It's Fashion Friday!: No Need For Cold Feet

SmartWool Popcorn Cable Sock

           Today is Black Friday. It is a somber day. There’s a lot of mindless idiocy going on in the shopping malls and people are buying up anything they can that’s on sale, just because it’s on sale. Or they’re committing senseless violence so that they can be the one to take home the discounted electronic product they see in another’s hands. It’s ridiculous and disgusting. It makes absolutely no sense. I would like to help bring some grounding to the situation by talking about feet. More specifically, as it is Fashion Friday, clothing for feet – socks!

            I have mixed feelings about socks. It’s really been quite an evolution of thought. It started with “Fun and wacky socks are awesome!” Next came, “I’m really sick of socks that stick out over my sneakers. I want all short socks.” Very quickly after that thought was, “Why the hell don’t they make socks for girls with big feet?! Every pair of socks I have has a hole in the toe after I’ve worn it three times. Screw this, I’m buying men’s sneaker socks.” “I’m sick of socks! Is it summer yet? I don’t want to wear socks anymore. Flip-flops! YES! NO SOCKS! Wait, I don’t need to wear socks with UGGS? I can go year round without socks! JACKPOT!”

Puma Running Socks

The most recent sentiment has been, “Life is too short to spend searching for socks that match. I’m just going to grab two and hope that no one notices.” To simplify and assist that last sentiment, my sock stock has become mostly Puma sneaker style socks, black with different color writing. They’re all very similar, so I can grab two and have sort of the same thing. I highly recommend these Puma socks because they are a little bit longer than the average sock, so they don’t bust at the toe on my long feet. Some of them also have a little extra cushion under the ball of the foot. Or they’ll have a bit of compression around the arch. I really can’t speak highly enough of the Puma sock.

Patagonia Light Weight Merino Crew Sock

Patagonia makes some nice socks too. They’re pretty expensive though. I am only lucky enough to know about these because on one rainy day in NYC I happened to step in a puddle with my UGGS. Remember how I told you how great the soles on those are? How the water just seeps up from the bottom to make sure you have nice clean feet? Yeah, that was NOT a fun experience. Luckily, I was loaned an excellent pair of Patagonia wool socks. They were quite nice to borrow (it would probably be more accurate at this point to say that I have stolen them) – so warm, soft, and snug. And they were men’s socks so they were big enough for my feet. I don’t know why they make women’s socks so small. (All right, so my feet are a solid two sizes larger than the average woman, but still!) Not to mention, it’s fun to wear other people’s stuff because it reminds you of them. SmartWool socks are also great, but expensive. I don’t know how people can rationalize spending $20 on a pair of socks.

Maybe they don’t have to. Maybe everyone buys their $20 socks on sale on Black Friday. I will not be doing that. I do hope that along with their socks, the majority of people are buying some pants. I have to say that I was in Boston last weekend and noticed quite a lot of ladies NOT wearing pants. I even shouted, “Why isn’t anyone wearing any pants?!” and “Look, I can see her underwear!!!!” Do I need to republish my original blog post? Perhaps I shall, since Thanksgiving feasting has rendered me too lazy to write any more…….. 

"Look Ma, NO PANTS!!!"

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.