Mix or match?

There are a lot of interesting flats out and about in stores right now. I think they're darling. Especially these little charmers I picked up in New York (of course):

Just a little Missoni knit to brighten your day! They aren't real (unfortunately), but adorable none-the-less.

We're also seeing lots of bright colours (remember my bright blue tassels?) and details (cap-toes, fabric, studding, etc, etc, etc), and the big dilemma becomes: mix or match?

Do you mix patterns, colours, metallics, brights, fabrics, or let the statement stand alone?

And the answer is: it's really up to you. 

Depending on the day, I will do both. Today, I'm wearing those lovely little cobalt tassels, but the rest of my outfit is neutral (actually, black, to be honest), so that those shoes are my statement piece, and they get the spotlight (it's working, too, I've had three compliments on them, already, and I've worn them to my office already). But, I've also worn the Missoni knit flats with a bright cobalt polka-dot shirt (I'm just realising that that is a lot of cobalt for one paragraph), mixing patterns, quite boldly.

If you're going to mix colours, try to stick with two brights, max. Do bright shoes with a bright dress, and then black tights, or bright tights with bright shoes and neutral clothes. Some people can get away with three (I remember nights where I would be in a bright skirt, bright tights, and bright shoes of all different hues), but, especially if you're not used to colour-blocking, play it a little safe. At least to start.

As for patterns, if both are multi-coloured and obvious, keep them as far from each other as possible. For example, you'll look more fashionista with a bold patterned shirt and bold patterned shoes, but if you wear a bold patterned dress, shoes, belt, and tights, you may look more like you got dressed high on acid. And these aren't the kinds of things one wants to broadcast.

If you want to mix patterns closer together, look for pieces that are tone-on-tone, or softer colours and that the patterns lend more texture to, for example: tweeds, flocking, meshwork. Keep it subtle, and you can mix all sorts of patterns!

Metallics are neutrals, so you can do whatever you want when it comes to mixing them. Don't be shy!

Except maybe this:

So, you really can mix or match, to your heart's content! As always, go with your gut, as to what you're comfortable with, but have fun with it! Who says that because the winter weather is dull that your look has to be?

Always practice safe... shoe?

Now that sex ed is starting to open up past abstinence a little (no pun intended), and condoms are passed out by the bucketful at every free clinic, no one has any excuse not to know that safe sex is a must. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to YouTube right now, and search Sue Johanson. She'll teach you everything you need to know.

Any lady who makes friends with hookers and has what it takes to do that on stage, is a friend of mine. She also happens to be a speaker for the agency I work for. Check her out here.

So, now that you all have pocketfuls of condoms and pamphlets, I would like to show you a very different kind of condom, Heel Condoms!

I came upon these gems when I was in New York with my mum in May. They actually come in two styles, condoms and panties (is it wrong that I love the shock value of being able to tell that girl that fawns over your feet that they're "condoms"?).

This is a condom:

They slip over the heel of your shoe, and turn a pair of plain blue stilettos into a masterpiece. These are my favourites, with the feather, but there are lots of different styles. Check them out here.

There are also "panties" and they look like this:

These don't cover the heel, just the back of the shoe. You can check them out here.

Shoe accesories are underrated, in my books. There's plenty to be said for buying statement shoes, but, if you think back to my post about a basic shoe wardrobe, think of the possibilites of expanding those basics with a few accesories.

Especially if you're not in the financial market to buy 1,000 pairs of Louboutins, it's much easier to make a statement or ten with a pair of black heels, a pair of bright heels and a few sets of these.

Plus, if you're a jet setter like I am, this makes your packing much lighter, and your wardrobe much more diverse. I'll be headed to New York again a week from Saturday for Fashion's Night Out, and now I can use the same pair of patent black heels for dinner before a Broadway show and to go drink champagne and rub elbows with Oscar de la Renta (last year I had the pleasure of listening to him sing with a band in his boutique while standing next to Barbara Walters. Literally, rubbing elbows with the elite).

And, retailing for around $50.00 each, it's a small price to pay for fabulousness.

I'll be sporting these babies for sure:

Bright lights, Vegas city!

Hello, my darlings, my dears!

As you know, I've recently been to one my of my favourite cities of all time, Las Vegas. My recent post regarding school and getting out of Dodge sums up pretty well how much I adore Vegas.

And, really, it's hard not to. My partner-in-crime, Dominique, and I managed to disappear from real life for a week to relax in the sun, drink plenty of cocktails, lounge by the pool, dance the night away, every night, and meet some lovely new people.

The best part? In 24 days, I'll be back again. And, I've registered for school, probably to apply for Fall 2013. But, don't worry, I won't leave you all behind!

Ok, back to the important things: Shoes!

Katy, you may ask, when you pack for a trip to Vegas, what shoes would you bring?

Well! Let me tell you!

As you've already packed your indestrucible flip-flops and your Rollasoles, the next thing you're going to need is something cute to wear during the day. My suggestion is a pair of espadrilles. They're comfy, and will look sweet and casual with whatever you wear. I just picked up a pair almost identical to these beauties in nautical stripes:

The low wedge means that you'll be able to walk on it for hours, and the slight platform will save your toes. Plus the natural fibres will let your feet breathe, so you're not going to sweat until they slip right off. But, just in case you do, the ankle ties will keep them in place!

They're also good to wear to the pool with your bikini and a giant sunhat, though I wil admit, I prefer to wear my indestructible flip-flops to the pool, to keep the chlorine off my more damageable shoes.

Now, in case you're planning to walk long distances up and down the strip to explore, you may want something a little flatter. There are plenty of beautiful embellished sandals around this summer, continuing with the trend we've been seeing the last few years.

Try to stick with light or bright colours for day, they'll be cooler, and will look breezy and light while you're strolling the strip. Check out these from DNA Footwear (I've linked the photos, for your shopping convenience!).

Now, we've got day covered, it's time to get to the best stuff! Whether you'll be dancing all night, wandering the casinos, or hitting up a show, it's important to look fabulous! And, what better way to attract the attention of that super cute guy playing at the high roller table than by strutting your stuff!

Remembering that you have limited space in your suitcase, (I had to cram a week's worth of dresses into a duffle bag, it was madness!) you won't be able to bring a lot of evening shoes, so we'll keep it to two pair. Bring a pair of black heels that will go with everything, and one pair of statement shoes that will go easily with a little black dress.

Don't forget, just because they're black doesn't mean they have to be boring. Look for something with some visual interest. The idea is that you can wear them with anything you've packed, but you are in Vegas, after all, it's the city of over the top, so have fun! I love these from Cascadei:

They're perfectly on trend with the embellished heel, have a little sparkle, and will go with just about anything but gold lamé. Actually, on second though, rock that gold lamé number, mixing metallics is totally fun!

Time for statement shoes. You'l probably only wear them once during your trip, but you'll be shining like the star you are when you do! There are no rules here, choose something bright, something sparkly, strappy, pink, blue, green, yellow, the sky's the limit. Try to mix several trends together, the only requirement is that they're show-stopping! Keep the outfit a little tamer so you don't look like a fashion victim, rather than a sleek style assasin, but go crazy! Here are some that I'm lusting after:

 Louboutin (of course!)

Pierre Hardy

Kurt Geiger

Enjoy!

Personal style and footwear: A user's guide

A little while back, my dear friend, Cashew, has asked me about trends, embellishment, and what was in style right now.

Fashion in general is very trendy heavy (of course), but because we've seen so many changes and so much diversity in trends, I really feel like the most important thing is to define your personal style, build a great foundation, and then embellish from there with trendy pieces.

For example, my style can seem to be a little incongruous, but generally, I would say that I am a classic dresser, a fan of the little black dress, pencil skirts, classic prints, and well tailored pieces. I would have no problem investing in a great jacket, or coat, knowing that it will be with me for a few years, and when I find a piece I love, I buy it in many colours (as you know) that I know will flatter.

When I'm going out, I do wear the short skirts, the low-cut dresses, and flaunt my curves, but the principles and shapes tend to be the same. Well-cut pieces, colours that will translate through seasons, and can be worn long-term.

This is the foundation of a good wardrobe, and the same speaks true for shoes. While you do have a little more free reign to play with footwear, (a hot pink stiletto with a black dress is safer than a hot pink dress with a black stiletto) you still want to have some basics.

I'd say that you need five things to make a basic wardrobe: a pair of black pumps, a pair of neutral flats, Rollasoles, a pair of neutral boots, and a pair of easy flip-flops. These will get you through any outfit, but who wants to stick with neutrals all the time?

So, get those guys first. Then, it's time to play!

I find that Million Looks is a great website to read up on all your trends, if you're not a Vogue follower. They've done a great summary of shoe trends for Spring/Summer 2012 here.

Now, as far as wearing all of these, it really comes down to what you're comfortable with. You don't have to love every trend! And, remember that a lot of these will be gone by next year, so you don't need to commit too much and buy designer. I buy most of my trendy shoes from Kohls, because they're generally well-made, comfortable, and cheap. I actually went shopping yesterday and walked out with four new pairs, all on trend, and almost all will actually be wearable next season...

Let me show you:

Prime example of pastels, but I'll wear them next year too! Nude/fleshy colours were around last summer, and the pastels are sticking around. Plus, they make your legs look 500 feet long.

Mega-platforms? I think so... 

And, a little bright colour, with a little platform!

The fourth pair are a little more scandalous, but I'm having trouble finding a photo, so you'll have to wait for those.

These are all going to continue to be wearable because they really only exemplify one trend, and they're not too over the top. That being said, there's something so much fun about finding a really statement shoe, and using it through the season, to be buried in the back of your closet once it's out of style. Maybe one day, they'll come back in fashion...

So, if you've developed your personal style, know what you like, and find something deliciously on trend? Snap it up!

I'm lusting after these right now:

They're like pink-S&M-disco-ball-flamingoes.



Sad toes.

It's been a hectic week! I had to help move my office (we're settling into our new digs quite nicely!), which included coming in on Sunday after having never gotten to bed on Saturday night. It was an evening/early morning of country bars, cowboys and long island iced teas.

Unfortunately, in all this hustle, bustle and line dancing, I have sustained an injury! Horror of horrors, I have a wound between my last two toes on my right foot.

To be honest, it's been there a little while. Maybe a couple weeks. But, I thought things were healing up, and I had nothing to worry about. Apparently, I was wrong.

Upon arriving home on Monday evening, I decided to show my toes a little R&R, and gave myself a footbath with some anti-bacterial soap, and then showed it to my roommate, Rosemary, who is a nurse. She said there was probably nothing to worry about, but to be aware of whether or not it started to feel hot because that might mean it's infected.

Of course, being the theatrical person that I am, I started to worry. This didn't stop me from wearing all realms of fabulous shoes on Tuesday, but I was very aware of the warmth that had begun to radiate from under my desk, and when I woke up this morning, my poor little piggy was swollen and angry.

Please ignore the expired pedicure...

Poor little guy! I walked around in my socks a little this morning before I was brave enough to attempt the shoes I had brought for today. Thankfully, I've since put them on, and I haven't died yet.

If you have a flesh wound on your feet, open toes are best. You want to let it breathe, and these will cause your feet to sweat less, and let more air get in there.

They're also putting less pressure on my swollen digit, because I can move the straps around.

I made an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow, so all should be well after that, but tonight, I'll be resting up and taking it easy! If nothing else, this is a good excuse to pamper myself (because it doesn't happen near often enough)!

For the bodacious babes!

After my last post, one of my dear friends came to me for some help. She laments that, being a curvier lady, she's unable to wear any fun shoes, being stuck wearing heels with a "thicker, clunkier heel" and was hoping that I had some advice for her, and all you girls with similar problems.

Well, ladies, you're in luck.

I think it's a travesty that any girl would feel like she can't wear a beautiful shoe and experience the leg-lengthening, posture correcting, glamazon confidence I feel every time I step out the door in a pair of footwear masterpieces, and so I spent a good part of my weekend scouring the internet looking for information from women with similar troubles, and it all seemed to come down to a few fundamentals, and, not surprisingly, they're pretty universal rules. So, I would like to dedicate this post to my darling Cashew. Onwards!

The first and most important thing is fit. If you buy a pair of shoes and want to shoot off your feet as soon as those soles touch the ground, take them off, and walk away. We've all been there. They're so damned beautiful, but you know you'll walk about three steps out your front door before you regret buying them. And, chances are, they won't get better as you break them in.

Now, I've admitted that the balls of my feet are a little on the wide side, and I've had problems with some shoe companies because their shoes are too narrow. For you girls with wider feet and curvier calves, there are plenty of sources for wide-width shoes and boots that are cut more generously through the calf. Wearing a wider shoe will not only keep the blood flowing through your baby toes, it will give you a wider base to balance on, so you won't feel nearly as precarious when you're strutting your stuff. Two websites that had some good stuff were WideWidths.com and designershoes.com. WideWidths specializes in boots, and designershoes more in shoes, but both have lots of options.

The next thing you're going to need is a good pair of gel insoles. I wear ones that only cushion my toes, because I don't find that my heels are ever bothered in heels. Try and find a pair that are reusable, and then you can move them from pair to pair. I would suggest bringing them with you when you're shopping, as well, so you know that the shoes you buy fit with the insoles in them.

Something many curvier women worry about is that heels with hurt her feet more than they would a thinner lady, because her foot has more to support. I can see where this might be true, but at the same time, most women have trouble with high heels when she's not used to them, so it's really important to start slow. If you've been wearing flats your entire life, try a kitten heel, and then work your way up from there. Rome wasn't built in a day, ladies.

That being said, if you're anything like me, you'll probably go from zero-sixty and try a heel that's a little bigger than you think. This is where Rollasoles can save your life. You can read my full post about them here.Believe me, you'll thank me later.

The only other advice I can give is practice, practice, practice! Walk around the house in them, walk to the grocery store in them, any excuse to walk a short distance in your heels will help you in the long run, because you'll be breaking them in, and getting used to walking on them. Just don't forget your Rollasoles if you want to be brave and go out for a night on the town!

Now that we have all the technical stuff out of the way, let's talk about styles! My friend was disheartened by the sea of clunky, chunky heels that she thought she was stuck with, but there are lots of options!

The easiest way to go is a wedge. Wedges are going to be the easiest to walk on and they're comfy. I pulled a few examples from designershoes.com and these were all from the wide-width category, but they come in narrow, medium, wide, extra-wide and triple-wide, so you're covered no matter what!

I particularly love the booties in the middle...

Moving on! You can also wear high heels, and they don't need to be "clunky." There are lots of shoes in stores now that have a tapered heel that ends before it becomes a pencil point. For example: (again, from designershoes.com)

Ok, you caught me, I loved those patent peep toes enough that I showed them to you in three different colours, but this speaks to my buy-it-in-every-colour principle. The black is a great basic, the nude were huge last summer and seem to be sticking around this year, and the hot pink... well, enough said already! Also, notice that they have a platform. This is helpful because it will actually balance the height of the heel and let you wear a higher heel without creating a harsh arch in your foot.

But, this shows that there are stylish heels that aren't insane stilettos, and these are probably pretty comfy!

And then, one more little treat, in case you want to be adventurous! Our good friend, Mr. John Fluevog has been known for most of his career for his choice of unique heel shapes. They tend to be shaped like hourglasses, meaning they have a wider, less precarious base, but a lot of visual interest, and no "clunk."

All beautiful, all interesting, all unique. And all easy to wear.

There you have it, ladies. High heel 101 for the bodacious babes! I hope that helped!