It's Fashion Friday!: Fendi - Adding Fun To the Day

           Can we just take a moment and talk about how delightful the artistry coming out of the luxury brand Fendi has been lately? I used to brush this name off with the association of brown ‘F’s in stripes and relief, and while that is still present for those who must be conspicuous with their labels, the sheer playfulness and subtle glamour in the rest of their line is like a perfectly ripe strawberry on a sunny summer day. Mostly, I’m enticed by their shoe collection. I’ve seen things in past seasons that I wish I could own. And the Spring/Summer 2013 selections are no exception. Surely, there are tempting treasures for any tootsies with a modicum of taste. 

            Shall we start with serious? We can get the stuffy out of the way, move in the direction of the more circus worthy shoes you know I love, and get this going like a 4th of July fireworks show. They have a basic pump, like any good cordwainer. I don’t need to show you those, although I will tell you there’s one in magenta suede, for an edge under that black pant suit. How sweet is this one? Patent shine, a youthful bow, stripe and added neutral colors for versatility. This is so much more interesting than a plain black or brown pump. It also recalls that Fendi signature stripe without being in your face about it. This also comes in a wedge in black and taupe, and a low heel similar to the Ferragamo Vara pump in nude and RED.

            I’ve been looking for the perfect brown summer wedge sandal. This might be it. (This is not it, actually, because no one pays me to write this blog. Sad, but true. I can dream though). I like that it has the jute braid around the bottom to say, “Yes, I know espadrilles are popular in the summer time, but you paid almost $500 for this shoe. Do you really want it to be made out of plants?” Those wide straps make me happy too – I find wide strapped sandals to be a bit more stable for the ankles than thin strappy sandals. (Yes, I can be a practical woman. Don't look so surprised). The color-blocking is a nice touch also.

            This next one is exquisite. It looks to be bedazzled to look like stingray. I don’t believe it is actually stingray. This style of shoe reminds me of Ginger Rogers. I don’t know how anyone would dance in it, but it captures that air of old world glamour, from a time when no one would dream of singing about "Bubble Butts" or having the gall to shake one in your face. It’s the round toe with the t-strap combination, I do believe. And, here’s some real stingray for you (as best I can tell). In case that skin alone isn’t rich enough for you, they’ve made half the shoe orange. And that’s it. That’s enough. It’s not overdone. Oh, to stroll down a boardwalk in a summery dress in these, on your way to a glass of lemonade. 

            Fun fun fun! Why not have a shoe with pink checkerboard and orange?

           Oh, what’s that you say? You want a Bruins Playoff Series fan support shoe because you'd rather not grow a beard? They have you covered on that one too. Oh and it is divine. 

           

           PERSPEX! Do not forget the Perspex. I’m so excited I just can’t hide it. 

The space-age ugly runway shoe that may have moved Fendi past Prada into my favorite shoe brand is this orange gem. 

There is something about the continuity of the brown studs on the bottom of the heel matching the embossed rusty orange leather applique on the outside of the shoe also matching the leather in the sock lining that I truly appreciate. Art for the feet. 

It's Fashion Friday!: Your Shoes Don't Fit

Your feet would love to wear these shoes.
That is a dapper men's sneaker from Hogan.

            If your feet could talk what would they say? I have a funny feeling they would say something along the lines of “You spent that much on a college degree and you still don’t know how to buy shoes that fit me?” Yes, you. I see you looking around the room like I’m talking to someone else while I stare at that finger sized gap between the back of your foot and the back of the heel of your shoe. It’s a good thing they look at the front of you in an interview and not the profile. Perhaps we should also address those of you who think that you only need enough space in the toe box for one or two toes. I don’t think your feet like you very much either. And then there are those of you who buy sandals with soles that allow your toes to hang off like a basketball player on a child size bed. Good heavens.

            Many of you are probably laughing right now. Adults who don’t know how to fit shoes to their feet sounds pretty preposterous doesn’t it? I can tell you that they exist and in large quantities. I know this not just from staring at people’s feet (I’m looking at their shoes – don’t read that in a kinky way, please), but also from my stint in shoe sales. I don’t really understand why something that should be fairly simple eludes so many. It’s not like with clothing where larger sizes hold a stigma. Yet, some people maintain with the fortitude of a bomb shelter that they wear a certain tiny size even as the skin on their foot bubbles uncomfortably out every opening of the shoe. “Oh the cut just isn’t right for my foot.” No, Ma’am. It’s actually the wrong size.

Wear warm socks. These things are frigid.

            You can have your foot measured with a Brannock device. That’s one of those fun, cold, metal slider things shoe salesmen will put your foot on and pretend to know how to use and give you the proper size and width of your foot. That gives a nice starting point. Different brands of shoes, however, are sized all over the map. So the size on the Brannock device, is not really all that helpful when you go to buy shoes. You really need to try on the shoes and figure out what fits properly. For example, on the Brannock device, my shoe size is a 10 AA. At Ferragamo I wear a 9B. Prada I wear a 40 (10). Cole Haan I wear a 9.5. I have a pair of Saucony sneakers that are a size 11 (those make me feel like a giant).

My feet are saying, "Please
make more money so
we can have more sandals
like this!"

            Here are some things I would like you to keep in mind the next time you are shopping for shoes. If you are buying dress shoes, for a wedding, fancy party, evening event, etc. You shouldn’t buy them after you’ve spent the entire day walking around. Your feet swell when you spend the day on them. If you buy shoes when your feet are swollen, you’re going to buy a larger size. Then when you go to put on the shoes for your fancy event, they are going to be too big. If you are buying shoes for walking around, on the other hand, it’s good to buy them when you’ve been walking around. You want shoes that are comfortable when your feet are tired and achy.    

            These guidelines for buying shoes that fit should be very helpful for all.

1.     If they hurt, they don’t fit. I don’t care if they’re cute. I don’t care if they’re the last pair, and they’re only a half size too small. I don’t care if they just pinch a little bit at the toe. IF THEY HURT, THEY DO NOT FIT.

2.     Leather stretches, especially in well-made shoes (particularly of the Italian persuasion). A good shoe should be snug when you try it on. NOT PAINFUL, snug. You want the shoe to hug your foot like a glove and support it at the arch. If you go up a size and you don’t need to you might put the arch of the shoe in the wrong place. If it feels like it’s not giving in the toe box, it will loosen up as the shoe breaks in. None of this applies with low-end shoes and synthetics. Do not depend on a cheap shoe to give or break in.

3.     When you put on a high heel, your heel should not come out of the shoe when you walk in it. You shouldn’t be able to put a finger between your heel and the shoe.

4.     If you can’t wiggle your toes in the shoe, it’s not very healthy for your feet. A lot of women’s dress shoes do not allow for toe wiggling. Try not to spend a lot of time in these. If they are flat shoes, you should be able to wiggle your toes. 

5.     If you want to walk on nails, go barefoot. If you’re going to wear sandals, make sure that the footbed is large enough for your whole foot. Your foot shouldn’t be hanging off the front or the back.

6.     If you think the shoe isn’t cut right for your foot, and you’ve only tried on one size, TRY ANOTHER SIZE! Shoes are fitting not just length, but also width, arch height, and placement of the arch. There are a lot of variables.

7.     Most people have two differently sized feet. You should buy for the larger foot. There are things you can do to accommodate the smaller foot into the larger shoe. Rather than padding at the back of the shoe, it is best to put pads under the ball of the foot to push the foot back towards the heel of the shoe. It puts the arch in the right place in the shoe. If your feet are DRASTICALLY different in size Nordstrom will sell you two different sized shoes. 

1.     Your feet do not stay the same size as you age. I’m not talking about growing children or dear pregnant women. All people’s feet change with age. We walk on them, we stand on them, we dance on them, we abuse them. Don’t expect that you wear the same size you wore twenty years ago. I’m talking to you, Mrs. 75 Year Old Woman who still thinks she wears a 7 AAA. You can get as many facelifts as you want, but your feet don’t lie. 

It's Fashion Friday!: Stylin' Kicks 'N Kickboards

Ryan Lochte's Shoe Collection (Supposedly) - I don't see
any Prada high tops in there.. you should get some Mr. Lochte,
they are quite heavenly!

I have very few athletic bones in my body. I excel at skating around in circles on hockey skates and clocking people in the shins with a field hockey stick. I wanted to play ice hockey and field hockey, but I also wanted to be a horn player. Since the latter requires a full set of teeth those things seemed mutually exclusive. The fine arts and sports in general tend to be mutually exclusive given the amount of time they both require. I also really enjoyed swimming, despite being really awful at it. Maybe it was my complete lack of skill that allowed me to develop such an appreciation for the sport.

            In 2004 the FINA World Swimming Championships came to Indianapolis so my dear friend Julia and I decided to drive up and watch.  We were lucky enough to get to see quite a few Olympians compete, including Ryan Lochte - what a sweetheart. We ran into him afterwards and he was kind enough to indulge us silly girls with autographs (which sadly we have both lost in relocations). I even got a few emails.

The ones on the left I wore with a broken foot. It wasn't
so horrible. 

            Since I am a long time fan, you can imagine my delight in seeing that Lochte has not only been amassing a collection of medals, but a collection of SHOES!!!!!!! (Of course, I’m talking about shoes again. I love shoes. Much more than I love gymnastics leotards or table tennis shorts. And to be honest I can’t even name any of the athletes that participate in those sports). What a beautiful sight that closet is. Fashion sneakers are so much more fun than workout sneakers. They don’t have to be as functional. Additionally, they make it out of the closet much more often than the four inch Ferragamo red and white striped peep toe sling backs. I tend to accumulate Pumas like some people get lint in their dryer. It doesn’t help that they sell Scuderia Ferrari Future Cats. What more could you want in a sneaker?

Sneakers from Ryan Lochte's footwear collection for Speedo

            So, our backstroking braveheart has also gotten his feet wet in the design pool. I’m not brown-nosing here; I like these high tops. 1. They are shiny. 2. They remind me of John Deere and some really awesome John Deere reminiscent Diesel sandals I used to have (WHAT???! Just because I love Ferarris does not mean I can’t appreciate a good tractor). 3. I could envision them on KG, Paul Pierce, or Rondo. Would you be okay with that, Ryan Lochte? Do you like the Celtics? I really hope you’re not a Heat fan. That might make it difficult for me to continue supporting you. While I am definitely not the creepy stalker, picture collecting, nutball style fan, I am from Boston. Boston sports fans are a lot like golden retrievers. You can accidentally kick us in the head and we’ll still come lick your face in the morning. I believe that’s called loyalty. 

           

It's Fashion Friday!: Marni, Marni, Marni!!!

            It wasn’t until this last year that I started noticing Marni’s footwear collection. This designer has been around since the 1990’s, but I’ve never really considered their work anything to write home about. Either I’m evolving or they are, because I just can’t get enough of their summer collection. (And when I say I can’t get enough of it, it’s both literally and figuratively speaking given my current income.)

            If you’re unfamiliar with this Italian fashion mogul, I would describe it as quirk meets sophistication. To clarify, when I say “quirk” I don’t mean it as something that could be compared with the [fuggo] sweaters Anthropologie usually carries in the winter. It’s less nerdy/crafty and significantly more evocative of the art collection of Peggy Guggenheim. This is fitting as both Ms. Guggenheim and Marni’s creator, Consuelo Castiglioni, are of Swiss descent. (You will never hear me utter a negative word about anything coming out of Switzerland. I would trade my citizenship in a nanosecond. Tangent concluded).

            Marni released their Fall/Winter 2012 preview earlier this week. The looks are an interesting juxtaposition of delicate prints, menswear inspired silhouettes, and hefty accessories. I particularly like this retro-sculpted color-block pump. Their Winter Edition 2012 preview seems Mondrian inspired – never a bad idea. The menswear hint is evident in the footwear. I love this derby style loafer – I think the choice of adding gold and black accents actually tones down the red for some added versatility. It’s not fall yet, however. It is that beautiful transition between spring and summer. So let’s take a look at the shoes that inspired my sentiment.

                This black and white polka dot sandal is just sweet. I love that it ties across the ankle. It’s a simple concept, so easy to style. I’m imagining them with a pair of white with black polka dot cuffed shorts that I have and a plain black top. I probably wouldn’t mix it with other prints. And I think it’s more of a casual shoe. This wedge, on the other hand, is quite a statement of an evening shoe. I go back and forth between accepting suede as a summer material and not. I think as a textural accent with the right outfit it can work. What I love about this wedge is the cutout revealing a layer of gold. From the front, it’s just an ordinary shoe, but when you walk away, people are going to notice!

                Chunky wooden sandals are really not my style at all, but I think I would make an exception for this one. There is a flat platform version with canvas straps, but I love the orange leather and yellow accent on this heel. The best part is the hidden espadrille! Cleverly disguised with black and white stripes, this foot-bed gives your foot the feel of summer and some cushion on top of that chunky wooden heel. I would not wear these with shorts. You’d look like a hooker. A hooker with impeccable taste in footwear, but a hooker nonetheless.  And the last one: I just had to give you a close up of the strap of this sandal. What says summer better than orange sequins?

            I can’t attest to the comfort of these shoes like I can with the patron saint of well-dressed feet, Miuccia Prada’s two shoe lines (Miu Miu and Prada). Or Bally (Oh die Schweiz! Be still my heart. Always tempting me with her wiles). There doesn’t seem to be anywhere in Boston to try on or purchase anything Marni. While it is a sad state of affairs for me, I think it was probably a wise business choice by the brand. The majority of the wealthy women in the metro area either live in Brooks Brothers or engage in age inappropriate dressing. (I swear if I see one more person my mom’s age wearing leggings and a non-ass covering shirt, I’m going to have to start handing out business cards with a link to my “Look Ma, NO PANTS!!!” post.) Net-a-porter has a decent sampling of the brand’s footwear in their online boutique if you are opposed to buying directly from Marni’s online boutique. Barneys carries Marni online as well. As is standard there are variations in what is available from different retailers. Some of you may be lucky enough to find these gems in person nearby.