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Showing posts from 2013

Wolf of Wall Street and the Shoe Hound

I watch a lot of movies. Husband is a total film buff, and we usually catch a couple a week. Usually from the comfort of our couch via Netflix. Christmas however provided a rare day off with nothing to do (because almost everything is closed) and with family celebrations behind us or still to come, and realizing after the babies arrive we’re not going to a movie again for a while, we seized the opportunity to go to the theater and catch a movie. We also went to dinner so I could have an excuse to wear my new boots (more on that in another post). Photo courtesy of Red Granite Pictures Wolf of Wall Street was the film selection, and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed because it’s Martin Scorsese (who doesn’t make shitty movies) and Leonardo DiCaprio, who has been consistently amazing since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape . As usual Scorsese had a great attention to detail, not letting anything slip. Including the shoes. This movie was chock full of shoe porn. Once almost literall

Alternatives to Holiday Sparkles

Around the holidays everyone defaults to sparkle. And why not. Sparkles are festive, can be worn from head to toe, and even mixed and matched (i.e. shoes and a top) if you can manage to do it well and keep yourself from looking like a human disco ball, or a disaster from the sequin section at JoAnne Fabrics. Sparkly shoes seem to be the safe bet around the holidays for those who are looking to add a little glam to their look. It’s easy, doesn’t generally take over an outfit, and it’s easy to find silver, gold and black in metallic sheens. If you’re looking for a little something different though, I suggest you skip over the shiny (dear lord I can’t believe I said that) and look for something a little more lush. Fabrics such as velvet and satin and brocade prints with jeweled embellishments can still channel the glamour of the holidays, but offer something a little different than the safe holiday sparkle. Charlotte Olympia has the Jingle Bell Dolly in her holiday collection, w

Last Minute Shoes

If you're still looking for a couple last minute gifts for Christmas, there's always the gift of shoes. Maiden Lane Men, women, children...they all wear shoes, and a nice pair of shoes gifted for the holidays can cheer anyone up.  Right now Gilt.com has some last minute gifts you can get in time for the holidays. Order by 3:00 pm on 12/20 and get your gifts in time for Christmas. And of course they have shoes.  My favorites right now are the  Maiden Lane, Candy Little D’Orsay Pointed Toe Flat (Original: $139, GILT: $79). I'm trying to expand my collection of flats, and this p shoe is a great addition for any woman who needs some style without the heel.  Or if you're looking for a heel, Maiden Lane pumps are also available.  Prince Albert Slipper If you're buying for the man in your life, then    Del Toro Shoes, Prince Albert Slipper (Original: $295, GILT: $199) is a great choice. It's a little twist on a classic loafer and that blue s

Emotional Shoes

Boss Jezebel wrote a whiny, shitty post today about artist Sebastian Errazuriz and a new exhibit he has at Art Basel where he showcases shoes dedicated to exes. Sebastian has a Tumbler called 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers . Each shoe, posted on a different day, showcases a different ex and has a different story. The ice queen, the boss, the rock... each one unique and reflecting a piece of the artists life with each woman. I think it's a brilliant collection of art. Jezebel thinks it's silly because he talks about sex and whines. If that's the case then almost all art is whiny garbage. Art comes in many forms, and I love the idea of telling stories through shoes. How is that any different than a painting, sculpture or music? The world would have almost no music if we discounted things about exes.   The accompanying narratives take away the guess work and artistic interpretation, but it goes far to tell a story. What Jezebel fails to understand (aside from the ba

Buy One in Every Color

Red knee high boots are kind of a staple in my wardrobe. I've had them on and off for years, and wear the hell out of them. Recently I found my new perfectly red boots courtesy of ShoeDazzle . The burgundy color is perfect, and they have great rivet detail on the eyelets and ribbon laces. Of course there's also a side zipper so it's easy to get them on and off.  I wore the boots Thanksgiving with the family,which was a long day, and they were comfortable pretty much the whole day. That's a hell of an accomplishment at this point with my growing twin belly.  Remell by Leila Stone Honestly the shoes were so amazing, and fit so well, I'm considering purchasing them again. This time in black.  But is it too weird to have the same shoes in two different colors ? Especially something as unique and noticiable as a knee high boot with ribbon lacing?  Facebook said go for it, and I think I may have to. Finding knee high boots that fit my calfs that I

Caftans and Fabulousness Coming to Zappos

In a turn of events that I didn’t see coming (then again I don't follow the career trajectory of anyone), Andre Leon Talley has been brought on to Zappos as creative director for their high-end Zappos Couture line. These Kate Spade heels are available at Zappos.  Andre will be working with the brand on fashion shoots, choosing and highlighting brands and trends, and generally making everything high-end at Zappos that much more amazing. Seriously, everything that man touches turns to gold.  Zappos Couture already has a broad list of designer vendors — such as  Gucci , Prada, Fendi, Lanvin, Cartier and  Dolce & Gabbana  — but many only sell shoes or licensed products like  eyewear  and fragrances on the site. Its three largest vendors are Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta and  Salvatore Ferragamo . Zappos' goal is to expand into a wider range of merchandise, particularly apparel, and of course there will be shoes. I know Zappos carries just about everyt

Posh Donates Piles of Shoes

The donated pile of shoes. There are quite a few shoe focused charities out there, but none of them earned quite the frenzy that Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) created when she donated a mountain of shoes to the British Red Cross to raise money for victims of Typhoon Hayian. In one fell swoop she donated more shoes than some people ever have, all designer of course. Then on top of the pile of shoes, there were 20 boxes of clothes. Apparently she was quite serious about cleaning her closet. Ever the saavy business woman, Posh tweeted the whole thing, including pictures of the pile of donated shoes and the boxes of clothes that were being donated. That also gave a brief glimpse into the real world of the Beckhams, where Posh wears jeans and gym shoes while cleaning the closets, and weighs enough to not be supported by Even Posh goes casual sometimes. a closed box full of clothes. The items were all put on sale in one of the British Red Cross stores, and hordes of fa

Stopping at Six Inches

Since finding out I'm pregnant I seem to have lost most of my energy. Once in a while I'll get it back for a day, and then the next day I turn back into a rapidly expanding beast with some kind of 8:30 pm induced narcolepsy. There's been a lot of things that I've been getting used to, including a limited wardrobe, being hungry every 20 minutes, and an extremely limited wardrobe.  Of all the challenges, it's the limited wardrobe that's been killing me.  Of. Purse I've been switching it up with various shoes, and thank god I have lots and lots to choose These heels and many others are now unwearable. from. Then the other day it hit another first. I put on a pair of heels, stood up, and immediately sat back down.  My balance had gone to shit. Apparently five months pregnant with twins and six inch platform stilletos don't mix well.  I knew this day was coming, but I guess I thought it would be gradual. And maybe it was and I just ha

Accessory Obsession and Mimosa Envy

Shopping galore. Since finding out about my impending bundles of joy, and therefore my expanding waistline, I decided that investing in clothes over the next few months is a bad idea. Unless of course it's something that can be worn with leggings or the dreaded maternity clothes (and I'm trying to buy as few of those as possible). Because of my newfound appreciation of black clothes, I jumped at the chance to go to RM Champagne Salon on Saturday to check out a sale with t+j Designs and Henry & Belle . Denim and I aren't really getting along these days (which is a shame because those black on black brocade jeans were calling to me), but I made my sister tag along with me for company and just to hang out, and she can appreciate denim. I just need to expand my accessories collection because it helps draw attention away from my expanding midsection, makes the monochrome clothes look a little more exciting, and I'm afraid my feet will grow so I've slowed do

Getting the Boot

Recently I have been getting a lot of questions about boots. Everything from where to find boots for various calf sizes, to what height is best. The funny thing is all of these things are very personal, and pretty easy to figure out or find. I recently did a post on boots for women with larger calves. You can read it here . But, there's also women out there who have naturally skinny legs, and sometimes they're as miserable as those of us with man-calves. Instead of not being able to find anything that zips, they can't find anything to create a snug fit. Instead Michael Kors being forced to buy boots that gap at the top or inappropriately slouch, creating a totally different look than the one originally envisioned.  Really, is there anyone out there that has the perfect sized calves for knee-high boots? For those of you with naturally slender legs, I suggest buying stiffer boots that have a zipper up the side or the back of the boot. This will keep the boot st

Rock the Pink Pump

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which means it's time to rock the pink pump. You'll notice my profile pic on Facebook has been a pair of pink pumps all month. This also means that it's time to shop for a cause. Plenty of companies offer some really amazing shoes Pose pump is fabulous for so many reasons. that benefit some truly great causes, all to help the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. One of my favorites this year is " Pose " by Milk and Honey Shoes. This black, pony hair mule rocks the pink on the inside, and a chunky 4 inch heel. The best part is that 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the shoe benefit the Karen Dove Cabral Foundation . The Charles David Virtue pump is still available as well. 20% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research. And if you buy it now, you can also get it on sale. Wear your support boldly.  If you keep searching you can find all kinds of shoes. Pink sparkly heels with breast cancer ribb

Weitzman, Gilt and Boots

Stuart Weitzman and Gilt have teamed up for an exclusive pop-up shop online. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Stuart Weitzman 5050 boot,  Gilt.com  launched a digital pop-up The iconic 5050 boot in safari and pave.  shop which include iconic and limited edition styles. This over the knee riding style boot has made itself a classic boot and a classic Weitzman shoe.  This 20 piece Anniversary Collection features the classic colors, as well as designs in an array of unique materials including zebra haircalf, sea crystal snake calfskin, black goosebump nappa and prune woodsnake.   Since I am obsessed with texture and furry boots, you can guess which ones are making me drool, although basic black is probably the most practical way for me to go.  As part of the shop, Gilt members can also purchase a Swarovski pave version, custom-crafted with 25,000 crystals hand-set in an elaborate leopard pattern. With leopard, Swarovski sparkles and a Stuart Weitzman boot,

Cat in Flats?

I now own flats. Two pair to be precise. One pair of fab Dolce Vita loafers with leopard tassels, and a pair of pointy-toe, studded flats. The most amazing part of these purchases? I intend to wear them. Like all day. Cat in Heels will soon need to transition to Cat in Flats. No, I have not had some kid of irreparable foot damage, hurt my knee again, or inexplicably decided to shun my heels forever. It's because I am pregnant...with twins. All my recent shoe purchases. All in black. I need to get a little color going here.  You can let that sink in for a moment. I've had 15 weeks to get used to it. That was after the initial shock of it all, which still hasn't fully worn off. Being pregnant is also the reason I haven't been posting as much. I'm usually a night owl and do most of my writing and posting at night. Instead I've been eating dinner and falling asleep on the couch, leaving my husband sitting and wondering what the hell to do with his even

Halloween Heels

Halloween is right around the corner, which means it's a great excuse to wear some amazing clothes, and I don't mean costumes. While Halloween used to be all about costumes, now it's graduated to other things. There are those lame t-shirts that flip up and show everyone your belly and a picture of a werewolf face. There's the shirts or dresses that have a skeleton on them...and then there's the shoes. Which are the clothes made for Halloween that don't suck. I would wear these all the time.  Charlotte Olympia has released an entire Halloween collection (because she has a collection for every holiday), and it's awesome. She has added fangs to her classic kitty loafers, put bats all over the Dolly island platform to create the Midnight Dolly , has a pair of pumpkin loafers, a pumpkin purse, bat clutch, and the absolutely amazing purple Nocturna l sandal with an island platform, ankle strap and a bat on the toe. More shoes should have bats. I would s

Plus Size Calves?

It's fall and fall means it's time for boots. Specifically tall boots. That amazing shoe that goes with just about anything and juts screams fall fashion. If you're me it's also the shoe that causes the most aggravation because apparently having developed calf muscles (ie: not supermodel legs) means you have a hell of a time finding boots. I've discussed my man calves quite a few times on this blog, so unless you're a new reader, you know I love these . They're $300... all about this. Today Refinery29 posted a list of boots for people with wide calves, which means I'm probably not the only person in the world that has this problem. They probably have a frustrated writer or editor somewhere who runs too much or has a giant Germanic build like I do. The crazy thing about the list is that half of the shoes were from plus size stores like Lane Bryant and Torrid (and appallingly heel-less), and the other half are apparently tucked away on websit

Keysocks Bring Fashion and Function

Wearing tights isn't always practical, and sometimes it's not the look you want. Thanks to Keysocks for the awesome package.  I love heels with pants, including jeans and dress pants, but depending on the weather, or the fit of the shoe, nylons, knee highs or trouser socks can ruin the look. Like most great inventions, Keysocks were born of necessity when fashion and function were in conflict. Now a family business, the sisters who make Keysocks have managed to combine fashion and function, and actually make it work. Recently I received a couple pairs of Keysocks . Knee-high height they are cut out across the top of the foot, making them perfect for wearing with heels, flats or loafers when you need a sock but don't want the look. You can't see them... I admit to being skeptical about the fit. I was worried they would shift, come off my toes and bunch up under my foot, or some other thing. Instead they were perfect. I wore them for hours and they staye

Fall denim and finding things for new shoes

The weather says its now officially fall (at least in Chicago) and that means its time to bust out the sweaters and boots. It also means its time to shop for new fall clothes, which is good because I was getting really, really tired of my summer clothes. Gilt has teamed up with People StyleWatch to make fall shopping even easier (and more fashionable) and will have a denim shop open until October 16.  I know it's not shoes, but what better excuse to buy new boots than a fab pair of new jeans?  The shop will offer more than 50 styles from top designers, as we'll as the sales only Gilt can bring you.  Shoppers can browse by: ·         Size ·         Color ·         Cut and more The sale even features Chicago’s very own Henry & Belle, a heritage denim line that won two awards in People StyleWatch’s denim awards including “Most Slimming” (both Curvy and Tall categories) for their Microflare in “Pure Indigo” and “Super Stretch Straight in Onyx.

Wellrox -Substance and Comfort

I make fun of stuff all the time. Some say it’s because I’m a cynic, some say it’s because I’m a bitch. I personally think I’m a realist, and I really don’t look at it as making fun of things, so much as simply telling people what I think. Wellrox Making fun of something would imply I’m being mean for sport, or being funny, neither of which are really things I do. A few months ago I wrote a post all about these really awful sandals called Wellrox, which look kind of like Birkenstocks, but they have thong things that go between all your toes. So if Cuthulu and Birkenstock had a sandal baby and put a flower on it, then it would be these sandals.  Of course I overlooked all the important things about how they’re good for your feet, and correct your gait and blah, blah, blah, and I focused on the aesthetics (or lack thereof). You can imagine how floored I was when a Wellrox representative reached out to me and said they wanted me to try their sandals, and they were pretty

Boots Aren't a Trend

A couple days ago I got into a conversation on Twitter about fall fashion trends, and of course shoes came up. Classic black ankle boot.  Apparently the fashion magazines (which I have fallen hopelessly behind on) are saying ankle boots are a big trend for fall. Which is great and all, but I'm pretty sure that ankle boots are a trend every fall. In fact, I'm going to take it a step further and say that in reality, they're not a trend at all, but simply a wardrobe staple. Kind of like pants. You have pants and skirts, just like you have boots and sandals. Some of them just happen to be ankle boots, which are most appropriately worn when it's not 100 freaking degrees out. So in fall. This is all a shocking revelation, I'm sure. It's pretty safe to say if you have ankle boots from last season, they're still good this year. Just like the ones you buy this year will still be good next year. Even if they have studs or buckles, or even fringe, Miu Mi

Chunky Shoes. No Pants

Much ado has been made of Miley Cyrus twerking all over Robin Thicke and being all provocative, wearing latex underpants, how her butt is flat, whether she has an eating disorder or not, and all kinds of other crazy nonsense. I would like to get past her Night at the Roxbury moment to Blurred Lines, ignore her lousy song and This is all kinds of awkward.  lack of dancing, that weird furry themed number, and her attempt to shock people, and instead focus on her shoes. The girl paired creepers with latex. I have nothing against creepers or latex. They both have their time and place, and can look great if worn appropriately. But not together. In fact, I’m pretty sure the entire latex wearing fetish community all gasped and clutched their pearls when they saw her ill-fitting bikini thing (and that color) and creepers. Let me tell you what’s not sexy. Dancing around in a pair of big, clunky shoes and no pants. Creepers are great when paired with jeans. If you’re goi

Please Leave the '90s in the Past

The '90s are apparently now vintage and cool and have come back in a way to make me feel old and wonder if I'm vintage too. It also makes me wonder just who the hell thought this was a good idea. Can we make sure this never happens again? Sure, I was awesome in the '90s with my goth attire, knee high combat-style boots (that had a heel), music store job (that paid for shit but was all Empire Records ), and all my money went to hanging out with friends and buying new clothes and shoes (and the aforementioned CDs). But let's not forget that while I was awesome, the '90s is also what brought us body glitter, Spice World , that horrid shiny lame fabric in bizarre colors, and the Backstreet Boys.  If you loved the Backstreet Boys and wore body glitter I'm pretty sure we hung out in very different crowds.  Pretty sure I actually owned these but they were black and white. The '90s also brought us a massive void in good shoes. For some reason the

Blurred Lines Bulls*#t

Robin Thicke is so damn hot that when he’s around women’s clothes just fly off. Or at least that’s what it seems if you watch his extremely NSFW video for the hit song “Blurred The clear vinyl is kind of cool.  Lines” (and a woman at work who saw him live said that's pretty true). There are two versions of the video (as I’m sure everyone now knows), and while one of them has girls prancing around in white outfits, the second one has them stripped down to their thong panties and prancing around. I would like to call bullshit and have a word with the video’s stylist. First, clothes or no clothes, the shoes these women are wearing are atrocious. They’re all channeling Baby Spice and the laste ‘90s with chunky platform gym shoes that were a bad idea back then. They’re also a really, really bad idea when you’re naked. If you’re going to wear shoes with lingerie, please make sure it’s a pair of stilettos. (Seriously, why am I explaining this?) They don’t have to have platforms or be

Children in Heels

When it comes to kids, especially girls, getting into more adult things like makeup, often people ask These are for children. “How young is too young?” Now apparently we find ourselves asking that about heels. Are heels OK for a child to wear? As soon as this question comes up, people automatically talk about Suri Cruise and her high heeled shoes. I would like to take a moment and point out that Suri isn’t a normal child, and nothing she does, now or ever, should be considered normal. The child of an arguably insane father and a mother who only recently started looking like an adult (seriously she looked 16 until she was like 30), the kid was born into more money than God and will never be “normal.” Let’s not use Hollywood’s children as a fashion barometer. That’s a really slippery slope. I know adults who won't wear wedges this high.  Regardless of whether or not heels on a child who only recently stopped crapping their pants seems somewhat strange to me.