Shanghai Vaquera

Hard to fit size? Join the club!

2013-03-05T16:47:00.000-06:00

In my grandmother’s time in China, many people - those who could afford it - had their clothes custom made by tailors. Over time, manufacturers figured out that it would be more efficient for them if they mass produced clothes in “average” sizes that would require only minor alterations at the point of sale, allowing individual shops to buy and stock more inventory. This is how ready-to-wear came into being, and it has brought convenience to our life. While this works wonderfully in most situations, there are still many of us left behind with off-the-rack clothes that don’t quite work. Let me give you an example: In China, my home country, I am considered tall though I am only a bit above average by Western standards. In high school, I was about 30 pounds heavier than I am today, so by Chinese standards I was considered a giant in those days! I could not find any decent ready to wear clothes to buy, and in my summer job (working as a sauce preparer at the Renaissance Hotel restaurant) I had to wear a boy’s uniform! Trust me, it was hard to think of myself as pretty back then!

You see, our so-called mainstream sizes are actually controlled by manufacturers. Over the years I have worked in fashion, I rarely meet any women who don’t have any complaints about their body, especially when they can not find their idealized size to fit them. Sometimes, they may start to daydream about going on a diet or having plastic surgery, so that they can fit into what they believe to be ideal clothes. I call this the Cinderella syndrome. If we fit into that special “shoe size”, we will meet our “prince” - i.e., find our ideal, whether an actual prince or some fantasy vision of ourselves. But think of all the time, effort, money and energy that is wasted trying to fit some delusional, external idea of beauty! This happens to plus size women even more. Ironically, the average American women’s size is 14-16. In the real world, not some designer’s fantasy world, plus size in America should be normal size.

In fact, speaking from personal experience with my clients, I can say that many plus size women are not even overweight - they may be big, healthy and athletic and not simply fit the fashion model ideal. Not only plus size women have issues with fit, either - I have clients and friends who are petite and sometimes find themselves shopping children’s sizes to find something to wear! So please know, if you struggle to find ready to wear clothes that fit you properly, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

I want to share with you a few ideas to solve this body/fit puzzle. First, you need to have a clear understanding of your body type, and know which areas to minimize, where to enhance, and where to balance. Secondly, you need to have some basic knowledge of what vendor will fit you and then pay attention to the measurements and try a few. For myself, I’ve learned I have a wider shoulder and smaller hip than typical. I often wear a A-line skirt to create an hourglass shape, which works for me.

One thing I love about living in America (and especially Austin) is that it’s really O.K. here to be different. In my view, it is just like our culture, and our personality, sometimes we are different. As people more and more accept differences in the world, we just need to face the fact that not everybody can fit so-called mainstream clothes sizes. BUT, that absolutely does not mean we have to sacrifice looking good! There ARE good choices out there. You may have to work harder (or find someone to work harder for you) than the mainstream body type person to flatter your body type in the right way, but you don’t have to look like I did in the boy’s uniform in high school!

I was inspired to write on this topic because during the course of my daily fashion online research I saw an truly fabulous plus-size dress - this is one of the best plus size dresses I’ve ever seen. It has almost all the features you would look for:

Washable knit fabric that flows gently over your curves without clinging.
A polished and flattering silhouette. V-neck to longate the neckline, shape-defining bodice, elbow sleeves and knee length
Three beauiful simple colors to choose from
And it is only $69.99!

Finally, I need to plug my business a bit. As with many things in life, you can absolutely do a fine job finding fashions, outfits, and looks for yourself...if you have the time, if you have the eye for it, if you have the passion for it, if you want to deal with running around, shopping multiple vendors, returning items, etc. Or, you can do what most successful people do, and hire an expert to work with you, spend the time, energy and effort as your agent in the marketplace, looking for the best things out there on your behalf, and handling all the grief that comes with shopping as well as providing a keen eye and an honest opinion. After an initial meeting and discussion, and taking some measurements, I can be out in the marketplace on your behalf finding you great clothes, helping you understand how they can be worn with your existing wardrobe, and providing results very quickly! The time commitment is minimal - my clients are busy so I don’t waste their time taking them around to stores. Much of what I provide to clients I find online. At Nordstrom, I learned the meaning of service, and in my business I take service to the next level. If you would like to see what I mean, please get in touch.

Spring Wardrobe Planning Pays Off in Texas

2013-02-26T18:01:00.000-06:00

Greetings! I hope you are all off to a great start this year. As the spring season is approaching, I recently got hired to do a number of closet reviews. I finally have a moment to sit down and elaborate on this topic a little bit more.

If you live in Texas and looking good and spending wisely matters to you, the spring season is the most important fashion season because of our climate. The weather here is springlike for most of the year - the wardrobe investment we make in spring can usually last at least until early fall. Spring is therefore the best time of year to do a closet cleaning, organizing and review, and then make a wardrobe buying plan for yourself - doing so will give you the best bang for your buck.

There is still time to review your closet and put together a plan to get yourself ready for a great spring and the rest of 2013. If you prefer to do your own closet review and purchase plan, I’d like to share with you what I learned from my teacher, noted image master Carol Davidson:

1. Clarify your own unique style. Look in magazines or online and begin to assemble a file of items that appeal to you. Think about what they share in common - perhaps it's the colors, silhouettes, styles or manufacturers? Begin to cultivate (or refine) your style so that you know what to look for and consistently love your look. Keep in mind, some of the looks might not be suitable to your physical condition.

2. Identify your assets - and then flaunt them! I'm not sure why, but we all seem to dwell on the negative. Why not take the time and energy you'd use to hide a challenge area and instead think about your assets and how you can best show them off?

3. Assess your wardrobe. Try to understand what works and what doesn't, and why. Let go of the things that are simply not useful. "Just do it." Give discarded items a second life by donating them or giving them to a friend.

4. Don't put off alterations or repairs. There is nothing more frustrating than having an item that you could wear and enjoy, if only... Just as you schedule everything else in your smart phone, take the time to schedule these activities as well.

5. Organize your closet. Does this seem overwhelming? Split this task into one or two hour chunks, over the course of several weeks. Think about your wardrobe routine. Would it make sense to organize your closet by item, by color or by outfit? Play some music and focus on creating a sanctuary of organized items that make you deliriously happy!

6. Find new ways to combine your clothes. Pick one item each week and challenge yourself to come up with a new way to wear it. (FYI, many of you don't really need more items...just some fresh ways to wear what they own. That's where I can help!)

7. Make a shopping list. Do not - I repeat - do not - go into a store without a list of what you need. This will keep you from coming home with the 'nice-to-haves' as opposed to the 'need-to-haves.'

8. Make a conscious decision to make wiser choices. Assuming an item fits both your budget and your body, ask yourself: Do you love it? Does it flatter you? Does it represent you at your best?

9. Make a point to add color. No one can live in all neutrals all the time. Easy ways to add a splash of color are by way of a bag, shoe, nail color or as part of a print. Not only will color add visual interest to any outfit, it can help you get through any gray days.

10. Discover that comfort and style need not be mutually exclusive. Take the time to search out items that hit the mark in both categories. No one should suffer for fashion. However, no one should sacrifice it for comfort, either.

11. Give yourself permission to shop for the whole outfit. So many people are frustrated because they have orphan items (aka items that don't have a companion piece) in their closet. When considering a new item, either make sure that you own two to three items to go with it, or take the time to hunt for the complete ensemble.

12. Learn to accept compliments graciously. They will come!

Holiday party - What to wear?

2012-11-30T18:36:00.002-06:00

I personally think the holiday season is not only a time to celebrate the joy of the year - family and friends gathering, festive food, exchanging of gifts - but it can also be the most emotionally volatile time of year as well. Everyone, whether in their companies or in their families, tends to take stock of themselves and their situations as the holidays also coincide with year-end. There is always pressure to “look good” or “look successful,” as well as to feel good and successful ourselves and please those important to us. Retailers understand this, and they know how to pull the heartstrings to get us to open our wallets. Kids write their wishful letters to Santa, and those of us who are parents want to do our best to fulfill our kids’ wishes even sometimes when doing so gives us conflict. And of course, we have the holiday party invitations and the pressure that comes with celebrating the season with friends and colleagues before we spend time with our families.

I can’t really tell you how to handle the kids’ gift wishes - this is primarily a fashion blog after all - but I would like to share my thoughts about what to wear to the holiday parties you’re likely preparing to attend.

First, take a deep breath! (Doesn’t that feel better?)

It is very possible you already have just what you need to put your holiday look together, sitting right there in your closet. Or maybe you will just need to buy one or two dazzling pieces.

Let me help you to put some potential outfits together!

Let’s start with a basic check list - if you already have one of the following, you are in good shape!

Little black/navy/red/wine (you name it, any dark color) dress
Dark wash, well fitted jeans
Dark blazer
Silk blouse
Simple pencil skirt
Pumps
Wool/Cashmere/Cotton & silk sweaters

Here’s my suggested additions to complete your outfit!

Gloves: Many of us forget about this fabulous winter accessory that can marry fashion and function. Have fun and try on different colors, prints and lengths. Long leather or satin gloves that reach the elbow can add a bit of style and sophistication to sleeveless attire. Wear a pair in a deep-jeweled tone like garnet, sapphire or emerald to add a pop of color to a simple black dress. If you don’t care for long gloves, go with a shorter pair with embellishment.

Scarves: I do love me some scarves! I am a big fan of scarves with unique prints. One of my favorite things about scarves is that you never need to fit INTO a scarf! Extra holiday indulgences have zero impact on your ability to wear a scarf, and adding one to your look creates an instant dressed-up feel. If you have a busy working day with an event on the schedule afterwards, you may not have time to go home and change. Add a silk scarf on your neck, and off you go!

Sequins or paillettes: Get ready to shine! A sequined dress in black, gold, or silver makes for the perfect outfit this holiday season. Too much of a good thing? Try a sequined tank or jacket you can pair with practically anything – from your favorite dark wash denim to a go-to-work pencil skirt or simple trouser. For just a bit of sparkle, add a narrow sequined belt or clutch. Remember, the more sequins you have, the less jewelry you need.

Red: If you have your favorite shade of red living somewhere in your closet, this is the perfect time to bring it out. Scarlet red, rust red, plum red, any shade of red can be the base of a great festive outfit. If you feel red is a bit too much for you, opt for red nail color or a red lipstick instead. (Be sure to wear a nude lip liner to avoid any bleeding of color into fine lines around the mouth.)

Statement jewelry: This can be as simple as a diamond stud necklace, a drop of pearl, or can be as dramatic as a pair of chandelier earrings or a chunky necklace, or as fun as a holiday theme broach. Make sure it suits your personality. If you struggle to decide, remember simple is beautiful.

If you’re going to be driving, please drive safe and alert! I don’t know if it’s just me, but it seems that every holiday season I see more accidents and near-accidents - I think people get more easily distracted at this time of year. Stay alert, use these tips, RELAX and enjoy your holiday season!

Fashionomics 101: Maximize Your ROI

2012-10-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

A recent Wall Street Journal article, “Fall Fashion Forecast” comes to the conclusion that trend is dead. This further emphasizes the points I made in June when I wrote, “Follow your style- make the trend work for you”.

But this leads to another question: how should we manage our wardrobes? Do you feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to add to your wardrobe? Or, conversely, are you in the other camp and feel like you might not be able to control yourself?

Either way, now could be just the time to assess your fashion capital and re-balance your fashion portfolio. Here are some guidelines that I have learned:

Capitalize on your assets. Take a long, hard look at your body from head to toe. What are your most valuable assets that make your look uniquely yours? What are you working with - fabulous curves, great legs, high cheekbones etc? Only when you know what your assets are can you make sound purchases that naturally highlight them. Because assets change over time, be sure to focus on what is working NOW rather than what has worked in the past. You have evolved, and your clothing should as well.

Take stock. It's difficult to put together great outfits if you are low on inventory. Just before the fall and spring fashion seasons hit, assess what you already own. Do your clothes fit and flatter you? Are they current and in good condition? Do they represent the best version of you and the image you would like to project? If there's inventory in your closet that's not working for you, it's time to write it off and then re-stock. Remember the three step process: inventory, edit, and shop. Invest the time just twice a year and enjoy the dividends all year long.

Minimize your liabilities. First know that you are not alone. We all have liabilities that seem to stay with us for longer than they should. Here is a sampling of some liabilities that my clients have shared over the years:

Shopping to fill an emotional void ("retail therapy") rather than shopping for items that are needed
Not shopping because there are too many choices and it seems overwhelming
Inaccurate or out-of-date self-image
Getting all fashion advice from an opinionated friend or family member rather than building your own personal style
Buying based on price rather than need
Investing in high-end items without a wardrobe plan

Whatever your fashion liabilities, make friends with them and make a plan! Get out of your clothing rut by breaking habits that are not serving your best interests.

Diversify your fashion portfolio. Smart investors have a diversified portfolio. Similarly, savvy dressers have clothes for every aspect of their life; they are not just invested in one area of their life (i.e. work clothes). A diverse fashion portfolio includes outfits for dressy parties, informal social gatherings, work, weekend activities, exercise, travel, and more. Do you have enough of the right clothing for all of the different situations you find yourself in? Think about how you spend your time and then add to your wardrobe accordingly.

Accrue interest. Your fashion choices tell the story of who you are or aspire to be. You should be getting results from the time and money that you are investing into your wardrobe. Those results might include compliments from others, more confidence, and an overall feeling of well-being. They might also result in a job offer, a promotion, a date, and so on. Now THAT is the kind of accrued interest you are looking for, so go ahead and put your style to work!

Seasonless Style Made Simple

2012-10-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

This time of year is tricky to dress for, even though stores and magazines would have us think otherwise. Many of us are still in summer mode, and rightfully so - while temperatures can vary widely, there are still enough warm days that it's still a bit early to say goodbye to summer clothing. So how do you begin to migrate your closet (and your state of mind) to fall? Here are some tips I’ve learned on how to make a smooth and stylish transition.

Take Cover - A good rule when transitioning into fall is to always have at least one part of your body covered, whether it is your legs or your shoulders. Try pairing a summer dress, skirt, or even heavier fabric shorts with darker hosiery to give off a sleek, fall effect. Alternatively, cardigans, or blazers easily take your sleeveless tops or dresses into fall, and can be added or subtracted as needed.

Embrace the Dark Side - By all means, keep wearing your summer whites and creams as long as temperatures permit, but pair with darker neutrals or one of this fall's colors. For a list of fashion's favorite hues of the season, check out Pantone's Fashion Color Report here.

Accessorized and Dangerous - Balance is the key concept with accessorizing. If you wear a sundress, opt for chunky statement jewelry. Also, don't forget to swap out your handbag. It is time for us to say goodbye to straw and canvas bags, and hello to embossed leather and suede! The addition of a lightweight scarf - especially one showcasing this season's prints - is another great way to embrace the new season. And why not give a nod to the menswear trend and top off your look with a fedora?

It's a Shoe In - Sandals are still fine at this time of year, as long they have more coverage and 'visual' weight than a strappy summer sandal. With summer skirts and dresses, why not try a shoe with one of this fall's chunkier heels, or even an updated ankle bootie? Similarly, your summer capris will find new life this season when teamed with an oxford or 'slipper' flat.

Let's Make Up - It's a good time to transition to fall makeup shades, but the switch doesn't have to be drastic. Simple adjustments like opting for tawnier shades can make all the difference. Swap your sheer summer lip gloss with a creamy lipstick formula. And don't forget about your nails! Exchange summer shades of aqua and mint green for a burgundy, purple, or deep red.

Quicker than you can say "fall fashion," cooler days and nights will soon be upon us. Until then, continue to enjoy your favorite summer items - albeit in a fall-friendly kind of way.

Casual Chic - the solution for Austin's lifestyle

2012-10-02T10:43:00.001-05:00

When I visited Austin for the first time in November 2003, I had been living in Toronto, so unsurprisingly I quickly fell in love with Austin’s weather. Wearing shorts to Baby Acapulco to sip my first-ever margarita provided me with an unforgettable introduction.

I’ve also learned that Austin presents a fashion challenge for many - how do you “keep it Austin weird” while staying well-dressed? It can be very easy for casual to slouch over into sloppy or lazy. Readers have recently emailed me questions like:

How would you define “casual chic”?
How can one dress well during a full day that includes roles as businesswoman and soccer mom?
What can I wear during the Austin fall and winter, when the “seasonal” looks I see online and in stores is not imagining Austin weather? I’m not going to wear sweaters with temperatures still in the 90s!

First, let me say that if someone tells you that “fashion is pain”, ignore them. Whether or not the statement is true (I for one don’t think it is), the point is that you must be comfortable to appear stylish. It is simply not sustainable to force yourself into something that either isn’t you or isn’t comfortable for the situation. Fashion does not serve you if it doesn’t fit you, physically and psychologically. You want to be yourself, not a mannequin. Whether it happened in high school or last week, most of us can remember some first date where either we or our date tried too hard to impress, through excessive boasting or extravagant behavior of some kind. How did that work out? As with dating, your style needs to fit you as a whole person to work for the long run.

Casual chic seems to be the unofficial dress code that embodies the Austin lifestyle. The way I define this broadly is:

Fabrics that are easy to wear and easy to wash

Clothes that are traditionally comfortable to wear, like jeans, khaki pants, skirts, knit tops, cotton shirts, flowing dresses etc.

A look that is stylish, personal and a bit fashion forward with the right accessories. It projects a sense of easiness and effortlessness - meaning one does not spend too much time to much the look together, yet everything visually goes well with each other.

The outfit is not label oriented and the look does not attempt to project wealth and power.

The outfit can be used for multiple functions. For example, most creative or high-tech industry working environment, family gathering, friends' party, after work cocktail, and some dinner party etc.

To be clear, this does not mean t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. There needs to be some effort to put the outfits together initially, and the looks that result can be casual but should “look” effortless.

Casual chic as described above is also the answer I would provide to the businesswoman soccer mom who needs to juggle multiple roles during a day. Here are some examples of well put together casual chic looks.

Now, all the photos I’ve used here are fashion photos. You absolutely don’t need to wear heels to be “casual chic”! Use the looks from the ankles up as a guideline, and add some casual, comfortable flats (but not sneakers), and you’ll have it.

In my next post I will answer the fall-winter question.

Why do we need to dress well? Where is the line?

2012-09-18T09:31:00.001-05:00

Greetings!

From late August to early September I was traveling for a family/business trip to the east coast including New York and the Washington DC area. Our last stop was Alexandria VA, just across the Potomac River from Washington, where we attended a friend’s wedding. As usual, I travel in casual wear. The moment I stepped in our hotel, I started feeling like I was the most dressed down woman in the lobby. The next day, when I went to Starbucks for my morning coffee in shorts and a T-shirt, I found myself in most casual situation again. Even guys were super dressed too. There was a young guy, maybe barely 30, wearing a bow tie and sport coat ordering coffee in front me. I don’t know if any of you share this feeling with me or not - when I am the least dressed women in a group, I felt very uncomfortable. I started to think, what’s going on with this town?

Being as close as it is to the nation’s capital, many politicians and lobbyists live and work in Alexandria. In the professional world, it should go without saying that dressing well is very important. Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov said "First impressions are formed in less than a tenth of a second."

When you dress to project an authoritative image, people tend to listen to you more. For ladies, my personal experience is, when you dress well, you get treated well. Newsweek columnist Jessica Bennett said, "In this economy looking good isn't just vanity, it’s economic survival."

Inevitably, dressing well can go extreme. So the question arises: in the professional field, how can one dress well while maintaining their own style? Where is the line between stylish and fashion slave? I’d like to share my thoughts.

1. Smile! - this is the best, most sustainable and easiest (no cost) accessory you can ever have. And also please take care of yourself, eat well and exercise! You can attract more bees with honey than vinegar! In virtually any professional setting, a smile and a good attitude will get you a long way.

2. If you are a professional, when you manage your wardrobe, set professional needs first and play needs second. This is a very personalized topic, it depends on your professional goal and image goal. For one example, make dressy slacks a priority ahead of jeans. There are also shopping guidelines you can follow from my previous post.

3. Once you have established your core wardrobe, you can use the looks within that wardrobe that work for you - you won’t need to “work for looks” any longer. If you like to shop, work from the core wardrobe and add a few pieces each season along with the trend. It is not necessary to become a fashion slave, to panic each new season, to overbuy and still feel like you have nothing to wear. Well-selected, quality professional clothes should last for at least a couple of years. Being organized and having a plan can help you avoid feeling lost.

The good news about my time in Alexandria was that I was simply visiting while the folks surrounding me were working and dressing to impress. The “underdressed” impulse I felt was quickly followed by the realization that these people were here to work and I was here to relax and enjoy my friend’s wedding. I enjoyed my time in Alexandria, and I did look good at the wedding - I just didn’t pack “wedding clothes” for everyday use!

Do any of you have the same issues when traveling - how to pack when mixing business, pleasure and other activities? Please share your stories and questions in the comment section.

Uniqlo in New York - Online vs. Storefront Fashion Retail

2012-08-05T20:24:00.001-05:00

Last week, I joined Google+ after being frustrated with Facebook forcing me (and all its users) into using its Timeline. While exploring Google+ I found this recent the New Yorker article discussing one of my favorite retailers, Uniqlo, through one of my friend's share.

I have been a fan of Uniqlo since going to their stores in Shanghai in 2002. Uniqlo’s parent company, Japan’s Fast Retailing, also owns other of my favorite brands in fashion retail, including Theory and Comptoir Des Cotonniers. In the decade since becoming a loyal customer of Fast Retailing’s brands, I’ve found the products to be fashion forward, price competitive and high quality - and equally as importantly, I’ve had good experiences as a customer at their stores in various parts of the world.

The New Yorker article led me to think about how retailers should balance the needs of providing staffing and in-person customer service versus expanding their online business. Uniqlo in the U.S. only sells out of its stores - they do no Internet and no phone order business. I think they have made a conscious decision to focus on building their store business, hiring more people to offer fast, accurate and convenient customer service on site. However, in today’s market, offering store business only is not complete customer service. Customers want and expect both!

I don’t need to tell you how much the Internet has changed the way we live, interact and shop. During the five years I spent working at a major luxury retailer, I witnessed a substantial decline in the number of customers visiting the store over the years. Many of those customers have stayed loyal to the company but have moved more of their shopping to the company’s website. Will my old employer and their competitors look at closing stores when the next downturn forces them to look at reducing costs to stay profitable? I bet you they will. At least, we are already seeing a trend of slowing down the opening of new stores.

Will the Internet completely take over store business? No, I don't think so. As the New Yorker article explains, there is still an important role for a positive in-store experience and for customer service in the fashion industry. Especially for luxury retailers, the high margin is mainly built from customer service. Honestly, based on my personal experience, for basic items like T-shirts, casual pants etc., I don’t see a big quality difference from the products one finds in JCPenney or Kohl’s compared to full-line retailers. What customers are paying for is the service. We expect salespeople to tell us honestly and competently what colors look good on us, and if the fit is right etc. If they don’t meet this basic expectation, there is almost no reason to go to the store, other than to have to have some visual stimulation. (This is part of what hurt electronics retailers like Best Buy - people looking at the product in the store, and then ordering online from Amazon where they can get a lower price, if they aren’t getting great service anyway.)

For retailers with a storefront business, I believe there are four key elements that will bring success even against online retailers:

Intelligent store design - making the store highly visually appealing, items easy to find and the store easy to navigate
Having the right selection of products in stock and available
Providing excellent in-store service
Hiring well (and enough)

By successfully executing on these four elements, customers will come back to you either online or offline. None of this is easy, but neither is putting together and operating an online supply chain. The continued migration of customers to the Internet is unstoppable, but stores will continue to provide a vital human link in the minds of customers as part of their overall relationship with the brand.

Lessons from my skin care quest

2012-07-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

Even though my primary interest in fashion and style is clothing, accessories, jewelry and shoes, I have always had a strong interest in the skin care and cosmetics industry. From a business perspective, cosmetics and toiletries are huge - 2010 sales in the U.S. alone were $36.5 billion - and many fortunes have been made (think Mary Kay, Avon, Revlon, Estee Lauder...) selling potions and lotions to make us look younger and prettier. The profit margins and the market are so big that it seems like anyone can sell you something out of their kitchen with fancy marketing and bold claims. And it always seems there are people willing to buy.

I want to share with you the story of my own skin care quest. Like many people, I have had a long term problem with acne. Now that I’m in my thirties, my acne problem has been joined by a wrinkle problem. Call it the onset of a midlife crisis or just part of getting older, but a few years back I went on a frantic search for the ideal products that could cure my acne and prevent me from getting wrinkles.

My quest led me to try many, many brands, from the least expensive things I could find at the drugstore to the extreme high end. While I poured a lot of cosmetics onto my face, I also poured a lot of money into the hands of those cosmetics companies! One thing that should have helped was the fact that my job at a major luxury retailer gave me access to many samples. This led not only to temptation but also potentially to conflict, as I was not only expected to try products but to recommend them to my customers.

In 2010, we started introducing the La Mer skin care brand to our customers. If you’re not familiar, this so-called “Miracle Skincare” product is very expensive - a 3.4-ounce jar of moisturizing cream sells for $395.00. Our La Mer salespeople were very friendly, and provided me with a lot of samples to use as well as brochures to pass on to my clients. Because they were so nice, they ended up selling me La Mer as well.

Unfortunately, the La Mer products I bought did not work for me - in fact, my acne got worse. This led me to wonder what was actually in La Mer. When I asked my colleagues why La Mer was so expensive, I was told it was because one of the ingredients was seaweed extract, and was so rare that humans could only harvest it twice a year. This claim made me very suspicious. If seaweed was so rare, how could Japanese and Korean people eat it as a main part of their diet? Why aren’t sushi rolls ten times more expensive?

I had to do some more research. As part of the research process, a client and a friend of mine recommended the book “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me” by Paula Begoun, who calls herself “The Cosmetics Cop” and has done in-depth research on cosmetics ingredients for decades. I downloaded this book on my iPad and started reading it. I was surprised to learn many interesting facts about La Mer, and I learned why it would never work for me. With more reading, I learned what kind of ingredients would help clear acne, prevent aging, and what kind of packaging will best preserve the ingredients etc. I became a self-appointed deputy cosmetics cop in our store. I used my iPad book often to guide my clients what kind of products should they buy throughout our store. And I recommended Paula’s book to my family, friends and clients.

What I like most about the book is the fact that there are references for virtually every claim made. You can go to the exact page of the academic dermatology journals to learn more details of what the author says. And Paula also has a website, www.beautypedia.com, that provides very detailed reviews of over 45,000 cosmetics products on the market. Her reviews are unbiased and science-based. (She has a university degree in science, which may be more than many cosmetics moguls can say.)

After many years of research, Paula started producing her own line of skin care products, branded as Paula’s Choice. I decided to give some of her products a try. They tend to be reasonably priced, and of course they follow scientific sense to attain the desired result. Her products don’t contain alcohol (which dries the skin) or fragrance (which can overstimulate the skin and cause breakouts). There was definitely a trial-and-error period for me to get my own product combination right, but I got a lot of help from the company’s customer service team. They are very knowledgeable, and they make doing returns and exchanges easy.

It has been two years since I started using Paula’s Choice, and my breakouts are few, far between, and quick to clear up. My wrinkle situation is also under control. I feel very good about how my skin looks these days, and I think between using Paula’s Choice products and following Beautypedia’s recommendations for other products, I should be able to maintain it.

Whomever you are reading this, your situation will be different than mine. Even if your complaints are similar, your age, skin type, and the products you currently will use will be different, as will your goals. I cannot urge you enough to educate yourself objectively before spending more money on skin care that doesn’t work or makes your problems worse. A paper or e-book copy of Paula Begoun’s book, or a quick trip over to beautypedia.com, is a small investment for a bit of knowledge that could save you thousands of dollars over a lifetime, and bring you better results.

If you’d like to ask me questions here, please do! I’ll do my best to answer them in the comments section.

Professional summer style

2012-07-06T18:47:00.001-05:00

Summer is my favoriate season of the year. The Texas heat does not bother me much. I love the slower pace, more relaxed attitude and of course more swimming time! I love the fact it is practically effortless to get dressed, a white top with a skirt or denim shorts, a pair of flat sandals, and a hat, or an easy dress.

But, what about dressing for professional business enviornment? How can you be office-appropriate, stay cool, and still enjoy the best of summer style?

Read on for some helpful tips from my teacher Carol Davidson from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Crack the code. What's considered to be appropriate business attire varies by geography, industry, company, and corporate culture. That said, you should always remember that business comes first in any business casual equation. For clarification, consult your official company dress code if you have one. If not, take some visual cues from what your company's authority figures are wearing. When in doubt about a particular item, ask yourself the following question: "Would this clothing item be worn at the beach, park, or pool?" If the answer is yes, you should probably not wear it to work.

Too much of a good thing? In general, exposed skin sends a less-than business-like message, so avoid showing too much. If you decide to go sleeveless, avoid tank tops, halters, and camisoles. Instead, opt for a sleeveless style with more coverage and a modest neckline. Be sure you have a jacket or cardigan at the ready, in case you're called into an unexpected meeting. Remember that balance is the key to coverage.If you are wearing a skirt, pair it with a ¾ or long sleeve blouse. Similarly, if you are wearing a sleeveless top, opt for pants.

Lighten up. When it comes to keeping cool, it's all about the fabric. Natural fibers pull heat away from your body, keeping you happily air conditioned. A dress made of rayon may appear lightweight and floaty, but it will do nothing other than trap heat. Look for clothing contents that include cotton, linen, and hemp, and avoid high percentages of rayon, polyester and nylon. Color also plays an important role in beating the heat. The darker values attract high temperatures, so opt for lighter ones which actually deflect the sun and are more relevant for the season. As a side note, lighter fabrics are sometimes sheer. Remember to check your reflection under bright lighting to make sure your undergarments don't show under that pesky fluorescent office lighting. Very often a little cami can go a long way.

Say "yes" to the dress. Dresses are the easiest way to look effortlessly chic in warm weather. With so many shapes and styles to choose from, there's something for everyone. For work, considering keeping the silhouette simple, but opt for a pop of color or one of the tribal, tropical, or floral patterns that are so strong this season. With your legs on display, attention to grooming is a must. In addition to shaving, waxing, self-tanning and the like, you can also apply a bit of concealer to cover bites, bruises, or cuts. BTW, in case you are wondering... dresses and skirts worn to the office should be long enough that they reach the top of your knees when standing.

Put your best foot forward. I hate to break the news, but not only are flip flops never appropriate for the office, they're not even suitable for the commute. (You never know who you might run into on the street or in the elevator.) Instead, opt for a more office-appropriate peep-toe pump or slingback. A dressy sandal can also do the trick, provided that there's a fair amount of coverage. A great pedicure not only completes your look, but is also soothing to hot and tired feet.

In general, as temperatures rise and dress codes relax, you'll want to pay extra attention to the finishing touches such as grooming and accessories. Ditto for clothing maintenance. Remember, when it comes to summer office attire, no need to sweat it! With these few simple tips, you can keep it cool, casual, and professional...and embrace summer in style!

Taipei - you touched my heart! - Chinese culture fun facts

2012-07-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

Quick note: click on photos to enlarge.

It was surprising to see at this site where the Xin Yi subway line was being built, that the construction company put apology signs and small plants along the construction site. I've never seen that anywhere else.

During my trip to Taipei, I found wearing eyeglass frames without any lenses is a trend there. According to the local people, wearing these frame will make their faces look smaller, make their slender eyes less obvious and that glass would add reflection and detract from the look.

A girl at a teppanyaki place

A male shop owner

This was an oddity - a restaurant run by a company whose main business appears to be making airline food! We saw this at the Taipei 101 food court. I guess they should be reasonably good, as hard as it is to survive in the super competitive food business in Taipei.

This is a fortune telling "mall" in the basement shopping mall below the main train station. During the operation hours, it is super busy. I think it is really good business though. "Hmmm.... let me tell you, you look stressed, is there anything going on at home, or work, or life...?" I bet I could be a good fortune teller too, but I could not bring myself to do so.

Night market facial spa. He is performing eyebrow threading for the women. They are busy.

In many Asian countries, people have obsessions with cartoon characters, even after they grow up. Hello Kitty is a huge success. Here is a cartoon character based restaurant.

Cartoon paintings in subway hallway.

Old Chinese people don't go to the gym. They do group exercise everywhere - parks, subway tunnels.

Very early one morning at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, we saw a group of women doing modern dance

Elsewhere on the grounds, other groups were practicing Taichi

Lady Gaga is big in Taipei too!

I found the English words in this tea advertisement were funny.

A steak house named Mr Onion?

Follow your style - make the trend work for you

2012-06-16T08:39:00.003-05:00

In the five years I have worked in the fashion industry, the single word I have heard the most often in work conversations is TREND. Fashion companies, magazines and all the major market places, from retail shops to online, are constantly talking about the trend. At the retailer where I worked, we were always instructed to introduce the latest trends to customers. In the meantime, while I was serving customers, I was often asked: will this item be out of fashion next season?

The whole idea of trend has always been a source of wonder to me. Clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories are generally not manufactured to be disposable! They are built to last longer than one season, yet in many people’s perception trend is seen as a single-season concept. Of course, the simple explanation is that everyone in the fashion chain, from designers through retailers, needs to create demand for their new products every season. But let’s dive into this a little deeper, so we can understand trend and how to make it work for us as savvy fashion consumers.

The first question to ask is, what is the definition of trend? According to Merriam Webster:

1: a line of general direction or movement <the trend of the coast turned toward the west>

2 a: a prevailing tendency or inclination : drift <current trends in education> b: a general movement : swing <the trend toward suburban living> c: a current style or preference : vogue <new fashion trends> d: a line of development : approach <new trends in cancer research>

3: the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change; also: a statistical curve reflecting such a change

Of these, definition 2c is most relevant, but actually I think the emphasis should be on “current” rather than “style” when talking about trend in this way. Interestingly, a Wikipedia search of “fashion trend” redirects to a page titled “fad”. That may tell you something...but let’s look at one of the places where trends are thought to be set, the industry’s various Fashion Weeks.

According to Wikipedia:

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know what's "in" and what's "out" for the season. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the four fashion capitals of the world: New York City, London, Milan, and Paris.

In the major fashion capitals, fashion weeks are semiannual events. January through April designers showcase their autumn and winter collections and September through November the spring/summer collections are shown. Fashion weeks must be held several months in advance of the season to allow the press and buyers a chance to preview fashion designs for the following season. This is also to allow time for retailers to arrange to purchase or incorporate the designers into their retail marketing. Latest innovations in dress designs are showcased by renowned fashion designers during these fashion weeks, and all these latest collections are covered in magazines such as Vogue.

So let's break it down:

The dictionary tells us that a trend reflects a current style or preference
Wikipedia tell us that trends are set by the industry to lead the commercial season

Now it’s time to think carefully and perhaps a bit cynically. Who benefits from setting the trend? And how do you benefit from following the trend?

It’s perfectly understandable that each of us want to feel accepted and welcomed in this world, and if following the trend is the simplest way of fitting in, that is one shortcut to not feeling excluded at the most basic level. But fashion can be so much more than that - that’s why I think it is such an interesting subject. We can use fashion to express both our individuality and our commonality.

There’s a famous quote by fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent that has almost become a cliche in fashion circles:

“Fashion fades; style is eternal.”

This quote became a cliche for a reason - it holds a lot of truth! While trend is about “current style”, true personal style belongs to each one of us as individuals and does not change with the seasons. We have all known someone at some point in our lives who has tried so desperately to fit into a group that they would do anything, including trying to change their personality even if it didn’t really fit them. It can work for a while, but it doesn’t last.

And so it goes with trend following as it relates to personal style. Know yourself first! Know the types of things you enjoy wearing, the things that make you feel confident, comfortable, sexy, or fun depending on the occasion, so the end result is always you at your best. When you start with this level of self awareness, you can use the changing fashion seasons to work for you. You can learn to be selective among the season’s offerings while maintaining the core style you know works for you, rather than feeling overwhelmed at the change of seasons or buying every latest thing in a desperate attempt to stay trendy.

I think deep in our hearts, many of us feel that we are being manipulated by a fashion industry that thrives on separating us from our money over and over again. Turn the game in your favor by de-emphasizing “current” and emphasizing “style” when thinking about fashion trends. Anyone over the age of 30 has been around long enough to see that fashion trends recur all the time. After all, fashion trends are decided by human behavior, which means, if you are reading this you are part of it.

My appeal to you is, don't worry about the trend. Go with what suits you best. For some help in discovering what suits you, please have a look at my previous post: "How to define well-dressed?"

Readers, next time when you are in a store, instead of asking what’s new, ask yourself, “What’s new for me?”

How long does it take you to get dressed?

2012-06-14T13:35:00.003-05:00

My husband and I talk a fair bit about my styling business. While I may have taught him everything he knows about fashion, he does know a lot about business so I do get a lot from our conversations. The other day when I mentioned that I help my clients with closet reviews - that is, I will visit their homes to help clean out wardrobe items that have either become outdated or unusable, and to help them optimize their wardrobe, he remembered a presentation he saw a few years ago from an MIT professor of finance, Dr. Andrew Lo. He was using a fashion example to make a point about finance, but I think he makes a very interesting point about fashion and the value of periodic closet reviews.

His example takes a man’s wardrobe, so let’s stick with that for now. Dr. Lo asks us to imagine a man’s closet that contains:

5 jackets

10 pairs of pants

20 ties

10 shirts

10 pairs of socks

4 pairs of shoes

5 belts

(I know, who has five belts and only four pairs of shoes? But let’s stick with Dr. Lo for now.) If it took you one second to evaluate each of the possible outfits you could create from this closet, how long would it take you to evaluate them all?

If you do the math (as Dr. Lo did) - it would take 23.1 days to look at them all for one second each!

Obviously, nobody takes this long to get dressed - we all use mental shortcuts (heuristic is the five-dollar word used by Dr. Lo to describe this) to shorten this time. But you can easily see that by simplifying (my husband might say “optimizing”) your wardrobe, you can ease that overwhelming feeling of looking at your closet every morning thinking about what to wear, without losing useful options.

Shifting to a very simple example, a woman whose closet has ten skirts, ten blouses, two belts and ten pairs of shoes would have 2,000 combinations from which to choose. Because we will coordinate by color, we can eliminate most of those combinations, and probably come down to a manageable number of core looks. By strategically selecting and varying jewelry, accessories such as scarves, and adding just a couple of jackets or sweaters, you can create all the variety you need without an overwhelming closet filled with things you’ll never wear or haven’t worn for years.

Dr. Lo’s example contains 64 individual items, which can be combined in two million unique ways. If you live to age 90, you will only have 26,280 days alive as an adult! Quantity does not serve you when it overwhelms you. You don’t need two million or even one million combinations. You will need more than 2,000 combinations though, and that’s where we can add dresses and make fun yet thoughtful changes through seasons and years.

What is most important is discovering your individual style and creating the right outfits to express that style! Readers, what do you think?

Taipei - you touched my heart! - Taipei and Tamsui District street view

2012-06-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Followed by my previous two posts of "Taipei - you touched my heart!", I'd like to share some pictures of Taipei.

Taipei street view

Mopeds are very popular in Taipei

Night market - visiting Taipei's many night markets is one of the most fun things to do in the city. There are several night markets in the city limits. And usually they stay open well after midnight. You can find food, street fashion and even fortune tellers there.

Taipei 101 - the tallest building in Taipei. Because Taipei is in an earthquake zone, it is very special for Taipei people to have a skyscraper. And also according to the local people, the building was designed under strict feng shui rules.

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

Ximending - as a fashionista, I love Ximending. I saw a lot of Taiwan local fashion trends. Though it is not my personal style, I do appreciate their looks and creativity. I will show a few pictures of local Taipei fashion in my next blog post.

Tamsui District - Steve wished to go to Tamsui, an area northwest of Taipei where the Tamsui River meets the Taiwan Strait and home to some interesting European colonial history and several universities. When he lived in Taipei 20 years ago, there was no subway. It would take him a couple of hours each way on buses to go to Tamsui, so he had never been there. This time, the convenient Taipei Metro took us to Tamsui from Taipei downtown within 30 minutes. Here we are:

Statue of George Leslie Mackay

Can you see the pigs hanging around outside this restaurant. I just found it is hilarious. I guess those pigs are the pets for this family.

How do you define "well-dressed"?

2012-06-04T14:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, my sister-in-law Jill sent me a link of The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America. This led me to think how we define "well-dressed" in our society. Is it money? Is it brand? Or is it just how you feel yourself? I have my own take on this.

First of all, I think if you are OK with what you wear, labels such as best-dressed or worst-dressed simply do not matter. Looking at the photos from the link above, to me these people appear comfortable and happy. There is nothing wrong with it! And some of them clearly don't care what other people think of them! Good for you! There is nothing wrong with wearing clothes to express yourself.

Second, I think it is quite important to dress for the occasion, whatever that occasion might be. Imagine if you are the only person who wears an evening gown to a football tailgate party, or if you wear your football jersey to your son’s graduation. Don't get me wrong, if you are happy with yourself, it is OK. But if you are not intending to express your unique personality through your wardrobe, following a common sense dress code is not a bad idea. There are exceptions too. I heard this story from my husband. A famous billionaire property investor wore jeans and an open-necked shirt to speak at an investment conference where suits and ties were the dominant style. Clearly, he is not concerned with being underdressed, and that is OK too.

All that said, most of us still live in a world where we deal with people, and those people’s opinions matter to us and may well directly determine our success, whether we get the business, the promotion or the date. If we are not where we wish to be in life, part of trying hard may well mean presenting your best possible appearance. A salesperson, to take one example, needs to project professionalism and credibility. In an ideal world, a potential buyer would see past appearances and judge objectively and solely on the merits of a given proposal. However, there is plenty of evidence that shows that people’s initial impressions come from the first five to ten seconds of meeting someone, and that these are extremely difficult to change once established.

What type of image do we want to represent ourselves? That may well depend not only on oneself, but also on who is in the group with whom you are interacting. A salesperson approaching a law firm, for example, may well dress differently than one approaching a musician or an internet startup. There are still some general guidelines one can follow - it is generally a good idea to be no less dressy than the customers you plan to call on. Here are three basic key guidelines for looking good in general:

1. Fit! Sleeves, hem, waist, inseam etc are all very important. If they are too loose, you appear to sink yourself into the clothes; if they are too tight, you could look like you have “sausage rolls” on your back - this is clearly not a good look! Reasonable balance, and the right type of camouflage and accent for your individual body type are the keys to the ideal fit.

2. Color. Color is the essence of dressing well - it affects how you feel and how people respond to you. Color attracts the eye first. It is the first thing that others see about you and probably will remember about you. The right color will light your face up, and make you look bright and energetic. The wrong color will emphasize more of your wrinkles and dark circles. Understanding and using the magic of your individual color palette to express yourself will empower you to look and feel better and healthier, and evoke a positive energy around you that will make a good impression on those you meet.

3. Style. This is the most challenging to discover and manage. Many of us go through stages with our style and it is OK. Don't be overly self-critical. Our personal style usually evolves over the course of our lives. As we shift priorities from ourselves, to our career, to our families, and sometimes back and forth among these, how we express ourselves and our style may well change too. If you feel more comfortable with a timeless, classic look, go for it! If that bores you, you can try for a more creative look. You need to learn through your own experimentation and experience what is best for you - no store salesperson or magazine can decide this for you. The only way you can wear clothes comfortably and confidently is to find your own style.

Readers, I’d love to know what you think! Please share your ideas in the comment section.

How to eat crawfish fast!

2012-05-29T21:37:00.000-05:00

I was invited to a crawfish boil party during Memorial day long weekend. According to my friend, I have crawfish special eating kongfu. I eat twice or three times faster than my American friends.

So here's how I eat crawfish.

P.S. Crawfish boil is also a popular Chinese dish and we eat quite often there.

Taipei - you touched my heart! - people and culture

2012-05-29T19:03:00.001-05:00

I always have been curious about Taiwan, ever since I started school education. Growing up in Shanghai I was taught that Taiwan is part of China, Nationalists are bad people, they did not care for people and did not fight against the Japanese, only Communists saved China, etc. Gradually our country opened its door in the 1980s. We started meeting people from overseas, and heard different voices. My perception of Taiwan changed a little bit, as I learned that people have real voting rights and meaningful political campaigns for elected office there. Finally, in my early twenties, I made my conclusion, Taiwan is probably the most democratic country in Asia.

However the Taiwanese people I met in Shanghai were not so nice. We usually associated them with farmers, (yes, they are! They sold their land in Taiwan to the government and got the money and come to China to invest), and those men usually have one wife in Taiwan, several concubines in China (and yes, it is modern China, in 1980s and 1990s).

So you see, I have mixed feelings about Taiwan. I admired that country's economic development and social progress, but I didn't like the Taiwanese people I met in Shanghai.

My husband Steve went to Taipei in early 1990s to study Mandarin. I always teased him he has a sissy boy Taiwanese Chinese accent. After this trip, I eventually understand why and how he gets that accent, and I will tell you later.

Once I arrived in Taipei, there are several events really changed my perception towards people in Taiwan. They are civilized, nice, polite and soft spoken (yes, this is where Steve got his accent) and quiet. I was so surprised, oh, there is a society of nice Chinese people. There is a place in the world where Chinese people use Mandarin to say Please, Thank you, Excuse me!

1. On the train we had a lot luggage, without paying too much attention, we entered the business class cart. A train attendant helped us move our luggage from cart to cart, throughout the whole way, she did not stop saying "bu hao yi si, ma fan le", excuse us, sorry)

2. in Starbucks

I want to order some iced tea. However I forgot in Asian countries, unlike Texas, nobody buys iced tea. So the shop boy told me, "Sorry, we don't have iced tea, how about hot tea and I will give you some ice, let's put the ice in a mug, and the tea in a paper cup. Remember to soak the tea longer and it will taste better and please feel free to refill the hot water!" OMG, everything was said in Mandarin, nice and soft! Even in America I don't receive service like that.

3. On the subway, nobody eats or makes noise. Everybody waits in line. Shanghai is not orderly like that, and neither is New York.

4. We went to Eslite Bookstore (an amazing place) and while I was there I saw a talk by two actors promoting an independent theater production. These guys were actually talk about their feelings and emotions, in public! When most people think of Chinese theater, they think of Beijing Opera, or emperor shows, that are either very stylized or very distant from the modern or the here-and-now. There's really no such thing as independent theater in China, so this was really something special to me.

5. Reading the hotel brochure, I saw tons of Chinese cultural events, like how Chinese characters evolved over the last 5000 years - things I have never seen in mainland China.

6. We visited the National Palace Museum which was amazing. I am not saying the museum has the best collection, because I don't know. That said, they certainly have a world class exhibition and management system. It seemed like they manage Chinese art like the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The most touching thing to me was the fact that, everywhere we went, people were polite, warm and friendly, whether they were taxi drivers, hotel staff, restaurant staff or strangers we need to ask directions from. I never felt like I needed to worry if I was over paying, or getting screwed on a deal.

This is a totally different than I get in China. In China, I always have to worry about whether someone is cheating, or try to steal money from me, or that I might get my pocket picked. (Yes, that happened to me on a visit home a few years ago.) People there are noisy, loud, don't have good sanitary habits and they still spit.

I was shocked! These people in Taiwan have the same looks as we do - black eyes, yellow skin, black hair - and we speak the same language, and yet there seems to be a huge cultural difference

At the Eslite Bookstore mentioned above, I found a huge variety of books that I would not imagine to see in China.

What a free country! They have real people, you can just sense the freedom, openness and atmosphere of simplicity and sincerity.

To my Chinese readers, I encourage you to pay a visit to Taiwan. You will find, as a Chinese person, you can experience a Western level of cultural development and civilization, while still fully Chinese, in your native language.

To my Western readers, if you want to visit China, I encourage you to put Taiwan on your list as well. Taiwan is certainly not a hot destination in the same way that Beijing, Shanghai, or even Hong Kong or Singapore are...and it probably never will be. The media ignores it these unless there is political tension between Taiwan and China. Because of the political situation, or at least until something changes, Taiwan won't be hosting an Olympics or similar event that would thrust it on the world stage. But what Taiwan does offer like nowhere else I know, is a modern, developed Chinese society where people are warm and sincere. And Taiwan has plenty going for it in terms of natural beauty, from hot springs to scenic national parks and beaches.

Thank you Taiwan for showing me a real society, a free civilized Chinese society I never experienced or imagined.

Taipei - you touched my heart! - food!

2012-05-29T18:08:00.000-05:00

After I went to Taipei, I finally understand how nice Chinese food can be! The food here was not salty, was not oily and did not have MSG! As I mentioned in my Singapore food post, advanced foodies relentlessly debate whether Singapore or Taipei has better food. Here is my take: Singapore has more variety, they offer Chinese, Malay, Indian and western food at a fairly high level. But as far as Chinese food goes, Taipei definitely is the BEST! The soup dumpling restaurant Din Tai Fung is a Michelin star Chinese restaurant.

After I read all kinds of websites and travel books, I reached a conclusion, I need to try Taipei's night market food, this is where local people go!

Let me give you a food tour!

Freshly roasted potato stall

The owner is making a Chinese dessert. It usually contains chewy tapioca balls, super boiled red bean or green mung bean, and some corn syrup and shaved ice. It is light and tasty.

Menu - 1 US Dollar equals to about 28 New Taiwan Dollar

Traditional Taiwanese food - Oyster Omelet

My eyes were widely open - keep in mind, this was after 20 hours travel time, and it was past midnight local time

Traditional Chinese breakfast - congee We had that in China too, but I found in Taipei, they usually offer more "add-ons", for example, shredded pork, grilled fish and seaweed is instead of just pickled vegetable. And also the "add-ons" are usually much fresher in Taiwan than those in China. I ate this pretty much every morning when I was there, it was so delicious.

This is what they sell in 7-Eleven, various kinds of Oden . I guess you know why Asian people are thin now, they eat oden instead of hot dogs .

Guess what Steve is waiting?

an order of wrap with special sauce marinated thin sliced beef. This was one of his favorites from his English teacher days of twenty years ago. It was worth cheating on the vegetarian diet for the delicious trip down memory lane!!

Here is the name of the restaurant - if you ever want to go, I can give you the address.

24 hour restaurant - Yonghe Soy Milk King. As super jet lagged as we were during the first couple days in Taipei, this place became a prefect choice.

We had - freshly made cold soy milk, warm soy milk, turnip cake, youtiao and shaobing.

"Chicken fried steak" - we did not eat there, but we found it funny. In Texas, we have chicken fried steak too (but it's something very different!). I ate what I guess we would call in Texas "chicken fried chicken" once in Taipei. The chicken was marinated very well, a bit spicy, and a bit black peppery.

Legendary Din Tai Fung - it was part of our midnight Taipei jet lag tour, we found its original location, not far from where Steve used to live.

Teppanyaki! It cost two of us about 250 NT$ including drinks, rice and soup, less than USD 10, we ate like queen and king there.

The asparagus is ours!

Cod fish

The real deal!

Taiwanese dessert place

You may think I am weird. (Some of my friends who have seen me in action definitely do!) I found this kind of Chinese dessert super delicious. It is called Yu Yuan Xian Cao Bing (ice). Xian Cao means grass jelly - which contains a clean, lightly sweet flavor, with just a hint of herbal aroma. Grass jelly is cooling and slippery, and gently dissolves in your mouth. Yu Yuan are soft cubes of stewed taro. The combination is mixed with shaved ice. It is light, sweet and tasty.

In KFC, we had egg tart. It is also a kind of Portuguese dessert.

I am having pan fried big dumpling stuffed with garlic chives

Steve is having his last piece of shaobing youtiao

Singapore = Wonderland? - hotel, luxury retail and other miscellaneous thoughts

2012-05-29T17:47:00.002-05:00

Not surprisingly, we relied on Trip Advisor to find our hotel in Singapore - Royal Plaza on Scotts. I am not going to elaborate it more. In general it is not bad, a standard 5 star hotel in a very good location. It is clean, spacious, convenient and it met our needs.

Hotel lobby

There was a flower arrangement art exhibition in our hotel when we were there. I took a few pictures.

Orchard and Scotts = Luxury Retailing Ground Zero

In Singapore, because I stayed right on Orchard and Scotts (one of the premium shopping locations) in Singapore, I encountered one of the most overwhelming branded luxury experiences every time I walked out the front door. Honestly, even Fifth Avenue in New York does not compare. Orchard Road is like a luxury brand magnet. France's Hermes is one of the world's premier luxury brands. Within a 0.5 mile radius of my hotel, I saw 5 Hermes stores. (there are 3 more in the Changi airport). I never seen so many luxury stores in such a small area in my life. (OK, I had my game face on and didn't take as many photos as I probably should have done of the shops...but check out ION Orchard or other people's photos for a sense of what I'm talking about.)

Other observations from Singapore worth noting:

Singapore traffic relies on something called the ERP (electronic road pricing) system. If you want to drive in restricted (high traffic) areas during peak demand periods, you pay a variable fee. I know that Singapore is a very expensive place to own a car, and I'm sure Singaporeans have their own views about this, but one thing I noticed was the complete lack of traffic jams.

Food court trust system - people leave their cell phones on the table to reserve a seat.

Nice and clean subway system with air conditioning that works!

Singapore = Wonderland? - Amazing Marina Bay Sands and Changi Airport

2012-05-25T23:44:00.000-05:00

Of all the places I visited in Singapore, I was most impressed by the Marina Bay Sands hotel/casino/shopping complex and the Changi Airport. Let's explore!

Marina Bay Sands

The complex is topped by a 340m-long SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people. The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 146-metre (478 ft) vanishing edge, perched 191 meters above the ground. The pools are made up of 422,000 pounds of stainless steel and can hold 376,500 gallons (1424 cubic metres) of water.

Imagine yourself swimming in the pool and looking over the whole world!

Outside the complex - This is the first time I see a palm tree with stem protection.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands also boast close to 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m²) of retail space with over 300 stores and F&B outlets. This mall reminds of Houston Galleria but a cleaner, higher end and better food choices version.

Beautiful jewelry design with Chinese elements

Hotel inside: The resort is designed by Moshe Safdie, who says it was initially inspired by card decks.

Architecture, investment and social fun facts

Marina Bay Sands is developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including cost of the prime land. Las Vegas Sands declared the undertaking as "one of the world's most challenging construction projects and certainly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort property ever built".
Singapore citizens and permanent residents have to pay a S$100 daily entry levy or S$2,000 for annual unlimited access fee to get into the casino. As you can see, the government is more interested in making money from tourists and discourages their local people from spending too much time in casino. Considering the history of Chinese opium war, I think this is a very effective public policy. Comparing with Las Vegas where 60% income is from American local guests, more than 60% income of Marina Bay Sands is from overseas guests.
After two years of operation, Marina Bay Sands already got its initial investment back, and made S$19 billion
Singapore is the world's second-biggest casino gambling market, behind Macau, in front of Las Vegas. Let's look:

Las Vegas Sands - 2011 Casino Revenues (USD '000s)

Macao Venetian                      2,430,144
Macao Sands                          1,251,084
Macao Four Seasons               583,476
Total Macao                            4,264,704         57.3%
Marina Bay Sands                   2,364,922
Total Singapore                       2,364,922        31.8%
Las Vegas                                430,758
Sands Bethlehem                     376,618
Total U.S.                                807,376           10.9%
Total                                        7,437,002
Source: Company 10-K report

Changi Airport

Between traveling in Singapore and Malaysia, I ended up spending a fair amount of time in Changi airport.  Before I came to Changi, I considered Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport to be the world's best airport. It is clean, nice, highly efficient, and has lots of shops. Now Changi airport just added another level of amazing fun to me. While it's usually the threat of a long security line and missing my flight that makes me show up early to the airport most of the time, at Changi you'll want to arrive early! Depending on how much time you have, here are some of the fun things I found that will make your travel experience so much better.

Visit a butterfly garden in the airport (20 mins)
Get a FREE foot massage (15 mins)

Rediscover the beauty of nature at one of the themed gardens - Cactus garden, Orchid Garden, Fern Garden, Sunflower Garden and Koi fish ponds (15 mins)
Try a fish micro-massage therapy at the Fish Spa & Reflexology (30 mins)
Refresh with a quick shower (20 mins)
Have a go at the FREE Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (30 mins)
Soak up the sun and take a refreshing dip in the rooftop swimming pool (30 mins)
Catch a blockbuster movie for FREE at the movie theater (2 hours)
Join a FREE Singapore tour and get a glimpse into Singapore's ethnic heritage and tourist attractions (2 hours)
Catch a nap at one of their FREE quiet rest areas or check into napping facility (60 mins)

And let's not forget mentioning the various lounges, huge amount of food choices and business centers with Bloomberg terminals, free internet, hair and beauty services and airport hotels. I bet I can live in Changi airport for a month without feeling too bored!

And have you ever seen this anywhere in the world? Complete with name and photo of your "sanitation engineer"...

toilet seat sanitizer

Singapore = Wonderland? - food!

2012-05-25T11:54:00.000-05:00

I love watching travel food shows, and I am a fan of Anthony Bourdain. Most advanced foodies think Taipei and Singapore are the best food towns in Asia, and many of them relentlessly debate which city has better food. I went to both places this trip. I have my own views. Let's look at food in Singapore first.

As I mentioned before, Singapore hawker food has the world's best management and business model. They are usually in large scale, and offer huge variety in a clean, orderly and convenient environment. Not only there is competition between stall owners, but also there is cooperation and complementary services.

Vegetable and fruit market

Indian and muslim snacks - I did not have room to try

Vegetarian food - I did not have room to try either

Fresh fish market

Check out the desserts at McDonald's in Singapore!! They also sell TIRAMISU MCFLURRY! We had one, it was delicious!

Fresh handmade soup dumplings by Din Tai Fung

Steamed cupcakes! - less fat, better taste!

Cold Poached Chocolate - it looks beautiful, I did not have room to try

We had the following in Singpore!

Charcoal roasted chicken wings

Sambal veggie

This is Burmese food. It is quite fresh, with a little bit spicy and peanut flavor

Famous Singaporean icecream sandwich. And yes, icecream with a slice of bread. I was talked into getting the durian flavor by the owner (honestly I felt my mouth was kind of stinky afterwards). I should have ordered taro flavor.

Laska noodle! You know it is good when you see Steve's happy face.

My veggie noodle soup, fresh and light!

Steve's turnip cake, and my steamed chicken feet (well, I am Chinese indeed) .

We found this place nearby our hotel

Steve had Indonesian food

I had Hainan Chicken Rice, it was not as good as the one in Penang

Steve visited Singapore 20 years ago, and ate at this place. He still remembered how good it was.

The best dosa I've ever had. I felt like I had an aroma explosion. It has green, red, and yellow curry sauce, coconut sauce and yogurt. All the spice and fresh ingridents blend in my mouth perfectly, I would not know how it would work otherwise.

Since we visited Taipei, we are emotionally connected to food here. We found this Taiwanese chain restaurant in Singapore. I tried traditional Taiwanese food oyster noodle, it was delicious

Steve ordered rice cake soup.

Potato leaves stir fried with spicy sauce

We found another "old time good restaurant" Hong Kong Cafe - Xin Wang Cafe

Steve ordered peanut butter French toast - oh boy, it was good!

My shaved ice with coffee and grass jelly flavor (I know, it sounds very Chinesey! )

Singapore = Wonderland? - modern vs traditional

2012-05-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

Singapore street view - What a beautiful garden city!

School of The Arts Singapore

More street views...

Fountain design

ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands

Financial district

Historical Fullerton Building

Legendary Marina Bay Sands

Esplanade area

Merlion Park

Examples of govenment housing!

Little India

Indian flower stand - it smells good!

Chinatown in Chinese (牛车水） - Cow, cart and water? how weird!

Street art

New Education Trend - Free short online course from top universities

2012-05-25T07:47:00.001-05:00

I just found this website.

https://www.coursera.org/

I think it is very cool. Not only it offers FREE up-to-date online courses from top universities, but also the teaching method is very friendly and appealing.

I intend to give a try, there are so many courses I am interested!

Singapore = Wonderland? - learning about the country

2012-05-23T18:45:00.001-05:00

I didn't know much about Singapore. Before this trip, key words I would use to describe Singapore were: government housing, garden city, wealthy island, Lee Kwan Yew, elite system and nepotistic politics.

So I studied http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore before my trip. I was really impressed by the following facts:

Singapore is the world's fourth-leading financial centre, after New York, London and Hong Kong.
Singapore is the world's second-biggest casino gambling market, behind Macau, in front of Las Vegas.
The country is the world's third-largest oil refining centre.
The port of Singapore is one of the five busiest ports in the world, most notable for being the busiest transshipment port in the world.
The country is home to more US dollar millionaire households per capita than any other country.
The World Bank notes Singapore as the easiest place in the world to do business. Singapore is also one of the least corrupted countries in the world
The country has the world's third highest GDP PPP per capita of US$59,936, making Singapore one of the world's wealthiest countries.
Singapore has 10th biggest foreign currency reserve in the world

What makes such a tiny country so successful? I walked into the Singapore State Museum full of curiosity.

Museum outside

Inside

Decoration with Chinese elements

Muesum garden

I spent a whole day in the museum, and learned a lot.

1. Yeo and Khong Guan are Singapore brands. I always thought they were Taiwanese and Chinese

2. Back in the 1960s, Singaporeans were encouraged to make deposits with 4% interest that was exempt from income tax. The domestic savings wee channeled to finance government projects and to assist in Singapore's infrastructure development. Singapore people have good saving habits and a sense of ownership of their country.

3. Singapore is known to have the world's cleanest and nicest hawker center. The hawker centers in Singapore are owned by three government bodies, namely the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the parent Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Housing and Development Board (HDB) and JTC Corporation. All the centres, in turn, are managed by NEA. On 5 March 2010, NEA launched www.myhawkers.sg, which is an interactive web portal that offers useful information on hawker centres and food stalls. The portal allows registered users to review or recommend hawker stalls or hawker centres and to provide feedback to NEA on hygiene matters in hawker centres. (from wikipedia.org)

4. Like China, Singapore has family planning policy too!

5. The majority of the residential housing developments in Singapore are publicly governed and developed and about 85% of Singaporeans live in such houses. These flats are located in housing estates, which are self-contained satellite towns with schools, supermarkets, clinics and hawker centers, as well as sports and recreational facilities. There are a large variety of flat types and layouts, catering to a variety of housing budgets. HDB flats were built primarily to provide affordable housing for the masses and their purchase can be financially-aided by the Central Provident Fund. As Singapore developed economically, changing demands has seen more up-market public housing developments catering to those with higher incomes.

Public housing in Singapore as such is not generally considered as a sign of poverty or lower standards of living as compared to public housing in other countries. Although they are generally cheaper than privately-built homes in Singapore, they are built in a variety of quality and finishes to cater to middle and upper middle income groups. Property prices for the smallest public housing can often be higher than privately owned and developed standalone properties (Townhouse, apartment unit etc.) in other developed countries after currency conversion. Even though the majority of residents live in public housing, very few are below the poverty line. (from wikipedia.org)

6. For a long time, The Straits Times was the only daily English-language newspaper in Singapore.

The Straits Times has sometimes been criticized as being the mouthpiece of the ruling party, the People's Action Party and lacks the freedom to criticize the government. The Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974 requires all newspapers to be publicly listed into both ordinary and management shares, with management shares having 200 times the voting rights of ordinary shares and approval from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts needed for any management share transfers. Past chairpersons of Singapore Press Holdings have been civil servants. SPH's former executive president Tjong Yik Min served as the head of the Internal Security Department from 1986 to 1993. (from wikipedia.org)

7. About Lee Kwan Yew

During the three decades in which Lee held office, Singapore grew from being a developing country to one of the most developed nations in Asia, despite its small population, limited land space and lack of natural resources. Many western politicians including Margaret Thatcher and Henry Kissinger admired Lee's transparent and highly efficient government. In the meantime, western society often accused Singapore of not having enough democracy. The response to this is that cultural and social development was subordinated to political needs. Lee and Lee's two sons all hold very important positions in the Singapore government. His oldest son is current prime minister, they call this the "family pass along" position. His younger son used to be CEO of Singapore Telecom, Singapore's biggest state owned company (now Temasek Holdings)

Lee promotes Asian Values, he thinks Asian countries should not apply western values, and believes western democracy may not apply to Asian people.

8.Like old days in Shanghai, Singaporeans used oil burner to cook too!

My thoughts:

I always thought Singapore practiced fake capitalism before this trip. I believed government housing was a way for government to interfere with the market. But after visiting the museum, I am really impressed by this wonderful public policy.

Let's take a look at America in comparison. In America, people usually relate government housing with low income population. They can only rent and can not afford to buy. Most government housing projects are associated with high crime rates, high drug abuse and not so nice neighborhoods. And some people who live in government houses don't have the motivation to work hard and change their situation. Imagine if the American government would follow the Singapore government, trying to sell houses instead of rent. I think this would improve people's sense of ownership. And in one way, this would help to make the neighbourhood clean and beautiful. How many people like to mess their own home? In the mean time, people who live in government housing would have a mortgage to pay, thus they probably would need to find a job and work hard. It sounds like a good cycle. Well, I am not a politician, I know things won't change that easily, especially in America! How many bills would we have to pass to make this change!

To be frank, I also think the elite system, family pass along politics, or maybe even national capitalism is not a bad thing, as long as reasonable people use reasonable policies to develop their country. Asian values are different from those of western countries. I believe democracy has a close relationship to economic development. If a person can not even meet his/her own basic survival needs, how can this person objectively exercise his/her democratic rights? Don't you think Obama is using food stamps to collect votes?

Penang Malaysia - miscellaneous fun

2012-05-23T13:36:00.001-05:00

Fun things in Penang

Due to staff shortage?

The way they do business brought me back to Shanghai 20 years ago

Do you want to bring fragrance home?

Don't chase the moving bus!

McDonald's VIP Drive-thru - this is very popular there, do we need one in Austin?

Sorry uncle - my station is NOT for you!

Mind your step?

As it says!

Wedding gown exhibition, how colorful!

Wildlife monkeys in Penang botanic garden.

More monkeys