back in black.
contrary to possible popular belief, i’m not a rainbow-clad one trick pony.
even i have been somewhat influenced by some of the trends forecasted of the next several seasons (which favor beiges, LOTS of greys, black, lipstick hues, among others), and while i may not be into some of the major trend offerings (like grunge-redux: not for moi) i am especially inspired when it comes down to matters of color.
i’ve been having a bit of a love affair with greys and beiges of late. i LOVE color, especially true, saturated, bright hues, but as i’ve mentioned before, i rather love the idea of mixing those bold hues with neutrals in a studied, intentional way. i can’t see myself dressing from head to toe in ALL neutrals, but a touch of them here or there works for me and my personal style statement.
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quite recently, i thought it might be a good idea to add a good, somewhat basic black flat to my shoe wardrobe…not surprisingly, black is not well represented in my shoe wardrobe at this current juncture!
it’s increasingly important to me that any brand new shoe i deign to purchase from here on out must look and feel well-made. if i’m going to make the investment, the shoe has to have good bones to start off with.
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some favorites, from zappos.com:
sigerson morrison:
love the polka dot cut out pattern here. simple, chic.
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dolce vita:
cute triangular & other geometric-shaped cut-outs this time around, and the ubiquitous peep-toe, a staple or cog (to borrow style bubble’s recently coined term) in my wardrobe.
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DKNY:
i’ve been noting a lot of black ballet-style flats with floppy fabric bows surfacing a lot this fall. i’m not much for the frilly, or romantic…instead, i really favor the look of the bold, structured, rigid, modern “bow” on this DKNY flat shown here.
tribeca (kenneth cole):
simple. a bit sexy, with the slingback and the peeptoe. practical (with the low wedge). a shoe like this is quite chic and modern on it’s own, and would also let a flashier outfit stand out without stylistic competition.
August 20 2006 | Posted in fashion musing, if money was no object...
August 20 2006 at 8:09 pm
AshleyI’m leaving it to the test of time, but I’m not so sure how I feel about Dolce Vita’s shoe quality. Perhaps it’s the one style I bought & wear often (the other pair doesn’t get as much love), but I find that they’re wearing out far too quickly compared to the amount of wear I’m getting out of them (had them since May, maybe wear them 1-2 times a week, mostly to work). Even so, I love them so much that, now that they’re on sale, I do plan on picking up a second pair to wear once these ones finally do turn to dust.
August 20 2006 at 8:15 pm
triciaashley: good to know. what about them is wearing out, exactly? the shoe itself, the sole, something else?
August 20 2006 at 8:30 pm
AshleyFor visual reference:
On this particular pair, the whole shoe is leather– sole, straps, everything except the ankle buckle. I’m finding that after a few wearings the toe started to scrape and peel apart (they’re peep toes, too, so it’s the area under the toes). On the outer edge of the heel, the leather has started to break away and peel there, too.
Inside, (I found this odd), there is a second leather layer above the black layer (you’ll see how the toe area is black, but the rest of the bed is white). It’s stitched on, and after the third wear, the very bit of allowance past the seam started to roll up a bit.
Otherwise– in terms of comfort, they’re great. It was odd at first having a label stitched into the shoe and having the seam at the toe, but after a few minutes of wear, it’s barely noticeable. They’re incredibly comfortable (I’d wear them to work often, wear we have cement floors and I’m running around for 8 hours), and holding up fairly well other than mostly cosmetic damages at this point. (It’s just odd for them to be suffering cosmetic wear so soon. I play hard, but not THAT hard.)
August 20 2006 at 8:30 pm
AshleyDarn. I was hoping that I could post an image of them.
Here’s a link to which shoes they are:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/images/us/local/products/productsall/p229953b.jpg
August 20 2006 at 8:54 pm
triciahrm, interesting. i have a few pairs of peeptoes (not this particular shoe or brand), and i have noticed some scuffing/peeling of the leather at the outermost edge of the toe, where it meets the sole. i chalk this up to how much walking i do, living in NYC. concrete everywhere: mucho chances for scuffing.
perhaps these issues are something a cobbler could address? i just took about 10 pairs of my shoes to a cobbler here, and he was able to really fix up my shoes and give them some new life, and do some things (like adding a protective sole, for instance) that will give my shoes further life and possible wear. he was even able to fix scuffs and tears.
all that said and suggested, i suppose some shoes are not really of the greatest quality to begin with…it’s SO hard to tell when you can’t actually seen them with one’s own eyes (just over the internet, in this case). i have found that the longevity of a lot of the products that UO carries is rather low. but it’s fast fashion, so i guess some planned obsolescence is part and parcel of their business…but really, that’s a whole other topic…
August 21 2006 at 12:50 am
allyThose black shoes with the bows look exactly like this favorite pair I had in the 80’s. Haha.
When I wear all black i feel really ugly. Even when I do the “goth” thing, I can’t do black head to toe.
You’ve always been great at mixing color and neutrals really artfully. I’m still thinking one of the more “neutral” colinette yarns would be of interest to you to play with.
Lipstick colors, though– bring them on!
August 21 2006 at 7:03 am
triciayeah, i feel the same way about black, though not because of any goth hangup, though! i just feel like it’s a cop out, pretty much. many people wear black because it represents sophistication, or the antithesis of brightness, color and light (what the “average” person might wear), and thus is the favorite of punks, goths, and other assorted bohemians. anyone can slap on the uniform of a black tee, black chucks, and black jeans and be part of the “punk” or “goth” set. you know?
wearing color in a daring way takes some effort and some risk.
August 21 2006 at 12:16 pm
SwanDiamondRoseall i have are black shoes! there’s something wrong with me.
August 21 2006 at 1:27 pm
ToveBNah, SwanDiamondRose, you are NOT alone. I am the same. I keep thinking I will buy those hot pink highheels with limegreen flowers, but I always end up with the same old safe black flats.
Mind you, I just discovered British shoemakers Fly London, so I might change.
August 22 2006 at 11:03 am
KristinaI wanted to ask, what, to you, defines an “investment” shoe? Just curious since you have quite a price and a quality range here… from Sigerson to Tribeca. I’m trying to look to more investment pieces in general, rather then the cheap and plentiful… for instance, I just bought a pair of Fluevog wedges, and earlier this year, some Frye Campus boots… I guess, for my budget, both of these were “investment” pieces in terms of price and quality… what are your thoughts on this?
August 22 2006 at 12:54 pm
triciakristina:
well, for me, an investment shoe would embody the following traits:
-good design/aesthetics, which would suit my personal taste, and not be overly trendy. often this means simple, rather than overly embellished or extreme (as far as shoes are concerned).
-the fact that the shoe (or boot) is made from good, quality materials. this usually means good quality leather, and perhaps a leather sole. the soles of such shoes can be further protected by getting a sole protector, etc. from a cobbler (i did this recently with several pairs of my shoes which will give them a longer life span).
-brand is sometimes an indication of good quality, but not always. price is sometimes an indication of good quality, but again, not always. i have seen sigerson morrison’s shoes in the flesh, and i know they are of good quality and design, and they cost quite a bit. i would feel safe investing in their shoes. i have not seen the other shoe brands in the flesh…in the end, i might not purchase them because they lack in material quality, but i like the design of them and show them here for that reason. instead, i might try and seek out a similar style by another manufacturer.
-hand-work, to me, is a sign of quality. someone’s hands worked to fashion that shoe, utliizing fine materials. i admire the effort that was expended for my enjoyment and comfort, and i am willing to pay a bit more for that enjoyment.
one way i get around the cost of brand new, expensive, well-made shoes is to pick them up second-hand, and have them repaired by a cobbler. for instance, i bought a vintage pair of yves st. laurent beige heels last week in florida for $3, and i took them to the cobbler and spent approximately $30 giving them new heel tips, and a sole protector. i’m not sure how much they were new, but looking around on the internet, i noted that new YSL heels can average around $500-700, so all things considered, i made out like a bandit!
i’d recommend going to a cobbler, period. a good one can extend the life of inexpensive and expensive shoes alike. a good shoe repair person is worth his or her weight in gold.
August 22 2006 at 4:11 pm
tamerahttp://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/med/195759299.html
August 22 2006 at 4:17 pm
triciatamera: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
August 24 2006 at 12:13 pm
SwanDiamondRosehey tricia i hope i didn’t insult you when i called you a “modern rainbow of a girl” in my blog. it was meant as a heartfelt compliment. i love how you dress. and i mean it when i say i wish i could wear colour. just wanted you to know.
August 24 2006 at 12:22 pm
triciamiss swan: heheh, no, i wasn’t insulted. i love color unabashedly. i was poking fun at that fact, admitting that i actually do like neutrals as well, on my own terms.
color, i think, is an attitude. it takes some risk at times, to wear it, i suppose. it’s not for everyone. but i find it fun to see how things come together and sit next to eachother, from a color theory perspective. and culturally, for me, it’s fun to fool around with color and change people’s perceptions of color and how it can be used.
so really, i took it as a compliment.
August 24 2006 at 2:32 pm
SwanDiamondRoseok good