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?