To Buy or Not to Buy: Satin, Suede Shoes

After a day of heavy cleaning in my mom's house yesterday, I spent a couple of hours today at the huge Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, NY. I got some jeans I'd been lusting after for a while from Delia's, finally got my skin color-matched at MAC (NC 20), and found a killed pair of shoes I'm still debating whether to buy or not...



Steve Madden's LAADY shoes in purple. Regularly $100, but there's a promotion ending tomorrow in which you spin a wheel in the store to "win" a percent discount off your purchase....So I could probably end up getting them for around $80.

The shoes are pricey, but it was love at first sight. On one hand...where am I going to wear them? Not to my new job! On the other...they are so awesome looking.

What do you think?

Hooray! Goodbye Crocs?

I'm starting to see articles declaring that the era of Crocs may be over. The company is hitting financial straits and has reportedly laid off a third of its employees.

Google "Crocs" and you'll find articles like "Once Trendy Crocs Could Be on Their Last Legs" from the Washington Post on Thursday, July 16. Or "Crocs face extinction as maker faces bankruptcy" from the UK Telegraph on Friday, July 17.

Or my personal favorite title - "Crocs May Return To The Nowhere From Whence They Came" in something called Media Post, also from Thursday. Right on.

Frankly, I don't see Crocs as being like bell bottoms or day-glo clothes, trends that were attractive and fresh when they came out, then managed to make a semi-nostalgia-fueled comeback. Because Crocs were never attractive to me. When were they trendy?? Please tell, me WashPost...or don't because I'm glad I missed that era.

Are the shoes useful? Maybe you could argue that. But as far as I recall, no one older than five ever rocked Crocs as the hottest fashion statement. I don't own a pair and really don't have a desire to. If they are comfortable in the privacy of one's own home or garden that is reasonable. But it's like slippers...I put on real shoes if I'm going outside.

Finally, a Fox News article sums up how I think we'll reflect on Crocs in decades to come:

Perhaps the biggest "problem" with Crocs? Their high quality. Designed to be practically indestructible, consumers apparently find little need to ever buy a second pair.

But while one expert told the Post that the company is “dead and they don’t know it,” CEO John Duerden isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel.

"The bottom line is, people talk about Crocs," he said. "They either love them or hate them, but it's in the vernacular."

As were Hammer pants.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

H&M is teaming up with Jimmy Choo to release a line of strappy stiletto shoes this fall. The retailer said in a press release that the shoes will be available starting Nov. 14 in about 200 stores across the world.

There will be a dozen women's styles and four for men's, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch blog. Prices for the women's shoe line are expected run between 40 euros/$55 U.S. and 100 euros/$138 U.S. There will also be a line of accessories and bags, some of which could cost as much as 200 euros/$276 U.S.

(Press photo from H&M linked from the Vancouver Sun.)

(Btw, I didn't realize that Jimmy Choo -- which will always be linked to "Sex and the City" in my mind -- only launched in 1996. And H&M, which has featured clothes by designers like Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Karl Lagerfeld and Roberto Cavalli, says this is its first designer shoe line.)

Those prices aren't cheap, but they are attainable for a young professional like myself. And the shoes pictured above look pretty awesome. I'd love to see the full line in person to feel what the construction is like and check out the stiching. It'd be very poor form for either company to release a sub-par product just because it's not going to cost $600 U.S. like a typical Jimmy Choo, though.

Which makes me wonder, would we be as excited about this line if it didn't have the flashy name attached? Of course the answer is probably 'no.' While the shoes pictured above do look a lot more intricate than, say, a Payless or Forever21 knock-off version (and no hating, I buy there too!), the aura of the Jimmy Choo brand makes them even more desirable. Like anyone could put these on and pretend to be Carrie Bradshaw for a little while.

The bigger question though is, would you actually wear these shoes...and be able to walk? Since a beautiful shoe is meant to be displayed in its full glory on your feet, not hidden away in some (albeit well-organized, spacious, sigh) closet.

And that leads to the epic shoe question -- pretty shoes or comfortable shoes? And can there be both?

Shoes.

I've been to the mall. And no matter what Kelly says (see video below), it was pretty awesome.

An old roommate and I met up today at Potomac Mills, a shopping mecca with lots of outlet stores outside of Washington D.C. The mall itself is literally a mile long (all one level) and has more than 200 retailers. Plus, the surrounding area has practically any store you can think of, from Costco to Petsmart to Ikea -- not like we had time for those, since six hours was barely enough time to visit the most interesting mall stores and grab lunch at the food court. (Mmm, bourbon chicken.)

I'll write more about the trip later, but first, I wanted to show off some shoes I saw today. From the moment I saw this first pair, I knew I wanted to blog about it...since I can't decide if I think they are attractive or over-the-top:

Aiko, Betsyville by Betsy Johnson, $69.90


I like them better looking at the picture. They looked stranger in person. What outfit would these go with?

The next shoes are only related because they follow the white-flanked-by-dark trend.

Klarice Spectator Pump, Predictions at Payless, $16.00

I'm not super thrilled by this Payless shoe. I think it would look better in canvas, because it doesn't look very formal to me and I don't think the faux-patent leather helps. But it's not too bad. (Especially if you could have seen some of the high-end shoes I saw. Ie: gold + leopard print + red + patent leather + buckles = 30 percent off clearance price).

Anyway, my new goal is to inject some color into my wardrobe with colored shoes. In which case neither of these fit the bill. Since I always reach for black or brown, I'm going to start by trying subdued colors, like burnt orange.

Though no more clothes shopping for a bit, since I did nicely on this trip. I'll post soon...

Why I'm Glad I Finally Got Boots

I'm feeling in an alliterative mood, so it comes down to this: Fashion, Function and Fit. That's what I realized this morning when I thought about how glad I am to have my new boots!


They are all black, leather, shin-high boots with flat fur on the outside (not as garish as it sounds) and suede trim around the laces. The inside is plush, warm wool. The sole is synthetic with a two-inch platform heel and has surprisingly good traction.


It was love at first sight. They were strewn on a table with about two dozen other assorted pairs at the front of Marshalls as part of a season-end clearance, and since I'd been looking for boots for at least a year or two, this was like a dream come true. I tried on several pairs but these definitely stuck out. However, I wasn't quite ready to spend $110 on shoes on a whim the first time I saw them. Plus, they felt a bit tight.

About a week later I returned to the store. Most of the inventory I'd seen was gone but these boots remained. They were now $70 on final clearance, and though I still hesitated, that price was much easier to swallow. Especially since I felt satisfied with the apparent quality of the materials and craftsmanship, and I was confident that I really liked them. I thought twice about the purchase and still liked them. Plus $70 down from $200+ is a deal that's hard to beat.

So I took the plunge. Great decision! I've worn them with skirts, with skinny jeans, with boot cut jeans...to work, to go out, to hang out...and this morning, I wore them while digging my car out of four to six inches of snow. (Who'd have expected that in the Washington D.C. suburbs in early March??)

I love how stylish they look -- I'm not very trend-conscious or always stylish, but these look pretty darn nice. I like how they fit -- uber-comfortable. They are one of the few pairs of shoes I can wear for hours during light activity (work, fun, no marathon running) that remain very comfortable.

And finally, they are so functional! I didn't get one drop of moisture in my socks today, even while marching through totally unshoveled snow to retrieve my car. As someone who's had a lot of snow seep through her sneakers, this was just the most fantastic development.

So I give a glowing review to Oscar Sport boots. Hopefully these will hold up for a long time to come.

Fairy Princess Shoes

I've been a bit down recently - relationship troubles with my beau of 3.5 years. Thought we were going to get married and share our lives together and everything....now, such remains to be seen. Us being friends remains to be seen. And the hardest thing is, I don't really know what I want.

So, times like this call for some special shoes. Shoes purchased on a whim, before said drama happened, but an appropriate pick-me-up for my current mood.

Pink fairy princess shoes (in an adult size).



Don't knock it, I thought these were just adorable at some sketchy, no-refund boutique in my sketchy local mall. In person they're a really soft, pearlized pink with sturdy rubber soles.

I also bought a pair of brown faux-leather ankle boots with a heel and some coppery little heels for the office. I prefer wearing shoes with some height, since I'm so short (read: little and lovely), but I just adored the above pair. I've been wearing them around the house, and even might venture to find something they'll go with outside. Skinny jeans? A gray tweedish skirt? A black skirt and textured black tights? Maybe you have some more creative offerings.

*Blissful sigh* Now back to reality...

I Accidentally Dressed for Summer

But it sure ain't summer anymore.

Yes, it's supposed to be in the high 70s today. But no, this is not SoCal or some other magical place where light, summery clothes are appropriate most of the year round. I'm in the Washington D.C. suburbs! Isn't late September supposed to call for autumn clothes?

The problem is that while the rest of my office suite tends to be a bit nippy, my office itself is quite warm and stuffy. So I didn't want to wear a long-sleeved sweater and get too hot. And I did want to wear my red, polka-dot flats with bows on them.

And thus, I ended up still in summer.

Summer-ish to me, at least. Maybe more spring, but I'd drag this combo into summer for the office. Imagine this: my actual sweater is a more vibrant blue and my actual shoes have peep-toes and big bows. (It was cruel when I walked out of the house and my exposed toes met the chill of autumn air.)

I'm feeling a bit like a plain-jane too...but I was really tired this morning, getting out of bed and into the shower was tough. I'm kind of embarassed to be sharing this outfit with the blogging world, since I feel so silly in it! Maybe I wouldn't if it was July. All I know is right now, I'm ready to sink into pumpkin oranges and hot cocoa browns and charcoals.

Learning how to dress as an 'adult' every day is also kind of a challenge. I've worked in offices before, but never as a full-time, non-student employee. Matching the business casual vibe is a bit difficult. There is definitely no need to wear a suit everyday, but jeans don't work either. People here really look business comfortable, in fact. Plus, none of them are my age, so I don't have any cues for who to follow since I'm not going to start dressing like a 40-something mom either :)

In my closet, I feel like I have enough clothes, but not the right clothes, you know?

By the way, the above outfit was put together at Polyvore.com, which is an awesome site where you can mix and match web images...including clothing images to create virtual outfits. Definitely check it out.

Skinny Jeans for Not Super Skinny People...and Shoes I Never Thought I'd Wear

Flats. Flat shoes. I now own a pair and wore them today to a daytime wedding service.

The picture doesn't do them justice. These canvas Nomad flats are very adorable in person and comfy. And for $5 on sale at Marshall's I was very willing to make the investment.

Part of what makes me "little and lovely" is that I'm just over five feet tall. Since I'm short and not a size 00 (despite manufacturers thinking that 'petite' either means skin and bones/AA cup or dowdy grandma), I didn't think flat shoes were for me. I didn't think skinny jeans were either, however a recently acquired pair of those changed my mind too.

I hadn't been in Delia's much since high school but decided to try something on there a few weeks ago while walking through with a friend. I have an hour-glass figure and am wary of clothes potentially tailored for juniors sizes with no hips. These Morgan jeans actually fit like a charm the moment I tried them, however.

What I like about them:

• Dark wash. They come in other colors but I just adore dark denim.
• Enough sizes: 'petite,' 'long,' 'regular' and 'short.' I'm not certain what makes 'short' and 'petite' different - I assume leg length versus altered proportions - but the latter is what worked for me.
• Not super skinny which just is not my style. In fact, they have a nice line that accentuates the slimness of my legs and makes them look longer. Meaning I look taller and slimmer.
• Sturdy yet comfy material.
• Attractive without overly obnoxious stitching/details.

They are also only an inch or so too long for me! (I expect this from most pant legs since I'm on the shorter side of petite. An inch isn't bad for me...) The little extra length makes them great with shoes with a little heel because why would a short girl ever wear flats?

Oh, um, yeah. Because as my friend pointed out: you can't wear athletic sneakers with skinny jeans. Heck, she doesn't like athletic sneakers with any jeans...which is basically my wardrobe, plus tee shirts. The fact that the beloved sneaks I wear almost every day are getting pretty beat up also made me think it was time to get some new shoe options. And it feels like an unusually hot New York summer so something light-weight was also an important point. Not more sneakers though! Despite how I love them...

Thus, a $5 price tag inspired me to take a chance on some adorable, feminine, non-sneaker, summer-appropriate flats. For a short girl. (I also love polka-dots, that was really the factor that pushed me over the edge with the purchase.) The great thing is that with the skirt I wore to the service today they looked great. It is a white, peasant-style skirt that falls just below the knee with little eyelet flowers along the bottom. I can't find a picture but I got it at the Gap a summer or two...or three ago. It would look good with heels but also looks cute with flats, and shows enough leg to be stylish but low-key. I also wore a red tank top and a medium blue short-sleeved cardigan over it. Wearing something besides jeans and I tee shirt felt really nice for a change.

So I'm slowly working towards embracing flats. For summer, for certain occasions, for outfits with which running sneakers would look really horrible.

By the way, the bride was absolutely stunning. For my part, I'm mostly glad I just looked decent and not like a wreck for her big day. But I'm a few years away from thinking too much about my wedding gown...!