Cardigan Crush: Vivienne Westwood Cut Out Cardigan

Spotted these new cardigans by Vivienne Westwood from her FW2010 ad campaign and sorta fell instantly in love with them!

Cut outs are tricky to pull off in a classy way because of the rock n roll feel that entails but once you get there, they're so incredibly sexy. I do admit they do look like some sort of sewing machine error right now - but imagine wearing a t-shirt inside with a playful color that pops like the very right-now neon palette or a shirt with a pattern underneath to give it a sophisticated touch.

Take a look at them in grey and the Vivienne Westwood ad after the jump!

Olivia Palermo & Johannes Huebl for Mango FW2010

You may not like her on MTV's The City, but I've always loved Olivia Palermo's sense of style and effortless elegance. Here we have the style icon's photoshoot for Mango's FW2010 catalog, along with her real life boyfriend, model Johannes Huebl. The two look smokin' hot and I wish Mango would introduce its menswear line, Mango Men, in Hong Kong soon!

Photo credits: Mango via Nitro:licious

Paul Smith Bags Campaign FW2010

Here are the latest visuals from Paul Smith BAG. Gone are the bright colors and eye-catching object patterns; instead, we get one of this season's hottest color palette - purple and camel - and more leather! I'm loving them both: The leather details in the messenger bag is very appealing and the shape is different from what we're normally used to seeing from the brand. It can be easily dressed up (with a suit for work) or down (for a causal weekend ensemble). The leather suitcase reminds me a bit of Salvatore Ferragamo's designs with the sewing details, but in a color that is very Paul Smith.

Photo credits: Paul Smith via ModeMan

Knits You Can't Miss

You know how sometimes fashion designers and stylists go, "This piece is my favorite; it's a friend you can always go to."? That's kinda how I feel about knitwear. Not only do they functionally keep you warm, they do wonders to a person's body - if you're skinny, they bulk you up; and if you're feeling a little bloated, they create the illusion that it's not your fault, it's just the way knitwear is. As the temperature gradually drops, I've pooled together some of my favorite knits this season, with different styles, at different price points:

Clockwise from top-left:

1. ASOS Double Breasted Jersey Cardigan  Like on a jacket, the double-breast buttons give your cardigan (and you, of course) a dandy feel to it without being too formal.
2. All Saints Morris Open Cardigan  The drape-y trend has extended from womenswear to menswear this season, so I bought this from London earlier this year but haven't had the chance to wear it so far...
3. Zara Lined Jacquard Jacket  These tribal knit patterns are one of the trends this season, but they're a bit hard to pull off without looking too busy visually, so pair it with something really plain and don't wear too many accessories!
4. H&M Grey Cardigan  Love the folded collar with the shoulder epaulets for the military effect, I personally got one in military green and it's amazingly cheap at HK$149!
5. Matthew Williamson Horse Print Sweater  Leave it to Matthew Williamson to bring chicness with patterns and colors, this sweater is the perfect piece to blend into any wardrobe.
6. Thom Browne Striped Sweater  I love me some bold red stripes! And hey, red is the color of Christmas!
7. 3.1 Philipp Lim Mid Grey Tiger Intarsia Jumper  Animal prints are gonna be huge for menswear so this Philipp Lim creation would be perfect for guys like me - who prefer something more understated, yet intriguing at the same time. Especially love the mix of leopard and tiger prints!

Photo credits: Matches, Zara, H&M, ASOS, All Saints, MyWardrobe.com

Boots for Dudes

In an effort to create that military-inspired look for this Winter, I've been on the look out for boots lately; and I must say unlike boots for the ladies, the perfect pair of boots for guys is extremely difficult to find (the same also goes for manbags). Either they're not tall enough to reach my calves or they're too rain boots-y. After some research, here are my favorite boots of the season:

Burberry Prorsum Shearling Lined Boots
Shearling is definitely one of the biggest trends for FW2010 - especially for Burberry. So it seems fitting to add shearling into the mix to create the hottest boots this season. The only thing pulling me back is the white shearling peeking out of the boots - from afar, they look as if the seamings of the boot itself bursted exposing the cotton inside. Love the calf-length though. If there's ever a standard for calf-length boots, this would be it.

Burberry Prorsum Distressed Leather Lace-up Boots

Slightly shorter than the one above but looking extra combat-ready in this delicious brown leather. It's like a pair of normal leather shoes given a leather tube on top. I actually bought something similar in suede from Zara earlier this year (see below). Coming to think of it, it would not be a bad idea to have the tube part detachable from the base! Then you get two pairs of shoes in one!

These are the Zara ones I got (Photo Credit: 00o00):

Bottega Veneta Double Buckle Boots

This is like the standard for combat boots out there. Very Dr. Martin and hard-looking. The buckles make the boots look extra macho and military, but they're a bit shorter than what I'm looking for and I'm not exactly sure if I want shiny leather all the way (vs distressed). Hmm...

Zara Combat Boots

You can always count on Zara to bring some cheaper-yet-similar option to the table. These look a bit like the Burberry ones and I like the studs at the top giving a more rustic feel to it. In fact, I saw these boots at Zara in September and I thought it'd be a tad bit too early to be shopping for boots already but guess what? They've been sold out for a month already. Lesson learned: there's never too early, only too late. Hong Kong has some fierce shopaholics. 

And my search continues...

Photo Credits: Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Zara

Burberry Winter Storms Collection

My obsession with Burberry continues.

Following the April Showers collection earlier this year, the British mega brand is back with a brand new collection aptly titled Winter Storms for FW2010. These stunning images feature the brand's classic trench coats, signature checked scarfs and lots and lots of studs! Now, if only I could get my hands on all these amazing pieces and look so ridiculously hot in the Winter cold...!

Photo Credits: Burberry

H&M Trend Guide FW2010

As we bid farewell to the last bit of Summer heat, it's time to freshen up our wardrobe for Fall and Winter! Not sure what to invest in this season? Don't sweat - Swedish high street fashion power house H&M has put together a neat trend guide for FW2010! From the looks of it, expect lots of layering, heavy knits, big coats, boots, and tweeds this season! Key word: Military.

Time to stock up!

Credits: H&M