We’ve just come back from a two week trip to Hong Kong and as always, I’m very inspired by the street style we saw. Women wear jeans less frequently, favouring trousers, skirts and dresses of all descriptions, and black leggings in particular. I saw leggings worn under mini dresses, midi dresses, tunics, straight skirts, flared skirts, cropped pants, harem pants, short shorts, long shorts and culottes. The combinations worked exceptionally well for some good reasons:

• Leggings are practical and comfortable in mild temperatures. 
• They can be worn with any heel height, especially flats and low heels which are essential in a city where most people commute by foot and public transport.
• Their sleek silhouette adds instant structure to an outfit.
• Leggings can make an outfit more interesting, creating that extra bit of drama.
• They are easy to match with black footwear, which extends the leg line.

To my eye, leggings look best in black and worn with a neutral support act. They can be cotton-rich, pleather, or mixed media, depending on your preferences. Black leggings also complement women with black hair or partially black hair, creating a sense of natural balance in an outfit. Of course, you don’t need to have black hair to wear leggings with panache, but repeating black in the outfit helps to create a cohesive look. 

Leggings worn with flowing and oversized tunics and dresses with asymmetrical hemlines like the two examples below are a fabulous combination and I saw a lot of this in Hong Kong. The uneven hemlines and extra length of the tops are key to creating a more dramatic effect. Visually, the uneven line of the hem draws the eye upward and vertically creates a flattering effect. I preferred the combinations with woven tops and knitwear, as opposed to knitted tops made of jersey because they created a more luxurious look. Keeping the outfits neutral does seem to add a sense of chic to an otherwise very casual bottom.

Tunics that are shorter and less oversized, like the next set of examples, are probably more wearable, but the visual effect is less dramatic. That said, it’s a good look that can be made more dramatic by wearing interesting black footwear. Think cut-out booties, peep-toe booties, ankle strap heels and flats, d’Orsay styles, cage heels, mules, upscale sneakers, flatforms, pointy toe slipper flats and monk strap oxfords.

I also like the idea of adding black leggings to high-low maxi dresses like the ones shown here, thereby taking the look from a frock to a trouser outfit.

Here are street style pins of leggings outfits for more inspiration: 

• Wear them over a sweater dress with slip-on sneakers.
• With an oversized chunky turtleneck tunic and Converse.
• Layer leggings under a layered baroque bustled frock.
• Pair them with a straight and flowing silk high-low tunic.

Remember that a pair of black denim jegggings or Ponte pants will substitute for a pair of leggings if you prefer wearing a more substantial pair of bottoms. 

I used to wear leggings in the ‘80s, and had another go at it about eight years ago. I enjoyed wearing zippered black leggings under woven dresses and pencil skirts because it was comfortable, warm, and turned the look into a trouser outfit. As long as I could keep the outfit somewhat soft and very crisp by combining leggings with dressier woven tops (and sometimes jackets) in luxurious fabrications, I loved the look. I’m inspired to create similar combinations again because leggings provide an alternative to jeans, and make skirts and dresses more wearable when it’s not quite warm enough to bare my legs. I’ll start off by popping a pair of black leggings under some of the dresses in my closet, and see how it goes. 

Over to you. What’s your relationship with leggings, and would you wear any of these combinations?

Angie and I had a couple of hours free one morning during our recent trip to Hong Kong, and we decided to spend it in Wan Chai, a neighborhood on Hong Kong Island just two MTR stops from our home base in Central. We’ve been here many times before, but like many areas of Hong Kong it has its own unique feel and there’s always a lot of interesting things to see (and photograph). 

Wan Chai is just a short walk from Admiralty’s pristine skyscrapers and is a great illustration of the wonderful mix that defines Hong Kong.

The rest of these pictures were taken down the road to the left below, which is Wan Chai road.

It’s a busy road with lots of people visiting the food markets and an unending stream of delivery trucks.

Nike teams up with Japanese label Sacai, a new exhibition exploring the influence of Chinese art and film on Western fashion, and other style news that made headlines this week.

• This exhibition at The Costume Institute explores the influence of Chinese art and film on Western fashion.
• Over the next five years Bergdorf Goodman plans to have a completely new looking store and improve its e-commerce experience.
• Hunter and Topshop are among the first brands who will make London Fashion Week shoppable by promoting current stock in conjunction with their shows.
• The names of the twenty-six designers shortlisted for the second annual LVMH Prize were revealed today.
• Nike teams up with Japanese label Sacai for an eight-piece womenswear collection.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that until 1998 New York Fashion Week took place after the “big three” European shows in London, Milan and Paris? This changed when Helmut Lang moved his company’s headquarters from Vienna to New York, and decided to show his collection in September instead of November, traditionally the month of New York runway shows. Other designers followed suit, and New York Fashion Week was permanently moved up six weeks.

Burberry Prorsum opened up their Spring 2015 runway show with fitted denim jackets, which I thought was fabulous. Denim jackets are a modern classic and very versatile, especially when worn over skirts and dresses. Here are some of the looks from the show. 

Fitted dark denim jackets worn with funky midi skirts, sneakers, satchels or crossbody bags is a wearable look with lots of room for substitution. I’ve shown three renditions, of which the one on the left is the closest to the runway outfits because it includes sneakers. The other two options are inspired by the original outfits, but more conventionally flattering and less edgy. Lets break it down into components.

Denim Jacket: This is the most important part of the outfit. You need a fitted denim jacket in dark or light wash that you can button all the way through so that it looks like a top and not a jacket. In the past when I’ve worn my denim jacket this way, I’ve left the bottom button unfastened to prevent the band of the jacket from digging into me when seated. Leave the sleeves down, so no rolling or scrunching. This is not the most comfortable way to wear a denim jacket, so it does help when the fabric has a little stretch. If you like, you can sew a little faux fur to the inside of a denim jacket to create the peplum effect of the runway looks.

Midi Skirt: The look is knee-covering, which means midi all the way. Choose a pencil, fluted or flared style. Basic pencil midi skirts are fine, but ones with ruching, insets, ruffles, flounces and asymmetrical hems are better because their romantic integrity creates a fun juxtaposition against the strict workwear vibe of the denim jacket. 

Footwear: Add sneakers for a funky and Sporty Luxe touch. They needn’t be lace-up trainers like the models are wearing if that’s too much. Think slip-on sneakers, Converse sneakers, or wedged high-tops. If sneakers aren’t your thing because they make you feel dumpy and flat-footed (or you don’t like the combination), opt for pointy toe flats with high or low vamps like loafers, d’Orsay flats or slipper flats. And if you insist on wearing a heel with the combination, opt for pumps, ankle strap pumps, peep-toe booties, or caged heeled sandals. 

Accessories: Finish off the outfit with a satchel or crossbody bag. Add hose for extra insulation. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired. 

I wish I could make slip-on sneakers work for my feet because that would be my preference for this outfit formula. Next up are dainty pointy toe flats, which I also need to get this season. The version with the heels and flared skirt is one I’ve worn before and enjoyed, but I’d like to give the more casual versions with flats a whirl.

I love buttoning up my fitted denim jackets and find them quite comfortable. I also know it makes some people feel like they are wearing a straightjacket.