On style, she rules

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Published: 12:00am, 8 Mar 2009

I'll be taking my wedding photos in Taiwan soon. I'm looking for some nice shirts (both light and dark colours). I've tried Sogo and Seibu but they didn't have what I want. I'm looking for shirts which will look fresh and sharp in the pictures - but not over the top - and are not too expensive (under HK$800). Please advise.

Shirtaholic, North Point

The Dictator rules: Huh? What is this? A wedding or a fashion shoot? And why would you need anything more than a formal shirt with your tux or tails? Why didn't you just go to one of the many great tailors who could whip up a shirt for half your budget and much less than designer brands. Ah, yes. First, you'd have to know what you want. We suggest you flick through a few magazines, surf the Web, and watch a few movies to figure it out. Then, take clippings, ideas and even old favourites to a good tailor and do a test run with just one shirt. If you like that, order a few more colours, prints or styles. Jantzen Tailor, for example, does men's shirts in about two days for HK$300 to HK$450 per shirt (room 202, 2/F, United Chinese Bank Building, 31 Des Voeux Road Central, tel: 2810 8080, www.jantzentailor.com). If all you want is off-the-rack casual shirts, then you're really wasting our time. Casual brands such as Massimo Dutti, Club Monaco, Tommy Hilfiger and so many others sell them for about HK$600 and up. The best way to look 'fresh and sharp' is to choose colours that suit you, avoid messy patterns and, most importantly, iron your shirts.

Short of spending thousands at a salon, is there anywhere in Hong Kong that sells blond hair colour for use at home? I can't seem to find anything lighter than reddish blond (ie, ginger) in Watsons, Mannings, Sasa or Fanda. And if it isn't sold here, why not? I can't believe there's no demand.

Dumb Blonde, Mid-Levels

The Dictator: Dumb is right. According to the government, more than 99 per cent of the Hong Kong population is Asian. Let's assume that the majority of 'blonde' expats are smart enough to entrust the subtleties of their hair colour to experts. The remaining minority is hardly a priority for any merchandisers. Smaller hair product retailers do carry limited stocks of dyes in every colour under the sun, including blond shades. EA Hair Products Shop (160 Wan Chai Road, tel: 2891 0087) sells dyeing kits for about HK$61 including brands such as L'Oreal, Wella and Schwarzkopf. In Central, there's the popular Professional Hair Products (49A Wellington Street, Central, tel: 2536 0603), which carries Wella dyes for HK$46. If you'd like to try an eco-friendly brand, check out Tints of Nature (HK$149; Three Sixty, 3/F, The Landmark, Central, tel: 2111 4480). The brand offers a few blond shades using certified organic ingredients such as comfrey extract, Roman chamomile and aloe vera.