Espadrilles And Raffia Need To Be EVERYWHERE This Spring

I hereby declare that every shoe this spring needs to be a espadrille -- or some variation or bastardization thereof -- or prominently feature raffia.

Loeffler Randall's Nadia raffia bootie: A shoe for all seasons!

Stuart Weitzman's Manheim platform Oxfords with a RUBBER SOLE! I see no absolutely reason why not.

Joanna Stoker's Deco raffia heel is like a Mondrian for your foot. Well worth the $1129 price tag, because that's WAY less than a Mondrian. Duh.

+ Related: Loeffler Randall Spring/ Summer 2012 preview and Stuart Weitzman Spring 2012 preview!

+ My-Wardrobe.com Wedges 

(Disclaimer: this post contains a sponsored link.)

Loeffler Randall Spring/ Summer 2012 Preview!

Rejoice, Loeffler Randall fans! And behold retro hues and tribal patterns in ultra-modern shapes (LOVE a curved heel, block heel on a platofand a complex Mary-Jane stiletto sandal.) Because it's February in New York, but it's gotta spring somewhere.

Loeffler Randall's Spring/ Summer 2012 collection launches online ehhh... basically now-ish. 

Neon Shoes Are IT

Yo. So, this Saturday I was in the Upper East Side doing GOD knows what, and I waited approximately the orbital period of Hayley's Comet for a 6 train. Despite a major case of GMTFOOH-itis, the wait was not for naught because observed at least six chicks wearing some refreshingly awesome neon shoes, which begat my own quest for summery neon and pop-colored shoes. Pair them with another bright bold for some color-blocking action, or with a neutral. LOVE a neon-neutral combo. So let's DO this:

($227, Diane Von Furstenberg, Zappos.com)

I actually wouldn't be mad at these bring orange Diane Von Furstenberg heels paired with a purple, red or bright pink top and some grey or black skinny jeans. Try it! You might like it. What's the worst that could happen? Are you trying to put your mothah in an early grave? Nu?

($140, Melissa, Karmaloop.com)

I want to say that the white cat eye stripe up the back of these Melissa wedges is the best part about them, but that's like saying the hair is the best part of Andrew Garfield, which is really just selling him short. Perfect with a peach or blush maxi dress, you know? Or a bold turquoise.

($73, Melissa, Karmaloop.com)

More cute rubbery realness from Melissa. The double buckle detail is worlds away from the jellies of my youth.

($51, Marais)

Normally I don't fucks with kitten heels due to the whole thick-stack-on-a-short-stick effect they create, but these Marais heels offset that potential disaster with a slimming ankle strap.

($34.99, ModCloth.com)

I probably couldn't sit let alone walk in these purple phenomenons, but if you can, you should.

($244, Chie Mahara, NeimanMarcus.com)

These cork and yellow leather Chie Mahara heels are beautiful enough on my tiny little computer screen. I can only imagine how lush they look IRL.

($484, Loeffler Randall)

These Loeffler Randall x Suno Erin lace-up wedges aren't really neon, but they are beautiful. I like how from afar the pattern looks like googly eyes. You don't see shoes with googly eyes nearly enough these days.

($278, Ground Zero, Shopfatal.com)

Oh HAVE MERCY. Clear vinyl neon and GREY Oxfords? With BREATHING HOLES? Can you kick it? YES WE CAN!

Object Of My Desire: Loeffler Randall Snakeskin Belinda Pump

($332, Loeffler Randall, Refinery29.com)

Are you KIDDING me? And I love how, from afar, they look like newsprint. But NOPE! NOT NEWSPRINT! SNAKESKIN! And a SNAKESKIN ROSETTE? Um, "LIKES THIS!"

Also, as much as I NO lovey U2, I DO love this song, which perfectly expresses my longing for the above Loeffler Randall heels.

Lust Life: Loeffler Randall Studded Wedges

($200, Loeffler Randall, Footcandyshoes.com)

Sigh. It's probably for the best that these baby blue Loeffer Randall studded wedges are sold out in my all-too-common size.

That said, I'm still gonna go ahead and dedicate "Catch Me I'm Falling" -- one of my FAVORITE Freestyle R&B songs -- to them:

Stuart & Wright Sample Sale: Feb. 4 - 8

New Yorky-ers, stop by the Stuart & Wright sample sale in beautiful Ft. Greene.

Some of the designers on sale are NO joke -- Shipley & Halmos, Isabel Marant, 3.1 Philip Lim, Loeffler Randall... ROP (as in "read on please...)

WHERE: Stuart & Wright
85 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene Brooklyn, (bwn South Elliott Place & South Portland Avenue)
718.797.0011
C train to Lafayette or G train to Fulton

WHEN: Wednesday, February 4, 10:00am-8pm
Thursday, February 5, 10:00am-8pm
Friday, February 6, 10:00am-8pm
Saturday, February 7, 10:00pm-8:00pm
Sunday, February 8 12:00-6:00


WHAT: 30%-75% OFF
Women: Isabel Marant, Vanessa Bruno, A.P.C., 3.1 Philip Lim, Loeffler Randall, Jeffrey Monteiro, Shipley & Halmos, Inhabit, Ulla Johnson, In God We Trust, Le Mont St. Michel, Borne, Mina Stone, Samantha Pleet, Myth & Ritual A. Cheng, Lewis Cho, Valentine, A. Lawless, M. Carter, Doucette Duvall

Men: Shipley & Halmos, Engineered Garments, A.P.C., Noah, Gilded Age, wings + horns, Unis, YMC, Obedient Sons, Rogues Gallery, Robert Geller, Chimala, M. Carter

The Highs And Very Low Lows Of Cut-Out Heels

I'm truly not the biggest fan of cut-out shoes, especially when they're not sandals; the exception, however, would be Loeffler Randall's cut-out pumps, platforms, booties, and various iterations:

($575, Loeffler Randall, Active Endeavors)

These I can basically deal with. Loeffler Randall, they seem to know what they doing!

Therefore I was glad to see these far-more-affordable knock-knock-knock-offs at Victoria's Secret:

($150, Victoria's Secret)

At those prices, it's like two Loeffler Randalls for the price of one! And I really like the grey and black onesies. They're like the Herve Leger bandage dress of shoes!

($129, Michael Kors, Amazon)

Also okay!

($775, Chloe, Intermix)

Lurves the heel detailing, but OY VA VOY, too much patent. Heidi Montag also favors these, so that'll tell you something right there:


More bad cut-out heels and shoes:

(Giuseppe Zanotti, Intermix)

More like Giuseppe Za-not-ti. OH SHIT! Like something Christina Aguilera picked up at J.Lo's garage sale. Horbs.

($925, Dior, Neiman Marcus)

These Dior heels are either tragically melded together like couture conjoined twins, or else we caught them in the act of copulation. And I didn't know shoes could have sex.

($48, Jeffrey Campbell, 6pm.com)

The exact wrong way to do animal prints. Shudder!!


Um, perhaps the less said about these horrific Pierre Hardy cut-out shoes the better.

(Apprx $120, Topshop)

It's a sandal AND a boot! Rrr... remind me why again?

(Sold out, Chloe, Saks)

That these are sold out suggests to me that there are hundreds, nay THOUSANDS of women out there with equally horbs taste. The horror!

($160, HedoFashions.com)

Thankfully there are several of these disturbing stripper shoes left in all sizes!

($47, Pleaser, Amazon)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these are mainly available in men's sizes.

($149, John Fluevog)

Marked down from $239. Priced to move. Quickly, one would hope. Gahr.

($48, Urban Outfitters)

The paperbag as shoe! Recyclable footwear, folks!

Labor Day Sale: 20% Off Everything At Active Endeavors

Yay! Everything is 20% off at Active Endeavors with promo code "Laborday20."

Which means those Loeffler Randall boots just went from $695 to $556!

Loeffler Randall Boots Continue To Inspire Brokeback-Levels of Lust In Me...

Ugh. Usually I'm not too into flat boots, but I keep seeing the Loeffler Randall Matilde flat boot from their Fall 2008 collection, and I could just make love to it like Enis and Jack Twist after a hard day o' ropin' steer.

Observe:

($695, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)

Perfectly pretty.

($695, Loeffler Randall, Active Endeavors)

The LBD of... flat black boots.

($795, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)

More expensive = more desirable!!!

($775, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)

Snakeskin = the most desirable of all.

* An aside: Has anyone actually purchased anything from Singer22? The site looks like it's held together by ASCII and dental floss. Did they just blow their load on advertising or something? It's no Net-a-porter! If I'm gonna spend THAT much (and I'm not, but I'm speaking theoretically here), they'd better shell out for a little Flash, you know? Control Your Parameters!

Tell Me About It, Stud: My Love Affair With Studded Flats Continues

Greetings from the couch, where I'm still parked. Two iced coffees later... I think I'm starting to sprout roots, and I'm pretty sure I gave myself scoliosis just today. That Tom Petty documentary is STILL on ("Comprehensive, revealing and epic in scope..." um... yes, it all of those things). I REALLY need a shower, FYI. SOS... Anyway, I came across these studded ballet slippers today:

($48, Capezio, Bonadrag.com)

They're cool but a little too literal and look pretty uncomfy. They did remind me of how much I love pyramid studs though, especially when they're used in unexpected ways, like with a pair of pretty pink ballet slippers.

Some more studded flats:

($425, Loeffler Randall, Active Endeavors)

Gorgeous, but I'd love them far more without the ankle strappage.

($88, Theory Shoes, Shopbop)
Sorry, but these are repulsive.


($211, Maloles, Zappos Couture)

So elegant.

($59, Jessica Simpson, ShoeMall.com)

Eeek. Cognitive dissonance issues -- cute shoes but they're Jessica Simpson! What to do? What to do?

($50, Calypso)

Cheaper, though only available in sizes 6 and 11.

($174, Kenneth Cole, Endless.com)

Not cheap, but sizes for all!

($12.99, BCOutlet.com)

Only available in size 7, but cheap!

($12.99, GoJane)

Cheapy Mccheap!

($29, Adi Misbehave, Overstock)

Lotsa colors, but the black ones are safest, don't you think?

($12.99, Go Jane)

Eek. Is it bad that I like these?

($41, Matiko, 6pm.com)

Not bad. But I don't understand the idea of the name "6pm." Anyway...

($41, Michael Kors, Overstock)

Pretty, preppy, punk-y! Only left in size 8. Yay if you're an 8, boo if you're not.

($287, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Net-a-porter.com)

I do believe these are the Marc Jacobs studded ballet flats that started it all. Brightest Young Things show you how to make your own!

($126, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Saks Fifth Avenue)

These Marc by Marc Jacobs studded flats, however, are unforgivable.


Finally, you (and by "you," I mean "I") also need some pyramid stud earrings:

($88, Wendy Nichol, Ravinstyle.com)

NEED!

($72, Argento Vivo, Bluefly)

Sophisticado.

($39, Whats That Cat, Etsy)

Etsy seller Whats That Cat has really sweet handmade pyramid stud earrings with sparklies. They're made of polymer clay and look really cool.

($20, Michelle Chang Jewelry, Etsy)

Super cuties sterling silver pyramid stud earrings from Etsy seller Michelle Chang Jewelry. Very much want!