Greg gave me a stunning pearl bracelet this morning that I can see myself wearing regularly. Big style change! I don’t wear bracelets often, but I’m loving the idea more and more each time I smile down at my newly adorned wrist. I also got the turquoise sheath dress that you saw this morning, along with the citron trench and animal ballet flats you see here.

Now that I’m in my 40’s (I really got a kick out of writing that), I don’t see my style changing much at all. I will continue to have fun with the right trends, while staying true to the components of my style that make it feel like me. I’m still very much drawn to outfits that make clean, strong, simple statements. Sometimes edgy, sometimes arty, sometimes classic. Not too much going on but a bold statement nonetheless. I love to wear and mix saturated bright colours like tomato red, citron, yellow, turquoise and apple green, or stick to black, white and cream. Usually pearls, but always a watch, my wedding ring and a killer pair of specs.

In a few hours my brother, sister in law, and nephew arrive from London and will be staying with us for 10 days. We have planned a bustling itinerary and while the blogging will continue, I won’t be on the forum as much as usual. Have a great weekend!

I can’t tell you how excited I was to turn 40 today. Even with deeply set laughter lines, crow’s feet, blemished legs and a bust line that absolutely requires a bra, I can sincerely say that I have never felt more fabulous than I do right now. As Geneviève Antoine-Dariaux says: “Elegance is the privilege of age”. I have four decades under my belt and finally feel I’ve earned this rite of passage.

My teens were awful, which made my 20’s a blessing. My 30’s were better than my 20’s so I can only assume that my 40’s will be another step up. If so, I’m sure that I’m going to feel even better in my 50’s. Life keeps on getting better!

At 40 I feel a special energy. A verve and passion for life and for what I do that I have never felt before. I can attend NY Fashion Week and be one of the oldest fashion bloggers there and still feel that I run with the best of them (in low heels or flats that is — my days of running in high heels are over). I have 18 years of international fashion and style experience behind me and that feels phenomenal.

As much as my personal style has evolved, some things just don’t change. I’m still obsessed with pearls and handbags. And my love for sheath dresses, trench coats, biker jackets, Converse sneakers, saturated colours, strong black and white statements, geometric patterns and military jackets continues unabated. In some instances my current style is more daring and trendy than it was when I was younger, because I’m more comfortable in my skin. But in other ways my dress sense has become more refined, sophisticated and classic. What I enjoy most is mixing up the two vibes, which makes me feel ageless.

A big thank you to everyone who inspires my style each day. From people on the streets of Hong Kong, London, Paris and my late Mum, to Vera Wang, Coco Chanel, Greg, gals who take fashion risks, the blogosphere, and all our forum members. Of course, I also have to mention my two little Yorkies, Rosie and Jasmine, who mostly wear the same furry outfit but inspire me anyway.

A very heartfelt shout out to YLF forum members over the age of 50 who continuously post their outfits. Your killer style inspires me more than you know and I hope to have as much spunk and grace as you do when I hit my fifth decade.

Cheers to another 40 years of having fun with fashion. I hope you will join me.

These pictures were taken in and around Hing Hay park in Seattle’s international district, just a few minutes away from where we live. I love the Asian vibe in this neighborhood because it makes me feel connected to my days growing up in Hong Kong. By the way, that’s my red Golf in the background — it matches my shoes!

Greg has purchased a few things on eBay, but I never really got into it. I do keep hearing about great eBay deals on the YLF forum though, and I do love the concept of fashion treasures finding new life with new owners.

I also realize that eBay is evolving beyond the auction site for second hand goods that it was in the beginning. These days there are lots of eBay stores for new merchandise and they have developed rich “verticals” for certain categories. I originally learned about this from our dear friend, Dane Howard, who is the principal designer for buyer experience design at eBay. The fashion vertical has sale events that offer designer products at a huge discount.

So we were intrigued recently when eBay contacted us about working together. This could be as simple as the banner ad for eBay’s fashion vault that is currently on the right sidebar, or it could be much more sophisticated. The technical details are beyond me, but apparently eBay provides a way for a site like YLF to incorporate aspects of the eBay experience for its users.

But before we start working on these features, we need your input. How do you use eBay today? How often do you use it? What sorts of products do you buy? What areas of eBay do you find the most useful? Do you buy new items on eBay, or do you prefer to search for second hand bargains in the actions?

We’d love to hear about your eBay experiences in as much detail as you are prepared to share.

Finally, we’d love to hear your thoughts on how your eBay experience could be enhanced by YLF (or vice versa)? For the purpose of this exercise, the sky’s the limit!

Fashion experts and style books suggest that you should only add something to your wardrobe if you can wear it in three to five different ways. That way you’re assured of adding a versatile piece that gives you the best bang for your fashion buck. This shopping strategy encourages wardrobe efficiency, creativity and above all, value for money.

I used to feel the need to make a new item earn its place in my wardrobe by working it into as many ensembles as possible, but over the years I’ve changed my approach. These days my wardrobe workhorses work their buns off as I haul them into endless combinations, but I also have several items that I only like to wear in one, perhaps two outfits. Items like shirt dresses, sack dresses, some sheaths and a few skirts, jackets and blouses often fall into this category. I no longer feel the pressure of having to mix and match excessively in order to reach the so called desired 5 ways. If an item looks its best in one or two ensembles, then those are the  combinations that I’ll stick to. I don’t have more clothes as a result of not fulfilling the required outfit combination minimum. I simply wear the same outfit combination more often. And I’m perfectly happy to do that!

Perhaps I don’t get bored with my clothes as quickly as I used to. Perhaps I’m doing a better job of selecting items that have style staying power. Perhaps my incessant “need” for purchasing beautiful handbags keeps the outfit combination pressure at bay (adding a new handbag to my wardrobe makes my outfit combinations feel new).

We’ll leave occasion wear out of the discussion, seeing as no one expects you to wear a cocktail dress or ball gown in five different ensembles. For the rest of your wardrobe, do you feel the need to make an item work in three to five different ways before you make the purchase?  Do you feel that an item is orphaned if you can only wear it in one or two outfits?