Rita Ora on Glamour cover...OUTFIT ENVY

Just a quick post about how much I love Rita Ora's look on the Glamour Magazine cover.  Rita is known for her bright red lips and her vintage glam and hip hop style mix.  So it was an altogether unrecognizable and softer version of Rita that graced this month's Glamour UK cover.  The Christian Dior dress continued Rita's vintage vibe but it was more Doris Day wholesome than Rita Heyworth glam.  I am also loving the pink lips!!

Christian Dior Dress

I feel like this dress should automatically be accompanied by birds singing and lots of skipping done by the said dress wearer....cue maniacal cackling on my part...

HK Fashion Bloggers... I salute you...

I have been perusing through the most recent issue of COMPANY UK magazine which is devoted to the blogging trend.  To celebrate the "Superblogger Issue", 2 of the current British "superbloggers" Bip Ling and Susie Bubble grace the front cover - apparently a first for UK mainstream fashion magazines.

Whoop!  Whoop!  The SUPERBLOGGER ISSUE COVER...!!!

Imagine my surprise and delight when I flicked through the pages and saw 2 #HKFashionBloggers in the top 20 Fashion List article.  Sam Wong  and Christing Chang were voted by Company readers on the Company Magazine website as two of their favourite international fashion bloggers.

Both are uber cool fashionistas with an achingly enviable wardrobe.  Both blogs have amazing pictures and great outfit posts...I wish I had the skill, the gorgeous looks and their cool factor!  Also both ladies are running great online businesses and represent their respective brands well.  Christing runs her Christing C boutique which also sells online.  Sam Wong has started up "green fashion" online store A Boy Named Sue with fellow HK blogger Tania Reinart.  Going green can be chic!

I think this really shows how far the HK fashion blogging scene has come.  However, I still really like the fact that it is a really supportive environment.  I think this has a lot to do with #HKFashionBloggers founder Jasmine Webster.  Jasmine created a great online group which meets up regularly at the monthly Style Summit.  A really friendly lady who is always willing to chat to wannabe bloggers like ME!  She is stylish yet friendly...a really amazing mentor to all newbie bloggers.

Anyway, back to work...HK Fashion Bloggers....I SALUTE YOU!!  (I feel like I am in either a)The Gladiator movie or b)that I should be part of a political group and giving a power salute.

On the 11th Day of Christmas...Redress gave to me...

• A bright pink woolen skirt
• A bright pink with black polka dot cotton cardigan
• A neon green sleeveless top
• A blue with neon green polka dot sleeveless top

So recently, I participated in my first ever photo shoot!  Organised by the HKFashionBlogger founder and uber stylish DRESSME blogger Jasmine Webster, 12 bloggers teamed up with charities Redress and Friends of the Earth HK to front a campaign to highlight the benefits of recycling textiles/clothes and the high level of textile waste in HK.  It is true that a lot of people in HK tend to like to buy new clothes and are not necessarily big fans of second hand clothing.  For those who know me, you know I like a good vintage bargain!  It is definitely a great and affordable way of getting some designer items into your wardrobe!  As a child, I remember wearing hand-me-downs from family friends whereas here, children are primarily dressed in trendy designer clothing....where else but in HK is baby designer gear so prevalent?

The shoot started off with the participants rummaging through 10 massive sacks of clothing that had been provided by Redress and Friends of the Earth.  Remember the clothes bins that can be found in parks and certain streets of HK...yep...that is where the clothes for the shoot came from!  the rules for the shoot was that everything apart from the shoes we wear had to come from the donations.  We could not wear any jewellery that we brought ourselves.  Not having the option to accessorize is a problem as I do believe that accessories DO finish off an outfit.  Another problem for me was that it was hard to find garments which would fit me...especially my bottom half.  I admit it, I am not of model proportions...to be kind to myself, I would describe myself as "curvy".  As most of the garments were "HK-sized", there was a distinct lack of trousers, skirts or dresses that would fit.  I managed to find a bright pink woolen skirt which I could squeeze over my generous hips so I really was restricted to basing my look around the skirt.  In the end, I bit the bullet and just went all out with the colour and patterns.  I recently have discovered that I love prints but even I was a little bit shocked at my final choices of clashing polka dots and bright neon colours.  Thank goodness I brought my bright yellow 5bee shoes as a potential pair for the shoot.  Carla Layne, make up artist extraordinaire kindly volunteered her time and skills to do our make up for us and Sabrina Sikora was our photographer.  With such garish colour combinations, I really could not be subtle so channeled Patsy and Edwina from the comedy Absolutely Fabulous..."it is LACROIX darling...LACROIX!!"

Watching the uber professional and gorgeous Elle Lee and Jasmine Webster made me a little bit nervous.  I had thought after watching so much America's Next Top Model that I would be ok in front of the camera.  However, (unfortunately for me!) once Sabrina started snapping...my mind went completely blank.  It did take me a few shots before I warmed up and then a SUPERMODEL was born...actually may be not.  I think I did every cheesy pose you could think of.  Thank goodness I was in the safe hands of Sabrina.  I have to admit that I did enjoy my moment in front of the camera though I definitely do not think I will be fronting any campaigns in the near future (though M&S if you ever need a curvy Chinese girl to wear your clothes, I might reconsider that...)

My favourite looks were Bryant Lee rocking some skinny jeggings, Clare's elegant ballet like take of a tunic dress, Jasmin rocking a parka and mini shorts (with fierce thigh high boots!!) and Vanessa's use of a coat to make a skirt.  (Vanessa is a true DIY guru!)

So....

TADA.....

Here is the finished product...

A Close Up of ME.....

Check out all the looks on Redress' facebook page.

Pick Up a P.P.P.P...PEPLUM...

Ok, first of all I apologise for the extremely cheesy title.  I don't know what has gotten into me?  I am already sniggering to myself and thinking I am so witty....NOT!! Secondly, I admit it, I am behind with the fashion times and am not that fashion adventurous.   Thirdly, I admit to being a wee bit wary of the peplum trend.  I know that it is supposed to help give you a waist but still I am a little bit scared of adding extra material in the hip/waist area.  I am already tubby enough....do I need anything extra?  Hmm...

Zara has introduced the peplum belt which would be an easy and versatile way of incorporating the trend however, I am such a lazy person that unless I need to, I don't really like belts.  I could wax lyrical about how I like to remain minimalist in my style bla bla bla...but unfortunately for my fashionista credibility, it really is just a case of sheer sloth-like laziness.

A lot of the high street have peplum skirts, tops and dresses.  Marco Visconti designer Andrea Chan wore a great little peplum suit which was very flattering.  Gok Wan's newest range for Sainsbury is full of dresses with peplums.  It really is a case of what was hot on the runway being filtered down to the high street.  You know it is a trend when high street stores such as Marks and Spencer is full of peplum sporting clothes.  I was actually quite shocked by the variety on offer...

So here are my top M&S choices...

Love the green brocade fabric and looks great with thick black tights.  I would wear this with a nice cozy black cardigan.  Another possibility would be to wear a skinny black turtleneck underneath the dress.

This feels more summery to me but I love the pale colour of this dress and the cute polka dot print.  Definitely an option for spring wedding outfits.  I also would like to try it with black tights for the winter to give it a retro vibe.

Gorgeous rich purple colour which would be great for the Winter months.   I like the fitted pencil skirt style of this dress.  Nothing too outrageous and a nice "safe" alternative to the LBD.

The colour does scream "Look at ME!"  but it is a cute little dress.

Nice little tweed skirt, very reminiscent of Burberry's Winter collection.

Separates give you some variety, you could pair this top with a pencil skirt or like this pic, with a leather skirt (great for Winter!) or even some skinny trousers.  Am a little bit wary of buying this top online as the proportions look a little bit funny.  I would definitely want to try this on before buying...

So after all this talk about being cautious of the peplum, this is the one dress I own which has a peplum...

Gorgeous colourful print which is a tribute to DVF.  It is a vintage dress I bought from Etsy...surprisingly quite easy to wear.  However, when I first tried it on, I was a bit self-conscious and thought I was rocking the 80s tribute a bit too much!  I called it my Dynasty dress (thank goodness I removed the shoulder pads!)

Me trying on said dress and having my "Dynasty" moment...

*belt from Polkadot Boutique, shoes from 5bee

**all M&S dresses are currently available on www.marksandspencer.com.  All pictures are from the M&S website.  The picture of my dress is courtesy of an Etsy seller...

Say yes to PRINT for work wear dresses...M&S style

As I get older...or more mature...I seem to have become more comfortable with the idea of wearing print.  Before, (especially as a child and a moody teenager - sorry mum!), I used to be very wary of print.  Poor mum had a challenge to put me in anything of colour, form fitting and with a print.  Fast forward a few years (won't divulge how many years!!) and I am like a magpie for all things colourful and print.

Going back to my original love of all things M&S...I had a look at the M&S website and am loving the print dresses on offer...M&S is a fantastic place to go for work dresses.  An easy way to add some colour to your office wardrobe without making it unsuitable for a corporate work environment.

Here are some of my favourite print dresses currently on offer at M&S:


Limited Collection Tiger Print Dress

Loving the autumnal colours and the cute animal print.  Would look good dressed down with boots and cosy cardigan or denim jacket.  Would also look nice with smart courts and a jacket.



Abstract Print Dress

Simple sheath dress.  Love the colour on the central panel.  Black side panels help to give the illusion of a slimmer silhouette.  Great way to inject colour into what would be a classic dress.



Leaf Print Dress

Uber comfy jersey material (which does not crease so no more ironing!!) and with a great easy print to wear.  Smarten it up with a black jacket.  Just in case you feel like you need some extra structure in your outfit, this dress has the added "secret support".



Floral Print Slash Neck Dress

Love the sweatshirt style top of this dress.  The floral print gives a slight nod to the baroque/tapestry trend of this fall.  I love the sleek silhouette of this dress.



Secret Support Black and White Dress

Love the crisp white on this dress.  Definitely one which could be worn as a transitional outfit.  Cover up with some thick black tights or wear bare legged in Spring.  Added bonus of the M&S patented Secret Support to help maintain the sleek lines of this dress.



V Neck Zig Zag Dress

The sleeve-less style of this dress means that for Winter days, you would need to add a cardigan or jacket.  However, I love the V-neck of this dress, the print makes it look more revealing than it really it is - making this a great dress for work.  I love the nod to tribal print on this dress.


ALL dresses are available online.

From London to Australia via HK in one night...or fashion twins separated at birth Sabrina Sikora and Roksanda Ilincic?

OK this is a very belated post regarding two events I went to recently.  Only in HK, would I be able to go to an Australian brand launch and the London Show Rooms HK event.   A truly international night of fashion.

First stop was at the uber cool The Space for the London Show Rooms HK event.  This is an annual event which showcases some of the best of British fashion.  A few of the featured designers this year were Roksanda Ilincic, Jonathan Saunders, Nicholas Kirkwood, Peter Pilotto and Dominic Jones....(sorry I am going to concentrate on the women's wear).  I have been a big fan of all these names and they are always on my wish lists of designers I would love to wear but a) cannot afford, b) I don't have the slender model proportions to do the pieces justice.  Actually scratch that...I nearly was given some Dominic Jones earrings by the boy but in the end received some lovely cherry blossom earrings by Shaun Leane (another uber talented British jewellery designer).

Hello...Peter Pilotto

Nicholas Kirkwood lovelies...

More Kirkwood lovelies...

Roksanda Ilincic

Jonathan Saunders

The clothing was gorgeous and full of brilliant colours which really stood out against the white walls of The Space.   The Kirkwood shoes spread around the room was like gorgeous candy to tempt eager ladies to touch and play.  The lovely DIY maven and All Things Indulgent blogger Vanessa and I were in shoe heaven with the Kirkwood display.

Vanessa feeling some Kirkwood love

My favourite moment of the night was the gorgeous model/stylist/blogger/photographer Sabrina Sikora modelling some Roksanda Ilincic pieces.  I definitely think Sabrina and Roksanda are a) fashion match made in heaven and b) fashion twins separated at birth.

My favourite "fashion" moment of the night...Sabrina wearing Roksanda Ilincic (#fashiontwinsseparatedatbirth)

Images courtesy of Electric Sekki blog, Sabrina Sikora Photography and google images

Also having been previously ignorant of how heavy some of the runway pieces are, I had my moment of clarity when I posed (or tried to pose) with one of the spectacular Peter Pilotto pieces.  It was an amazing sculptural dress with mirror mosaic pieces on the front.  I had drooled over a picture of this gorgeous dress in Harpers Bazaar so was ecstatic that I was able to see the real thing.  However, rather than lifting it gracefully from the rack, I ended up literally having a bicep workout.  Props to the models for making it all look effortless.

Designer Dress Workout...Peter Pilotto dress

Image courtesy of Electric Sekki blog

May be I should leave it to the professionals?  Model makes this dress look light as a feather...

The second event was the Sambag and Sassy party which was round the corner from The Space.  Sambag is a cool Australian brand which has opened its first shop in HK.  Collaborating with one of my favourite HK websites for all things fun and cool Sassy HK, the Sambag team hosted a fabulous girlie evening of cupcakes, bags, shoes, scarves and all things accessories.  I was in love with the colourful scarves on display, the gorgeous yet practical shoes and bags.  It was also great to meet the Sassy girls in person.  Instant Goddess Katie Kay was totally rocking some great Sambag leather trousers (oh to be such a glamazon!) All the Sassy girls are incredibly stylish, friendly and well SASSY!

Lovely Sambag boots

Cute Sambag flats

Sambag and Sassy also were extremely generous and to celebrate the evening, specially created totes were given to attendees.

My new favourite tote...Thanks Sassy and Sambag!

After having my eyes opened in true fashion style, I hopped into a taxi at the end of the evening and gratefully went home to my peaceful bed to dream about all the things I would like to buy if I won the Euromillions...note to self, must get the boy to buy some lottery tickets...one can always dream.

Marks and Spencer: Real Women in Ads?

On one of my previous posts, I applauded M&S for its decision to give up the glossy "celeb" ( Lisa Snowden, Danni Minogue...) TV and online adverts for its women lines (apart from Autograph with Rosie Huntingdon-Whitely).   However, I think that they are far from the claim of using real women for their advertisements as if you look at the website, all the models are skinny and leggy and still impossibly pretty even if there is a definite variety of models (ethnicity).  They have mixed it up lately albeit on a superficial level but with regards to model shapes....they did not really have any "real" woman modelling.  Yes I understand models make the clothes look better but for me a curvy, around 5ft 5inch Chinese lady, I cannot really see how I would relate to a lot of what I see now.  Marks and Spencer for me has always been a bastion of fashionable clothes which  fitted my curvy shape but also looked stylish enough to get compliments without breaking the bank account.

My suggestion would be to get some ladies using the shape wear which they are promoting and see how these outfits can help women wear the clothes.  And I don't mean models but actual flesh and blood women who feel they need a little support from garments here and there to make them feel deservedly gorgeous in the dresses they want to wear.  Marks and Spencer does not and should not necessarily target the teen,  late teens/early 20s leggy fashionistas who want very trend and runway led fashion.  Their core markets as seen by the Autograph and Per Una ranges target the professional woman who do not all have leggy, sylph like figures. Their secret support range should not really be modeled by a model who for sure does not need such "secret support".  Please see below for a couple of examples:

1) Secret Support Colour Block Sateen Dress

Beautiful looking dress but I am not sure if any normal size 12 plus woman might have the same smooth lines especially with a sateen finish material that could be unforgiving on curves?

2)  Drop a Dress Size Bead Embellished Dress with Secret Support

Not sure where the secret support is needed and I am a bit unsure whether this model needs to "drop a dress size".

Please don't get me wrong....I love the idea of these dresses which are intended to give me and other ladies the confidence to wear beautiful dresses or skirts which we might originally be afraid to wear.  However, I am not sure that the current presentation is a real representation of what the garments are trying to be.  I don't feel that the models need any help and so I cannot see how effective such "secret support" would be.  There are so many pieces that I would love to try but am just a bit uninspired by the current presentation on the M&S website. (Ok, I am a bit shy of my lumps and bumps and so intimidated by the models wearing what I would like to wear!  I 'fess up and hold my hands up in the air!!)

Good start M&S but I do feel you need to try harder.  (Plus for having an Asian looking model in the shots.)  Don't get me wrong, I am already compiling a wishlist for a future post.....

Note:  Pictures come from the M&S website.