Hong Kong Bound

Hong Kong Harbour

For me, the bright side of summer's end is new fall fashion (think cozying up in cashmere and squeezing into skinny jeans) and fashion week fun. New York City is abuzz with the spirit of style and it is always so exciting.


This season, however, I am (once again) packing up my closet, my kids, and everything else and heading overseas to Hong Kong.  


We lived there for two years and it was an incredible experience and I am looking forward to going back (although sad to leave my family and friends, of course). 


And while I still can't help myself buying cold-weather sweaters and jeans, I am also scrambling to find the few remaining sundresses left of the racks -- it will still be in the high-80s/90s there for the next couple months! And never quite dips below 50.


Just when I think I have my uniform down, my life takes an exciting new turn. Hopefully, a closet filled with classics will serve me well along the way.


So, as my wardrobe changes and evolves, so will my blog. Stay tuned! 

Go Gwyneth!

GP in Prada

Gwyneth has got me excited about fashion again (after a long summer break)....

In Prada

She documents her Venice premiere in her latest Goop newsletter. Loved reading about it (and living vicariously!).

In Lanvin

Knit Picks

Being house-bound for a few days thanks to hurricane Irene really got me in the mood for some cozy cashmere. 

I love these basic-shaped knits -- the boyfriend V-neck, the sweatshirt cut, the grandpa cardigan -- from J.Crew. Love the colors, too.

J.Crew

J.Crew

J.Crew

J.Crew

I think I'm officially ready to start shopping for fall.

Classic Cool

Can't go wrong a classic look...evidence Charlize Theron.

The Bag to Buy?

Chloe Marcie tote

I've been asked a lot lately about fall bags... what to buy?! Seems to be the first thing everyone wants to purchase for fall.  It's the best way to refresh a wardrobe and get excited for the new season.  I have to admit I am not totally sure what the bag-to-have it is... (I am still thinking of a new Balenciaga bag or just pulling out my old ones.) There are so many factors to consider -- work, kids, style, lifestyle...  But usually, it just comes down to lust. 


I do know I am loving the Chloe Marcie totes -- especially the ones in a rugged-brown leather.  Ditto the Proenza Schouler PS1 bags.

Chloe Marcie tote

Proenza Schouler PS1

And an Alexander Wang Emile bag continues to be at the top of my wishlist -- so chic and so cool.

Alexander Wang Emile tote

Oftentimes, once you fall in love with a good everyday bag, your new season's wardrobe just evolves around it. Decisions, decisions.

Classic Combo

Celine

I popped into J.Crew today to check out the new fall merch, and was instantly attracted to all the orange and camel. The bright and the neutral are such classic shades -- and look especially chic when paired up. Maybe this means I'll give my last fall/winter's all-gray, all-the-time look at rest. That would be refreshing (and about time).

Ralph Lauren sweater and 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt

Miu Miu sweater and Stella McCartney skirt

Stella McCartney sweater and The Row skirt

I really love the casual polish of these sweater-and-skirt combos too.  Perhaps not totally appropriate for everyday mom-mode, but definitely perfect for more dressed-up-day occasions.

Fall on the Horizon

While I have not even started thinking about my fall wardrobe yet... I was so excited to see that the fall fashion issues are out.  Just the inspiration I needed!  Starting with Kate the Great on Vogue. Cannot wait to see the Mario Testino pics from her wedding...


Now get me to a lounge chair so I can start my reading.

Dress Dressing

Freida Pinto in Lanvin /  vogue.com

Ah, the dress. It's so easy! One piece instead of two or three?  Throw it on and you are done. Love it. In fact, a dress is all I want to wear these days whether I'm running around town or going out at night...or even just hanging around the house, for that matter.

Mila Kunis in Oscar de la Renta / vogue.com

I wish I bought more cute spring/summer frocks to wear now... I guess I will need to start scouring the racks for some transitional dresses to wear into the next season.

My IT Bag

I remember years ago, how I lusted, lusted after the original Balenciaga "Le Dix" motorcycle bag. I thought Kate Moss was the absolute coolest toting around that black leather prize.  I had to have it -- even though I couldn't afford it.  I carried that bag everywhere. And I love it to this day, as well as the bright pink one I subsequently bought.  


My mouth still waters at every incarnation -- the colors, textures, hardware.  My friend has a gunmetal-y metallic in a larger size that I know would make my life complete. The bright green, electric yellow, baby blue... Oh, have you seen the versions in croc? Beyond! I had to hold myself back from splurging on the canvas version I saw earlier this year. And then the raffia one.  Not sure what it is about the Balenciaga bag, but safe to say, it is my all-time favorite.

I saw an oversized one today on a superchic but casually-dressed woman -- a matte light gray with bright silver hardware. I think this might have to be my new fall bag. I've been wanting the Emile tote from Alexander Wang, and I really like the latest from Proenza Schouler. And of course, those understated Celine bags are amazing. But for me, I think, the Balenciaga motorcycle bag is still IT. 

Summer Sleek

Love how Gwyneth takes a sleek black dress and makes it patio-party-worthy by pairing it with flat leather sandals.  Tied-back hair and minimal makeup perfect the look. 


PS. I think the dress is vintage Calvin Klein. Very cool.

The Spirit of the Sale

Jason Wu for TSE 

Usually, by mid-season I have my wardrobe down -- my uniform and my favorite pieces are set. If I haven't found something in particular that I was looking for, I've given up and moved on.  I tire of shopping.  Then the end of season sales start and I am reinvigorated. I love perusing the marked-down racks here and there and seeing if anything catches my fancy. Nothing specific, no pressure, just enjoyment. I always end up finding great pieces that I work into my wardrobe one way or another. 


Summer sales are the best.  So far I've done pretty well and bought pieces that I would not have necessarily considered otherwise and not necessarily because of the price: A Jason Wu for TSE striped cashmere sweater -- love it for all year round; a little Rebecca Taylor dress with a boho vibe; a short, satin-y, no-name tank dress; some tunics; a Chanel-like jacket for fall... and a few other pieces that have found their way into my closet. It's shopping for the fun of it.


Now, a little fashion break before we start planning for fall...

The Beauty of the Black Dress

Alexander Wang

I recently had a crazy day. I went from a funeral to lunch (and shopping) at Barneys. I then headed uptown to Exhale spa followed by cocktails at the Carlyle. Then there was the mad dash downtown to dinner at Nobu. Oh, it was a 85+ degree day in the city. Quite a full day, to say the least, and I managed to pull off the whole excursion in the same black dress. While it may seem of little importance, it felt great and freeing to throw something on in the morning and not have to think about my outfit again, feeling appropriately dressed at each stop.


My dress was a simple sleeveless cotton frock -- slim on top with a slightly empire-waist and a short but full-ish skirt. It was basic enough to allow for some accessory switcheroos along the way --  I wore ballet flats and a patent bow belt in the earlier part of the day and then switched to satin sandals and a jeweled waist-cincher for evening, which I had stashed in my (medium-sized) bag. 

Ralph Lauren

  

Unfortunately, I just attended another funeral and I was so relieved to have that same easy, no-brainer black dress to wear. Each one of my friends also had on superversatile frocks -- from a structured wrap dress to a form-sitting sheath. Coincidentally, my friend noted in her eulogy to her father, how his good pal Jackie Kennedy once told him how essential it is for a woman to have black dress and a houndstooth suit on hand.

Michael Kors

After these experiences, I have really come to appreciate the beauty of the basic black dress. Now, I just need that houndstooth suit.

Milly

SJP: Mommy Chic

SJP and babies. Vogue.com / Photographed by Mario Testino

Love these images of Sarah Jessica Parker and her family from Vogue.

The Broderick/Parker fam. Vogue.com / Photographed by Mario Testino

Pucci Please!

Peter Dundas with Eugenie Niarchos in Pucci on Dundas's rooftop deck

Legendary label Pucci gets a sexy makeover courtesy of designer Peter Dundas.  Read all about it -- and check it his amazing Florentine palazzo (shot by Bazaar) -- on my post on the Well Appointed House blog.

Summer Girl

Gwyneth and her son in Porto Cervo, Italy

Gwyneth is the chicest/coolest. Flowy printed dress, simple leather sandals, wayfarers -- and an electric-hued clutch. A perfect summer look.  Love the way she tied up her hair in a basic, post-swim knot, too.

Perfect Platform

Lanvin

Leave it to a sister to know your needs and wants. In my case, it was a sexy sandal, with a superchic platform. This perfect shoe is sure to amp up my look. I'll wear it with everything from a white cotton cocktail dress to wide-leg jeans. Thanks to my sister for the birthday wardrobe booster! It made my day!

Pretty Little Thing

JORDAN ASKILL

July heart birthstone ring, $325

openingceremony.us

I like to keep it simple in the summer in terms of day to day accessorizing... but I am not sure I can resist this sweet ring (I spotted on vogue.com) -- especially because it features a petite ruby, my July birthstone. A little something can go a long way. 

I just might have to treat myself.

The Other Royal Wedding, cont...

Kate in Galliano and Jamie Hince in YSL

The Other Royal Wedding

Happy Wedding Day Kate the Great!

Casual Chic

 Claudia Schiffer pulls off casual chic with a seventies vibe. Love this look.

Military Chic

Love Kate's Alexander McQueen military look. (Can't say the same about her husband's...). 


The navy-and-gold-button combo is a classic -- and the slim cut is quite flattering and modern. 

The Red Bag

Jenna Lyons with a Celine bag from whowhatwear.com

Red bags have been catching my eye lately...  I love how the punch of color can perk up any look. (Notice how Jenna Lyons, above, matches her lipstick to her bag.)


A Celine tote, like Lyons', is on my wishlist... I know I would carry it everywhere. 


But I also really like this smaller, very prim shape. It's a little grandma-y and I am not sure when or where I would carry it, but I think it's kind of chic.


The Celine version from a few seasons ago is a true classic.

Celine

I've been eyeing these from J.Crew and Zara:

J.Crew

Zara

While, I've never been a real purse person, I think I could try and work one into my wardrobe in an edgier way and give this retro-style a more youthful flair.

Spotted: Canvas Totes, cont...

Valextra totes as featured on Vogue.com

I spotted these Valextra bags on Vogue.com...  The totes are made of a special resin-coated canvas so they are sure to stay fresh and new-looking throughout the summer. Why hasn't LL.Bean thought of that?

The Shirtdress, cont...

Love this Akris shirtdress on Cameron Diaz. Pretty and polished but relaxed -- perfect for summer.

The Shirtdress

Chloe

Lately, I've had more than a few occasions -- a playdate in the city, a meeting a preschool, a ladies' lunch etc -- to which I simply could not find the right thing to wear.  As I was going through my closet I just kept thinking, a shirtdress would be the perfect piece. Simple, chic, relatively casual but still polished. Why didn't I have one or two in my wardrobe?   

It is so versatile -- can easily be dressed up or down and changed even more with accessories. I'd love one in crisp white or light chambray.

(Summer) City Chic

Amanda Brooks. Vogue.com / Phil Oh

What a perfect summer look for a city girl. No wonder Amanda Brooks is the fashion director for Barneys -- she's got IT!  Classic, simple and totally chic.


Reminds me of how versatile a crisp button-up shirt is....and that I need a new one! (Hers is Brooks Brothers!). Oh, and I love that Celine bag.

Summer Nights

Vogue.com has a great story on easy summer evening elegance.  First of all, Charlotte Casiraghi couldn't look chicer.  Love the simple flats with her dress. Vogue's "Social Shopper" offers up some pretty good suggestions (the dress, sandal, clutch, etc) on how to pull it off...

Quite White

From ultrabrights to stark white...

vogue.com

I wore my first white dress of the season last week and love it. Felt so in the summer spirit! What is great about going stark is that while it looks so crisp and fresh on its own, it also makes for the perfect backdrop for fun jewelry -- a big beaded necklaces, lots of gold chains, an armful of bracelets or statement-making earrings.

vogue.com

I am going to wear a white frock again for a party this weekend -- a mini-dress with simple flats and a bold, baubled necklace. Now, the challenge lies in keeping it crisp and clean (hint: no kids and white wine only!).