Dots for Days

Sometimes you have to go big…

And sometimes you have to take the pattern one more step.

Always loving polka-dots, the shirt from Ann Taylor is new.

The tights are from Wolford, which I've have but haven't worn, and then paired with the "urban shoe myth" Manolo Blahnik Camparis.

Tabitha Simmons x JCrew - Review

My Tabitha Simmons for JCrew mary janes finally arrived!

The fabrics are even more adorable in person and I love the graphic pop of the navy edging and sweet little button.

The construction feels pretty solid, although I'd like to compare them to one of the original silk pairs from Tabitha's line.

They started this collection at size 6 so they are a bit big on me but it probably helps because, as always with mid-shoe strap mary janes, the strap presses a bit on the top of my foot due to my high arch.  But overall they've been comfortable to wear and walk in.

I love the two floral prints.  They will be perfect to pair up to a solid dress or one with a bolder pattern.  I'm wearing them today with a navy cardigan and pencil skirt so the piping really pops.

The mary janes are my favorite style from the collection and it's so fun that they pulled in their other collaboration - Liberty - for the fabrics.   A sweet summer heel that makes me want to wear rose water perfume.

Ensemble du Jour - 2-6-12

Yes, hot pink is going to be huge for Spring/Summer 2012 but so is tangerine, coral, and my new favorite saturated hue... Cobalt.

I was smitten with this color and over the weekend was excited to see the perfect sweater at Target for wearing over bright patterned dresses.

I wore it right away with a fun oversized snake print skirt and....

my Manolo Blahnik Mladari mary janes.  Isn't this color great?  And the heel height is just perfect.

I love that the strap is lower on the arch too.

These come in a great emerald green too.  This weather has been warm enough that it's making me think about Spring clothes way too much.  I bought a whole bunch of dresses, now I want to wear them!

Perception vs Reality

A few weeks ago I was sighing over these Manolo Blahnik "Erratic" mary janes.  The color. The scalloping.  The mary jane-ness.  And of course the spiky heel.

I loved the stacked wood skinny heel.  Heel shape is kind of my "thing".

So I was kind of surprised when, after tracking them down with the help of my friends at Bergdorf Goodman, that they came with a covered, thicker heel... um, what?!?

I looked back at the product description and it said that it was a stacked heel too.  Strange.

So I considered not keeping them, but they are still pretty stunning shoes...

What do you think when a product doesn't arrive exactly as described.  Do you get annoyed and return it or judge it on it's own merits and evaluate with fresh eyes?

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I am all in shades of grey given the grey drizzly day we're having here. Plus, I moved all of my closets and drawers around and realized I have been doing only fairly well on my color palette because I have a lot of grey, but I have a lot of everything.

So I'm wearing my grey owl tee from the Paul & Joe Go International line, a grey corduroy skirt from Old Navy, grey tights, my long cardigan and black patent mary janes (to combat the rain).



The Focal Point
Monochromatic grey, especially my new sweater!



Brrrrr!

Vintage Inspiration

Faith in the UK often has a lot of cute styles. Plus if your here in the US you know you won't find everybody wearing them. Of course the downside is that our exchange rate stinks and shipping can be high depending on the company. I used to order from them and Office but they rarely go to a size 5 equivalent.

But I was perusing their site yesterday and noticed another vintage "inspiration" - these 3 strap mary janes.



The dark teal color is great and the half stacked wood/half covered heel gives it a different twist. But they are very reminiscent of my vintage pink triple strap stacked mary janes.





Obviously not in color but the toe, heel and straps bear a striking resemblance. Designers have been playing with placement, shape and number of Mary Jane straps for years, but it is interesting to see how vintage styles still have a very strong presence.

Store Focus: Spiegel

I get a lot of catalogs. And I mean A LOT. When Christmas time rolls around, it becomes truly disgusting the amount of stuff that comes in the mail. Most of the time, however, I love catalogs and online ordering. With my crazy schedule, and my low patience for crowds, I prefer not to schlep around to the stores.

One catalog that I have always looked at but never really purchased from is Spiegel. They are a pretty comprehensive book with clothes, shoes, purses, accessories and even some home goods. I think part of the reason I've never really considered them is because I have this perception in my mind that they are full of clothes that are too Garanimal matchy-matchy, too crazily designed or too full of outfits like this:



Ugh! Or just as bad, something like this:



How wide are those friggin' pants? Anyway, even though those are actual pieces from Spiegel and they are hideous, I believe that, if you search and are selective, any store can yield a few gems that can enhance your wardrobe. A few of the pieces that rose to the top were this chiffon color-block dress. I love the colors and the style, but I think I would have done this in a less wrinkly fabric.



I do love a red suit and this has a great shape, especially the neckline and seaming of this jacket. It's sexy and professional.



I also really like this leather croc-embossed skirt. Really versatile with a great shape. I think it look much more expensive than it is. Good find there.



One thing I did notice as I was going though the book was a very strange trend in the shoe styles. Now overall the shoes in the catalog were not good. And to me, there were a great number that looked like orthotic shoes.

I have several friends who, for various reasons, have to wear orthotic shoes and/or inserts. And I know that it must be a major challenge to find shoes that are stylish but can also accommodate their needs. So, I'm sure these are some great options. However, I don't think this is what Spiegel intended and that is what has me confused. Take a look at these and tell me what you think.


Cheetah print wedge - $55


Slip-on wedge skimmer - $49


Wedge ankle boot - $59

I can't even recommend them for this purpose because they don't position them as good for orthotics, but if you get them and find they help you expand your shoe wardrobe and you like the styles, let me know.

There are some other options that do bring a more affordable price tag to some classic and even designer styles. I like the metallic (hopefully not plastic) look of these brogues that would be right at home with the menswear styles I featured earlier.


Platform Oxford - $59

I also think these chunky Mary Janes would get a lot of wear paired up with jeans and skirts.


Mary Jane pump - $49

So, overall I'd give Spiegel a 50%. There are some shudder-inducing clothes but there are some fun options too. And the prices aren't too bad. Worth checking out and picking a few key items. I think if I do place an order, I'm going to grab this hoodie here. It's my favorite thing out of the whole book - Sequin hoodie $59.




Happy Shopping!

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Today I was pretty neutral - dressy enough for my client meeting but still comfortable as we were walking around a lot. I wore my Old Navy button down with the sleeves that poof and a swishy pleated skirt. To glam it up a bit I wore my double-strap Miu Miu mary janes. However, mine are not the black version as shown....




The Focal Point
Mine are actually the SILVER mary janes! They are very chrome-y and super-shiny. I can't find any other picture than from the Miu Miu runway show.


They are actually pretty comfortable because the built-in platform is total cushion. They're great to wear with jeans too.

Love with the head or the heart?

I'm not really sure why I love these shoes. I have a feeling that the strap may be stretchy (okay, maybe not) and that the heel is bordering on the dreaded "camel-banana" heel, but I still love them and want them.

Prada Bi-color Mary Janes in Nero and Arde suede

Maybe it's because they look like velvety soft smoke. Maybe it's because they call the colors Nero and Arde rather than the more plebeian black and grey. Maybe it's because they look like smudgy graphite from a really soft pencil. Or maybe it's that they will look freaking amazing with opaque black tights and a skirt for Fall.

They're snuggly... I want them.

Imitation = Flattery?

Mary Janes are another classic style that has been and will be around forever. This Summer and going into Fall, the low-strap Louboutin Mary Jane has been seen on many a well-publicized foot, and it's easy to see why. They look really comfortable, especially with the small platform adding to the height. But if the price is out of your range, there are a number of other options out there.

Steve Madden's Loucee do the style really well. I haven't tried on the Louboutin's but I have tried on these. They are very close, but the they are also cut very low in the front. A little two low for me, plus they didn't have my size.

Nine West Lehana came out earlier this year, in several colors. This version in black patent has more of an almond toe than the Louboutins and a buckle rather than a button. But, a pretty good option too.

Target's Skylar is actually one of the closest and comes in black, silver and burgundy. They even have the little button for the strap closure. I ordered these but they run pretty small. I'm going to try them in a bigger size.



I bought a pair of heeled low-strap Mary Janes a few years ago in San Francisco and I love them. They are one of my "go to" shoes, especially for work. I love them so much that I'm afraid I'm going to wear them out. One of these may have to become the replacement.