Each month in the magazine, I find a local style luminary to divulge their fashion and shopping tips. I am thrilled to republish Carlton J. Smith’s hilarious take on fashion published in the January issue. For those who don’t know him, Carlton is a singer and performs at big venues all around town – lots of soul and motown mixed in with funky renditions of modern hits. His fashion is as smooth as his voice….

Sum up your look in three words. Sharp, sexy, soulful.

Do you always dress so dapper?I’m dapper at all times… even in my sleep! I have dapper dreams!

What’s your favorite stage outfit? A phenomenal suit. When I walk out onstage, I can feel the audience looking at me and commenting. Although that murmur from the crowd could be because my zipper is open and I’m not wearing any underwear.

Where do you get most of your suits?I LIVE at Lujiabang Lu fabric market. It is the equivalent of a crack house for me. If they ever place a Krispy Kreme inside there, it’ll take the entire Chinese army to drag me out. My ONLY tailor is sweet Mary, located at Booth 338.

What’s your favorite off-stage look?Each morning I lie to myself yet again about going to the gym, so I can often be seen wearing workout clothes… even at Krispy Kreme.

How is your fashion linked to your music?I have to look good when I walk on that stage because I’m selling dreams of love lost and love found, and I can’t be dressed like everyone in the audience.

Let’s talk shoes… I love boots, particularly black suede boots because they’re sexy and mysterious. I get all of my shoes made at Yanye Handmade Shoes.

Give men some fashion advice…Shine your shoes. If you’re taking a lady out, put on a damn suit. Stop wearing French cuff shirts with jeans thinking you’re the second coming of Cary Grant. Then there’s the classic old school basics, like, if you have a hole in it, throw it away!

Check out Carlton’s website here if you want to book him for your next big blowout. He brings life to every party! You can also find him performing at Brown Sugar every Wednesday on ladies’  night.

Pearls don’t make as much of a regular appearance on my body as they should. Why has this classic, perfect jewel been relegated to the top drawer of my jewelry box, only to be pulled out on formal, rather stuffy, occasions? My friends Tori and Kate are trying to rebrand pearls, to reposition them, quite literally, on ladies in new ways to be worn. Their brand Hazel and Marie not only sells chic, modern pearl jewelry, but also gives women tips on how to style pearls in a way that your grandmother never did.  Hazel and Marie’s website is chock full of ideas, especially their blog – I especially love how Tori and Katie have a knack for intertwining long strands of pearls with chains a la Chanel, chunky bangles and even a soft knit chain. Hazel and Marie’s Shanghai spokesmodel is my dear friend Anna, who is wearing pearls wrapped around her wrist in this photo. This mishmash of her watch, dainty bracelets and pearls make for a fun arm party.  On a side note, Anna is also wearing a vintage Scottish sweater and vintage J.  Crew flannel.

I had lunch with my beautiful friend Krisanna today. Working at AmCham, she always manages to look cute even though her strict office dress code virtually strangles all the fun in getting dressed. I’m pretty sure she gets dirty looks if she wears ballet flats. I would go nuts. I can wear ripped jeans, Converse and a t-shirt if I wanted to everyday (which I don’t, for the record). My loose work dress code is partly because I work in the creative industry. But I definitely think China in general has very loose reigns on work attire. Even women who work in corporate offices  wear pretty, uh, liberal outfits. I’m astounded how many young Chinese women wear sweatpants and Uggs to work.  I’m curious, what’s your Chinese office’s work attire like?