Alex works as a flight attendant and he always looks polished in and out of uniform. Although he modestly believes he has no real style, I believe he is one of the most stylish people I’ve gotten to know. Finally, on a sunny day after days of stormy weather in San Francisco, we met up for a moment to chit chat about fashion and flying — of course with the accompaniment of a couple drinkies. Alex defines his non-existent style as “casual and clean, basic, simple, and has to be comfortable.” 

Today, I adored his pairing of a purple sweater with grey, plaid slacks, and kicks! Some people would never even think to wear kicks with plaid slacks, but with Alex, his ensembles always work well. Hello? And he thinks he has no style? Right. 

When I asked him about how he defines fashion, he gave me a very great answer. “It is a fantasy. It’s something in a bubble world that in the name of fashion, everything is, ‘okay.’ It doesn’t have to be practical. And everything is allowed.” He thinks that his simple style comes from his upbringing in Korea where children were taught to, “think not outside, but within the box.” He feels that even with his freedom as an adult, it is difficult to express himself because of years of restrictions and that, “creativity needs to be practiced.” What a great convo we had that day!

Erin Corr (left) and Caitlin Corr (right) are not sisters but cousins that look like twins! Both are students at Santa Clara University. Erin is studying psychology and Caitlin is studying marketing.

Coming from Cabo, I spotted the two and instantly liked their casual style perfect for hotter climates. Erin paired her now trending, boxy tank with a flowing hobo skirt which I thought brilliant because of the stretchy waistband that you could pull up to be more conservative or pull down to show off that great figure of hers. Caitlin’s pairing of her now trending denim top with cool linen pants was in fact, inspirational. People should travel in style like her.

Even though both were wearing white bottoms and brightly colored tops, they presented their style personalities as Erin states hers to be, “offbeat and hippiesh,” while Caitlin identifies her personal style as “more classic, mixed with trends.”  Their take on how they define fashion? They both believe that, “first impressions are important” and with fashion, you can “display your personality.”

La Galerie, in the trendy neighborhood of Paddington, is and has been one of my favorite little stores to frequent whenever I am in Sydney. The boutique boasts an array of sexy cocktail dresses and casual dresses designed by local Aussie designers which is great to get your hands on if you’re from the Northern Hemisphere because it almost guarantees that you won’t be wearing the same dress as the girl a few barstools away. Owner, Sylvia Mesoina started her business during the wake of a worldwide downturn in 2007. She has since seen the ups, downs, and now the downs again with the tumultuous economy hitting her boutique as well as all of the other boutiques littered a long Oxford street. Once a bustling street of local style, many have boarded up shop and “For Lease” signs are visibly plastered on many of the storefronts that once boomed with business. La Galerie is still standing, but business is not like how it used to be even with Mesoina’s forte of superb customer service. I am hoping and praying that the economy picks up for this part of town because it is the uniquely unadvertised shopping walkway for trend-setters.

Here’s a brief conversation I had with La Galerie’s owner.

When did you open your boutique?

It was opened in October of 2007.

How is the fashion scene in Sydney?

I think that Sydney is quite a fashion forward city. Every one loves the variety of different styles, from their casual wears to the high-end designer look. Long maxi, casual dresses are very popular during summer. For the night life, every girl is in dresses. You rarely see a girl who goes to a club wearing jeans. Casual wear is also quite popular.

Do you feel it is up to date with the Northern Hemisphere?

Northern Hemisphere? Of course not.

Or do you feel it lags behind because of the seasonal difference?

Australia lags because we are not as advanced compared to Europe or the U.S. Our fashion trend follows those countries. The Australian population is not as big, and we don’t have famous designers to set the trend.

Do you feel Sydney and Melbourne has their own fashion personalities?

Yes, Sydney and Melbourne has their differences.

What kind of designers do you buy from?

I source mainly the local Sydney designers. Because my store is in one of the popular tourist areas for shopping, I get a lot of customers from overseas who are looking for clothing that is a bit different. And I also get customers from other states, from Melbourne, Perth, and such.

Has the world recession affected sales?

Yes, the recession definitely affected the sales. Everyone is more careful in their spending, but it doesn’t affect dramatically because I believe that people in Sydney still like to keep up with their fashion.

What’s the biggest trend you are selling the most?

The biggest trend that I sell the most is STRIPES. Everything in stripes sell well especially since the summer stripe trend hasn’t died yet coming into winter. A lot of clothing in other stores are all stripes, stripes, stripes.

Do you think your fashion design degree from the Whitehouse Institute of Design has helped you in marketing or buying for your business?

No, the design degree didn’t help at all.

What do you love the most about owning your boutique? 

I love it because I am surrounded by beautiful clothing. It’s a dream come true. We could never have enough clothes and we always want something nicer and new. I have a joy in dressing girls and transforming them into looking hot in their new outfits! And of course I love that I am my own boss.  

Go there:

La Galerie

26 Oxford Street Paddington, NSW 2234

Or shop online: http://www.lagalerie.com.au/catalog

I was quite amused and impressed with this lady dressed up so gingerly for her photo-ops in front of the Ruins of St. Paul in Macau. In such a Chinese dominated playing ground, her ensemble actually works, especially if you placed her on the streets of the ever-so vintage wannabe, quasi-hipsterish streets of San Francisco. Thought: I should turn this photo into B&W. Maybe then we could get a feel of what it was like in the 1930’s/1940’s in Macau except for that darn digi-camera smacked right into view.

Fabiana from Toronto. A woman on business looking like she is seriously working yet raises the left eyebrow with her special touches.

Amateur to professional, style is a must for all mariachi bands. From elegantly embellished bolero jackets and pants to ruffled shirts, and even heeled leather boots, this cultural staple of a look withstood throughout generations of time proving that masculinity is forever held in the confidence of the wearer (only when Cristobal Balenciaga feminized his signature couture boleros for his cheeky and affluent female clientele).