The replacements

Confession: I used to own five pair of Fryes. I now own one, and they aren't boots. Every other pair has been sold due to horrible stabbing pain from wearing, and the saddest betrayal was the Veronica.

They were so pretty, so perfect... so darn painful! I wore them on my last trip to New York and ended up selling them shortly after due to the blisters I received. (I actually wore heels instead for most of my walking which *didn't* cause me nearly the kind of pain those boots did)

Since they've been gone, I haven't found a great replacement. I have those Kmart Doc/Chloe Knockoffs but I really wanted something sleeker for dresses. I happened upon these Mossimo Kena boots while looking for shoes for kiddo at Target and they are fantastic.

Perfect flat boot that looks way more expensive than the $10 I paid for them on clearance. The non-leatherness is a bit off-putting, but for the comfort and style I'm a-okay with it.




Fit on these is true-to-size if you like thick socks with boots. These are the 6.5 and they are wonderful with thinner socks, a little tight if I were to wear thicker socks. I didn't measure the calf-circumference, but it is really forgiving. There are three snaps to change the size of the opening at the calf, and I imagine they would accommodate at least 16". They appear to be out of stock online, but it's definitely worth a trip to your local Target to find them because they are on sale in-store!

Happy New Year!

Good morning, sunshine!

Nothing like sale shoes to kick start my day. I only wish the selection at Saks had been better. I arrived bright and early around 7:45 am to be greeted by a crowd of maybe 50 people, most of them seemingly set on the shoe department as we raced in when the doors opened.

My first thought was "where are the shoes??" Then I noticed the racks that looked like this:

(size 7-7.5 rack of shoes)

And of course, the sad selection of boots.

I actually really love the Prada maryjane "fakeout" boots, but they were not my size (and really, I wouldn't spend that much on tacky no matter how much I love it).

Prada Bi-Color Suede Boots in Red-Nude FW 2011

I only ended up trying on one pair, a Suede Fringed bootie from Gucci. It wasn't love. I ended up going home with nothing but some much needed thrill from getting to (window-)shop.

These were the 36.5, slightly larger than what I usually take in boots (I find Gucci to run large in general, except for the calf-width of boots). I found the pitch to be a little uncomfortable, even with the platform. Suede is almost never practical in Pittsburgh anyhow. Very cute for a night out, though.

The only shoe that *really* stood out for me was the Jimmy Choo "Begonia". Very classic and understated, and of course, not on sale. I think these will be a sleeper hit for spring. Lower-heeled, but the netting makes them a sexier version of a classic pump. Didn't get a chance to try them on as this was the last pair in store!

Jimmy Choo Mesh and Patent Leather "Begonia" Pump

I've been wearing non-stop a pair of boots I actually got from Target. They were a $10 bargain buy I bought to replace my long-gone Frye Veronicas (which stabbed my feet to no end). They are fabulous and I will chronicle them later this week.

Happy Holidays!

Yeah, I know. It's been awhile. I keep apologizing for that, don't I? Well I haven't done much in the way of shoe shopping (though I do have some goodies to share later I suppose).

For a holiday party, I couldn't decide which shoes to wear, and actually I wanted to wear my Miu Miu "Ice Cream Pumps" because I thought they were more festive... but I couldn't find them in my mess. In the end, I settled on these bright and happy Ferragamos (as chronicled here).

The dress was a find back in the day when I felt Anthropologie actually had awesome sales (once in awhile there's still a good deal, but I miss when they did those extra % off sales), and this gorgeous dress was $10. It seemed perfect for the occasion and I paired it with black tights to keep me warm and matching shoes.

Salvatore Ferragamo Cera Lacca in Red Patent

I hope you are having a warm winter and fabulous time! I will try to be more regular in the New Year!

A Night at the Opera

I have to say, for the size that Pittsburgh is, we are lucky to have some incredible talent about. Last night I got to witness said talent with a friend at the Pittsburgh Opera's performance of "La Traviata". It was amazing, of course, and I'm always excited to have an excuse to dress up.

I bought this vintage dress years ago and had intended on hemming the length. I obviously didn't get around to it yet, but thought it was perfect for my night out. The back is my favorite part of the dress, but I love it for it's ostentatious elegance.

The shoes were an eBay find that I was actually kind of disappointed in when they arrived. I couldn't decide if the toe was too pointy, and while they kind of are, they grew on me.

Finishing up the look is my favorite hold-ups, the "Lerici" style from Trasparenze.

Christian Louboutin Wherever Strass in Black Velvet

Fit on the shoes is actually large-to-size. These are a 37, and I need both heel grips and padding in them to keep them on my feet. Comfort is great for the height!

Think pink

I've been trying to be better about more regular haircuts, and having finally found a hairstylist I really find amazing for the first time in a good many years, I actually decided to stick with it (Shane at Ross Park Philip Pelusi). While I was there, I talked about how excited I am to be working at a job that doesn't care if I have pink or blue hair, and he mentioned that they were doing pink extensions for breast cancer awareness/fundraising. I decided to get one. I think it looks awesome.

While at the mall, I tried on a few pair of fall shoes and really liked these.

Joan and David Jora pump in Violet Suede

Fit was true-to-size to slightly large. These are the 6.5, but a 6 would have fit with some stretching. The length was okay, but I did have a bit of heel slippage. Comfort was "okay". The pitch is a bit more severe even though the height is only 4", but they would be okay for a couple hours on my feet. They are also available in black, orange and red at Nordstrom.

Also really into the brightly hued versions of these patent leather and suede pumps from Enzo Angiolini.

Enzo Angiolini Castalia in Dark Blue Suede

Fit on these is slightly large to size. I tried on the 6 and they crunched my toes slightly, but with some stretching would have been great.

P(f)urrrfect

Fur seems to be so on-point for fall, and then there's my love of all things Rene Caovilla (and ostentation), which leads me to this latest eBay find.

The taupe satin meshed with the pop of fur at the toe with little jewels embedded make them spectacular. I still like the Gianvito Rossi pair I posted before, but I think these are pretty wonderful, and more practical for my life.

I'm thinking of making them a bit more showy and either glittering the satin or putting crystals on it, but for now I think I'll leave them as they are and let them shine in their simplicity.

Vintage Rene Caovilla Gold Laminato Leather and fur shoes

Fit on these is small-to-size. These are a 37, and while the heel strap is a bit stretched from the previous owner, the length is just right. I'll add a pair of strappy strips to these shoes to make them fit better and then they'll be perfect!

Outfit of the Night

Dinner last night with my fella, for his birthday. We went to Eleven, but his commentary on dinner was "Red Lobster does it better" (he had the seafood tasting). If you're curious to check out the restaurant, you should sign up for Big Burrito's mailing list. They mail you a $30 off dinner coupon for your birthday when you sign up. I'll admit, I was kind of underwhelmed by my dinner as well (though I've been there a few times before and have always enjoyed it), but the ambiance is nice and getting dressed up is always fun.

This was my first time wearing this dress, and it was tricky to wear. I don't have a good backless bra (or not one that is this backless, anyhow), and I am kicking myself I never ordered that Maidenform one before they took it off the market. If you have any suggestions along those lines that would work for a D cup, let me know.

For last night, I used an "adhesive bra" I found at Target (it was actually glorified masking tape), and I can't help but think there is a better solution out there. It worked for the night but the "lift" was negligible.

Kimberly Ovitz Martin dress in Black

Christian Louboutin Clic Clac pumps in Black Suede with Lace Inset

Fit on the dress is true-to-size (this is a size 8 and fits me well), and the shoes are small-to-size. They are a 37 and are slowly stretching because they were more comfortable last night than previously.

In the name of love

Funny thing about the outfit I wore to a wedding this weekend: a guest at the table I was sitting at, asked if the tights had anything else on them that was "hidden" i.e., "were they more risqué than they seemed." I suppose seamed stockings might seem risqué, but I thought these were cute and appropriate for a wedding? Maybe my "appropriateness" barometer is off.

ASOS love-seamed stockings, vintage dress, Christian Louboutin Charlene in black suede

I got these from ASOS (out of stock), but Pamela Mann makes what appears to be the exact same tights, available at mytights.com.

Missoni X Target

I had the day off today, so I made a quick trek to Target to check out the Missoni stuff. Boy was it picked over! That's okay, though. I checked out the shoes and clothes, and ended up with the sweater pictured (size medium, though large would have been nice too), a bra/underwear set.

I'm already on the fence about my purchases, because I think I was buying into the hype, but they are cute and out-of-stock so I'm going to wait-it-out to see how I feel over the next few days.

MissoniXTarget sweater

MissoniXTarget Children's Rainboots

MissoniXTarget pumps

Fit on the rainboots is large. Those are the children's size 5, and they fit me perfectly. I did not try on the adult versions because the color selection seemed washed out. I'll admit, if I did not already own rainboots, I would have picked these up. They are super cute.

Fit on the pumps is slightly large as well -- but in line with mass-market sizing (which seems to run much larger for me), these are a 6.5. Personally, these didn't impress me at all.

This line was much-hyped, and well-worth the hype -- but the intense Black Friday feel of the merchandise/shopping experience leaves me loathe to go back and see if they restock/what else I'm interested in.

Vacation window shopping

I've been out-of-town the last two weekends, so I'm still crashing from the tiredness and overactivity, but I did manage to make a stop into Saks in Columbus. I had promised my fella that I would be good and only spend 20 minutes (yeahrite) in the store looking at shoes, so I made it short and sweet only trying on a few pairs I really loved.

As always, I tried to be discreet with the shoe picture-taking, hence the low-quality cell pics. Owell!

First up is a pair of booties I am dying over. I find the ankle cutout very unique and extremely sexy. The salesman who waited on me in the store called them "cute", which I found kind of funny. I'm still pretty shoe-banned, but even if I weren't I would be a little hesitant to buy a pair of booties with such a thin heel. But if money grew on trees....

Christian Louboutin Lisse Bootie in Black Nappa

Fit on these was true-to-size. My feet were quite swollen from walking around all weekend, so the 37 felt a bit tight, but would be perfect sans swollen feet. They were a bit tricky to get on, but felt wonderful after I zipped them up. As I stated above, the heel made me quite nervous. Definitely not "city walking" shoes.

No collection has stunned me more than Prada this season. Lots of luxe suede and vintage throwbacks made me want to gobble up everything. The pictures don't do the shoes justice, but here they are anyhow.

Prada Suede and Calf-hair lace-up Wedges

Prada Suede Slingbacks

Fit on both pairs felt true-to-size. I am wearing the 36 in the slings, and the 36.5 would have been best (my usual open-toe size), and in the wedges I am wearing a 38, while a 37 would have been perfect. Both were uber-comfortable and chic.

All of the above shoes can be found online at Saks, Neiman's, Bergdorf, etc, but I wholeheartedly recommend the wonderful sales associate that waited on me at the Columbus Saks: David. He was polite, not pushy and very knowledgeable.

The shoes I am wearing in the picture are Louboutin "She's Back". They have become one of my favorite, most-worn pairs of shoes. They got me through the last two weekends, and even a makeshift stint volunteer waitressing for charity.

I don't know if I ever blogged about these, I bought awhile back -- as you can tell from the picture, it was still snowing, but they are fabulous! So fabulous a random father shopping with his family stopped to compliment me on my shoes!

The worst kind of sale goggles

So my life has been in flux a lot as of late, hence the length between posting. I did start a job recently I had hoped would turn permanent, but alas, it didn't end up that way. On the bright side, I found a job I'm very excited about in my chosen field (graphic design). I start Tuesday, and as a treat to myself I bought a pair of shoes (surprise!).

I think my love affair with rubber is growing, and I was ecstatic to see these Melissa x Jean Paul Gaultier stilletos on major clearance. The lines on them are so sexy, and the thinness of the heel slays me. From the other pair of Melissa shoes I have, I knew these would be incredibly comfortable, too.

Here comes the caveat. I take them home to try on and get more excited about my great find only to realize the pair are two right shoes. I called the store, they have no more and they are unable to track them down. So bummed. Yoox has them, but for $100 more :/ If you see them for under $100 (in either black or black/grey), let me know!

Melissa x Jean Paul Gaultier Heels

Fit on these is true-to-size to slightly small. These are the 38 or "US 7" and they are a little big in the back. I could have taken probably either a 7 or 6 and been fine. Now I just have to find them!

Purple Everything

I'm lazy, let's polyvore. Money tree, pretty please?

purple everything by erinmiyu featuring high heels

Charlotte Olympia platform pumps
$810 - nordstrom.com

Nicholas Kirkwood high heels
$1,049 - mytheresa.com

Christian Louboutin purple heels
£495 - matchesfashion.com

Brian Atwood high heels
$580 - net-a-porter.com

Fendi high heels
$835 - bergdorfgoodman.com

Miu Miu high heels
$1,195 - barneys.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs high heels
$350 - barneys.com

WALTER STEIGER high heels
$750 - barneys.com

Badgley Mischka high heels
$245 - heels.com

What I want now: OTT (over-the-top)

As a lover of ostentatious and eccentric, of course I was drawn to these shoes the moment they popped up on my Polyvore search of Fur shoes (don't tell PETA). I love the idea of a splash of fur or feathers on a pair of shoes, kind of a boudoir effect for day or night outside of the actual bedroom.

These shoes make me want to bleach my hair, don a white goddess dress, and do my best at outshining the White Witch. They're that amazing.

I remember seeing the first collection of Altuzarra when it came out (online, like the rest of the plebes) and being floored at what I was seeing. It shouldn't surprise me that the collection would even further astound me with the shoes by Gianvito Rossi. I'm not very familiar with either, but I look forward to even more great things to come.

Gianvito Rossi for Altuzarra Sparkle Fur Strap Pump

They are currently available for pre-order at Barneys.

Sock Dreams

I'm sure I'm not the only one abhorring the heat wave going on in the northeast right now. With temperatures that have been touching 100 degrees, I've been trying to keep cool with the bare minimum. Now I can add socks to that.

I had a party to go to at a friend's house in the south hills, so I decided to hit up a Gabriel Brothers I'm seldom able to get to. I was beginning to think my trip was a bust until I saw a plethora of cute socks just waiting there for me, all cute and cheap from Betsey Johnson. I can't wait to wear them, now I'm just trying to figure out office-appropriate looks for these gems. Perhaps that may be another post... just how I am able to work these into my wardrobe.

The star socks seem to be the easiest to break out, but for now I may be relegating these to only peeking out of pants.


I am picturing these "Peekabo" socks with a modest heel or flats and a black babydoll dress. Might as well relive my youth. DSW has them here.

Betsey Johnson Peekaboo sock

I could see these Twinkle socks with a chunkier sandal for night and a vintage dress. Karmaloop has them for sale here, and Sockdreams has them here.

Betsey Johnson The Teensy Twinkle Sock

I think I might have to check the sock section more often at Gabes if this is what kind of treasures are to be found! If you have outfit suggestions, let me know how you picture these paired.