Work That Bootie!

So it seems the new trend to stay is the ankle bootie. Madonna planted the bootie shoeaholic seed in us when she traded her pyramid jacket for the rhinestone studded black ankle booties in Desperately Seeking Susan. However, if you don’t have legs like Madonna and can’t really rock the rhinestone studded look at work, this can be a bit tricky to pull off for a more professional outfit. Thankfully, because of the rage that the ankle bootie has spurred in the shoe world, there are TONS of options for legs and office settings of all types.


The thing you want to get right is where the top of the ankle bootie hits your leg or ankle. If you have perfect legs, you can wear pretty much any style, especially the ones that are cut straight across and can even have a higher rise on the leg. Shoot, you could even sport those mid-calf boots fabulously! However, if you’re like me, with more curve to your bone ;), you have to be a little more discriminatory about choosing which pair becomes the newest member to your shoe closet.


For curvier legs, its best to look for ankle booties with a lower rise, meaning closer and lower to the ankle, AND have some sort of dip or none straight cut across the top. The reason this is the *most* important thing to look at when choosing ankle booties is because it’s likely to “cut” the length of your leg making you look shorter, depending on the color. I say it depends on the color because if you’re picking an ankle bootie the same color of your skin tone, then you’re free and clear. The reason, or at least one of the bigger reasons us girlies love our heels is because it makes us feel *so* freakin tall! You’re doing yourself no favors cutting your leg short with a horizontal line where it’s easy to get “visual inches” of height if you get a different cut on your ankle bootie.


The ones in the picture above are the ‘Guardian’ by Diane Von Furstenberg and available on Zappos.com (http://www.zappos.com/product/7669152/color/1072?zlfid=111). These made me scream “ELEGANT” in my head the moment I saw them. These work for any shaped leg because of the flattering angle of the front top of the ankle boot. The suede makes it suitable for the office but the shiny patent like finish on the small platform edge and heel make it perfect for the day-to-night look. These are great to take you through the seasons because of their classic lines. The cut outs along the front laces keep the boot from being too heavy for the late summer months and really get your creative juices going for pairing them with great colored and graphic tights for the Fall and Winter seasons. By the way, I’m *SO* loving the DKNY tights that are part of the Fall ’10 collection!! More on this later. ;)


Anywho, if this is still scary territory and want to ease your way into ankle bootie land, try skin tone colored booties first. Make sure to have Band-Aids handy should there be a little rub around the ankle. It takes a couple of wears before they loosen up a little and mold to your ankle’s shape. In no time will you then be workin’ that bootie! ;)

Paging Dr. Shoe to the ICU

We all sympathized with the Sex And The City “Hot Child in the City” episode when Carrie goes to take her shoes to her ‘shoe guy’ only to find that it had been repurposed as a comic book store. And, while she got a kicky new pair of boots and scooted in heels through Times Square, her shoes still needed repair.  Sadly, we have all been there.  We have that lovely pair of shoes in our shoe closet that we have adored so much that they need serious repair.  Now some of us have hit the jackpot and have an amazing go-to shoe guy. However, should you find yourself moving or that your shoe guy did the moving, finding a new shoe guy is rather difficult and distressing.  It comes down to trust.  You now have to find a new person to trust that they will repair your babies with the care and attention they deserve (and you paid for).

Here are some tips on finding a new shoe guy.    The most reliable way to find a good shoe repair is by asking a friend!  We may forget your birthday but girlfriends never forget a great shoe fix!  Getting those beloved shoes repaired is like the Holy Grail.  You are basically being given back a whole section of your wardrobe, allowing you to fall in love with your shoes all over again.  It’s rather orgasmic. ;) 

If you don’t have girlfriends in the area with a good referral, it gets a little trickier.  You can try Citysearch or Yelp and look through the reviews.  I don’t feel entirely at ease with these recommendations.  Citysearch and Yelp are great for food reviews but shoes, not always on the mark.  I’d look for a review that has history, like a year or two so that you get a real sense of the craftsmanship involved.  You could do a “test run” with a pair that need something simple like a heel replacement to get a feel for the joint ;)  When you’re in the shop look around and try to examine their handy work on any shoes they have on display.  Look at stuff like if there’s glue glopped around the seaming or if the heel is crooked, stuff like that.  Then you can get a sense of how detail oriented they are and build a level of trust - if it’s so deserving. J

One thing I have currently resorted to is taking them back to the store I bought them and have them ship it to their magic elf workshop to repair in house.  I moved back to my “old” neighborhood almost two years ago and never had a shoe guy in the area.  I would go to the place by my old job.  Well, it’s been almost ten years, new job, and the place I used to go to is now an outlet mall.  I have some black satin Burberry’s that need some serious TLC.  I won’t dare trust them to be an experiment so a friend suggested I take them to Burberry to see if they do repairs.  I called ahead to make sure they could do this and, while it will take about 4-6 weeks, I know the job will be done impeccably. 

Another trick is to look to your coworkers.  They may have a good suggestion that’s either near the office or not too far away that you could feasible get to.  Shoe guys are like mechanics, you really need to get a good reference so that you’re not left barefoot. ;)

I hope this helps motivate you to get that gorgeous pair of shoes to your nearest and best ICU.

Please note: The shoes in the picture are costume shoes part of the “Sexy Nurse Costume” and can be found online:

http://www.halloweencostume.com/sexy-nurse-heels.html

What Would Project Runway Shoe? #WWPRS Episode 2

Being the huge Project Runway fan that I am, I couldn't resist but come up with a weekly Friday post that I've titled 'What Would Project Runway Shoe?" (#WWPRS) where I suggest a shoe to go with the winning look of the week.  Spoiler Alert!!  Stop reading if you want to wait to watch last night's episode first.

Ok, so you’ve been warned now and I’m going to congratulate.................................................................................... Ms. Gretchen Jones again for her second win in a row that landed her a billboard in Times Square.  Her winning look that barely, in my opinion, edged out a truly great red dress by Ms. Valerie Mayen, was very smartly tailored romper jumpsuit (http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/designers/gretchen-jones).  The navy romper was done in a very airy and seemingly light fabric that had great hanging and swaying characteristics.  It was very flattering in all the right places.  There were two options for wearing the romper, one with the higher neckline with a clip feature midway down the chest, or with it unclipped with a daring plunging neckline.  In either case, the garment is sexy and definitely fashion forward.  

On the show, the outfit was style with two different ankle booties.  One was a slightly muted olive green heavier shoe that is a nice day option that we saw on the runway.  The other was the sexy gladiator bootie in black on the billboard.  This was a great compliment to the jumpsuit because it has the modern contemporary style that has lots of cutouts to balance out the “covered-ness” of the romper's long sleeves and ankle skimming pant leg. 

Showing skin on your feet is a good counterpoint to the romper because it makes the look fresh, young and stylish.  A more covered shoe makes the outfit more conservative and could potentially give the look an uninvited heaviness.  This is why my pick for this winning outfit is this shiny Boutique 9 ‘Grayson’ in gold.  The silhouette of the shoe is very ‘now’ like the outfit itself.  The neutral gold tone of the shoe makes it blend into your foot to elongate your body so as to make you look 10 feet tall.  And who doesn't want an extra couple of inches in height?  Some of us more curvy girls need to get our height wherever and whenever we can so that our curves read as sexy not chunky. ;) This ‘Grayson’ also comes in a tan that is also a good pick for the same reasons. The gold has more pizzazz, obviously, and matches the daring level of the neckline.  Given that the romper is navy, a neutral by most fashion standards, there's a multitude of shoe color options for this kind of outfit.  Your creativity, mood and pocketbook are really the only limiting factors. :)

You can find these Boutque 9 ‘Grayson’ booties at Bluefly.com (http://www.bluefly.com/Boutique-9-gold-caged-leather-Grayson-platform-sandals/cat400122/306101701/detail.fly) for a great deal at $112.  They're also available on Amazon.com. 

This season’s Project Runway definitely has some unexpected twists that keep me excited about watching.  I hope that ‘What Would Project Runway Shoe?’ is doing the same for you.  See you next Friday with Episode 3!

Wedging My Way to Vegan Shoes

A couple of weeks ago I did a post for my vegan followers in need of cute comfy shoes, particularly for new moms on the go (Payless, Seriously? Seriously!)  What left to be desired were heels, the next level.  I began doing research on vegan shoes gaining more and more curiosity as I came across Beyond Skin, the brainchild of Natalie Portman and a greatly progressive UK shoe designer.  The brand expressly touts they are “genuinely not leather” and goes so far as saying that “no humans, animals or small children were harmed in the making of our shoes.”  This made my heart skip a beat… true eco-chicness that was also truly fashionable. 

I fell head over wedges for the ‘Jenna’ peep toe wedge because of its honeycomb like pattern on the wedge with matching button.  Ordering them instantly, I was ecstatic to see that my order arrived from London to Los Angeles in less than a week, even through US Customs!  At first look, I was a bit worried that their stiffness would be an expressway to Band-Aidland.  Also, there didn’t appear to be a lot of cushion on the inner sole which was a flag in terms of being able to stand or walk in them for extended amounts of time.  Having the texturized fabric overlap into the sole under the ball of the foot is a flag because if its not cushiony or too textured, it can feel like you’re walking on burlap with each step – not fun, not even a little bit.  They were however, not very heavy, which is a plus to avoid that shin soreness the day after you wear heavy shoes. 

I planned my next day’s outfit entirely around these very sweet cream and milk chocolate colored shoes and made sure to have a generous supply of Band-Aids in my purse.  To my utter joy, I only needed one Band-Aid and that was from a blister from my shoe from the day before.  The inner sole was deceivingly comfortable despite the lack of visual cushion.  The stiffness never even played as a factor other than to hold the shoe’s shape.  The textured fabric under the ball of my feet never hurt.  It was actually softer than what I expected it to be.  I got lots of compliments on these for their great patterned wedge.  The bonus with these shoes is really the perfect marriage between eco-consciousness and fashion - if only all marriages could be so eco-chic!  Maybe that’s Natalie’s next project ;)  All and all, I’m very excited to be wedging my way to vegan shoes.

These do-gooder shoes come in three colors, the cream, a black and white combo and solid black.  Check them out or order them online from Amazon.com or directly from Beyond Skin: http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/index.php?searchStr=jenna&_a=viewCat&Submit=&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0. 

Be sure to check out Friday's new weekly post: "What Would Project Runway Shoe?" #WWPRS where I do a pairing with this week's winning look! :)

Sidewalk Style

 Instead of my normal ‘Subway Style”, this week I’m doing a Sidewalk Style because I really couldn’t resist sharing these delish T-Strap peep toe wedges I spied walking in LA’s Fashion District last week.  I was waiting at the corner for the light to change to cross the street when I happened to glance down at the woman’s shoes in front of me and gasped with delight!   It was literally one of those double takes like in a cartoon with my eyes bugging out.  These are soooo urban boho chic and feminine sweet at the same time!  I have been able successfully research them to find out that they are the ‘BV2611’ by Biviel.  Now, I was completely new to the Biviel brand.  The gal said she got them at Macy’s in New York City, to which I responded, “Of course you did!” (So many of my 'Subway' Styles seem to be purchased there :) )  I asked her what she liked about them and she said that they were incredibly comfortable and go with everything because of the color combination.  Its really such a bonus because I can see these working great well into the Fall season with great tights.

In looking more into the Biviel brand, I have discovered they are a Spanish shoe company.  This just majorly boosted my Spanish shoe obsession (hello?? Blay, Zara and Mango!)  What makes this brand more fab is that they use the supplest of Italian calfskins and rubber soles imported from Germany.  They self describe themselves as “relaxed feminine” and after looking at a generous sampling of their shoes, sandals and boots, I would also add ‘uber chic’!  Their styles are fashion forward yet conservative enough for the office environment in that Anthropologie kind of way.  *swoon* I’ve ordered up some snappy boots that I can’t wait to try out and report back on. :)  I think that I’m convinced that every Working Girl’s Shoe Closet should have the pleasure of having a pair these pretties in it’s collection.

You can get this pair at Zappos so your shoe closet doesn’t feel left out! http://www.zappos.com/biviel-bv2611-black?zlfid=111

Flat But With A Serious Beat

One of the things that make it hard for me to find flats that I like is that they usually don’t fit me right.  My foot is not a wide foot but it is widest at the ball of my foot, well, the width of that area.  This makes it hard to wear flats that are “low cut” or have a lot of toe cleavage because when I take a step and bend my foot, I get large gaps on the sides of my foot as a result of this lower cut design.  The thing that really bothers me about this the most is that it makes my foot look even wider.  And let’s face it, nobody likes fat chubby tootsies unless you’re a baby.  So trying flats on is a must about 90% of the time.  In my usual perusal of what’s in my favorite shops, I stopped in at Steve Madden to see their stock.  And while I am usually taken aback in seeing their delicious little pretties, I was particularly wooed by these fantastic flats.  Steve Madden usually has great designs but not always the tops when it comes to comfort.  However, they have really been working on the comfort factor these last few seasons.  The pair with the bow and elastic edge here are the ‘Binngo’ and the pair with the jewels are the ‘Kobbe.’ 

I have shared my apprehension about elastic edgings in my previous post “The Ultimate City Flat for the Ultimate City Girl”.  And while I found a winner there, it doesn’t make me leg go of my hesitation when I find a new elastic edged shoe.  I tried them on and was wowed by the softness of the leather.  This was not the typical leather I’ve seen on flats at Steve Madden before, nor the ones I have at home.  These were really buttery soft.  They come up higher on my foot due to the elastic edging eliminating my side gaps.   And they are so, *SO* cute with the polka dot print and suede bow.  This shoe comes with its own “Hello! My Name is DIVINE!” name tag. You can buy them online (http://www.stevemadden.com/item.aspx?id=50379&CID=cj_3245527). 

The jeweled ‘Kobbe’ won me over too when I saw them.  They’re like edited disco balls on your feet that you can actually wear to work!  These come in gold, silver (shown), black and camouflage, which seems to be a major trend for Fall.  In trying them on, these, like the ‘Binngo’ fit perfectly.  They were not cut too low on the sides or in the front to create those side gaps when I walked.  They also came up high enough on the sides of my feet to make them look slimmer.  This is important to consider when buying round toe flats.  The roundness doesn’t elongate your foot so if your foot is like mine, stumpiness is very possible, very frequently.  That’s the benefit in pointed toe flats.  The point elongates your foot.  If you have “longer” or slimmer looking feet, you’ve pretty much hit the flats jackpot because you can probably pull off any flat.

Regardless of which you like more, both flats come with some serious beat!

Dream A Little Dream

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of making the virtual acquaintance of a new follower who's closet I truly admire, Rosalynn, who shared with me her three most favorite babies. And even though Susan Boyle wasn’t singing, I got the same kind of chills when I saw them. First is the famous Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Jane that has been seen on all the glamorous celebrities having their red carpet moments. Priced in the $800 - $900, it’s definitely a splurge but an investment nonetheless.

Second is the Brian Atwood Maniac. I have yet to personally sample Brian Atwoods, so my curiosity is quite large. Ms. Rosalynn says they’re quite comfortable. Brian Atwood is slightly more affordable in the $500 range but still not quite ATM status.

And last, but not least, is the Christian Louboutin Hyper Prive Peep Toe. Priced at $865 at Saks Fifth Avenue, they truly are a shoe closet staple and long term investment piece. Ms. Rosalynn has had them for about two years and recently got them resoled. Now, when a woman goes to the trouble of resoling her shoes, you know they MUST be comfortable.

High end designer shoes can't be assumed to be more likely to be comfortable.  But, I have gotten confirmation that these really are and, as Ms. Rosalynn has smartly chosen, getting classic styles like these three helps to substantiate the small fortune each one is because you will have them in your shoe repertoire FOREVER.  It's kind of like investing in a few incredible shoes that will carry you through the years versus getting a bunch of poorer quality shoes that will end up falling apart every couple months.  They go with everything and everything you wear, even your Target Merona dress, will suddenly feel like you paid a gazillion dollars for it.  I think having a mix is optimal. ;) 

So, on this Monday – the beginning of another work week, let’s dream a little dream of having these three babies in each of our own shoe closets. :)

A big thanks to Ms. Rosalynn for being so sweet and letting me into her Working Girl's Shoe Closet. ;) You can follow Ms. Rosalynn at: http://twitter.com/rozfashionista.