so as not to look like an idiot
  • Clarity is graded by the following system: F1 (flawless), IF (internally flawless- minor surface blemishes), VVS1-VVS2 (very, very small inclusions), VS1-VS2 (very small inclusions), SI1-SI2 (small inclusions) and I1-I2-I3 (imperfect- eye-visible inclusions)
  • Carat-Weight: This is very self explanatory, this is the unit to measure gemstones/diamonds by. The key point is to note that bigger is not always better. You have to take into consideration the other three C’s. But basically, it all seems to come down to the factors that makes a diamond shiny
  • Man-made diamonds are made of mammal ashes. After finding that out, I hypothesized that I can technically convert myself into a diamond upon my death and give it to my children as a memorabilia. Better to become a diamond than a pile of ash or rot in the ground, right? Indeed, having googled this idea, they apparently already offer this service at LifeGem. I almost feels cheated of my brilliant idea, if not for the fact that they have been around for a much longer time than my idea. But definitely food for thought. Would you want to be converted and live forever as a diamond?

Pearls 101

26 Tuesday Jan 2010

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Today I went to a pearls and diamonds appreciation class organized by the HK Tourist Board as part of their cultural kaleidoscope program. Since it was free and at a jewelry shop, I was skeptical at first that it was a guise for a sales promotion. But I’m happy to report that our instructor, Alex, didn’t try to sell us anything at all. In fact, the lesson was so informational and interesting that I really wanted to get a copy of the slides afterwards for personal reference. Unfortunately, the materials were copyrighted. So I’ll just have to share with you all what I remember.

The first topic we covered was pearls, and here are the highlights:

  • Pearls are made when a piece of rock or sediment gets stuck inside a live oyster/mollusk. The oyster secretion, which happens to by full of calcium carbonate, then creates a layer around this rock called a nacre. And it is this coating of nacre that gives pearls all the pretty properties we love about it. I found this point especially interesting and wondered why I never thought to question how pearls are made and had just assumed that they came out of oysters.
  • Cultured oysters are made when we put a man made sediment (usually made of oyster shells) into an oyster, manually stimulating the layering process. This usually takes 18-24 months. The best thing about it is that the pearl will come out in around the same size and shape as the one you put in. So the bigger and rounder the sediment you put in, the bigger and rounder the pearl will be. So I guess for pearls, size really does not matter too much, since you’re really just buying the coating.
  • There are essentially two kinds of cultured pearls: freshwater pearls and seawater pearls
  • Freshwater pearls: I don’t remember the full story, but the oysters in freshwater can produce more than one pearl (vs just one for seawater), and so are cheaper just by supply. In addition, somehow they cannot put perfectly rounded sediments inside these oysters, and can only put in tissues which change shape. Thus the pearls created in freshwater are typically not as nicely rounded and typically cost less. So when someone tries to sell you an “uniquely shaped” pearl, dont’ pay a premium for it!
  • Seawater Pearls: The oysters here only produce one pearl each, so they’re rarer. They product is also typically perfectly round and can be quite large if need be. Though I think larger pearls are more difficult to cultivate successfully, and thus charge more. A good way to tell that they are seawater pearls, is to roll the strand across the table. Seawater pearls should roll very easily, while it would be a bit more difficult for freshwater pearls due to their irregular shapes
  • Japanese pearls are typically small and no bigger than 10mm (mm is the size pearls are measured in)
  • Black pearls have recently been quite popular due to their novelty. Only Tahiti and the cook islands make black pearls and the most expensive ones are the peacock colored ones, which is a combination of green and red tones. A good way to tell real black pearls from dyed ones (for necklaces at least), is to look at the hole where they poke the string through. There you can see the inside of the pearl, to tell if it’s black or white (which means they’re dyed)
  • The natural color of pearls are usually quite pale and pastel, usually white, cream or pale pink. If the color is deep and sharp, then they’re dyed
  • The most important factor to judge a pearl by is the sheen. The more reflective and sharp the reflection is, the better. The next factors include shape, size and color
  • For necklaces, the pearl size usually differ by around 1 to 2mm from each other, with the bigger ones in the middle. Something about the proportions
  • If you want to tell quality, look at the sides of a pearl necklace, because that’s where they usually put the pearls that are not up to par
  • To differentiate fake pearls from real ones, a) rub the pearls against each other- real pearls have more texture and you’ll feel the friction b) if it’s a necklace, look at the point where they poke the holes. The edges for fake pearls are rougher c) Feel the texture. Fake pearls are much smoother than real ones
  • Since pearls are essentially layers of calcium carbonate, they will not last you forever. But if you take good care of it, it’ll last longer. Here are some tips, a) put it on, 10 minutes after you’ve sprayed perfume. Perfume destroys the sheen b) wipe it down with a wet cloth after you wear it and let it air for 40 minutes. This cleans off the body chemicals that might wear down the pearls c) put it back into a soft bag to protect it

Phew~ that was long. And this is just what I remember! I’m pretty sure I missed out some of the other factors that are used to judge pearls. I should’ve taken notes! Stay tune for later this week for a girl’s best friend!

Miu Miu Stage Bag

14 Thursday Jan 2010

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I’ve always been a girl who believed in simplicity. But as I held this soft leather bag and the beweled chain in my hands, I couldn’t help but fall in love with it.

The soft pink color, the quilting with the surrounding studds and the jeweled chain all appeals to the young girl in me. In particular, the young girl who loved pink and spent her time dressing up her Barbie dolls and over accessorizing herself with plastic jewelries. This Miu Miu Stage bag combines all our girlhood fantasies into one. It goes against everything we’ve learnt about style and simplicity since then, but somehow the over the top details work together in this case and actually makes it fun. Just think of all the fun you’ll have playing dress up with it at home. It would also be the perfect compliment to a sophiscticated black (or white!) dress, and take you from Valentine’s day all the way to a summer cocktail.

Now I’m not saying that all the Miu Miu Stage bags are to die for. I happened to think that this aquamarine color (above) works too in an elegant sort of way. But the contrast between the jewels and the black leather one just too big for it to be pretty (you can see the full collection here).

The other two styles are also too extreme: one is too simple and the other is too embellished for it to work. One must be careful with these bejeweled chains bordering on tacky.

Image Source: Miu Miu

Naked

19 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Fashion, Random Musings

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So I took my new Aqua liquid leggings for dinner the other day paired with a simple mid length sweater, which only covers half my derriere. I figured that since they are called legging ‘pants’, they’re ok to wear as pants. Plus, I’ve seen plenty of people on the streets do it and it didn’t look too weird on them (yes, I did stare at people’s backside for a few seconds more than normal just to make sure that they’re appropriate).

Despite such assurance though, once I took my coat off at the restuarant, I couldn’t help but feel a bit self conscious and naked- like I’d forgotten to put on pants! I guess I’m going to be sticking with longer tees from now on.

Liquid Leggings

16 Wednesday Dec 2009

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The other thing I was accosted with in NYC last time besides purple city bags, was legging pants. An evolution of footless stockings from way back when, the legging pants are a bit thicker and are designed to not hug your backside as tightly as tights do. They have generally been worn as pants with long sweaters/tees that just (or even half) cover your backside. I must say, they look pretty cool with winter boots. There are quite a few kinds, from regular cotton ones, to legging jeans, to crazy silver ones. I actually tried the crazy silver ones from Forever21 the other day, but returned them in the end. Silver is just not a flattering color to be hugging your legs with.

What I’m most enamoured of however are the black liquid legging pants. I first saw them last winter, when my friend wore them to Ruth’s Chris with her new red Louboutin pumps looking super glam. They’re incredibly flattering, they’re shiny but not too shiny and they let you show off your gorgeous shoe collection! It immediately went onto my (very extensive) “want” list, except her’s were from Members and costed a little too much for a pair of leggings. Luckily for me, it seems that they’re back with a vengeance this year and have been available almost everywhere.

They even come with variation, from zips at FCUK (left) and David Lerner from Shopbop (right)…..

… to subtle snakeskin prints at Express (left) and American Apparel (right)! I’ve always been a little scared of snake/crocodile skins, but the texture it gives these leggings are actually kind of cool. Different from the classic but not too loud as to be just for the night. I finally bought a pair of classic liquid leggings the other day from Aqua. They’re decently priced and the quality is not too shabby- you don’t want to get ones that are too thin and hugs your buttocks too much. I paired it with my new Heikejarick cargidan and knee high flat boots and felt quite glam. Oh and in case you’re wondering, they’re not too cold to wear in the winter at all. They’re surprisingly warm and provides me with the same amount of insulation as my skinny jeans.

Image Source: Bloomingdales, Express, Shopbop and American Apparel

Small Wallets

09 Wednesday Dec 2009

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Update: It’s not available at the Tokyo Narita Airport either.

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Update: The purple gramercy skinny purse from Coach is also sold out in NYC as well!!! When did it become an “it” bag???  

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Just when I’m going out, I realized that my wallet doesn’t fit the cute little clutch I’d picked for my outfit, and I ended up scrambling for something to put my money, ID and credit card in. Where is that usually useless little pouch when I needed it? This has happened to me countless times and every time I tell myself that I shall get myself a pretty little money pouch that I won’t forget about, just for this occasion. But everytime I come home, I forget about my good resolution. Well, I’ve finally gotten my act together and started looking!

I remembered that one of my good friends had a Coach pouch during college, so I started off there. And came across these darling gramercy patent mini skinny wallets. I love the vibrant colors (especially the purple!), the patent material (easy cleaning) and the little compartment on the side for cards. I’ve even brought my clutch to the Coach store just to make sure it fits into it. At $42, it is a palatable price for me. The prints are not my favourite, but it’s subtle enough that I can live with it. So in short, it’s quite perfect for my needs (except for the fact that all the Chicago stores seems to have ran out of purple)!

But of course, being a wise shopper, I had to shop around to see my options- just in case! The other brand that popped into my head was naturally Marc by Marc Jacobs. And indeed they had some cute little pouches that would fit my purposes too. I’m loving the purple one. And even though I’ve not always been a fan of the crocodile print, I quite like the texture here. But alas, both are $68 and are a bit out of the budget I was hoping to spend on a little pouch. So I think I’ll be sticking with the Coach one.. unless anyone has a better suggestion?

Psst! These little pouches will make great Christmas presents!

Image Source: Coach and Bloomingdales