What Would Project Runway Shoe? Episode 1

Being the huge Project Runway fan that I am, I couldn't resist but come up with a little weekly Friday post that I'm calling '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 now that you've been warned, I'm going to go on ahead and talk about last night's winning look from Ms. Gretchen Jones that was made from the fabric of a suitcase ( www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/rate-the-runway/episode-1#id=6).  The dress was quite simple, as the judges pointed out, with a sparkly red detailing on the sleeves.  The dress itself is somewhat covered up really highlighting the gams with the asymmetric hemline.  In order to focus on making the gams the star of the ensemble, playing off the red detailing on the sleeve with some kicky red strappy sandals would be best.  A higher heel is good match for this because it accentuates your legs.  The strappy style of the shoe is important because when you have a rather covered dress, you want to counter that by showing all the skin in your neverending legs. ;)  

These BCBGeneration 'Asterix' are a great pick.  The matte finish you get from the suede compliments the matte texture of the dress.  The rhinestone detailing along the vamp and platform pump up the volume on the party factor of the outfit and continues the sparkly sleeve theme.  And you probably  know by now, I love me a 4 ¾" heel!  But this includes a 1” platform so it's not as insane to walk in as it seems - but a girl's always gotta have some secrets, right? ;)  The cris-cross straps make the shoe current and a little edgy to keep the dress on trend and fresh.  You can find them for the great price of $82 on Bluefly (http://www.bluefly.com/BCBGeneration-oxblood-red-rhinestone-suede-Asterix-platform-sandals/cat950024/307333301/detail.fly).  


The designers this season are spicy and I hope that their winning designs are too.  See you next Friday with my Episode 2- What Would Project Runway Shoe? ;)

Basic, But Definitely NOT Boring

I was in the market for some “nude” heels that I could wear with outfits that have a lot going on and don’t really need any accessorizing.  I have a mocha-like skin color with the olive undertone, so online shopping for “tan” doesn’t really work for me.  I need to actually see the color on my foot in order to determine if the color compliments my skin color.  So sadly, online shopping is out for me on this one.  After several disappointing options that were too yellow in my shopping excursion, I found myself fixated on these ‘Atlantic City’ pumps from Aldo.  While the hue is a little bit lighter than my actual skin color, and the official color is called “light pink”, it compliments my skin tones very nicely.  It definitely gives that “naked dress”-ness feel like Carrie’s ‘Sex And The City’.  

What sold me on this shoe, and particularly the color, is that it had this edgy pointed toe that brings the fashion forwardness you can’t really get away with in a professional setting normally.  The fact that it fades into your leg while elongating it makes this shoe a complete must have basic for any girl’s shoe closet.  Having that edgy almond-shaped pointed toe is that little detail that distinguishes your whole outfit taking it from just being professional to being stylishly fashion forward.  It has a generous 1 ½” platform to create a 4 ¾” heel making you really seem like you have legs that go on forever.  Major bonus no matter you are (or aren’t)!  And despite the seemingly scary height, it’s actually quite easy to walk it.  This was one of my first 4” platforms and so I was apprehensive the first few times I wore them.  I was pleasantly surprised that the extra platform really adds an extra layer of shock absorbency to make these very wearable.  As always, Aldo doesn’t have half sizes and the shoes tend to run a bit small, so going up a size if you’re a half size is usually a great fit.  

So the lesson here is if you want to take your outfits up a notch while not going too far, go for a nude shoe with edgy details, then you will have a great basic that will definitely not be boring. :)

Reader Question of The Day

Q: I have a closet full of beautiful shoes but they hurt my feet! One pair in particular are Proenza Schouler that are really tight. Is there anything that can be done to save my shoes?

A: Wow, I really hate when that happens! And I think we all have been there at one time or another. But, buck up little trooper, this is a very solvable situation. The trick that has worked for me, and has yet to fail me, is to wet your feet and wear them with your feet wet. The thing about leather is that is a stretchable material and it stretches with water. When you wet your feet, you not only stretch the leather but you’re molding the shoe to your actual foot. So, its like getting a custom fit shoe. I do this when I'm going to be around the house because its kind of weird to out and about with your toes squishing. :) I was also advised that if you heat the shoes, like with a hair dryer, and then put your wet tootsies in speeds up the process. (Thanks for the tip @RPMindy) If this concept seems to weird for your taste, you could try using shoe forms to do the stretching for you. I have yet to go that route since I personally have no qualms about the squishy noise of wet toes in my shoes. ;)

Thanks to @TheSwelleLife for today’s Shoemergency. I hope this helps!

FYI- The shoes pictured here are the 'OI9600' by Proenza Schouler

The Polished Punch of Color

I find Monday mornings the hardest day of the week to find inspiration in my closet, shoe and regular. For some reason, Mondays are the hardest to shake off the sleep from my eyes to see my wardrobe options clearly and draw inspiration. I tend to default into the less imaginative, fashion forward outfits hovering in the brown or black sections of my wardrobe options. So, you can imagine my delight when a coworker of mine showed up in these fresh jewel tone suede peep toes popping with pizzazz. She paired her pantsuit with a Pucchi inspired printed sheath top that matched these Celine Suede Peep Toe Pumps by Style & Co from Macys perfectly without giving that forced matchy matchy look. Sporting the classic light grey suit never looked so stylish, professional and chic. She admitted to me that she shared my level of motivation for dressing that morning. But this proves that when you have the right accessories, like these pretty shoes, you can pull together a really fashionable look with minimal effort.

She told me that she bought them on sale about a year ago. I was fortunate enough to find them online on sale for only $39.99 (http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=378990&CategoryID=13247&LinkType=PDPZ1). They don’t have the purple but they have the great basic colors of black, navy, red, and caramel. She said that she loved these shoes not just because of their sassy saturated color, but because they are really comfortable shoes she can walk in all day long. With a 3 ½” heel that has a ¾” platform, they are a really good height for pants. The hemline hits perfectly when standing. They prevent that dreaded dragging of the pant hem on the floor causing you to occasionally step on your pants, a major fashion don’t.

It was a great Monday morning surprise to find how much a punch of color can really give a typical pantsuit the polishing touch.

Payless? Seriously? Seriously!

One of my readers sent me a “shoemergency” asking for help. She is a new mom on the go and struggles finding cute, stylish and comfortable flats that are vegan. As a new mom that is always on the go, she needs wardrobe options that are easy breezy and have a put together look in a flash. Having great accessories, like stylish shoes, ready to go in your closet make that ‘effortlessly chic’ look truly effortless. In searching for some comfortable and stylish vegan shoes, I discovered that vegan in the shoe world often times means frumpy. I found endless amounts of shoes with very square toes and heavy, thick heels. This look is the express way to Dowdyville. As a new mom, I think there are already several emotional battles over body image concerns. So, I think avoiding all things dowdy and frumpy is Priority #1 when looking for wardrobe options. Finding shoes that are more streamlined, classic and have sleeker silhouettes are your best bet.

Finding vegan shoes that fit the bill proved harder than I imagined, until I found American Eagle shoes by Payless. Yes, as in Payless Shoe Source, the shoe store with the orange sign and the rows of self service shoe boxes arranged by size. I discovered these great finds by way of a tip from a girl in a shop who was sporting the black patent Anstin Point Flat (http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?productId=64602&catId=cat10376&lotId=065407&subCatId=&selectedSegment=Adult). I was shocked that they were from Payless. In researching these little lovelies, I was very happy to find that not only do they have a padded insole but a rubber sole on the bottom for extra cushioning, which means REALLY COMFY! Also, the insole was lined in a super soft jersey fabric. Now, I am very weary of less expensive shoes that have a patent finish because they look like they are made out of very cheap looking materials from miles away. Not these! They look really great. The pointed toe and style of these make them very office appropriate. And the very best part of these shoes is that the regular price is only $22.99. I tried on a number of their other flats and found the same good quality of materials, high level of comfort and really cute styles. Unbelievably, some were on sale for as low as $7! I can’t attest to their durability but for such a low price, this is a great way to stay on trend in an affordable way. I am not vegan, but this is an easy way to do my part in supporting cruelty-free efforts.

Office worthy, fashionable vegan shoes for these prices truly deserve recognition. My reader sent the picture on the bottom of her getting rung up at Payless after my suggestion to go there. Looks like she found a few things she liked. ;)

Sadly, I have to say that I wasn’t really impressed with the pumps selections. But, keep a look out as I’ll be doing a post on vegan heels soon. But, in the meantime, Payless. Seriously!

Color Me Happy

I was so excited to head over to the Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale that started last weekend. It’s a little like Christmas for me. I made my way around all the lovelies to see what was catching my eye. I saw these pretty Calvin Kleins in the mailer and thought they were pretty but I was even more taken by them in person. I had reservations about Calvin Klein shoes because I bought some a few years back when they started making shoes. The pair was this beautiful peep-toe wedge of sherbet stripes that got lots of compliments. Sadly, when I wore them to work, I left a trail of blood around the office from the insane blisters they gave me. So this time, I was going to make sure to take my time trying them on to avoid a repeat.

As I slipped on the ‘Scarlet’ Platform Pump, I fell in love with them. They were so well padded that it was clear Calvin did his homework and made some improvements to his shoe designs. The sole has a textured brushed effect that keeps the sole from sliding on carpet. The heel is about 3 ¾” with a ¾” platform. I walked around the shoe department in them as I looked at more shoes to get a good feel for their wearability. They were keepers! I wore them to work yesterday and didn’t have single moment of discomfort. All throughout my day, I would catch glimpses of the pretty berry fuchsia and it made me so happy.

One note, because they are suede, I did treat them with scotch guard spray before I wore them. It’s good to spray them before each wear to maintain the suede looking its best. The spray takes usually about 30 minutes to dry so I usually spray them before I do my hair and makeup to give them time to dry. You should also brush them with a nailbrush from time to time to avoid having the suede looking matted down.

Normally, these are $109.95 but during the great Nordstrom’s sale, they’re only $72.90. Color me happy!

If you’re not near a Nordstrom store, you can order them online (sizes run true to fit):

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3109740/0~2376778~2372808~6028080~6028547?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6028547&P=1

Subway Style

This week's Subway Style is this snazzy snakeskin T-strap from Nine West. The gal I spied these lovelies on said she bought them about a year ago. In terms of comfort, she said that they don't have a lot of padding but that the little padding it did have was in the right spot, on the ball of her foot. She liked the 3" heel because it wasn't too high but high enough for her little petite frame. She sported a dark denim pencil skirt with a black blouse tucked in and an oversized tan tote that made her knock out figure very chic. The entire outfit was so fashionable yet professional, it's entirely appropriate for any office. This is a perfect example of elevating a more fashion forward shoe to that sophisticated level you need in order to make it work appropriate.

I wasn't able to find the snakeskin available but I did find this 'Graceymai' style at Nine West online in a black and white pony hair combination and a black suede and patent leather combination for a serious steal at $29.99, reduced from the original $69 price.

So keep workin' your Subway Style Ladies!