Today’s post on the recent YLF gathering in Seattle was written by casual-chic boho Meredith, a fab friend and an active member of the YLF community.

Luck shined on us for the second YLF get-together. The sun filtered through the beautiful autumn leaves and into the windows of Café Flora, a lovely vegetarian restaurant in Seattle’s Madison Valley. About six of us gathered around the table, looking just as sunny as the day, sporting splashes of yellow and green.

Wild mushroom omelets, pumpkin pancakes, and sticky buns arrived at the table as we chatted about fashion, sipped our tea, and devoured our brunch. One question for Angie was, “How does one wear a brooch?” Angie said that wearing them on mufflers is a perfect way to combine the casual with the glitzy. Pinning them onto jackets is fine, but shoot for more monochromatic looks. Brooches that contrast too much with a garment can tend to look a bit garish and kitschy.

Another question was, “How do you know when your closet is full?” Angie told us about her system for knowing when she has enough clothes. Her closet has shelves with notches, and she hangs one hanger in each notch. When all the notches are full, she has a completely full wardrobe. Nothing new comes in, unless something else goes out.

Angie also shared a story about how the chemistry in her last hair dye had gone a bit wonky. I learned that your dye might change color over time. Although she left the salon blond, in a few days time her hair had turned a nice yellow. “I looked like Big Bird,” Angie said. But fortunately, better living can be achieved through chemistry. She returned to the salon, and they applied some sort of magical solution that returned her hair to the nice color we all know and love.

After eating our yummy food, sharing giggles, and catching up on families and travel (and yes, the elections too), we gathered outside to pose for the camera. Some of us have very few inhibitions when it comes to vamping for the lens. We had good, silly fun posing with our shoes, bags, and outfits in the sunny garden outside the café.

Sihaya layered multiple pieces to create a fantastic tailored look with depth and texture. Marianna sported preppy sophistication in skinny jeans, a button-down shirt and belted boyfriend cardigan. Julie was radiant in an earthy animal print cardigan and skinnies. Laurel looked lovely in a voluminous green print dress, leggings and fabulous coordinating green handbag. Angie was stunning in her retro Winter floral dress with chartreuse cardigan and chunky new pearls—all recent Hong Kong acquisitions. I wore a bohemian sweater over a tulip denim skirt and my favourite wedged knee-high boots

In the spirit of Autumn, boots and closed toe pumps were the order of the day: from Julie’s fab mock-croc grey snip-toed kitten heels and Marianne’s pretty chestnut mary-janes, to Sihaya’s riding boots and Angie’s pointy patent peds.

Oversized totes and structured satchels in brights or cream reigned supreme.

We are all looking forward to the next YLF get together. Hope to see you there!

We see tartan, or Scottish “plaid” every year and this season is no exception. It’s trending a little more at the moment because of the strong ‘80’s revival and, for the most part, I’m enjoying the vogue.

I adore tartan skirts, scarves and shoes. I’d love to get a funky red tartan pencil skirt to wear with my biker jackets but haven’t found one yet. I like some tartan dresses, and also quite like the idea of tartan skinnies. Tartan coats and jackets can be fun and daring if the cut and colours are flattering.

But I’m not into tartan blouses, or button-down shirts. They bring back bad teenage memories of shoulder pads, dreadful frills, lurex thread and barn dances. If tartan tops in the 80’s weren’t bad enough, they continued to be one of my dreadful looks through the early ‘90’s when I sported the grunge vibe with an oversized tartan shirt and Doc Martens. It’s a look I can’t do again.

Tasteful tartan pieces make bold statements, which is probably why I’m attracted to them. Ignore what the magazines say and wear only one tartan piece at a time (the same way you would wear ruffled items and animal print). I’ll give tartan another bash if I find that pencil skirt. Does tartan tickle your fancy?

Jackets, skirts and shoes in tartan appeal to me more than shirts. The latter are too much of a blast from the past.

Accessories are popular in Hong Kong, but there was one in particular that stood out more than I remember from previous trips to the city: the cell phone ornament. It consists of a delicate trinket that’s intricately knotted onto silk thread and looped onto your cell phone. It’s not only decorative, but is also supposed to bring you good fortune.

This is not a new idea – these ornaments have been around almost as long as cell phones themselves. The trinket can represent anything from the sign of your Chinese Zodiac, to Hello Kitty. There’s probably a science devoted to the selection of the most desirable cell phone ornaments, but to me, the offerings seemed random. You name it and we saw it dangling off the end of a cell phone.

The prices are just as varied. All the way from diamond encrusted status symbols that are available from high-end jewelery stores, to playful street market versions that are as cheap as chips. I decided I wanted one of the latter because they looked so cute. My Chinese Zodiac sign is “the dog”, so that’s the ornament I chose. It’s tiny and the detail is impressive. It cost just over a dollar and makes me smile whenever I haul out my phone. I hope I’m a little luckier too.

The Jade Market is one of my favourite places to visit in Hong Kong. This magical market consists of rows and rows of vendors selling jade, pearl and semi-precious stone jewelry and trinkets. Our local friends say it’s a preferred spot for jade bargains. Of particular interest to me of course: the market offers a seemingly endless variety of shell pearls. These are the same durable material as cultured pearls, but at a fraction of the price.

Here is a great explanation from beadshop.com: “The shell pearl is laboratory made from the shell of an oyster. The process of making a shell pearl involves several different stages. The raw material for the base of the pearl is the sea shell, which is coated and polished to the final shape of the pearl. In order to produce a good quality pearl, a key ingredient is what we call a ‘mother of pearl bead’. This element adds weight, value and durability to the pearl.”

During our recent HK trip I took a good friend and client to the Jade Market and we had lots of fun. She was inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker’s long strand of pearls in the recent Sex and the City Movie, so we set out to purchase those as well as a shorter chunkier strand. After a pleasant experience and a successful bargaining strategy, Phoebe was over the moon and wore the long strand of pearls the very next evening out. She looked beautiful.

I was after another short, chunky strand of shell pearls. The vendor barely spoke English, but with sign language, a calculator and lots of warmth, we understood each other perfectly. The vendor sat me down after I’d selected the size of pearl so that I’d be comfortable as she threaded them to the correct length. The process took about 20 minutes. My final price was about US$26. Not bad for pukka manufactured pearls when the faux costume jewelry kind costs US$38 at Anne Taylor.

Shell pearls are the way to go if you can’t afford the cultured kind. They’re weighty and the correct colour. Fake pearls are often flimsy, cheap-looking and an off shade of cream. I’m partial to white pearls, but there were also exquisite black, brown, purple, pink and apricot pearls to choose from. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could order direct from this sweet pearl vendor at the HK Jade market? But then again, there is something to be said for the enchanting one-on-one experience.

The top circumference of your sleek, knee-high boots should be snug around your calves. There shouldn’t be more than a quarter of an inch of space at the top of the boot and that’s pushing it. Wearing long, streamlined boots that don’t fit snuggly against the calf is like wearing a tailored jacket that’s too big on the shoulder. It breaks the look.

It’s a tall order finding a pair of knee-high boots that can be worn both over jeans AND with frocks or skirts. Boots over jeans need to be wider and roomier to comfortably accommodate excess fabric. Some boots inherently have the flexibility to work well in both situations:

• A buckle to adjust calf width: my flat, black riding boots have a magical buckle that’s very handy.
• A front lacing style: knee-high boots that lace-up in front (like 20 eyelet Dr Martens) can be adjusted to achieve perfect fit.
• A slouchy style: slouchy boots are not meant to offer a sleek profile. Their fit is scrunched and roomy all over the leg which makes it work equally well over pants and with skirts.

I see quite a few ill-fitting sleek, knee-high boots around town and it’s a shame because boots are pricey. Please make sure that your boots fit at the calf. It makes all the difference.

The streamlined boots on the left are too loose around the calf and are ill-fitting in my book. The slouchy boots on the right are fine to fit a little wider around the calf area because that’s in keeping with the style.

Here is something I’ve read in fashion magazines, heard on television and seen mentioned in the forum: if you haven’t worn an item of clothing for over a year, pass it on.

I encourage closet editing, but I don’t agree with the strict application of this rule. If an item is dated, uncomfortable, ill-fitting or unflattering – by all means pass it on. But what happens to the items that are perfect, but are not in current circulation. Do they need to go? I don’t think so.

I suggest keeping items that are still in vogue, fit well, look good and that you enjoyed wearing before your preferences changed. Here are a few examples from my wardrobe:

• Premium bootcut jeans: I prefer to wear skinnies and straight legs, but these five year-old jeans are in mint condition and staying in my closet.
• Bias cut tweed jacket: I was into the “English countryside look” four years ago but have not sported it since. My funky tweed jacket was left orphaned for years until I renewed its life yesterday by matching it with a new black necktie shirt, slouchy grey boots and a bee-brooch. I’m glad I hung on to it because the cut is unique and flattering.
• Pinstripe pants suit: I haven’t worn my pants suit in a while because I’m wearing pencil skirts instead. But I adore my suit and the fit is impeccable. Perhaps I’ll haul it out for cocktails over the holiday season and re-invent it’s look. It’s also a handy outfit to have for more conservative situations.
• Formal dresses: I have a few vintage-looking cocktail dresses which are several years old. They don’t come out to play each year, but are fairly timeless and put out fires when I need a formal outfit in jiff. I’m not throwing them out any time soon.

It is important to be selective though. Don’t use this rationale to hoard questionable items. If in doubt, pass it on.

What’s your keep or toss rule?

People in this city take personal presentation very seriously. Men and women of all ages are, for the most part, extremely well put together. They aren’t afraid to dress up, look smart or take fashion risks. You will see all the personas represented, from modern-classics and retro fashionistas, to funky bohemians and arty eclectics.

The weather was warm, but Autumn all the same. For the locals it was time to haul out Autumn fashions and the following looks were all the rage:

• Monochromatic palettes: Black, cream, white, metallics and grey textured ensembles were by far the most popular look. Colour was predominantly represented through accessories, footwear and handbags. Bright tops and jackets were in the minority, which was surprising to me. Perhaps locals shared my current neutral mood in the light of a changing season.
• Leggings with voluminous tunic tops, skirts and frocks: There were vast quantities of leggings – black and grey, short and long. Jewel-encrusted and lace detailing were popular. It’s an easy, comfortable and cost effective look that’s perfect for the HK climate. Also a big hit in Paris this spring, it’s interesting how leggings never gained as much popularity in the US.
• Skinnies and clamdiggers with blousy tops: One of my favourite looks and one I wore each day while I was there. There were loads of neck-tie blouses, lantern sleeves, empire cuts and tops with tiered hems. Blue denim skinnies and straight legs were the preference, but black and grey were popular too. I was inspired by the dark grey skinnies look and got myself a high-waisted pair at French Connection. I counted a total of six women in wide-legged pants all week.
• Layering T’s with voluminous cardis and shrugs: Funky embellished T-shirts worn under textured knits was a uniform with the younger crowd.
• Miniskirts, frocks and short-shorts with slouchy boots and booties: Mid-thigh skirts and short-shorts were everywhere (bare-legged, or with textured hose). The look was worn with calf-high or knee-high boots for extra coverage. Rugged biker boots and booties were also common and Dr Martens are definitely making a comeback.
• Cropped anoraks: lightweight, sporty anoraks with retro design details were abundant. I was inspired and brought back a little black trapeze style with a sporty cream stripe. It was put straight into circulation the moment I got it.
• Knee socks with heels and flats: A sweet school girl look that was seen on older women too.
• Non-black neutral footwear: Black footwear was not as prevalent as grey, metallic, pewter, cream, brown and tan footwear. Enthused, I miraculously found two pairs of comfy grey peds (over-the-knee flat slouchy boots, and studded patent one-inch chunky heels).
• Converse: It’s the number one casual shoe on the street. Both men and women wore black, grey, blue or white Chuck Taylors as if their lives depended on it.
• Large totes: most men and woman carry a large handbag during the day and many of them are designer.
• Accessories: generally, everyone was wearing either one, or all of the following: oversized watches, muffler scarves, chunky necklaces, sunglasses and funky eyewear. Cell phone ornaments are a must when you live in HK (more on that later).

Far fewer people wore jeans. Leggings, skirts, frocks and short-shorts were more popular at this time of year. This encouraged my purchase of two fab Autumn dresses (a solid black 60’s go-go frock, and a retro 50’s style in a Winter floral).

Effortlessness is what makes HK streetwear especially stylish. You wouldn’t expect this from a society that commutes on foot and in public transport, and spends time in hot, crowded places. Dressing well in HK is expected. It’s a killer fashion culture that I find exhilarating whenever I’m in town.

(1) Chunky pearl necklace and an all black ensemble. (2) Miniskirt, ruffled sling bag, grey pullover, slouchy boots. (3) Voluminous tunic with leggings, stacked gladiators, chestnut handbag.

(1) Black skinnies, sleek knitwear, pumps, designer handbag, chunky neclace. (2) Clamdiggers, blousy top, neutral tan pumps, olive hobo handbag. (3) Short-shorts, voluminous animal print blouse, knee socks, distressed flats, oversized tote.

(1) “The” slouchy boot look, worn with frocks, skirts and short-shorts. (2) Mid-heel olive green pumps (one to two inch heels were the most popular heel height for daytime). (3) Funky Dr Martens (worn with a mini dress in this case).

(1) Wide-legged pants, cream necktie blouse, slouchy tan hobo handbag. (2) Skinny faded jeans, voluminous tiered blouse, designer patent handbag. (3) Skinny distressed jeans, T-shirt, moto jacket, oversized man-bag, cap, beaded bracelet, oversized watch (and Converse that you can’t see). Cool dude! (4) Skirt over leggings, knitted top, muffler scarf, chunky heeled pumps, frame handle handbag.

I battle to get shirts that fit my dainty frame, longish arms and regular length torso. When I do find them I usually end up paying premium price. This was true of the two Anne Fontaine shirts I bought in Paris earlier this year. It would be a wardrobe dream come true if I could replicate the fit of my Anne Fontaine shirts in different colours and fabrications. Unfortunately, my experiment with a custom made shirt from Sam’s Tailor in Hong Kong didn’t work out this way.

The problem began at the very beginning of the process. I adore fancy fabric and have had my heart set on a luxurious, iridescent stretch silk pewter shirt. It would be a timeless piece in my clothing mix. Within minutes of arriving at Sam’s I was thrilled to find a swatch of exactly the fabric I had in mind. I briefly thought about going with a more conservative black stretch silk, but ultimately decided to follow my first instinct.

The next day I returned for the fitting and knew the shirt wasn’t right the moment I saw it. My heart sank as the fitting confirmed my fears. It was cut too wide on the shoulder, torso and upper arm, resulting in a matronly look that wasn’t at all the sleek profile of the Anne Fontaine original. The shirt was also about an inch too short on the center front. The only way to solve all of these problems would be a clean start. A shoulder line can’t be narrowed because the armhole is already cut, and it is impossible to lengthen the front. We had a big problem.

Manu Melwani (the “Sam” of “Sam’s Tailor”) was very polite, but argued that the change in fit was unavoidable given the new (stretch) fabric. He insisted that the fit was still fab. I became the nightmare client.

After much discussion and many alterations, my pewter shirt is still not perfect. The changes they did manage to make (narrowing the fit around my torso) threw the look off balance because of the things they couldn’t change (wide shoulder line and upper sleeve). The center front was correct, but by the time we got back to our hotel it had contracted back to the original shorter length. And while even my $69 Club Monaco shirt has French seams, Sam’s tailor used plain overlocked seams. Disappointed, I agreed to pay only the cost of the fabric and that was that.

What did I learn? First, changing the fabric from a soft non-stretch cotton organza to a rigid stretch silk was not the best idea. I’m pretty fabric savvy and should have known better. On the other hand I would also expect an experienced tailor to give me guidance on the choice of fabric. Second, it is important to find a tailor that specializes in ladies garments. Swirl’s conclusion based on her own experience (see yesterday’s comments) was that Sam’s is a good option for men’s suits, but not for ladies garments. Maybe I should have taken more notice of the fact that there were very few ladies on Sam’s wall of fame.

Having shirts custom made is not cheap (at Sam’s you should expect to pay something between Banana Republic and Anne Fontaine, depending on the fabric you choose for your shirt), but nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was an interesting experience and, unlike the shirt, the new jacket Sam’s made for me is fabulous. As for the pewter shirt, the fabric is absolutely gorgeous so I’m taking it to my alteration lady down the road to see if anything can be salvaged. I’ll keep you posted on how it turns out.

Welcome to our 2008 YLF Hong Kong extravaganza! Birthday celebrations recently took us back to the world capital of stylish streetwear and we have lots to share. This is the first in a series of blog entries that we will do over the next couple of weeks.

Copying garments or having them custom-made is popular in Hong Kong. After growing up in the city and working with garment manufacturers in the heart of its rag trade, it’s odd that I had never done this before. While we were living in Hong Kong my late mother had all her frocks, suits and maternity wear custom-made. I remember her tailor visiting our home several times a season. They had a great relationship and understood each other perfectly, despite the fact that they had to communicate using sign language and broken English.

On our recent trip to Hong Kong I wanted to experience custom tailoring for myself. There are literally hundreds of tailors to choose from, but we eventually decided to try world renowned Sam’s Tailor in Tsim Sha Tsui. Sam’s has been in business for decades and has made suiting and formal attire for people like Bill Clinton, Kate Moss, Nelson Mandela and David Bowie. My goal was to base new garments on two of my existing pieces: I wanted to duplicate a retro H&M jacket in a better-end fabric, and I wanted to capture the exquisite fit of my classic Anne Fontaine button down shirt.

The tiny shop front is located on lively Nathan Road. It was bustling with tourists, at least ten attentive staff members and endless rolls of stacked fabric. The floor was filled with people being measured, picking fabric, fitting clothing and negotiating prices. Sam himself, who’s real name is Manu Melwani, was very charming.

Even though I was trying to capture the fit of existing garments, I too was re-measured after selecting my fabrics and agreeing on a price. Service was fast and I was in and out in twenty minutes. My first fitting for both items was scheduled for the next day. I was excited and a little apprehensive.

My new, fully lined jacket turned out beautifully. I was impressed with the speed and skill of the tailor. I chose a wool blend “Chanel-esque” false plain basket weave fabrication in black and cream. The fabric is a similar weight and texture to the original H&M jacket and this turned out to be a key ingredient in the success of the process. After a minor center-back waist adjustment, it was perfect. The monogrammed inside label is a nice touch.

Based on this experience I think that using a good Hong Kong tailor to reproduce the fit of an existing garment is fairly flop proof if you stay true to the style detailing and the fabrication of the original. Things go horribly wrong as soon as you get too clever. I found this out the hard way with a failed attempt to replicate the fit of my favourite Anne Fontaine shirt. More about that in part two tomorrow.

It’s no secret that I love vibrant colours and enjoy sporting a few of them at a time. I’m not afraid of colour and this has been part of my style for as long as I can remember.

But my ensemble preferences have been predominantly neutral over the last 6 months. I’m wearing a lot of black, white, cream and grey together, with a focus on texture as opposed to colour. I do not wear black from head to toe – whenever I wear black, it’s usually together with white or cream to keep things looking soft and pretty. So my ensembles are still dramatic and contrasting, just monochromatic.

I sometimes punctuate my “new textured neutral look” with bright handbags and shoes, either cobalt, turquoise, yellow or green. But just as often with black, grey, cream or red handbags and shoes instead. These days I view red more as a basic neutral than a “bright”.

I guess I felt I was in a rut and needed a change. Who else is in a neutral mood?