Helen's Life & Style

Cable Knit Sweater, Two Ways

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date January 1, 2014

Photos: Olivia Palermo & Alexa Chung; Courtesy of wireimage.com, startraksphoto.com

Happy 2014 everyone! How is your New Year’s Eve? With a little one needs to be nursed around the clock, I opted out of the hoopla and stayed at my warm home with loved ones.

Kick off the first day with two classic, cozy yet fashionable looks. Cable knit sweaters are very nostalgic for me, growing up seeing heavy snow every winter, I can’t live without them. How to update? Play with textures by pairing them with tough leather or flowy chiffon; Also incorporate trendy elements, like the pleats (prepare to see them a lot next spring), skirts in midi length, and punky zips or studs seen on today’s featured fashion experts.

In Chinese: 新年快乐！你的新年前夜是怎么度过的呢？带着襁褓里的宝宝，又赶上纽约气温骤降，我只好选择呆在家里，不过和家人在一起，其乐融融，也很惬意。

今天我选了两个非常经典又不失时尚感的搭配，都是和一件我们很熟悉的单品有关的，那就是人人都离不开的毛衣。这种从小穿到大的衣服怎么穿出潮流感呢？贴士一：混搭不同的材质，把厚重的针织和硬朗的皮革或飘逸的雪纺配在一起；贴士二：引入当季的流行元素，比如百褶裙（明年春夏会很火哦），复古的中长裙，或有庞克风的拉链、铆钉等。

Sweater: Old Navy
Skirt: J Brand (on sale! also here; similar here & here)
Shoes: Gianvito Rossi (similar here)
Bag: Kate Spade New York (similar in bigger size here)
Cuff: Eddie Borgo

Sweater: Topshop (also here)
Skirt: Jonathan Saunders (50% off! also on sale here)
Shoes: Carolinna Espinosa (investment-worthy here)
Bag: Mulberry ‘Lily‘ (great alternative here & here)
Earrings: Chanel (more options here; similar here)

Tags Alexa Chung, ankle strap shoes, bow flat, cable knit sweater, fall/winter, leather skirt, Mulberry Lily, Olivia Palermo, party outfits

CLOTHING

Camel, Denim & Leopard

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date December 31, 2013

Photos: Behati Prinsloo & Fearne Cotton; Courtesy of fameflynet.biz, splashnewsonline.com.

Camel, leopard and denim, all three are classic and timeless. Together, they result fun, sophisticated and youthful looks. As always, it’s the details that count:

Cashmere or wool blend camel pieces have that luxury vibe while providing the extra warmth we need; Leopard accessories, like bags, belts or shoes are great ways to incorporate this forever trendy print without being overwhelming, I especially love those made of haircalf material; As for denim, faded chambray shirt, distressed jeans or patchwork denim pieces provide that artfully disheveled, effortless chicness.

In Chinese: 驼色、豹纹和牛仔都是不退流行的经典时尚元素。但每一个在挑选和搭配时又各有需要留意的小细节：

像所有的中性色一样，驼色的单品很强调质感，喀什米尔或羊毛混纺的外套会更保暖、更经穿，看起来也更柔和。至于大家都爱的豹纹，用配饰点缀就够了，无论是豹纹的手包、腰带还是鞋子。我尤其偏爱马毛质地，看起来更高贵典雅。牛仔的引入能给驼色和豹纹“减龄”，尤其是水洗、带有破洞或拼接设计的牛仔单品，与精良的羊毛或马毛制品混搭在一起，更有随性的酷感。

Coat: Burberry London (on Behati Prinsloo here)
Shirt: Madewell
Jeans: Rag & Bone/JEAN
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik ($42 here; my obsession here)
Belt: Madewell
Jewelry: Alexis Bittar

Coat: Joseph (similar here)
Sweater: Uniqlo (also love this one)
Jeans: Goldsign (similar here)
Shoes: Charlotte Olympia (on sale! similar here)
Bag: Mulberry (similar here)
Sunglasses: The Row (similar here)

Tags Behati Prinsloo, camel coat, denim shirt, distressed jeans, fall/winter, Fearne Cotton, leopard shoes, Mulberry bayswater, patchwork, street style, turtleneck sweater

CLOTHING

New Year’s Revolution

Post author By Helen Hou
Post date December 30, 2013

Photos: (clockwise from top left) Anja Rubik, Diane Kruger, Eva Longoria & Lily Collins; Courtesy of vogue.fr, filmmagic.com, dailymail.co.uk, gettyimages.com.

Can’t believe we’re stepping into 2014! Thank you all SO much for your support and help in the past year, I especially appreciate all the warm greetings to my son, who means the whole world to me (can’t believe he is already 4 months)!

Speaking of New Year, my revolution in terms of fashion is pushing the envelope further and be more experimental. The arty prints, saturated colors, sultry see-through, subtle punk are all in my ‘try-more’ list. Incorporating more dresses into my practical-oriented mommy-wardrobe is also an exciting challenging. What’s your revolution?

In Chinese: 不敢相信记忆中遥远的2014就在眼前了。谢谢你们在过去一年的支持，尤其感谢那些在我生产期间写信鼓励和祝福我的朋友们，儿子的出生是我2013年最值得骄傲和最感恩的事。现在他就是我的整个世界了。

说到2014，你的新年愿望是什么？在时尚方面，我希望自己在搭配上能更有突破和创新，就像上面这几个造型中看到的艺术图案、大的花朵、明艳的颜色、性感的透视设计或一些庞克元素等我还想再多尝试。另外，虽然需要照顾宝宝，陪他玩，在日常活动中也要多找机会穿裙子，这个对实用为主导的妈妈们可能会是个挑战。你呢？