The Summer Shoe

My BFF and I were in Saks and she tried on Chanel leather espadrilles.  Drool.  That combo of sophisticated leather with the casual jute sole really appeals to me.  If that doesn't say summer to you in an elegant way, what would?  They're heaven and will hit your credit card to the tune of $600.  Ouch.

 

 

Last summer you could not swing a dead cat without hitting a blogger wearing Chanel espadrilles, in either in the linen version or the leather version.

How about these classic leather espadrilles from the website with the catchy name?  They come in different leathers and tons of colors. A traditional style with ultra soft tops, they would be like wearing bedroom slippers.

 

 

 

Craving a bit more style?  These Kurt Geiger snake embossed espadrilles kick the basic up a notch.

 

 



 

 



My personal favorite and voted most likely to end up in my closet are these two tone numbers from Madison.  The online boutique has a variety of espadrilles in canvas, mesh and leather. Prices for all are a reasonable $135. Take 25%  off with MADISONPSW25 until February 7. 

 

 

 

 

Don't see your perfect pair here?  Check out shopstyle.com and search leather espadrilles. You will find them at every price point.  





Style Resolutions for 2014 part one

First resolution:  dress like a French woman. One wonders if they're all put together perfection when they step out their doors. The ones who get photographed certainly are.  What is the magic? Why do they always look exactly right?

To help us decode the method, let's take a look at a few of the oft-mentioned French style icons.

Ines de la Fressange is a former Chanel muse. She is rarely seen wearing dresses or skirts, is almost always in flats, and her outfits typically contain a mix of neutrals.

The darling of Paris street style, Garance Dore, doesn't stray too far from this formula. While occasionally pictured in skirts or heels, she stays true to neutrals and relaxed silhouettes.

 

 

My personal favorite Carine Roitfeld, might seem at first glance to be a very different animal.  She's quite a bit more fashion forward and is the most "dressed up" of the bunch. Look a bit more closely though, you'll see the same devotion to neutrals, the same attention to details.  While she is almost always in skirts and heels, as opposed to trousers and flats, she has that nonchalance that makes it seem she threw something on and went about her day.

 

 

Last but not least, the woman who might be considered the queen bee of French style, Emmanuelle Alt. She is the editor of French Vogue after all.  She has developed a uniform that seldom differs even from season to season.  She favors pants, skinny ones, heels that vary from kitten to sky high, unfussy tees and shirts, and jackets to finish the look.

 

 



What else do you notice about all these women?  Minimal make up, unfussy hair and few well chosen accessories. 

Is this a style we can emulate?  We're not fashion editors, after all.  Pick out the parts that appeal to you and apply them to your wardrobe. In my case that means sticking with lots of neutral basics that can be punctuated with color if I like, and a focus on accessories such as belts and scarves.  How much easier is it to get dressed in the morning when everything in your closet goes with everything else?  Perhaps French women have discovered that they can spend their time on other things when deciding what to wear for the day is a snap.

Style resolutions part two will be editing the closet. We can't dress like French women until we get the wardrobe monster under control! 

Distinguishing a want from a need

I suppose strictly speaking I don't need anything.  I have more than enough clothing to satisfy my basic needs. My wardrobe extends beyond that, I have enough for special occasions, vacations, hiking trips, you name it.  I need nothing, plain and simple. 

I could stretch the meaning of need to the point it nearly snaps and tell you that I need black booties.  They are the thing this fall, everyone is wearing black booties.  With cropped trousers, with denim, with midi skirts, with dresses, you name it.  The ankle bootie seems to be the LBD of footwear, appropriate in every situation.

Having determined that I don't need anything, see above, I should not have been looking for black ankle booties.  And yet I found them.

I stumbled across the perfect pair, Jimmy Choo Amore.  I may be drawn to them because of the sensible heel, the perfect calf leather and the just above the ankle height.  Or I may be drawn to them because I have the knee high version, the Alma.

 

The bad news is the price.  Although I think I'd wear these for years and get my money's worth out of them, I will either have to wait for sale or bid these adieu. 

 

Perhaps a fitting substitute is this much more reasonably priced pair, the Loeffler Randall Reese. 

 

 

Same toe shape, same sensible heel, similar silhouette.  The differences are interesting suede details, and a shorter shaft that goes not quite as far up the ankle.  Still, all in all, in pretty good option.  At a more reasonable price and offered by so many retailers that finding them on sale will not be difficult, they are the more likely candidate for my closet.

 

No needs here, just a few wants.  Okay, more than a few, but that's a post for another day.



There's an app for that

I love scarves. I have a big plastic container full of them.  I try hard to wear them and I manage to pull one out two or three times a month.  I hate to think of them languishing in the closet, as beautiful as many of them are. I have an excuse for the neglect. I am woefully inept when it comes to using them creatively.  I think I know one method of tying.  One.  Scarves can be outfit makers, tame unruly hair and even be worn as garments.  That is, if you know what to do with them. 

Google "scarf tying" and you'll find oodles of You Tube videos instructing you on every kind of tying for any size scarf you could possibly have.  Many of them are professional level and look like they had the backing of a full film crew.  Others are grainy and wobbly, and not in the charming 8mm way.  Sometimes a girl wants some one-stop shopping, without having to search.  Enter the iPad and iPhone version of the Hermes how-to app, Silk Knots. 

 

A collection of pictures and videos demonstrating various methods for using all those scarves gathering dust in your bureau drawer, not just those from the venerable house of Hermes.

 

 

The app is free in the App Store.  

 





How many snake print shoes does a girl need?

Please understand that this is a rhetorical question. I don't really want an answer. I have a thing for snake, I'm sure I'll add more snake print pieces to my bulging shoe closet. 

What is it about snake print? The varied colors, naturally. The texture that makes them seem high end even if they're not.  Maybe the exotic nature of snake is a draw.  It's like cocaine to me, I can't seem to get enough and when I have some I want more.

It all started with this pair of Prada pumps.  New in the box for a fantastic price on eBay.  I've worn them at least 100 times, probably more.  They are beige, ivory, grey and black all in one and go with almost everything.  I dropped them off at cobbler today for new soles, that's how much I wear them.

Then I came across these babies on eBay, again new in the box for an amazing price.  From Prada's baby sister Miu Miu, they are perfect for fall.  The snake is different, the pattern more compact. A hypnotizing blend of greens and greys that will make my neutral outfits more interesting.

 

Not happy to confine myself to heels, I also obsessed about flats in a real snake, not just a print. I stalked them for sale for months and months (and blogged about them), finally nabbing the last pair in my size that could be found on earth after receiving a 20% off sale code for 3.1 Phillip Lim.  The crazy pointed toe, the casual loafer style, the gorgeous tones, all reeled me in.

 

 

I know you won't be surprised that I am interested in yet another pair, these gorgeous mustard and black beauties by No. 21.  Once again, unworn and in the box.  The heels are a modest 2.25". 

 



Want to take bets on whether I buy them?

 



The work wardrobe - flats vs. heels

Picture the professional office.  Dressing for work has become more creative than it was decades ago, yet in many work places the suit with button down meets the dress code. 

Most women in a conservative office environment, like banking, law or accounting, dress in something like this, or if they're lucky they get away with a slightly amped up version that incorporates a bit more color and slightly edgier pieces.  Still, there isn't much variation in the choice of footwear.  The uniform of the working woman includes some form of the pump. 

Being someone who works in this type of environment, I'm in a shoe with a heel daily.  I love shoes, I love pumps, and I have a vast wardrobe to choose from.  More and more I'm noticing that many designers are adding flats to their shoe line.  Not long ago I bought my first pair.  Not my very first pair, but my first pair that wasn't cheap, canvas, disposable.  I wear them often, always on weekends with jeans or shorts.  They're comfortable, they're stylish and they always garner compliments.  It got me thinking about the possibility of wearing flats to work.

Here are some options that might work.

Ferragamo

 

Manolo Blahnik

 

Prada

 

 

Making a statement

There's a lot to be said for accessories.  They amp up basics and give simple outfits personality. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to accessories it's go big or go home.  Dainty pieces are not me.  My oversized accessories fall into three categories - belts, jewelry and scarves. 

Lacking any semblance of a waist, I rely on belts to create curves.

Prada

Ferragamo

 

I go large with jewelry as well.  Cuffs are a personal favorite and rarely a day goes by that I don't wear one. 

 

Tory Burch

 

 

 

Tory Burch

 

 

Necklaces and rings also get the oversized treatment.  The trick is to choose a focal point - one large piece at a time.

 



J. Crew

 

YSL

 

 

Scarves are a new obsession and one that I'm finding can be very versatile.  A beautiful scarf can take the place of a necklace.  Google ideas for scarves and you'll find ways to use them you never thought of, everything from halter tops to sashes.  

 



Erdem

 

I'm trying to have a new approach to my wardrobe which is to buy fewer clothes and more accessories.  I'm not sure the wallet is spared but the variety of looks created makes up for it!



Imitation is . . . well??

I came across these clutches while browsing Shopbop. 

The Christopher Kon clutches (here) have a leather weave that looks very, very familiar.  That's because it's exactly the same as the Bottega Veneta intrecciato leather weave first created by that brand's craftsmen in 1966.  I'm no expert on copyrights and intellectual property, I have no idea if you can patent a method of weaving leather.  Is it flattering imitation or outright copy cat?

Bottega Veneta

Scarves - wardrobe workhorse

(Source)

If you're looking for sheer versatility, nothing beats a scarf.  Beyond the obvious, keeping your neck warm, there are the outfit making qualities.  Scarves can add color, texture and pattern to beef up your neutrals.  A print you might never wear in a dress or blouse can work in a scarf.  Not sure what to do with it?  Scarf tying videos abound on youtube.  Get adventurous and add a scarf ring. Yes, there are videos for that too. 

Every clothing budget has room for a few scarves.  Cashmere blends are heaven in cold weather.  Silk chiffon can transition right into summer heat since they feel weightless around your neck. Scarves can be worn so many ways, or even tied around the handle of a handbag.  How about using a small scarf tied around your wrist as a bracelet?  Tie one on your ponytail.  Drape one around your neck in place of a necklace. Thread one through your belt loops.  Scarves come in so many sizes.  No other item gives you so many options. 

Still not convinced?  Look back at the icons of style who wore them well. Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn knew the elegance of the scarf.  Need I say more?