Leopard as a Neutral

One of my favorite classic styles is a great leopard print shoe.  And probably what’s coming into your mind is that woman that takes the look too far – at least for the office – going head to toe with the print.  That’s not what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about a gorgeous crimson red coat with a camel pant and leopard print heel.  Granted that’s a bit of a statement for your average Tuesday wear with the more relaxed office dress code.  

So the new leopard as a neutral is more about a dark rinse denim jean, crisp white button down and a camel jacket and this lovely Elsie pump from J.Crew.  Not only is this a great easy season transition outfit, but its really pretty a much solid choice year round.

The Elsie is just a quintessential classic pump.  It comes in at 3 ½ inches - my favorite height.  For those of us avid heels wearing gals, this is the sweet spot height.  And really what makes it really wearable is the positioning of the heel.  It has a slight curvature which allows the location to be located dead center under your heel.  This gives you optimal balance and weight distribution and, ultimately, stability for the height. 

But, if that’s a little too much for you to rock for a full day’s schedule, the Laney is a great alternative, also from J.Crew.  The Laney has a heel that’s just over 2 inches, technically 2 1/5”.  And it’s a block heel so there’s really no urban terrain that can knock you off your game.  Block heels, regardless of the height, give you the best stability and support.  The block heel is the precursor to the wedge in the evolution of heels. 😊 

Both of these beauties have the sleek pointed toe that adds the dressed up feel up’ing your easy outfit to a more office ready look.  The Elsie is on sale for $208 and the Laney’s priced at $198.  BUT, if I know my J.Crew as well as I do, there will be another great sale soon that makes these babies even more discounted… if they haven’t already.

Show me how you rock your neutral leopard!

*hearts*

Oh Meredith!

Oh Meredith!  You’ve come to my aid!  My adored Banana Republic Donni’s in navy pony hair had to pass on after my numerous resoling life extensions, I was at such a loss.  I had grown to depend on those Donni’s for my go-to neutral not black, go with just about everything, heels.  They had this straight vamp top line that cut across my foot in the most flattering way.  And the pointy toe made them just so sleek and great for pencil skirts, skinny pants, leggings and cigarette pants.  I wore them in so well, that they became too worn in.  And since these babies are circa 2016-ish, it was going to be such a challenge to find them again.  PS, for a little shoe anatomy lesson, read this post.

Enter Meredith. 

Meredith you came along with your 3.5” high heel and supple navy leather.  I was aghast.  You even had an extra plump cushion inside the upper for added comfort.  After having a moment of silence for my Donni’s, I was ready to give the Meredith’s a few laps around the office.    

The verdict, a solid 9 out of 10.  The leather was very supple and has a perfect navy hue that does go well with just about anything.  The straight toe box top line sits perfectly where Donni did before, making my foot look very chic.  The silhouette and shape are quite sleek and do make me look more put together than the effort I made to get dressed.  My only ding is the cushion.  It's wonderful on the balls of my feet but the added cushion adds space in the toe box making it a little snug.  And truly, its only slightly snug.  I didn’t have a line across my feet when I took them off at the end of the day.  It was just snug.  I’ve worn them several times and I feel strongly the leather will stretch a bit over time and the cushion will form itself to my foot.  Maybe I’ll share an update that rates it a 10 in a few more months’ time.  😄

They are a pretty great deal given they are Nine West as a starting point.  They retail at $89 but are currently on sale for $69.99  The full range of colors are only available at Nine West. But you can get the basic colors on Amazon or 6pm for less.  Depending on the color and material, they range from $39.99 to $41.99.  Enjoy! 

*hearts*

Sleek Scales

One of the greatest things that shoes do that they can change the whole vibe of an outfit.  To me, it’s one the easiest ways to evoke a different tone to your look with rather minimal effort.  By pairing a different pair of kicks to one of your routine work outfits, really punches up your cubicle city.  Case in point, the ‘Jammy’ from TopShop. 

DVF 40: Journey of a Dress

“April 9, 1970

Diane:

I think your clothes are absolutely smashing.

- Diane Vreeland, Editor In Chief, Vogue”