Celebrity Life

Buying secondhand clothes online allows people to save money. But it’s not always easy to find good-quality garments. Experts weigh in on how to buy quality secondhand clothes online. Who Are The Experts? I have been selling on Vestiaire Collective. A leading platform for second-hand clothes and handbags began in 2009 when a group of […]

The post How to Buy Quality Secondhand Clothes Online – Tips From Fashion Pros appeared first on Gracie Opulanza.

Many fur coats contain animal fur to keep a person warm during the winter season. But a new fur option offers a humane alternative to shearling mink. Learn more here. I have been shopping for Vintage fur for the last ten years. I have bought preloved items from many charity stores. I own several vintage […]

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Strong of 10 years of heavy online shopping experience, I can share with you today my tips for a successful and happy second hand shopping!

The post The best luxury second hand pieces! appeared first on Suite Life.

What About Sustainability? (With Shipping Information) Vestiaire Collective is a new e-commerce site that’s enough to make a fashion blogger drool. can I make a profit using this online platform? Vestiaire Collective is the leading online marketplace to buy and sell authenticated pre-owned luxury fashion. Why has our consumption habits affected our global community?  Our […]

The post Vestiaire Collective – A New Way to Earn Money From Your Clothes? appeared first on Gracie Opulanza.

Luxury Designer Discount Outlet Shopping Where to buy those designer bargains?  I love shopping in Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton from time to time and have some treasured pieces from many top designers.   A…

While most of you might not remember or know of Dior’s New Look, the designs will seem totally familiar to you. That’s because Christian Dior’s New Look dictated the silhouette and look of women’s fashions for the better part of the mid-twentieth century. Debuted in 1947, the New Look became “the” look of the late […]

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A quick guide to deciding what stays and what goes for the new year

So, you’ve decided to partake in spring cleaning in honour of Chinese New Year, since the age-old tradition tells that clearing out homes and wardrobes before the new year is symbolic of ridding away of bad luck, and perhaps bad habits too. While it may be therapeutic for some, it’s also daunting for many; 2020 was largely spent squirrelling away matching cashmere lounge-sets and a dedicated collection of home comforts — how do you initiate the break up? Where do you start?

We’ll cut the fluff. The trick? Be ruthless. Unrelenting. Start by marking out three piles: ‘Keep’, ‘Throw’, ‘Resell’, and grab friends with good judgement and a bottle of bubbly, à la Carrie Bradshaw. Feelings may be hurt, memories rehashed, but somewhere in between there might be a gem uncovered — tucked away, once loved but forgotten — so fitting for the current style landscape. You know, what’s old is new, vintage revival and all that.

But if you find yourself really really unable to resist a good sale, we suggest trialling the ‘One in, One out’ rule — with every new piece of clothing that you bring home, one has to be taken out as replacement. Seems simple enough. A lesson learnt in not succumbing to purchases at first temptation, and keeping wardrobes neat, tidy and never over-stuffed, too. Double win.

When in conversation with the clothes pile you’ve just laid out in front of you, consider asking:

Did you wear it out in the last month?

2020 has come and gone, and with it, the penchant for languid pieces that look more like woollen throws on sofas — mostly, anyway. While we make the transition back to structured pieces that lend more purpose, it’s worth asking: “When was the last time I wore this?” Or more importantly, “Will I ever wear this out?” Perhaps it’s a piece too casual for outdoors. Or it’s been repeatedly shelved for a special occasion that, truthfully, isn’t going to happen. If you’re unwilling to simply let it go to waste, consider reselling it for a second life on luxury consignment e-tailer, Vestiaire Collective. A treasure for another’s man wardrobe and cold hard cash for you.

Is it comfortable?

If there’s was sartorial lesson learnt from the past year, it’s that we’ve truly underestimated loungewear, and from now on we’re only ever going to be found donning comfy pieces. Gone are the days of too-tight jeans, restricting frocks that limit each movement. No more pieces you can’t wait to shimmy out of once you step through the door. Whether it’s an itchy knit or a scratchy fabric, we’re not tolerating it. Into the ‘Throw’ pile they go.

Is it still in season?

You first spotted it plastered all over Instagram feeds. You’ve pondered it, sat on the idea for a good 24 hours, but you’re still thinking about it — dreaming of all its styling possibilities — so you caved and bought it. Fast forward six months later, the palpable excitement and hype all over and done. That impulse purchase? Back in its box, stuffed and wrapped, shoved to the back of your wardrobe. It’s time to be realistic. If it’s not going to have its moment in the limelight again anytime soon, without a sure bet it’ll come around again, then it’s time to bid adieu. Perhaps next time, you’ll take to something a little more timeless.

Consider these:

Is it still love?

Or rather, the more cliché question, “Does it spark joy?” If the answer is yes, pry it out of the faraway corner of your wardrobe, shake out the cobwebs and wear it! Love how good it looks. How great it feels. Find the connection. Make the commitment. Declare your affection. But if the answer’s no, there’s only one place to go. Throw. Pile. Though if it’s still in pristine condition, it could be deserving of a new life on Vestiaire.

Are you playing by the ‘One in, One out’ rule?

So you’ve got a type. We all do. But blind browsing tends lead to blind buying and before you know it, there’s too many of the same white shirts, checkered blazers, plain sneakers in your wardrobe. Sure, basics are the backbone of any well-attuned wardrobe, but like most things, best in moderation. If you’re stock-piling too many similar pieces or styles, perhaps its high-time to invest in more premium stalwart staples, or enforce the ‘One in, One out’ rule — only keep absolute favourites.

Consider these:

Please note: The prices listed are accurate upon time of publishing. Due to the nature of the Vestiaire Collective marketplace, this may have since changed.

Header image courtesy of Vestiaire Collective

The post Out With the Old: 5 Tips for Wardrobe Spring Cleaning This Chinese New Year appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.

The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.

A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.

On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.

Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.

On land and sea

These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.

The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.

Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.

The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.

In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."

The post Vestiaire Collective Co-Founder Fanny Moizant’s Creative Space appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Model, TV presenter, entrepreneur and mother of three, Cara G McIlroy made her name during the hype of Eurasian modelling back in the early 2000. Since then, the fashion and beauty maven has graced the covers of the biggest titles in Hong Kong and abroad. With a professional career cemented in fashion, influencing her personal sense of style and wardrobe choices, we can’t help but wonder what the inside of this supermodel’s closet looks like. Is there an endless rotation of dresses, tops, skirts and pants in a closet styled after Cher’s in Clueless? Are there shelves and shelves of handbags coordinated by colour, size and cross-referenced by brands? How many pairs of power pumps, strappy sandals and sneakers does she own?

Unlike the fantastical imagination of a fashion hoarder’s dream, Cara surprises us with her down-to-earth wardrobe. Her concern for sustainability and the environment has driven her to make smart and conscientious fashion choices. Building an eco-friendly wardrobe over the years, Cara further demonstrates her support for the environment and in celebration of Earth Day (marking its 50^th anniversary this year on 22 April), by taking on Vestiaire Collective’s Wardrobe Reality Check Challenge. We speak to Cara find out more about the initiative, how she recycles her children's clothing, and the way in which she Marie-Kondos her closet.

Tell us about your partnership with Vestiaire Collective. What attributes do you and Vestiaire Collective share?

I am a fan of Vestiaire Collective and have always appreciated companies that care for the environment. We both believe in the idea of a circular lifestyle. I love vintage and Vestiaire Collective is a treasure trove for vintage lovers like myself. I’ve also been a fan of pre-loved fashion for years, so it made a lot of sense for us to collaborate.

Why did you participate in the ‘wardrobe reality check challenge’?

It was the perfect time for me to support a fun challenge like this for two main reasons: first, as I’m in the process of moving house, a good clean out is necessary and overdue; secondly, I like to jump on board and support companies that make efforts in the name of sustainability. I think as an influencer and model, it’s a responsibility I have -- given the current position our earth is in. If I can persuade even just one follower to change some small bad habits, that’s worth it for me.

What was the hardest thing in your wardrobe for you to give up?

I think things I don’t wear ever, but for some reason I have a strange attachment to. I did keep a few of these pieces like the tee my Hubby was wearing the first time I met him and our first Genie staff tee, but the rest I let go of.

What is something in your closet you could never give up?

My Burberry trench and Gucci woolen trench. They are timeless capsule pieces I want to hand to my girls one day.

What are the main things you consider when purchasing fashion?

Will I wear it and will it last a few years down the line.

Now that you have three children, how has that affected your buying for the kids?

I seldom buy clothes for them. I do a lot of jobs for children’s brands so we get given so much. The rest I swap with a little tribe of mommy friends. It’s so perfect and it’s so beautiful when you see your best friends’ kids in your kids’ clothes. It makes all those wonderful memories of them wearing them come back to life. It’s truly special.

What’s in your Vestiaire Collective shopping bag right now?

I love all these brands but they come with big price tags. They aren’t really basics so it’s perfect to buy them preloved. I also lost my leather jacket that I’ve had for 20 years recently, so I have my eye on this one by Sir. I'm also eyeing this Innika Choo linen dress and this Christy Dawn maxi dress.

Inside Cara G's Vestiaire Collective Shopping Cart

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About Wardrobe Reality Check by Vestiaire Collective

As part of Vestiaire Collective's broader "Fashion Should Feel Good" campaign, comes Wardrobe Reality Check -- a challenge that aims to inform, inspire and motivate people to break old habits and free themselves from pieces they no longer need, and how to build an eco-conscious wardrobe for the future. Join Cara in her Wardrobe Reality Check challenge by following these simple steps:

1. Sort through items you don't wear into 4 categories: pieces to be resold, donated to charity, repurposed or recycled. Deposit pieces from your resale pile on Vestiaire Collective's app and arrange for pick-up/drop-off of other items.
2. Change the way you care for your new edited wardrobe by steaming, repairing and laundering.
3. Build a core wardrobe with good quality staple pieces and consider reselling or investing in pre-loved pieces that are more trendy and seasonal
4. Share your tips and spread the word to inspire others

Download the full Wardrobe Reality Check Challenge guidelines here.

The post Cara G Cleans Out Her Closet in the Name of Sustainable Fashion appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

With a lot of us spending more and more time at home, it’s inevitable that we will run out of things to do. After cleaning out closets, decluttering the home, and streaming all the television shows we need to catch up on. Once all of that is done and dusted, there’s nothing left to do but shop. Below, we've gathered some of the best websites for men and women to shop and indulge in for the latest trends. Sometimes a little bit of retail therapy is exactly what you need as a distraction from what’s happening in the world. 

Lane Crawford

You don’t have to trek to Harbour City or IFC in Hong Kong to get the same shopping experience at Lane Crawford. Their website is just as luxurious, complete with great customer service and a expensive curation of the brands you’ve ever wanted all in one place. 

End Clothing

End Clothing is a UK-based store with an excellent selection of the wide range of athleisure and designer pieces. At times, you’ll also be able to find special pieces for a better deal compared to the retail store.

Net-a-Porter

Ladies, you can't go wrong with shopping on Net-a-Porter. The women's only e-commerce site curates some of the most exclusive pieces from the world’s leading designers. You’ll be able to find everything from ready-to-wear pieces to evening wear, beauty products, and a lot more.

Mr. Porter

What's great about Mr. Porter is that it has everything a man would need in his wardrobe. Aside from all the massive brand list, they also have an editorial section where they offer tips and tricks on how to style the latest runway looks, making shopping for a whole outfit very simple.

Vestiaire Collective

Founded back in 2009 by Fanny Moizant and Sophie Hersan, Vestiaire Collective is a resell site but strictly for luxury goods. VC allows consumers to sell old and new items from luxe fashion brands like Celine, Louis Vuitton, and more. What sets them apart from other pre-loved shopping websites is their comprehensive product authentication process making sustainable fashion easy and reliable. 

MyTheresa

Shop for the whole family on MyTheresa. The e-commerce website has curated over 250 of the world’s finest brands for men, women, and children. You'll likely find yourself cheating on your "I'm just going to browse rule" once you land on the site.

MatchesFashion

MatchesFashion is a London-based global luxury retailer for men and women and they offer over 450 brands for you to choose from. It never fails to deliver. For women, they have a "Wedding Edit" section where they worked with fashion designers to showcase the best items for the modern bride. While for men, they have the "Event dressing edit" where they've gathered pieces for every occasion. 

The post Here Are the Best Places to Shop Online appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Easily said but less easily done, one of the oldest – and possibly most annoying – pieces of advice is to be true to yourself. The problem with this cliché is that those who lack self-knowledge will have a difficult time figuring themselves out, while those who do won’t need to be told.

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