Would you... - YSL Rubber Tribute Pump

I have a few pairs of the Melissa shoes, know for their bubblegum smell, fun designs and, of course, rubber materials.

But would you expect to see jelly rubber and YSL together?  Neither did I.

Modeled after their classic sandal heels, these are super high and on a platform, which combined with what their made of, makes me a bit scared!

Would you wear a pair of heels in rubber and such precarious ones too?

YSL Rubber Tribute-Last Sandal - $495 at Bergdorfs.

Most Outrageous Memorial Ever... and rightly so

Today was the memorial service for Alexander McQueen.  It was held in St. Paul's Cathedral and attending buy friends and followers. As appropriate, those who came to pay their respects did so by embracing the excessive, glorious style he was known for.

I hope, and believe, Alexander would approve.

Learn more on Vouge.com and see their photo tribute.

Ensemble du Jour - 7-13-10

A few folks asked for an outfit shot when I mentioned what I was wearing with the YSL Tribute heels (yesterday's Shoe of the Day), so here you go!

I was going to try and get an actual shot of me in the outfit but we had a monsoon here so I was stuck at work until late. But we needed the rain so I can't complain too much.

The cardigan is from Target, the skirt is Michael Kors and the necklace is the Wendy Brandes Little Woolf necklace.

The shoes, of course, are the YSL Tributes...

The petal peep-toe.

I love the lamplight here.

And the contrast heels, which are a soft off-white.

I'd love to get a pair of the really high YSL Tribtoos but I don't think they are still making the ones with the yellow soles. Hmmm...

Shoe of the Day: YSL Tribute Slingback Peep-toe

I have been posting my Shoe of the Day over on the Shoe Daydreams Facebook page for a while now but I'm adding it here too.

Today's Shoe is the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute peep-toe slingback.

This shoe came out at the same time as the platform Tribute mary jane that everyone seemed to have and still continues to be evolved in sandal and other pump iterations.

I loved the contrast heel but didn't want the platform. I thought the non-platform slingback was more elegant.

Contrast heels are pretty common now but this shoe had one other unique element - the petal peep-toe. While most peep-toes are a round cut-out this shoe began with two petals forming the less-conspicuous window. The shape has been utilized by McQueen (and copied by numerous others!)

I'm wearing these with a black v-neck cardigan and a Michael Kors leopard print skirt.

Decisons... Decisions.

I have a wedding to attend this Summer and I'm thinking I may wear my new dress from Target. It's sort of casual but the color and detailing give it a dressier edge, which I think will be a perfect match for the style of wedding this is going to be.

The question is, what shoes do I pair it with? I'm not sure if' we'll need to be walking through grass or not so I'm leaning towards wearing heels but there are a few options to choose from, each of which will give the outfit a different feeling.



The options, starting from the top left, are:

The Jessica Simpson Hardie peep-toes. The circles go well with the embroidery and they have that neat graphic look.

Prada "flower heels" black satin peep-toes. Elegant yet also a heel to stand out. A dressier option.

The next option are the YSL "Tribute" slingbacks. Simple, elegant, but not boring. It would be more about the dress than the shoes, although they hold their own too.

The most sensible in the bunch are my Old Navy sandals. I wouldn't have to worry about walking in potential grass or anything and the shine makes them dressy enough, but they're just flat. Miss out on an opportunity to show off my heels? Maybe I'll bring these as a backup.

The JCrew satin mary janes are great for a wedding but they might be too conservative. I like pairing a really colorful shoe but the pink satin might be too staid with this dress.

Alexander McQueen rose-embellished anklestrap peep-toes. Will this be the perfect time to finally wear them????

And last but not least... I don't have these Kate Spade heels, but boy do I wish I did. I just love them. They're dressy but the ribbon is grosgrain so they're not too fussy. These are the perfect pair, right? Then I would need to buy them!

What do you think? One of these or any other inspired ideas out there?

Imitation = Flattery?

Everyone should be familiar with the YSL Tribute shoe. It was all over the place last summer. Here it is in black...



And the more recent gold version.



As we would expect, Steve Madden did a knock-off pair. Why upset his whole business strategy, right?



But now we have a new contender in the imitation realm. BCBGirls "Lora" heel. The style and shape are identical. At least they had the decency to change the color.



I'm not even sure how much I like this platform heel, so I definitely don't want the fake version.

Tribute or Desperate Attempt?

So here is one of 2007's "It" shoes - the YSL Tribute platform. Personally I thought is was only okay and while I like the white heel, I thought the platform was ridiculous. No matter how many stars wore it. I much preferred the non-platform slingback which is what I got.



So when I see this new version of this shoe I just think it is a sad desperate attempt to try and recapture that top spot status again this year.



I mean, I know they will be popular because they're flashy and all but they really are not attractive.



Would you wear these if the price were not a barrier (they're $690 at Saks)?

By the way, there is also a woven leather version for $760, if you are so inclined.

Ensemble du Jour

So yesterday I had a bit of an outfit challenge. I had to go to a seminar out of town all day and then straight from there go to an office Holiday cocktail/dinner party. I needed to drive 2 hours each way, so I had to get up around 5 a.m. to get ready then drive to the seminar, sit around all day but look somewhat professional, drive back and look sort of festive for the party.

Not easy.

So, here is what I came up with:

The Outfit
The top was an Ann Taylor v-neck black top and I paired that with a Mossimo silky black skirt with a red border print. The bracelet was black acrylic with pearls and for shoes I wore my YSL Tribute sling backs.



I know that's a horrible view of the skirt. This is what it looks like, but instead of teal, it is a dark red. The skirt is very swishy and has a very expensive look that belies it's $25 price tag.



Here's some close-ups of the bracelet. I actually have this in 4 versions and wore the camel version with the teal skirt above a while back.



What I love the most is the mix of the edgier acrylic with very traditional pearls.



Etsy is the best!



The Focal Point
Everyone knows that killer shoes can elevate any outfit. I went with the YSL Tribute slingbacks because they are comfortable, graphic, and have a great shape. The white heel is really different and eye-catching.



I think these were one of the best shoe buys of the year.

Black and White

I have previously expressed my love for contrasting heels, especially for one of my favorite shoe buys this year - my YSL Tribute slingbacks. They are so elegant but with a touch of the unexpected in the white heel element.



And they aren't trashy looking like the more popular platform ankle-strap version below. Ugh! It's amazing what a few details can make.



Now I have a new love that I want to make room for in my wardrobe of black and white heels - these lovely white pumps with black heels by Gucci from their resort collection (Loving Resort this year!)



I know white shoes can be challenging, but Gawd, I love them!

"Pure Sex"? Yawn.

When I first heard that Agent Provocateur was going to develop a line of shoes, I was actually very interested and intrigued. I've always admired their lingerie, the extensive storylines for each of their collections and their playfulness. Although I find their prices a bit high, I used to have a real "thing" for glam lingerie, so I could see how they were worth it.

And they just signed Maggie G. as their new temptress. She's great! Sexy, yet quirky. Unique.



But I'm so disappointed in this line, called "Pure Sex" by Kurt Geiger. AP already had darling retro heeled slippers with feathers and bows, which I can't seem to find on the site now, and they have replaced them with this line of incredibly obvious and, I think, boring bordering on tacky shoes.



Black strapped patent platforms? Yawn! YSL did this better with the Tribute earlier this year. I don't even find these sexy. They're just so expected and better suited to Frederick's.


Jennie

And they are expensive too. All of these are $495, except the boots which are $570!
These are supposed to be work-wear. They look kind of cheesy to me.


Peep

These come in black too. They look okay on the model, but, to me they look very uncomfortable and I know I would have strapmarks all over my feet.


Belle

These are getting better, but don't look like anything that special. They come in black too.


Misty (I mean, seriously, who came up with these stupid names??? Misty? Blech!)

These have to be the best of the bunch, and I don't even like booties. I think I only like them because they remind me of a Louboutin pair. They have a good heel on them.



Maybe there will be more designs for the line in the near future, but as of right now, I'm unimpressed.

Thank goodness the rest of the site is more "interesting" to look at.