aldo: spring 2012

Frivolous, fun & extremely bright. The spring 2012 Aldo campaign is all of these & more. And why not for a bubble-gum bright mid-week breather?

Star Studded//Lanvin

New in "Shoes" ....

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                                                                                                ph. me

Do you remember when i told you, how im searching for a pair of black shoes that fits me perfectly? You can check that inspirational post here. Well, guess what? Here they are! :) My new Mango shoes! With a dress or a skirt, shorts or pants, leather or lace, even with a fashionable sweat pants, can't wait to wear them!

happy Camper

Never underestimate the power of great design. A clever store design with visual impact can keep you coming back time and time again. But the product has to stand up for itself too. A perfect case in point is the Spanish shoe brand Camper.

Created in 1975 by a family of cobblers with a history of shoe-making dating back to 1877, Camper was born to be a brand. It’s concept was to reflect a new lifestyle, a new way of thinking based on freedom but also encompassing comfort and creativity.

Each one of their stores is uniquely themed and conceptualised by different designers. They push the boundaries of creativity and always expect the unexpected.

Many years ago I bought my first pair of shoes from Camper in Cape Town… I loved their originality and sense of fun, and still wear them today. On a recent holiday to Italy, I splurged on an utterly irresistible pair of black and tan sandals which caught my eye in their Rome store. I wear them with a joy known only to those who love and cherish fine footwear. There’s nothing quite like Spanish leather!

images via Camper, last 3 my own from my Instagram. [btw, that oddly shaped plastic piece in the sandal above isn’t part of the shoe… just another cool part of the Camper packaging. Obvious, I know. But I felt a need to clarify that.]

See you back tomorrow for a fantastic Fashion Friday editorial…

Thrifting 101: How To Thrift For Shoes

Do you have an issue buying shoes from a thrift store?

I've struggled with the squick factor regarding thrifting shoes. The thought that thrifted footwear was once home to someone else's sweaty, possibly smelly feet once is a hard one to negotiate. However, in the end, wearing shoes purchased from a thrift store is no different than wearing anything else I've thrifted. With a thorough cleaning and sanitizing, thrifted or vintage shoes are just as economically smart as any other item gleamed from the thrift store.

Thrifting for shoes can be quite difficult. Most of the footwear I come across during thrift store excursions has seen better days. From torn leather to worn soles to missing clasps and scuffed heels, searching for, and finding, a wearable and stylish pair of shoes can be an arduous task. However, few things beat the thrill of finding a great pair of Ferragamo or Prada pumps for a fraction of their retail price.

(A random selection of shoes seen at my local Salvation Army. Yes, those are vintage Prada and Ferragamo heels, both priced at $15. Yes, I hyperventilated a little.)

If you're ready to consider wearing thrifted footwear, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Come prepared: This one might seem obvious, but bring a pair of socks with you every time you go thrifting just in case you see a pair of shoes that interest you. Besides avoiding direct contact with an unsanitized pair of shoes, you'll get a more accurate idea of how they'll fit.
• Quality: Before trying on a pair of shoes, give them a once-over for cracked leather, splitting heels, stains on suede and discolored fabric. Woven leather shoes are also prone to fraying. I suggest looking on the inside of the shoes as well, as torn or missing insoles can make them unbearably uncomfortable to wear, no mater how intact the outside of the shoe might be.
• Dig deeper: Examine the stitching and the buckles/holes on straps. Loose stitching can be easily fixed, but stretched out stitching or torn holes can’t. A missing buckle might be hard to fix too, especially if the strap is an odd size or the buckle a specially made one.
• Heel strength: There's no point in buying a pair of shoes if the heel is weak or splitting. Bend the heel back gently and check to make sure it isn't wobbly or flimsy. However, if you've fallen in love with a pair of shoes with broken heels and you're willing to cover the extra expense, heels can be replaced. 
• Do the shoes fit? Never, ever buy a pair of thrifted shoes without trying them on. Vintage shoes are often much more narrow that today's versions.

If you've found a great pair of shoes at a thrift store and are ready to take them home, here's a simple way to sanitize them:

• Wipe the inside of the shoe down with rubbing alcohol or bleach. If using bleach, mix 1/4 cup with water and using a spray bottle, spritz the solution on the inside of the shoe. Be sure the liquid doesn’t come in contact with the outside of the shoe, the bleach can ruin the material. Air the shoes out over night. If there are insoles, you definitely want to replace them. 

Bionda Castana

So nothing captures my attention quite like a pretty pair of shoes… and this campaign by Bionda Castana has my attention on full alert and my shoe budget cowering in the corner. The spring 2012 campaign has a luscious pastel palette with a strikingly simple pop art influence and is captured by Aaron Tilley amidst a back drop of unusually quirky props.

And that last pair of fabulous footwear… hello, happy feet!

images via fashiongonerogue

A woman's right to shoes

Yesterday afternoon, flush with excitement from a shopping trip, I called my husband into our bedroom. I had just returned with two new pairs of heels and was curious to hear what he thought. It's extremely out of character for me to get excited over shoes. I am not the type to get all swoony and lustful over a pair of pumps. I don't carefully store my shoes in special acrylic tissue-lined boxes. I don't have a religious moment while trying on a new pair. And I certainly am not ZOMG THIS SEASON'S MIU MIU PUMP IS OUT I MUST HAVE IT *GRABBY HANDS* SQUEE!!!

Frankly, sometimes I think there's something wrong with me. I think I must be the only female on the planet who does not lose it over a pair of shoes. Consider the following quote:

"There's one pair that I always like to wear. Sometimes when I'm alone in my hotel room, I look at them and I think how they are the only things in my life that know exactly what I've been through all day. I often feel like my shoes are the only part of me that know exactly what I'm doing because they're always with me." - Lady Gaga

A Daily Express study reported that the average woman will spend $25,000 on 469 pairs of shoes in her lifetime. So why are shoes such a "thing" with women, coveted by both Carrie Bradshaw more than any other accessory and frequenters of popular street style blog Jak & Jil? When it comes to status, shoes win approval in ways shirts cannot — the Daily Express study stated that four out of every 10 women judge other women based on their shoes. It Bags had only a moment, and it's not like there's a Tumblr devoted to pants. What makes shoes so special?

Science has explored why women love shoes as recklessly as they do, and they've discovered that the brain sends out a barrage of mood-booting hormones during a new purchase. "The neurotransmitter dopamine is released, providing a feel-good high, similar to taking a drug," says Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. ""Shoppers rationalize shoes as a practical buy - something they can wear multiple times a week - so they hold on to that pleasurable feeling longer," says Lindstrom.

Furthermore, buying new footwear stimulates an area of the brain's prefrontal cortex termed the collecting spot. "Shoes are a collector's item, whether women realize they perceive them that way or not," says Suzanne Ferriss, PhD, editor of Footnotes: On Shoes. Consider how shoes are often stored prominently on shelves, or in custom-made acrylic boxes. "They're like sculptures," says Ferriss. Collecting shoes causes an adrenalin-like rush similar to that a baseball card collector feels when landing a new find.

Back in May, a British survey revealed that the average British woman owns 20 pairs of shoes, eleven of which she barely wears. The total value of the average lady's shoe closet? £720, or around $1,189. That means about $660 worth of shoes are sitting idle. The survey also noted that women buy an average of eight new pairs each year.

So. There are all these women buying shoes, talking about shoes, wearing (and not wearing) shoes, and budgeting for shoes. I get the feeling that, as a woman, I am supposed to like shoes too. Everywhere you look, women are waxing methodical about their shoes, glazed looks of transcendent bliss upon their faces. Female role models, whether they be singers, models, actresses or stylists, are constantly speaking of their love for heels. It was widely reported that Rachel Zoe and Victoria Beckam trolloped through their pregnancies in five inch stilletos. And it's hard to ignore the fact that a pair of pumps can transform an outfit and do pretty miraculous things for your shape. Much as bras and corsets are worn to encourage a womanly, hourglass shape, heels are worn to elongate the legs and raise the derriere. In a pair of heels, you stand taller. Your stomach is more tucked-in. And if you're petite, that extra four inch of heel is an enticing confidence booster.

So how did my husband react to my new heels? "Eh," he shrugged. "They're...okay." (Then again, this is a man whose sole emotional moment in the course of our 13 year marriage took place while watching The Rookie. A movie about baseball.) And I sort of agreed with him. I will never have a passionate love affair with shoes. It's just not me.

Tell me - what's your relationship with shoes? Do you get a rush from buying a new pair? Do you get excited over this season's must have heels? How many pair of shoes do you estimate you own? Which pair is your favorite? Or are you like me and just not a shoe person?

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Dress Up Corner #5

Vertical, horizontal or diagonal – stripes make me happy. So you can imagine my excitement when I spotted these super stylish stripy sandals in silk! (lots of S’s in that last bit.)But then I came across this cool contemporary dresser, also kitted out with colourful stripes:

And I just knew that Dress Up Corner #5 had to be all about stripes:

1-Tabitha Simmons sandals 2-Marc by Marc Jacobs dress 3-Country Road trilby 4-Sonia by Sonia Rykiel cuff 5-Prada top-handled tote 6-Jonathan Saunders cotton skirt

Warning! Take caution not to wear all this stripy goodness in one ensemble. Less is more with stripes.

First photo linked to source. Collage by me.

Seeing Spots

Giving in [yet again] to my black & white obsession with this collection of spots and dots:

1. street style shoes [you’re not going to be missed in these]

2. kate spade iPhone4 case [yes, I do need this]

3. retro telephone [if my iPhone starts to malfunction]

4. vogue italia [severe & stunning]

Yes Please!

Pairs of loveliness: new arrivals from Anthropologie. [need/want/need/want]

all images from Anthropologie

Dior Pin-Up Postcard

Karlie Kloss shines in this vintage postcard inspired ad campaign for Dior Spring 2011. She makes a beautiful forties or fifties era pin-up girl! Screen goddess indeed.

via fashionising

Anthropologie

Always delightful, always inspiring : the new January catalogue from Anthropologie..

Super Neutral

Softly natural hues and comfortably architectural styles define this shoot from Vogue UK March 2007 featuring Caroline Trentini. The absence of colour not only highlights the beautiful drapery but features the statement accessories to perfection! [and as for those Paul Smith leather sandals in the first pic , well..]