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And now for the boys… ok, for the girls shopping for the boys (although if a guy comments here, I promise I will retract this statement and heretofore speak directly to your gender as well). Edited: This is the promised retraction. Thanks Jack!
Nylon magazine (Feb 08) published an interview with The Kills because of their new album, Midnight Boom (and I’m sure also because they’re awesome). One half of the band is Jamie Hince (he’s currently dating Kate Moss according to tabloids), the other half is Allison Mosshart and both have excellent style. The Nylon spreads show Jamie in various weathered, vintage boots and shiny black shoes on the long, pointy side (no laces please). Want to walk around with a rock star? Start with any of the shoes below, put skinny black jeans in his hands and tie a muted, thin scarf around your boy’s neck:
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Left to right: Via Spiga Studio black loafers, Kenneth Cole Reaction distressed olive Army Bregade boots, Carlo Botrini black leather Radda slip-ons, Kenneth Cole Reaction distressed olive Box Office slip-ons.
Writing about weddings in yesterday’s blog also got me to thinking about the boys. Of course the polished black shoes above would look equally good with a tuxedo, but I do love creative dressers. It’s so easy to just toss on a black tux and after all the trouble girls go through to get dressed every morning, let alone for their wedding day… well, it’s nice to see an even playing field with the guys trying something else. Here are some ideas: For a summer wedding, try a light tan colored linen suit with shoes in a similar hue (I’m thinking white shirt, no tie, with a big, bright, single-colored boutonniere maybe in red or yellow). Or you could also pair the same color suit in a heavier fabric with dark brown shoes (a light blue shirt and a tie with colored stripes). For spring/fall weddings, I love seeing gray suits with bright white shoes (If only I could convince my fiance – the most he’ll go for right now are black shoes with white spats, but I’m still working on him). If you’re cooler than he is, check out these snazzy styles:
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Left to right: Espedito tan Mustang dress shoes, Johnston & Murphy brown Houseden lace-up shoes, Marco Evani white Vitello loafers.
Come on boys – If you’re reading, let me know!
The New York Times (2/21) had an interesting article on new fashion trends in wedding dresses saying brides are moving away from prom-like princess styles: “…Kleinfeld, the venerable Manhattan bridal salon… has seen a spike in demand for plunging necklines and negligee looks, one that has only intensified since the spring bridal collections began arriving in stores.” The article also mentioned that “At the spring bridal shows in New York last October, tastemakers like Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Reem Acra, Angel Sanchez and Carolina Herrera unveiled a preponderance of strapless styles, trumpet shapes and even a few above-the-knee looks. More daring designers offered filmy peignoir dresses, two-piece looks and skirts slit all the way up to the hip.”
So what kind of shoes should you look for if you’re going for that movie star at the Oscars look instead of being just another traditional bride? Well, there are two modes of thinking on that one, depending on just how fabulously different you want to be.
First off, if your dress has a lot going on (say it’s covered in boudoir-evoking lace or white feathers) and it has a slit in the front or is short enough that your shoes will be completely visible, you’ll probably want simple, elegant shoes to balance the look. For short girls, I think a v-front or short dress is much better than the traditional long wedding dress (although you can easily hide platforms under a long dress!). If you’re leaning in that direction, remember to skip the ankle straps; that line across your foot will make your legs look shorter. The ivory Nine West slingback heels below are refined and simple enough to let your dress do the shining but far from your super basic strappy heels. And I love love love the transparent straps on the shoes below by Valerie Stevens (they also have a clear heel!) and Carlos Santana (4.5 inches tall). They’re super minimalist but at the same time really unexpected and amazing.
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Left to Right: Nine West Tarissa fabric sandals, Valerie Stevens Clear high heels, Carlos by Carlos Santana Pacific platform sandals.
On the other end of the spectrum there are girls who almost shudder at the thought of pure white virginal dresses. Designers have been thinking about you girls too and have started creating more and more dual and tri-color gowns. The New York Times article I mentioned above showed a picture of a beautiful fishtail white dress with a black lace covered v-neck bodice and a black ribbon trailing from the point of the v to midway down the dress. I’ve also seen stores stocking white dresses with brightly colored ribbons tied around the waist (Isaac Mizrahi did one for Target) and others with trains of gold or taupe for contrast. Or maybe you’ll just wear a bright red dress (more power to you!).
If you want your wedding to be one of a kind and your outfit to follow suit, what should your footwear look like? Of course you could get colored shoes to match the accent color on your dress, blue heels to compliment the blue sash around your empire waist for instance. But you can also try shoes in gold or silver if you prefer a less matchy feel. I imagine the Cole Haan platforms below with a drapey Grecian [a la Rami Kashou from this season's Project Runway] or one shoulder gown (oh and what if you had ivy leaves in your hair?! It would bring out the forest green in the stones so perfectly!).
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Left to right: Calvin Klein red Nora satin evening shoes, Bebe blue Dree satin heels with sequins, Cole Haan G-Series Greenbrae.Thong platform sandals.
Lastly, the most safe and the most free-spirited brides both fall into the third camp. Surprised? Well, if you want a traditional long dress that’ll cover your shoes completely so no one will see them during the ceremony anyway, you might want to pick shoes that are all for you. Plus, since most people change for their receptions (eating anything in a white dress is asking for disaster), this way you can change your clothes and keep the heels! And of course, our free-spirited brides will wear these stunners whether you think they go with their wedding dress or not! You’ll definitely feel like you’re walking on sparkly clouds in these gold sequin platforms by Casadei. And can you imagine the gasps of delight when just your fuschia and feather covered toes peek out from under the hem of your white dress as you walk down the aisle? I can’t even begin to tell you how much I am in love with the stained-glass inspired Louboutin’s below (“but mom-to-be, I got them because they look like the walls in the church” or ”since we’re not having the wedding in a temple…” - you know how you get what you want. 
).
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Left to right: Casadei 2016C gold satin wedges, Manolo Blahnik fuxia Satin d’Orsay heels, Christian Louboutin Libelle gold multi Ankle Strap Sandals.
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Did the Oscars this year feel a little empty to you? There are at most like 20 top actresses pictured on even the ABC’s Oscars website (thanks for the pictures). Anyway, and of those few, how many wore long dresses and did not flash their shoes? Pretty much everyone! Grr. But I dug deep for you to see what I could find so here it is, your Shoe-xclusive Oscar fashion report!
Ok, the two major shoe styles I saw were peep-toe heels and sharp pointy-toe heels. There were a few of the straight-out classic evening open-toe heels but not many and I saw no rounded or square toes at all (but maybe they were all hiding under the dresses).
Top shoe designers of the night were Sergio Rossi (4 confirmed: Miley Ray Cyrus, Marion Cotillard, Calista Flockhart and Keri Russell) and Christian Louboutin (2 confirmed: Renee Zellweger and Kristin Chenoweth).
For colors we were looking at mostly silvery shades with a very few black (Nicole Kidman and Ellen Page) and red numbers (sadly the red shoes were only worn with red dresses). Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger and Cate Blanchett all chose silver hued pointy shoes.
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If anyone saw a peek at the feet of Kristin Chenoweth, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Calista Flockhart, Keri Russell or Jessica Alba (all I know is that hers were Jimmy Choo’s), please pass it along.
Try these for some Oscar style during the day… and at night!
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Left to Right: Steve Madden sybel flats and Liz Claiborne Baronet heels.
I have the most perfect, beautiful pair of shoes in my closet right now… but I’ve never worn them out of the house. They’re by Marc Jacobs, a light pink/tan color and satin. The boots go to low-calf, have a gold leather covered 4 inch heel and lace up the front. They’re dripping glamour and feel fine on, the only problem is… I cannot put together even the idea of an outfit to wear them with! Maybe we can help each other?
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Edited: For those who asked, here is a picture of the Marc Jacobs boots!” (The heel is more metallic gold in person though). |
This spring you should definitely find yourself a maxi dress. The top can have straps, a halter, whatever, just make sure the bottom skims your ankles. And if you want to go totally trendy, as Isaac Mizrahi says, look for flower print fabrics. Don’t worry, you’re not going to have the same problem I have – I’ll tell you exactly what shoes you should wear with that outfit too!
If you’re short or don’t want to take the time to get your dress hemmed, you may want to try some tall strappy sandals. The shoes below by BCBG Paris come in a bunch of colors so you’re sure to find one that’ll accent a little bit of whatever your dress looks like. Plus the woven wedge is a nice new take on last year’s espadrille craze – look for more interesting wedge weaves in spring collections (trust me!). Or, check out the Michael by Michael Kors heels beside them with a beautiful wooden heel to channel some of those new 70s-inspired vibes that are going around (don’t believe me? SaksFifthAvenue.com has a whole online showcase about it).
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Left to right: BCBG Paris white and silver leather Dobee wedges, Michael by Michael Kors dark brown Alderwood Braided Sling sandals. |
If you’re tall or your dress falls to the perfect length when you put it on (p.s. I hate you), try some gladiator flats like these ones by Steve Madden (I know I’ve shown them before, if you’ve ready my other posts, but I just adore them). And, especially if you do get a flowery dress, the slightly tough look of something like these sandals will anchor your look down a bit. For a more plain dress choice, don’t be afraid to add a little flash to your toes with a bright color like these fuchsia flats below by Sigerson Morrison.
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Left to right: Steve Madden black trinnity gladiator flats, Sigerson Morrison fuchsia suede ballet flats. |
Don’t forget to pass along the suggestions for outfits to go with my boots by commenting!
Have you heard there’ll be a lunar eclipse Wednesday night? I’m super excited. But finding the right spot on your city sidewalk (or backyard) can involve a lot of looking up while walking… which means unexpected surprises to step in (puddles, gum, mud, doggy droppings, etc) – don’t deny that it’s never happened to you even when you were looking where you were going.
So that leads us to rugged boots which are not always so cutting-edge high fashion, but are definitely a necessity in every girls’s closet for just such random occasions (and crazy bad weather too, of course). As much as it pained me to buy them (I really prefer strictly useless, unwalkable shoes), my (lovingly) ugly boots have totally saved me more than once. All most people will see is the toe peeking out from under your pants anyway. Plus, if they’re the right price and you do the type of damage where no amount of cleaning will ever get the boots to perfect again, you won’t flinch too much just tossing them (guilty! don’t tell anyone else). Check out these options all under $40:
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Left to Right: Sporto white faux fur Derby boots, Polo Sport bright green Hewlett rubber boots, Sporto black glossy Jupiter boots, Easy Spirit black trompe l’oeil style Affix.
Happy St. Valentine’s Day!
Wondering what to wear out on your date tonight? Star magazine (the February 18, 2008 issue) has Heidi Montag, Dita Von Tesse, and Hayden Panettiere (oh, Heroes, when you you be back on the air?!) among others, rocking dark peep-toe platform heels recently during their various celebrity events. But don’t blow $500+ on what they got for free in a goodie bag, try these real-person priced copycats:
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Left to right: Marc Jacobs black peep toe pumps, BCBGirls black Pesto platform wedges, Carlos by Carlos Santana red Elise platform heels, Steven black NV patent leather pumps.
Also in the same issue, Miley Cyrus looked cute in white cowboy boots (remember- her dad is a country singer). If you want to be just like the Hannah Montana star (but updated!), try these new versions of the style (don’t worry, white is still a big color for the winter- which is now!):
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Left to right: Steven ivory suede Deacon boots, Steve Madden bone white leather Flirts ankle boots.
Are you one of the thousands of people out there planning a trip to the post office to stock up on Forever Stamps before the USPS raises prices one cent in May? I get it. $1.00 for every 100 letters, it adds up (and that’s only until they raise it again!).
Well, if that describes you, you’re probably looking for a nice but inexpensive Valentines Day gift for yourself or your significant shoe-inclined other (I’m convinced that anyone who says “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” works for a diamond company- and you don’t want to spend all that money on diamonds anyway, right?). Take a look at these Valentines ideas for your lover (yes, you can love yourself too!) all under $30! (P.S. Happy National Pancake Day!)
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Left to Right, Rudin flats in patent red by Steve Madden, red Cage platform heels by Amanda Smith, Slip Ox pink canvas Converse sneakers, Yemina dusty pink velvet heels by Rampage.
I know you’ve been hearing a lot about bright, bold color being one of the biggest trends for Spring 08 (you have from me anyway !). Colors are blossoming all over clothes, shoes, jewelry and handbags from designers everywhere. One of the easiest ways to incorporate color into your wardrobe (and longest lasting way without being repetitive – you can’t wear the same great shirt every single day; even if you wanted to, can you really do laundry that often?) is with a shocking orange bag (or any other color). Once you have the trendy bag down, as Marie Claire’s March 2008 issue suggests (on page 74), pair it with some nude colored heels.
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Left to Right: Natural Comfort SW5 wedges, Kenzie Crazy Cat heels, Via Spiga Vista pumps and Style & Co Jolie peep-toe heels.
Groundhog Day is less than 24 hours away people! There are some who take the predictions of good ‘ol Punxsutawney Phil quite seriously. Are you awaiting the appearance of the fuzzy, buck-toothed grand marshal of the day to justify an early spring purchase of those punchy dOrsay heels by Betsey Johnson? Or perhaps, an easy on/off sneaker by Lacoste in a bright yellow to welcome the possible arrival of warmer days?
Now Phil may just see his shadow on the 2nd. If he does, six more weeks of frigid winter lie ahead. Be prepared, and look into a pair of practical ankle boots by Clarks. For a trendy, but still cold weather ready shoe, check out Michael by Michael Kors. This pair is casual, cozy, warm, and cute all rolled into one boot! I don’t know about you all, but I want to be prepared for whatever Phil concludes! Happy Hog Day!
Showing Some Love