The A-Line

COS jumper and mid-length skirt, Hong Kong boutique bomber jacket, Topshop necklace and boots.

Excuse that awful look on my face. It is very difficult to model with 95% of your body covered in loose-fitted clothes, that’s why I put all that intensity in my facial expression. Apologies if you feel threatened for a moment. Consider this my Halloween look (coz I’m not gonna do one!)
I’ve been looking for the perfect skirt to go with my platform utility boots and my bomber jacket to create (in my humble opinion) the look of the season. It’s all about the length and the shape of the skirt (shorter than maxi, longer than mid-calf, and has to be A-line). I got mine from COS (aka the company which stole my fashion wishlist) and you may find yours here, here and here or consult Harper’s Bazaar’s chicest ways to wear the midi.

Pre-Fall

By Sybil Kot

Photos by dear mom : )

(Club Monaco top, COS skirt, Topshop boots, Massimo Dutti bracelet, Zara jackets and shades)

When everyone else is still indulging in the crazy summer sale, I made an effort to pile on layers of fall winter clothes just to impress you – yea that’s what I do, freeze in February and melt down in August – just to impress you! Jokes aside, I’ve been quite impatient myself for the weather to cool down so that I can start wearing the dressy sweatshirts, full skirt and oversized coats… So here a sneak peek for the exciting season to come! Speak soon.

POLYU FASHION SHOW 2013

Back in June I was invited to PolyU Fashion Show where the undergrads present their final year project. The Institute of Textiles and Clothing in Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the most prestigious fashion design school in Hong Kong. With the likes of Vivienne Tam as alumni, the graduation show is definitely much more than a school project for the local fashion scene. The following are a few personal highlights of the show. 

Winner of the Overall Grand Prize, the Outstanding Menswear Award and the Creativity Award. Lee Pak Ho has certainly made his point of being an advocate for sheerness in menswear. The opening piece was a little bit of a shock to me but the rest are simply brilliant. The strongest piece in the collection would be the overall sheer plaid suit and the “cloudy” suit. Having said that, I probably won’t dress my boyfriend that way.

Francesca Chin‘s Time Sculptor collection is my favourite collection in the show. I love the form-fitted jacket with embossing details in cream color paired with knitted pencil skirt, also the turtleneck maxi dress with silver embroidery and the black lacer cut mini dress. The overall image of the collection is almost warrior-like to me. But the designer has carefully executed the collection into highly wearable pieces. 

Zac Tso‘s Tribe Futurist collection looks a slightly over-designed to me, but I do like certain details he experimented with this collection –  the sportswear-inspired side slit maxi skirt and the beaded cape jacket. 

Reichen Man‘s collection Coral definitely captured the imagination of the audience. showcases sophisticated craftsmanship. The bold pieces, though unwearable to most, demonstrated refined craftsmanship and sophistication in the pairing colors. I would love to see an accessory line by him.

Yankee Leung‘s Futurist Classic collection is a close investigation of the many possibilities of the future suit – The oversized sweatshirt which ensembles a suit jacket, the cut up tuxedo cape and the white jacket which comes in two pieces- a cropped top and a girdle, all of the above showcases the designer’s effort to re-define the “classic”. The collection is streetwear-inspired, slightly K-pop-ish at times, but certainly a highlight of the show.

And some really fun moments…

Rhyox Wan – …and we live off of the unsettling soul

Stella Leung – Kyotokyo
Joyce Kun – so long, farewell, my stranger

Lois Li – Steipnir in pastel

And it was really lovely meeting Twee from Ezzentric Topz. She has recently relocated from Australia to Hong Kong, so make sure that you check out her blog and online vintage shop.

Photos by me.

Feminine x Military

Photographs by dear mom : )

(Zara top, shoes and bag, Asos skirt, H&M necklace and bracelet.)

You guys know how much I love my fishtail skirt. It’s the ultimate feminine item that most people my age wouldn’t bother to try (unless it’s a wedding gown of course!) But I’m always keen on putting together that everyday-appropriate feminine look. To balance out the femininity, I chose to go with a shirt with military print. The silver accessories add modern chic factor to the look. The boxy shoulder bag is my newest purchase this season. It definitely helps to balance the curves of the fishtail skirt. And the faux fur should pad is just cute. Thinking to do a Part 2 of this feminine x military look. Stay tuned!

Fall essentials with Sam :)

Not too long ago Sam and I had an idea of collab on fall essentials. After tweaking on the angles for a while we decided to contribute two pieces each and put together four looks that reflects our own style. Although having quite a few things in common, our styles are not at all similar – Sam is tall (5’7) and de garçon and a total fanatic about layering while me being all petite (5’2 1/2), féminin and thus not an ideal canvas for layers. So the challenge here is to step out of our comfort zone a little. Thanks to me we finally get to see Sam in a lace pencil skirt and a sequined scallop top! (evil laugh inserted) So here you go, enjoy this little collab and have a great weekend!

Sybil’s Topshop Lace Pencil Skirt.
Vintage jacket, pull and bear flats, unknown brand top; hat gifted by Sam. Check out Sam’s list of items on her blog.

Sybil’s Monki Sequined Scallop Top
Topshop skirt, Pull and Bear flats; hat gifted by Sam. Check out Sam’s list of items on her blog.

Sam’s H&M parka
Asos skirt, unknown brand top, Pull and Bear flats. Check out Sam’s list of items on her blog.

Sam’s Uniqlo sweater
Vintage wrap skirt, H&M ankle boots, Monki clutch. Check out Sam’s list of items on her blog.

Photographs by Sam and I.
All graphic designs by Sam.

I’m keeping the teaser to remind you of our craziness.
: D

Gleaming velvet.

Photographs by dear mom : )

(Zara green velvet top, Topshop skirt, H&M shirt and boots.)

Sorry guys, it’s been like a week without new posts. It was raining for a while but now we have officially entered the beautiful fall : D I can feel the cool air running through my palms, leaving behind a feeling that is so satisfying but somehow unsettling. But we all know that this is gonna be the one month in a year, when life is beautiful no matter what.

Layering a shirt underneath a short-sleeve top is what I’d like to call the “librarian” look. It’s something I tend to avoid because with the wrong combination of textures, it will look extremely geeky and old-fashioned. It would take something heavy and chic like velvet to bring this look together, and I found just the right item in Zara yesterday!

As I was strolling down the street, I noticed how people stare at my half-way tucked in shirt. Though I do think a little bit of messiness differentiates fashion bloggers from runway models, I couldn’t help but dwell on the line  from The Picture of Dorian Gray – She tried to look picturesque, but only succeeded in being untidy. Hmm.. whatever.

Oh, and thank you for those who voted for the Asos outfits! Love you all : 3

New hair and a new fishtail.

Photographs by dear mom : )

(Asos fishtail skirt, Romwe vest courtesy of Sam, H&M cardi, Monki clutch, Pull and Bear flats.)

I cut my hair! Can you see that? I know it’s not a dramatic change, but hey, one step at a time.  Somehow the experience of going to a hair stylist resembles that of visiting a dentist: The interrogative question – What have you done to your hair/teeth, young lady? – which induces a lot of guilt, followed by a 4-hour treatment and a post-treatment trauma. This kinda explains why I haven’t visited a hair salon in 17 months : P You guys know me,  I’ve had this long hair on one side since I started blogging. I was a but intimidated by the idea of changing my hair up. So DO tell me what you think about this!

I’ve always wanted a fishtail skirt, but it’s an incredibly old-fashioned thing to put on, and whoever does that is running the risk of looking Paula-Tsui-ish – no offence here, she’s no doubt a great singer. I ordered this from Asos.com, and I have to say that I’m really in love with it. I have relatively narrow hips. The shape of the skirt kinda put emphasis on the hips and gives me a fuller bottom, thus a more feminine figure. I know many girls in Asia struggle with wider hips, but I guess if this post doesn’t help you with what you should wear, it at least gives you an idea of what to avoid ; )

I figured a flowy top and a draped cardi would look very feminine and comfy with the skirt, and that’s exactly the mood I’m going for lately – as you can see. Thank you Sam for lending me the top, I really really like it!

Vote for The Style Voyager’s Asos outfit!

Photographs by the one and only Carmen Chan

I can’t quite explain how a peaceful tea party turned out to be a best-outfit-competition. But I guess that’s the only way to engage all you lazy asses. So, without further adieu, I present you my tea party costume outfit. As expected, I went for statement pieces from head to toe, hopefully you don’t find them outshining each other.

A brief outfit breakdown – Chinese opera inspired extended sleeves top – I found the best way to wear it is to tie a loose knot with the sleeves at the back. It weighs down the drama and gives the look a very romantic finish; midi length pencil skirt with colour blocking – this should be a mid-calf length skirt but on me it’s almost ankle length. I seriously can’t care less because the colours are beautiful and the shape so very flattering. The brocade platform sandals are gorgeous and relatively comfortable to walk in; and how can one stop staring at that long polka dot clutch? Excuse my fox though, he just want to have some attention.

So are you convinced to vote for me, huh? Blink blink.

I’m just kidding : ) Go ahead and vote for the outfit you like the best, and win a £250 cash coupon to shop at asos.com! It takes only a few steps to vote so don’t get lazy on that. The competition lasts for 2 weeks. Don’t forget to check out everyone else’s blog and comment and rate!

Now click on the items to view individual piece!
I’ve spent 3 hours mapping the html, so at least click on it!

ASOS x HK Fashion Bloggers Tea Party

All photos by the one and only Carmen Chan except the last one.

Let me tell you something first. A few months ago Asos contacted us for a standard affliate programme, asking us to put a banner on and in return earn a percentage from others’ purchases. I told Sam and Denise, in a blogger meet up, that it is stupid. (Sorry for being honest…) But asos has kept the options open and the creative genius Sam replied to that ever-so-standard email saying “Really?! Can we propose something else?” And it kicked off our 4-month communication and preparation with Asos. I can tell you that ALOT efforts are involved, ideas, time, physical challenges – I’m referring to weight lifting in particular, HK bloggers had accomplished a very unlikely task. See how creativity and persistence has made everything look so much better? Thank you Asos for being so open-minded and supportive!

What is it all about?

The original idea is to have a few HK fashion bloggers gather together for a afternoon meet up and tea sharing – beautiful food, beautiful decorations, bird cages, traditional China, a crazy amount of flowers and many more. The idea is to combine a relaxed and beautifully decorated backdrop to show off the clothes. At the later stage of the preparation, local creatives Carmen Chan and Nathan Wong were brought in for the post production. And thanks to that our efforts have been translated into pictures and moving images. Now watch this amazing video shot and edited by Nate and his crew.

Credits of the amazing video goes to Nate and his crew – Spade, Dion, andd Brendon.

Beautiful home courtesy of Tania : )
Special thanks to Vero Chocolate and Cafe Loisl for the delicious cakes!

I was a little overwhelmed by the preparation and didn’t actually spent much time enjoying myself. But I’m sure others did and the action of clicking on their stories is highly recommanded!
A pair and a spare, Fashion Hedonism, Sam is Home, Superwowomg, T Like Bubble Tea

What is next?

What’s up next is that everyone of you is invited to participate and win a £250 asos cash coupon? Tempted? Read my next post to see how to get it!

: D

Tease tease tease.

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great National holiday!
I’m sharing with you a homemade teaser for an upcoming event which all of you are invited to participate. Can’t tell much now, but make sure you will check back on October 3rd for a lovely surprise!

Special thanks to all HK bloggers who worked together to make this work.
Let’s get the party started!