Keep the shine on

While I love the muted tones of grey/charcoal/graphite/anthracite for Fall and Winter, you need some shine to keep everything from being too soft and muted. Silver is grey's bright and shiny cousin and is perfect for mixing with your grey wool skirts and opaque black tights. I'm making a list of all of my Fall needs, wants and "desires" so I don't get too out of control when I'm drooling over all of the fabulous Fall clothes, shoes and accessories.

Not a lot of silver here, but I love the shape and sparkly-paillette hem of this Vera Wang dress.


I so hope I win the lottery any day now so I can get this tunic from Vivre. It is not just flow-y, shiny and covered with sequins... the sequins are made of sterling silver! It's like a modern day "Cloth of Silver/Gold". I think I would wear this at least once a week - and I'd have to because I couldn't afford anything else.



I was getting all giddy looking at the opaque tights and plaids and wool skirts that I was a little crazy when I saw these heels from Guess. I had to do a shoe search to find them in my size, but I eventually got them. I've seen a million silver heels lately (heck I own a few silver heels), but I love the distressed texture of these.

Guess Kasenna

They have a classic shape and color, which I can wear for years, but still look totally on trend right now. They'll be great with the pleated skirts I want to get, plus jeans and denim skirts.

I know it's a million degrees, but now is the time to jump on all the Fall stuff coming out, because selection will be limited later. The only problem is that you have to wait for it to cool off!

Sparkle into Fall and Winter

Fall and Winter is not going to be quiet or subdued this year. In addition to silver and gold be-glittered heels, there are tons of sequined options that just jump right out at you and make a grab for your wallet.

I have to admit these Louboutins stopped me in my tracks on the Neiman Marcus site.



They are so slick they look painted on. Whew!

A little less "flashy" in the photo but I bet they rock in person are these brown and black zebra-stripe Manolo sandals.



And I raved about the limited edition Prada bag for Neiman's 100th Anniversary over on Bubblegum Plastic, but I think of all of the offerings this Yves Saint Laurent sequined Mombassa shopper is my favorite. I love the contrast of the rectangular sequins to the curved horn handle. Plus the swirl design is sure to catch the light.


This isn't the year to be a wallflower. With these accessories you're sure to stand out, so be prepared to shine.

Eeeewwww!!!

You may remember me talking about this hideous creation by Marc Jacob...



Well it got worse.

It's a knee-boot version in an even more Hefty-cinch-sack-ish color.



I mean, seriously, who would wear this? Or even look at it and say "Yes, I must have that $790 garbage bag boot to tie around my knees. I will look so HOT!"

Orange-y Pink, Pink-ish Orange

Did you ever see a color combo out in the real world and wish you could make an outfit out of it.

I love the delicious combination of my new baby's tangerine creamsicle fur and his light pink jellybean toe pads and smoochable pink kitten nose.



He's a mix of perfect pastel colors like natural salt.



The closest things I could find were these pink Delman Jessica slides with pale orange bows.



I think we need more of these candy shoes. The world needs unexpected colors.

Love Conquers All

If you ask some of the online dating services, the most important thing is that you and your prospective partner are compatible in nearly every way and that you are unlikely to succeed as a couple if you don't have similar styles and values.

And I'm here to tell you that they can be totally wrong.

As superficial as it could seem, fashion and dressing is important. Especially when you are just starting out. People do make judgement calls on who you are by what you are wearing and how you present yourself. So, when you look at this picture would you think that these two "outfits" go together?



When my now husband and I met he was wearing something along these lines and so was I. Okay, not the first moment we met. At that moment, he was wearing green slacks, a tie with a jaguar (!) on it and some shoes that I think prob-ab-ly came from Payless. Not that I looked hot myself - I was wearing a black polo dress and I think I was swigging down cough syrup because I had a wicked cold/sinus infection.

But at that time I was just starting out in business and was really into wearing skirt suits, so I had lots of little dresses and suits and heels, heels heels. The first night we went to dinner, I was wearing a wrap dress and, keep in mind this is June in the South, he was wearing a jeans and a long sleeve, tab collar denim computer logo shirt. O-M-G. The first thing I said to him was "You're going to pass out in that."

But you know what, he was fun and funny and we hit it off right away. When my best friend met him and he showed up wearing jeans, a band t-shirt and a pair of these, which I absolutely HATE,

(Aaacck!)

I actually didn't care. She gave me a look that was like "Are you kidding me?" And my look back was "Eh, what are you going to do?"

The thing is, I was, and still am in many ways, a fashion snob. But I was lucky that when I met him, I overlooked our style differences, because there were so many other things that we felt the same way about. Things that really mattered to us. And that ten years later, we still do. I don't expect or ask him to dress in a way that he isn't comfortable and he tolerates all the shoes I buy.

Not that those sandals were around for long, of course.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Today's outfit is so boring that it may not even be worth writing about. But in the interest of disclosure, here it is. A black top (actually it was a boat neck top, but whatev-er) and my jeans skirt. Plus my black flats. I've actually just been through an amazingly stressful few weeks, and I am just exhausted. So I got lazy today with the clothes.



The only jewelry I wore was my wedding rings and my new London blue topaz ring. Pretty.


The Focal Point
As I was being tired and lazy, I was not about to wear heels today. So I grabbed my comfy Target black jeweled flats and ran out the door.

They are sparkly though. I should get some points for that, right?

Shoe Luck

When asking people to remember their "lucky" moments, they bring up stories of when they found $20 on the street, won a prize, or just making their flight. Mine are all about shoes.

There are different kinds of "shoe luck". There are the times when you are shopping for an event at the last minute. You know you are never going to find the shoes you need because you actually need them (that's why you should always by shoes you love when you see them - you'll never find them again). But as you head into your favorite store, prepared for disappointment, you find the perfect shoe right off the bat - the right style, right size, good price and they fit like a dream. An unexpected gift from the Shopping Gods. You giddily take your shopping bag and head home with extra time to get beautiful.

Then there are times when trip across a shoe lovah that you thought had passed you by. They were there for a brief moment, but you turned your head and they were gone. No amount of searching and crying was going to bring them back into your life. Then, one day, you are out of your usual environment - say, on a business trip to a locale you have never been to and will probably never return to. You, for lack of anything else to do, go to the outlet mall near your hotel, and then it happens. It's them. The very ones that you had pined for. The shoes that had left. On sale. In your size. Weeping tears of joy and disbelief you quickly grab three colors before anyone else sees them and takes them away from you. You will never be parted again!


My Nine West Satin D'orsay Espadrilles - I got them in an apple-y green and luscious teal.

Shoe luck can also come like a karmic blessing. There are "those shoes". The shoes of the moment that everyone is hunting for, coveting, taking pictures of at celebrity events. They're on the catwalk but not in any store. Frustration drives you to madness. But, perhaps the NYC main store will know if there are any out there that may have been overlooked, tucked into a corner where no one has found them. Maybe. Right? It could happen. But you know it's hopeless. The Internet and blogs are buzzing with the fact that these shoes just cannot be found. Or if they are, it's on Ebay for twice the price. You know that by calling you are just going to be perceived as an ignorant yokel who is behind the curve, but you have to ask. So you call, expecting haughty New York-Designer Store-Sales Associate disdain.

Me - "Hello, I was wondering if you knew if there were any of the Miu Miu double-strap mary janes available anywhere?

NYDSA - "Well they are pretty much sold out in all of the colors already. We only have a pair of 36s in silver left and they are on sale because we are getting ready for next season.

Me - *faints* I'll take them! Can you ship them to me RIGHT NOW????

Me - Hanging up the phone - *Giddy happy dance*

Then there is my ultimate shoe luck story. We were in London over New Year's. We were going to go to Harrod's, of course, because it is the greatest store in the world. But, hold the phone, there is a massive day after New Year sale. Everything including all designer shoes, etc., 50%+ off.

No. Freaking. Way. We were so going.

But, we were obviously delusional in our under-estimating of the Londoner desire for this sale. There were lines wrapped around the corner, security guards having to let folks in one at a time. And the shoe department was CRAZY. It was a good 20 degrees warmer there than anywhere else. Designer shoes everywhere. Women grabbing sales associates, trying shoes on sitting on the floor. Two girls almost got into a fight and a little old lady was chewing out the department manager. I grabbed a few pairs and got in line for the register. I had sent my hubby to check out the foods floor to save his sanity but after 4o minutes I felt I had to let him know I was still alive. The line hadn't moved so people had formed alliances and we had each taken turns to go tell our respective others that it would be a while longer. But after another 40 minutes and no movement, I had to abandon my attempt. We had reservations for tea at the Ritz.

I left my finds forlornly and we left. Poor Poochie - no shoes for me.

After tea, I was still bummed so we went to the Jimmy Choo store - but they had nothing in my size. Was I going to leave London with nary a heel? I guess I looked pretty sad so he asked if I wanted to go back to Harrods. Not really getting the most out of a London trip, but I had to go back.

As we walked in, I knew everything was sure to be picked over with nothing left for moi. I did find a pair of Stuart Weitzman heels in a muted floral-y print and went to get ask the associate to bring me the other shoe. As I was waiting I saw this woman trying on a pair of boots. The most amazing boots I had ever seen. She was looking in the mirror debating with herself whether to get them or not. As she turned back and forth, the boots glittered and sparkled in the light. They were made of a metallic patterned fabric and they shone gold or teal or burgundy depending on how the light hit them.

I almost mugged her to get them.

No matter what size they were, if she was going to put them down, I was ready to pounce. She asked the associate if there were anymore in that size because the ones she had were smudged on the back. I chimed in and asked if, while she was looking, could she see if she had my size too. The associate didn't give either of us much hope with her "Don't bet on it" look. But my new best friend, the nice boots lady said - I think I saw a pair in your size over on the display.

I didn't actually knock her or anyone down as I sprinted over there, but I did move pretty quick. And there they were...in my size! And here they are:





My Dolce and Gabbana amazing sparkly boots. These pictures so do not do them justice. I heart them way too much.

Shoe luck - much less trustworthy than gambling and so bliss-inducing. Any shoe luck stories you want to share?

I'm kind of scared to admit this... a shoe list

So I was just over on the Shoewawa site and they asked the eternal shoe lover question:
How many pairs of black shoes do you own?

So I started my list - no going up-stairs and checking for sure. Here's what I came up with off the top of my head:

1. Black boots low
2. Black boots high
3. Black boots with corset lacing on back
4. Black heeled mary janes
5. Black Jimmy Choo corset sling backs
6. Black patent Manolo Mary Janes
7. Black Alexander McQueens open-toe heels with organza roses
8. Black jeweled flats
9. Black ankle-tie sandals
10. Black Aerosoles with big silver buckle
11. Black t-strap heels
12. Black ankle strap heels with creme flowers
13. Black espadrilles
14. Black vintage chunky heels
15. Black oxfords
16. Black patent with acrylic heels
17. Black peep-toe suede Louboutin heels
18. Black peep-toe leather heels
19. Black glitter pointy flats
20. Black patent loafers
21. Black satin dressy heels
22. Black satin kitten heels
23. Black cotton Chinese mary janes
24. Black Yvea Saint Laurent Tribute sling-back heels
25. Black Dolly Dagger Shoe Missy "award" heels
26. Black with white polka dots heel by Shoe Missy
27. Black and burgundy wing-tip chunky mary janes
28. Black patent wood platform peep-toe slingbacks
29. Black sneakers
30. Black double strap mary janes
31. Black 40's style platform ankle-strap
32. Black heeled slides with rhinestone hearts
33. Black polka-dot wellies
    

Those are all I can remember off the top of my head and these are the ones that are predominantly black - not another color with black as an equal or an accent.

Yikes! Thirty-three!

Um, is that just wrong? Or so very right.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Today I wore a sporty, Summery outfit that was still appropriate for work. The top is a polo style knit top I bought at Anthropologie. It's cream and orange with red side panels. The skirt is an Isaac Mizrahi pleated dress denim from Target.



The shoes are Via Spiga Branny. They are a very soft leather moccasin style pump. They are much more cream in person than how they appear here. What's great is the sole is very cushy - sort of driver moc-style and the stacked wood heel continues the casual style.



The Focal Point
Today's focal point is the detailing in the collar of the shirt. The shirt mixes up the polo style by replacing the traditional collar with cream silk done in a ruffly pleat. Anthropologie is one of my favorite stores for finding unique pieces like this.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
You never know in my business if you are going to have to go to a meeting, so even in the summer I dress up a bit. This morning, I did have to go straight to meet my client, so I wore a light summery skirt, a black knit top, and my sassy Via Spiga Refer platform heels to give a splash of color.



The Focal Point
It was actually the comfort of the skirt, but you can't miss these shoes. They really draw your attention. They are listed as Cranberry, but they are a brighter (but not lipstick) red. The platform gives comfortable height. I feel pretty tall in these.

They are a bit narrow, so adjust accordingly, when you order. Lucky you...these are still available on Zappos and cheaper than when I bought them!

Gatsby Dreams

I aspire to a dream life filled with cool spring days spent in the shade of an elaborate Victorian gazebo sipping lemonade and having afternoon tea.


watching the cricket match, or...


playing croquet, or...



relaxing in my tennis whites after a rousing match.

In my imagined world there are garden parties and Pimms cups in silver cups. I love the casual aristocratic look of the gentlemen in their whites from the 20's. In my mind its a blending of British and New England old school. Maybe that's why, when these Parrotfish (!) Oxfords went on sale at Anthropologie, I had to have them.

They're a creamy white leather with pink, yellow, white and grey striped silk with lovely leather soles. I wore them today with a white shirt and capris - a nod to the classic men's style of yesteryear.

Once we install the gazebo and croquet lawn in the front yard, I'll invite you over on a Saturday afternoon for a round.

Princess Poochie says:

Here is the latest shopping challenge that has been put forth before me:

My foot is a size 5 to 5.5 E (D sometimes)! Yes, E . It's not my fault I was born with Neanderthal feet, but I love shoes. After 40 years of cramming them into size B shoes, I've been searching for sensible, simple shoes that are at a good price. The only ones I have been able to find even on Zappos are orthopedic or ugly beyond description. Do you have any advice or tips on finding shoes for a very stylish fashionista cursed with wide feet? - Anonymous

Anon,

I'm always happy to help and like a challenge. And you have a double challenge - small size, wider foot - that I can empathize with. So, I racked my brain and rummaged the Net. Here are some options I found:

Viva La Diva has a lot of nice styles and many of them in wider sizes. However, they are in the UK and don't seem to ship to the US. If you are in the US, they may help you find some brands and styles. They have a search for wider sizes available here.

I did a quick search on Zappos by width and some nice options came up. The brands that had wider widths that didn't look orthopedic were:

• Annie
• Naturalizer (check out Naturalizer.com too - their styles are much improved)
• Sudini
• Fitzwell (cute styles)
• Gabriella Rocha (very stylish heels)
• rsvp
• Type Z
• Stuart Weitzman (some sexy styles like "Fever")

There were a lot of clunkers, but these had styles I would wear.

Womens Shoes Plus has some options, but you'll have to sift through them - some seem to have a chunky heel that I feel may be a bit too chunky.

I would also look at some of the flats for kids at Target. I've bought a few pairs. They're really cute and inexpensive and, because they're for kids, they are usually not pinch-y.

And last but not least - Duo Shoes and Boots! You get to customize heights and widths and, for boots, even calf widths. www.duoshoes.co.uk and www.duoboots.com.





This is the Duo Holly



This is Duo's Cadiz in black suede

And they ship to the US!

Hope this helps. Let me know how you do.
Luv
Poochie

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?

If you read Shoewawa at all you may have seen the discussion regarding the Steven Madden knock-off of the Louboutin "Emily" shoe boots (which I am totally in luuuvvvv with). If that wasn't a good enough example of a designer piece being blatantly copied by another shoe line, wait until you see this one.

I know Steve Madden likes to make these copies but at least with the "Emily" he didn't use the trademark signature red sole. Now, look at these two shoes and see if you can see the difference between the two:


Christian Louboutin's Caracolo Zipper Pump


Steven Madden's Larrk

I think it's about $800 dollars...and possibly a lawsuit.

Inspiration...British Colonial Style

One of my favorite movies of all time is Out of Africa. The sweeping vistas and epic story are great, of course, but I fell in love with it because of the clothes. I love British Colonial style with its equestrian boots, tones of white, brown and khaki in linen and cotton and the great hats.

Picnics optional. Riverside hair washing mandatory. Le sigh!


This is a helplessly, hopelessly romantic movie with poor Denys Finch Hatton dying in the end. But I wasn't really sad about that. It empowered Karen. And Denys' philosophy, which struck a real chord with me, would have felt the sacrifice was worth it. I totally agreed/agree with his: "It's better to want someone, not need someone". Not a popular sentiment in any time period and one that is hard to accept by some. I remember getting in big trouble when I expressed that feeling during a previous relationship.

No, the saddest parts to me are not that she was left alone, its when she has to part from Farah to go back to Denmark. You could tell that there was a real love, partnership and mutual respect and friendship there.

The other is that she never went back to Africa.

Best boots

All the Fall boots are coming out and I know there will be controversy about this... but, I think these are the best boots from Autumn/Winter 07.

Miu Miu Bow boots. They look really soft, a great heel, not too pointy or chunky. And I love the extra embellishment of the bow. It's not too overdone. Over jeans or a just over-the-knee skirt would be perfect.

They're $995 but just delicious. Well done again Miu Miu.

Anatomy of a shoe search

I have a pretty small shoe size. And apparently many designers and stores don't feel that it is worth making or carrying shoes in a size 5 or 5.5 because many times when I see a pair of shoes that I like they don't start until size 6. Ugh! Many times I'll go into a store and keep picking up shoes and putting them down. I'm sure the employees think it's because of the price but mostly its because they usually put the smallest size out and there are none in my size!

And I know there are plenty of people who have this same size because you keep buying my shoes!

So it's really hard to find shoes in my size. Not that you would believe it by looking in my closet. Maybe its all a part of nature's system of checks and balances and what keeps me to a tolerable level. My only justification is that when I see a pair of shoes I like/want and it's in my size, I get it. I also admit I'm a little compulsive... and stubborn. I just can't believe I can't get what I want and can't find those shoes somewhere. When I can't just jump online and get them, I have to go on the hunt.

Take these Nine West Harmon platforms in nude patent.


I spied these in Lucky's (If I remember correctly). When I first saw them they weren't available. Then I went right to the Nine West site. No luck. They had them but starting at size 6, which is actually unusual because they often carry 5s. So I called customer service. I was told they actually would not be making these shoes in my size. What the heck! Nothing online, nothing in their stores, nothing in a Macy's etc.

Grrrr!

Finally, I went to my fallback - Zappos.com, of course. Now remember, Nine West themselves, told me they were absolutely not making this shoe in smaller than a size 6. Guess what I found on Zappos?

That's right, those babies right there...in my size. Ha! I win!

Another search went on for the red Pedro Garcia's I showed in my outfit of the day. Saw them on Shoewawa (my crack), couldn't find them online. I actually emailed the corporate buyer (in Spain) and they pointed me to a store in Texas that had them. Whoo hoo! These beauties are worth a little effort, don't you think?

Now, my friends sometimes overhear these "research" efforts and think I'm nuts. But, the moral is: never take "No" for an answer. Those perfect shoes are out there somewhere... probably...unless I got to them first.

Let's Get Some Shoes...Betch!

I Y Kelly!

Oh
My
God...

SHOES!



Yeah, that's my car. Kelly is soooo my soulmate (outside of my Teen Pop Princess Poochie - you know who you are!)



These shoes are three hundred dollars.
These shoes are three hundred dollars.
These shoes are three hundred f**king dollars.
Let's get 'em!

Poor Leonardo

While I greatly admire Leonardo da Vinci and his ever inventing mind, I do not want to look like I am wearing walk-on-water-shoes*





These Patent Mary Jane Wedge shoes(???) by Tapeet are described as:

- Black/gunmetal patent leather.
- Elastic strap.
- 3 1/2" wedge heel with anthracite mirrored bottom.
- Made in Italy.

Bad Italy! Bad!

*If you would like to see Leonardo's invention brought to life on film, check out "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore.