Month: October 2008

Halloween Horror Show

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Over the years, I will have to admit that I have had my share of bad (or questionable) costumes. My old office used to have costume contests so it got a bit out of control.

Okay not this out of control…

But there have been some classic moments from me and my group of somewhat insane friends. I’m actually looking at some of the pictures right now.

Yikes!

Anyway, now is the time to profit on those “scary-in-maybe-the-wrong-way” costumes…and not just through the blackmail which continues to this day. And if you don’t have a costume yet… go get one here – halloween costumes !

No, Miss Winona is having an awesome contest over at Daddy Likey. Go on over and check it out. Email her your story and you could win a $100 gift certificate for ModCloth.com!

For that I may even tell the story about certain people that I know and how they got certain nicknames… unless they bribe me first!

All over the Spectrum

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Last weekend we went to the Diwali festival, which is the Indian Festival of Lights. It is always a great event, held outdoors in October, and is filled with amazing food, music and dancing performances. There are also tons of vendors there selling everything from clothing, movies, pictures and paintings (which would be great for adding color to your home) as well as amazing jewelry.

One of our favorite parts, besides the great food, is seeing the beautiful and colorful outfits a majority of people at the event are wearing. It is an amazing spectrum of colors and color combinations.

It just reminds me how safe we tend to play our color schemes in real life but really shouldn’t. So many colors go beautifully together if we’re brave enough to try them together.

In most stores and catalogs you really don’t see these bright colors paired together from a merchandising standpoint. But I love when it is. I think JCrew does this the best. They are always mixing colors in such a way that I instantly want them.

One of my current favorite items are their Liza peep-toe heels (now on sale!) They’re just so happy!

I took a TON of pictures during the festival, so if you want a little outfit color inspiration, check them out here.

Clear as Day

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

I just realized that I have a new love in shoes… the clear wedge. Clear heels were in last season but I only bought one pair and ended up not even really liking them. But the clear wedge… now that’s a whole different matter. Much more sculptural and graphic than trashy, they look iconic.

Of course, you remember these Junko Shimadas that I MUST have.

I WILL have!

But I’m also very much interested in these bold hot pink, orange and black slingbacks from the Louis Vuitton Resort 2009 collection.

This whole collection is filled with great bursts of color and I think these heels are very pop art yet classic. (Thanks to nitrolicious for the images.)

But the one that got away were these Maison Martin Margielas. Ohhh… I cried when I waited too long to get them when they were on sale on YOOX. Silly silly girl.

They could be yours if you wear a 10.

I haven’t seen a lot of this style yet but I think it could be very interesting for Spring. It’s light and airy and brings a freshness to the wedge style.

Sigerson Morrison for Target

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Lately I haven’t been too impressed with the designer collections coming through Target. Botkier was a joke and most of the Go International collections just haven’t seemed like a good style for me, so I’ve let them pass by with no regret.

So I really wasn’t sure if I should get any of the Anya Hindmarch bags. They looked good online, but it so hard to tell unless you are in person. But when I heard that they were being sold on her website, and sold out in something like 2 minutes, I thought I would give them a shot. I’m hoping I can use them to carry some of my work stuff around since my current bag’s handles are falling apart.

I’m not a fan of the clutches or most of the styles, but I did think the two satchels looked pretty good. I bought the black patent and “python” and the chocolate, gold and black.

But the collection that is intriguing me now is Sigerson Morrison for Target. Does this pairing surprise you at all? I feel like it didn’t get that much attention or promotion leading up the launch. And is Sigerson Morrison that well known for the average Target shopper? Not that that matters because I know that a few of the collections flew right over the heads of most people.

Again, it’s hard to tell the quality of the embellishments and the material, but looks like they have the design and styling pretty spot on.

These little flats are very cute and a great shiny color. They come in the aqua but also silver and purple

These boots, studded with crystals, are glam and rock and roll. They come in the black and silver, but also black and blue. There’s a peep-toe heel version too.

But I think I prefer the flats in black and purple. These come in black and silver, black and gold, and black and blue.

If you liked the flats at the top there is this cool heel style (which also comes in silver) in a vibrant shade of blue… one of my favorite colors for heels these days.

But I think my favorite pair are these D’Orsay pumps in pink and black. They’re just so 80’s, so glam that I love them. They have such a fun quirky style that they’d be great with all black or to spice up jeans. To me they have a very “Tess” quality about them. I think they are just fun.

There are a number of other styles in the line available so far, including some cute booties in bright colors and black patent.

I have these in my shopping cart right now. There’s a lot of glam to this line. I think they’ll be great to perk up Winter clothes and to shine during holiday parties.

Of course, the fact that they are affordable makes them even better.

Haunting My Dreams

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

I have a new batch of shoes that are haunting my dreams. The worst part is, for different reasons, I know I may never ever attain them.

The first are these adorable boyish gold oxfords that Kelly Wearstler is wearing. Apparently they are no where to be found, made some where in Italy and possibly vintage.

Bah!

I even called her offices to try and track these down since Domino had no information. At this point it looks like I’m out of luck but I’m searching for substitutes. If I find a shoe in the right shape, I’m even considering gold-leafing it to get the proper sheen.

From the boyish and somewhat more practical to the ridiculously high-concept. I am in love love love with these illusion pointe wedges by Junko Shimada from his Spring/Summer 2009 runway collection.

I don’t know if these will be made, if they will come in my size, how much they are or if I can even wear them. But I don’t care, I want them.

Absolutely insane, yes, but I adore them.

You can see more images at The Coveted and Style Bubble, who were also intrigued.

The hardest part is waiting for months, not knowing if these will ever become a reality.

The other pair I am coveting are these spat boots from Chanel. They’re so amazing and cheeky. I want to wear them with skirts, tights, and with jeans or leggings tucked in.

Okay, I’d probably wear them around the house in my pj’s. I adore them that much.

These are Fall 2008 shoes. I could probably track them down. Why haven’t I? I’m afraid. Afraid that I’ll find them and then find out that they don’t have my size, or they just sold out or something. If that were true, what would I do? I’d cry, that’s what I’d do.

So maybe ignorance is bliss.

Oh yeah… I want Claudia Schiffer’s hair (wig, I know) from the Fall campaign.

Opposites Attract?

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

The other day Miss Gala posed the question: “What would you dress like if you were the opposite sex?”

I found it interesting and did my own example collage because I think it exhibits what we think is our ideal other person or what style we find attractive.

My description was:

If I were a boy I’d be a total preppy bookish sort. I think I pattern all my being a boy fantasies after looking like Clark Kent, Sam Neil in Jurassic Park and the JCrew catalog!

I’d hang out in old book stores, take walks in the park with my pup and be able to make a cake.

I wouldn’t be a big sports enthusiast but I’d like a good archeological dig. I’d … probably want to take flying lessons, play polo and fence…

I’d look for sweet girls in sundresses who liked picnics.

I think I want to date me now!

I do love the preppy conservative look and would live in JCrew and Brooks Brothers. Actually, I aspire to JCrew for much of my wardrobe now.

Hmmmm…. What does that mean?

Selfish Vanity and Absolute Horror

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

http://www.petatv.com/swf/video.swf?v=armani_fur_shame-gillian_anderson-10-08_web-p2_high
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2_rabbit_fur_investigation

I’ve never been a fan of fur. I know there are those who will argue with me about this, especially as many shoes are made of leather, an equally horrific industry. But in my opinion there is one big difference.

Wearing fur is pure selfish cruel vanity.

I remember sitting in front of the television as a child and crying my eyes out about the Canadian seal hunt… then asking everyone I knew to sign the petition against it. Thirty years later the seal hunt is going on… but the boycotts against it and the Canadian fishing industry are growing. We may see this ending in our time.

Fur, to me, is the worst form of animal abuse and exploitation. Mostly because it is so avoidable and unnecessary. There is simply no good reason to wear it.

Right now, there is a campaign to get Zappos to stop selling fur products and to have Armani fulfill his promise to stop using fur. If you can support that, and communicate it, that would be great.

If you can stomach it, you should watch the video embedded above. If that doesn’t convince you to never wear fur, I don’t know what will. And if you think fur is okay, you should be OBLIGATED to watch it.

Then, if you can find an argument FOR wearing fur or fur products and supporting this amazingly cruel industry, I’d love to hear it.

Fall Favorites: Over the Top

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Oh yes, there are still MORE Fall Favorites mined from the tons and tons of photos out there. I know where already looking at Spring but Fall is barely here. Of course, half of these might be going on sale soon!

Click here to check out all the past Fall Favorites posts. These are all

I don’t know if I’ve done a post with out at least one Miu Miu or Prada heel and this is no exception. The next three are all Miu Mius.

I believe these sculpted heels were inspired by shells but they remind me of the armor from the Coppola Dracula movie.

Just me? Okay… moving on…

These have a very 1970’s loafer shape with a Wes Wilson style.

Similar shape but the colors and sequins make it seem more Art Deco than funkadelic.

And, of course the iconic Prada shoe for the season with the wings. I love the evolution from the wings in the Miu Miu collection to this year. Has anyone seen these in real life? Just curious.

A veritable bouquet from Roger Vivier… but do these seem more Spring than Fall? But they might lovely with the winter florals and grey tights.

But if we’re going over the top then, let’s go big. I love the leafy Chloe styles. Love love love them. The booties are available on Net-a-Porter but I haven’t seen these. That may be a good thing but they are gorgeous.

Lately I’ve been wanting more and more feather embellishments and these are just stunning. I just love the creamy buff color. Go Givenchy!

And these Donna Karan’s look like a crazy Etsy project… but in a good way. I love the tonal colors, the fluffiness, the raw edges. I would wear these and people would stare thinking I was out of my darn mind. But who cares. I love them.

I have to admit, I haven’t seen many of these available. I know the stores and desingers have to play it a bit safer than many of these are, but what do you think? Would you like to see more crazy? A bit riskier? Sick of the safe?

Store Focus: SoleStruck

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

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!

Bring Home the Blue Ribbon

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Equestrian style has never really gone out of style – slim cut breeches-like pants, crisp shirts, tailored jackets and high flat boots – but lately we are seeing a very strong resurgance. This style has a simple and functional but very rich look.

Of course, Carla Bruni looked amazing on this Vanity Fair cover and Ralph Lauren practically invented the integration of the look into mainstream fashion (and continues to do so, as this Spring 08 look shows).

But what I’ve started seeing a lot of are the more extranous and fun parts of riding – the prize ribbon.

We all want to look Best in Show, what better way than to add a big blue (or other color) ribbon to your outfit!

You may have seen FemmeSud’s Grand Prix rosette wristlets.

I, of course, want to take 1st Place!

I’ve also long been a fan of ShoeMissy’s work, especially her adorable heels embellished with rosettes saying flirty things like “Starlet”, “Dolly” and “Filly” but now she’s up to something new…

Cheeky rosette ribbon pins…

She has six different styles. Personally I fell in love with and bought four of them, including my favorite teal, the sexy black and, perfect for this season, both plaids.

I think I’m going to be pinning these on tops, skirts, bags, everything!