Store Focus: SoleStruck

I just realized that I hadn't posted a few of the other outfits that I wore last week.

I wore one of my favorite Target dresses. This was actually one of the first dresses in my "Dress Reintroduction" plan. It's a nice heathered grey wool with a two-tone green herringbone accent. inside the collar, cuffs and the reverse of the belt. I like to roll the cuffs up so you get to see the green and then I paired it with my vintage La Rose green velvet heels (which are more olive-y green) and my vintage locket.



Then, when it actually got a bit chilly I whipped out my Gap cashmere grey and black stripe dress and added lavender We Love Color tights. I also wore a matching lavender wrap so I at least had some thing to tie those tights too. And I added another new Paraphernalia piece - my Kiss pin. Oh yeah, and my Facade heels. These are my new #1 most versatile heels of the year. I'm going to wear them at least once a week I think. I seriously should have bought 2 pairs.



Not that either of those outfits have anything to do with the title of this post, but, hey, I did the Polyvores. I'm going to use them!

Anyway...

SoleStruck.

I hadn't shopped with them before. There are so many great stores out there, especially online, that I don't get a chance to go to all of them... if you can believe that! I tend to get lazy and go to the sites I use a lot. So I'm glad when other bloggers, friends and even the companies themselves make recommendations of places to check out. Also, there is a bit of a boycott going on against one of my typical shoe haunts, so I'm probably not going to be shopping there for a while.

I was actually contacted by Sole Struck about testing out their site and service, so I quickly popped over to see what I could see. And I have to say I was very interested, indeed. Like many sites, they offer free shipping which makes it much more convenient for shoe shopping. In my opinion you should not worry about ordering shoes online anymore, especially once you have a few favorite brands that you are familiar with.

Just order the shoes, they come to your house and, if they don't fit, just send them back. Free shipping, free returns... how much easier could it be? Well, my mailman (and the hubby too, I'm sure) might be sick of me and the packages but, eh, there aren't a lot of options here in Fashion Exile so, whatever.

Anyway, Sole Struck graciously offered me the opportunity to choose a pair of shoes. Hello! Kid in a candy store!

After spending a while on the site, I narrowed it down to seven pairs.

First up were this pair of Campers Twins. I liked the shiny overlapping dots and that each shoe is different. I thought they would be cute with a whole slew of tight colors for Fall.




And they have a nice sturdy rubber sole which would be good for winter weather.



But who am I kidding?

I've worn stilettos during a sleet storm in New York (okay, yes it was stupid I know that but it was more than 10 years ago and I was caught out in the storm unexpectedly. I did almost kill myself!)

So I thought I would be more practical and get a fun pair of Hunters, because I've been having a hell of a time finding some rain boots in my size and in a cute look. Wouldn't these but nice and sturdy and great for running around in the yard?



Yes, I do need a pair of boots but there were also cute girly shoes to think about so maybe I'll hold out on those this time.

I mean look at these adorable Betsey Johnson peep-toes. Bows! Peep-toes! Scalloped edges and contrast stitching! I likey!



But of course I get distracted again looking at other pink and red heels including these Jessica Bennett buckle pumps. I love love love pink and red together.




Then I see they come in a green and blue combination and now I really can't choose.



So I went back to Betsey Johnson Betseyville section to see the red and white pair and saw these wedges and knew that I was completely smitten.



I mean, seriously, look at the shape. And the adorable chunky zipper-edged patent bow. But black and green or....




or black and turquoise? I still can't choose. Maybe I should just flip a coin.



In the end, I asked for these Vince Camuto leather knot heels with contrast stitching. My favorite element of the design is how the body of the shoe is sewn to the sole. It gives them a unique and hand crafted look.



These are very comfortable, classic and well-made shoes. I was so happy with them in person that I immediately wore them on Friday to work. They are great with jeans because they are a warm medium camel color and will work well with a whole slew of colors.

I paired mine with my new Gap Classic jeans (which I'm obsessed with, by the way. They fit soooo well!) and my medium green argyle sweater from Target. I also pinned my new crest pin from my last antiques festival excursion to the hem of the sweater.



All in all, I'd recommend checking out Sole Struck. They carry a number of really great lines, including favorites of mine like Chinese Laundry, Charles David, Report and a bunch more. And they have great customer service.

Personally I'm keeping those other pairs in my shopping cart. I think I'm going to have to go back in there and get those wedges. Green? Blue? Both?

Yes!

Store Focus: Design Archives

The other day I went to a great vintage store here in my area. I hadn't been there before and actually didn't even know it existed. My friend found it and we had a good time going there, sifting through all racks of clothes, trying stuff on and seeing all of the cool possibilities.

Design Archives is located in downtown Greensboro, right near the college campus, so you get a great mix of items and clients. They are a little high in terms of price, especially compared to eBay but they do have a lot of great things. They especially had a great selection of dresses, including some gorgeous 50's prom dresses covered in frothy tulle.

We were there for a while and at one time I had my arms filled with dresses, coats and robes. But I tried to be frugal and pick out only my most favorite of the pieces. I finally ended up with a vintage nightgown, a great red trench and this amazing sheer dress which I have big plans for.

Here is the nightgown. It's a rayon gown that goes to shin length. The lace is in pristine condition. I can't tell that it was ever used. Here's the front view.

And the back:

The bodice is covered with lace and there is lace edging along the arm and back v.

There is even a small lace edge along the bottom. It's so comfy, pretty and delicate.

My second item was this great red trench. It's a great lipstick red, fits perfectly and is in great condition.

What's hard to see here, but that you can see in the enlargements, is the stitching adding definition to the coat and a design element to the belt.

Like the cute pockets and the pretty buttons?



The cuffs are neat too. They kind of have a french cuff look to them which adds a nice finish to the sleeve. This is going to be my new suit topper. A black top and skirt, red heels and red trench.



Here is my favorite item. It needs a little explanation. It's a sheer dress with an elastic waist and a sash belt. I can't imagine how this would have been worn in the past. Maybe over a strapless dress? You have to pull it over your head to get it on as it is right now.



It's very floaty and ethereal. I love the portrait collar and, of course, the light blue-grey color.



A neat detail is that, at the shoulder, they added this poofy cap sleeve elemant to add some extra volume to the sleeves.



The cuffs, with two pearlescent blue button, come in tight to the wrist.



You can sort of see the elastic at the waist and then the big floppy sash bow. My big plan for this dress is to actually cut it down the middle and make it more into a wrap. I hope to have an event to wear this to. I'm thinking some strappy sandals and a silvery or black slip dress, which this tied as a wrap over it.



This is another reason I got this. Look at the tonal embroidery along the bottom quarter of the dress:



It looks very Art Deco-ish to me.



Given all of the sheer elements coming for Spring, I'd love to find more ways to work this into my wardrobe. It may be a bit much for my small office, though.

All in all, a successful vintage trip. I still want to branch out to the stores in other towns as well as some vintage stores. So, more hunting trips soon.

Store Focus: The Jazzy Giraffe

In a previous post, I mentioned my surprise when I went into a small shoe store in Asheville, NC that I didn't know was there and found gorgeous shoes by a designer I had never heard of.

Well, that store is The Jazzy Giraffe:



They don't have the greatest site in the world, so don't get too excited and the store itself is very small - kind of a weird shaped corner in a small mall but the shoes were nicely displayed and the staff was friendly. I was surprised to see several designers that I hadn't heard of as well as the fact that they carried Isaac Mizrahi (not the Target version) and Lulu Guinness. Very anachronistic for Asheville.

I ended up buying these Olivia Rose Tal mules and wore them, to much acclaim, to the wedding in was in.



These are the other pair I loved and hope are still there when we go back next month. Also by Olivia Rose Tal.



When I first walked into the store a lady was trying on these red suede Chie Mihara heels. She was kind of debating about getting them. I thought she was crazy! I would totally jump on those!



The store also carries unique clothes and purses from more designers I never knew existed. I love that! While there site isn't great, it's worth visiting just to see some of what they carry. I thought this Stella bag was kind of cool - edgy but retro.



If you are going to Asheville, I recommend checking them out. They're right downtown and, obviously, worth a visit. I can't wait to see what they have in stock in December!

Store Focus: Tops for Shoes

This past weekend I visited Asheville. This is the second time I had been there and it was a really great trip. During our previous trip it was June and pretty warm, even for the mountains but this was a perfect Fall weekend. We drove through tons of rain, but as we passed into Asheville, the sky was clear and the sun was shining.

It was a great change from home and I was finally able to wear some of my new sweaters, although, not many heels. We just do so much walking around that it really isn't feasible. Plus, Asheville is a very laid-back, somewhat hippy-ish town. Earth Shoes, Birkenstocks or Clarks are more common than Manolos or Louboutins. If they are wearing shoes at all.

But there is one very notable and large shoe store - Tops for Shoes.



This shoe store takes up an entire block and the inside is a maze of different rooms and, when I went, was filled with customers. As you can see from their site, their product line is more focused on the comfort end of the shoe scale, so it really wasn't for me, but they do carry some of the more fun designers like Marc Jacobs and Poetic License. And they ship in the US.

If you are in Asheville and have some time, I would recommend checking them out. One thing to note, they don't carry much at all below a size 6, so if you wear a smaller size like me, don't get too hopeful.

Favorite Store: Shoe'Ture

I wanted to introduce you to some of my favorite shoe-shopping stores. Not only do they have to have a great selection but the experience should be fun too. Winter Park, FL is home to a great store- Shoe'Ture.


They have really grown over the years and their website is fun too! Make sure to check it out.

What I like about them is they see the shopping experience holistically - not just running in to buy something but more of an event. You can get a pedicure before you slip into your new lovelies. And the shoes are all displayed more as art than just "product". They also carry unique brands, with swoon-worthy designs like these:

How pretty are these, no? I think I need them! Over the years they have really expanded the lines they carry. And they are also very involved in the community. Many time their fun events will benefit a local or national charity.

It's always worth a visit to Winter Park, so you should stop by when you are there. Tell Cinderella I said "hello!"