On paper, the dusky yellow hue is not the easiest to pull off for most skin tones. But Cao went big with the shade from an ultra-feminine tiered dress (middle) to a poet blouse, skirt and pants get-up complete with matching shoes (left) for some tone-on-tone dressing. The most wearable way (reminiscent of Cao’s own wardrobe) to pull off the colour appeared in a look that paired a pair of blue denims with a mustard off-shoulder top.

Instead of over-the-top and dramatic ruffles, Cao opted for a subdued take on this girly detail. Poet blouses were adorned with mini ruffles on the seams (left) for a  wearable daytime staple. One of the strongest looks in this department was a khaki-coloured cotton-blend top (middle) with cascading ruffles along the neckline and down to the sleeves. It was worn with culottes and monastic strap sandals for a hint of South of France cool.

Anyone who follows Cao’s #OOTDs religiously would know that she’s big on practical style. So her take on embellishment was characteristically minimalist and pared down. This season, she let the shine of Lurex do the talking. Cue the off-shoulder dress (left), the capelet column gown (middle) and bell-sleeved top (right) that was layered under a faux leather vest.

Bare shoulders + gowns are the new evening dress code for the Exhibit customer. Cao kept the style polished by sticking to either a fit and flare silhouette or by slapping on Liberty-style floral prints on fluted dresses.

The high neckline — often worn with her hair tucked into it — is one of Yoyo Cao’s signature looks. That influence trickled down to the Victorian-style high collars on faux leather tops (left) and a wedding gown-inspired piece paired with white leather boots. That’s how you do romance with edge.

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