Adieu, lovelies

Last night I had a wonderful time seeing a hilarious one-woman show called "Phone Whore". I don't go to the theater nearly enough, and I was glad to get out for this. Cameryn Moore was quite the charmer both on the stage, and afterwords when she invited the audience to join her at a local diner.

Theater always calls for a bit of primping, so I wore a favorite Rami Kashou dress. And not to be all "I liked him before Project Runway," but this dress was from when LetrainBleu carried his line. I wish I had gotten more of his pieces because his older stuff was really gorgeous and so rarely pops up on eBay.

The shoes were of course an eBay find, as mentioned here. They were quite a hit last night paired with the dress.

Rami Kashou dress

Miu Miu Harlequin Halter pumps

I probably shouldn't have stayed up quite so late last night because.... I'm headed off to the Big Apple tonight for a weekend filled with good food, great shopping, and fabulous ladies.

I'm beyond excited -- even if the use of Megabus is daunting ($2.50 round-trip tickets? I couldn't pass it up), and there is always the worry about hotels (3.5 star for $80ish per night, Pricelined).

With my trip in mind, I said goodbye to two pairs of shoes, making room for whatever may come home with me both in my bank account and my closet.

It pained me greatly to list the first pair. I've been trying to add more cool flats to my wardrobe, since I seem to have far too many heels. They were a one-off eBay find, and I had hoped the sizing would be okay. When they arrived, I was really sad to see they fit me weirdly. The length was okay, in theory, and the toe-box was wide enough... but the shoes kind of upturned at the end? They were definitely too small and squished my poor little tootsies. On the bright side, I have the heel version of these, so I can't be too upset.

Christian Louboutin Love Strass Flats

The second pair should have been a no-brainer for me. Even though they fit perfectly (true-to-US-size), I have three pair of nude shoes. Why do I need three pair of nude shoes? It's fairly obvious I don't, but I still I hemmed and hawed, thinking I could do a DIY with these. In the end I decided to part with them and bling another pair of shoes I own.

Christian Louboutin Nude Kid New Simple

I'm not sure what I'll bring home from New York. I may not bring home anything, but it's kind of liberating and refreshing thinking about the buffer I made in case I want to take more than a peek at the shoe selection there.

Mix and match, or I have great friends part deux

I'm not really an oxford kind of girl, but once awhile there's nothing like a good saddle shoe. A saddle shoe with lace? Well, color me sold.

The Bass loves Rachel Antonoff collection is a girly, fun take on the staple shoe. Perfect for Spring and Summer, and I think will be fabulous as I break out the vintage dresses.

These shoes were made possible with the help of my wonderful friend Sarah, of Motion and Heart. Not only did she help me get these, but as many things in fashion, she turned my eye to this collection in the first place.

So the shoes! It's not obvious from pictures online that I've seen, but the whites are actually more of a cream patent leather. The alternating parts are white leather covered with intricate black lace. I can't wait to wear them!

As a bonus, I am showcasing the lovely shoes with a pair of tights I couldn't pass up as well. I love the cheeky House of Holland designs, and these are no slouch. Please note, their "one size" is ridiculously small.

View the whole collection of Rachel Antonoff shoes on the Bass website.

Bass <3 Rachel Antonoff Beatrix Lace-up Oxfords, shown with Henry Holland Superstar tights

Fit on these seems true-to-size. I sized up a half size to 7.5 to allow for socks, but I think a 7 would have been perfect since I generally don't wear thicker socks in the warmer months. Comfort is really great! I'm a little worried about getting these dirty, so I don't foresee wearing them on mile-long walks, but I can tell they will be comfortable for all-day wear.

More green, less money

While at the outlets trying on a bunch of fabulous shoes, the first pair that caught my eye were a pair I'd actually reviewed (and loved) in September.

When reviewing my heels, I've noticed I don't have a lot that are under 4", or can be worn comfortably all day. I think these shoes meet those requirements, and are stylish to boot. It helps that they were steeply discounted and I had an extra coupon.

These are suede, which I typically reserve for cooler weather, but I think the brighter color lends itself to year-round wear. I can wait to break these out with vintage dresses!

Chie Mihara Arizona in Ante Charcoal F/W 2010

These are actually a 37.5, though a 36.5 or 37 would have been best. They are secure because of the ankle straps, and the extra room will allow me to pad for even more comfort. These seem to be out of stock at most stores, but ShopCoclico has a 38.5, and endless has a 41, though for the savings it's worth calling around various Off 5ths. Post a comment if you would like the SKU #.

A day at the outlets

Nothing says "Spring Break" like shoe shopping, right? Or maybe that's just how I am enjoying a nice day off from my usual routine. I haven't been outlet shopping in at least six months (maybe even a year) so I decided to make a venture there with my sweetie in tow. (Him? not so psyched on the shopping, but that's okay!)

I so rarely have someone shopping with me that it was a very nice treat to not have to take my own pictures. I tried on a zillion shoes, since the closest Off 5th to me is about 40 minutes away, and I wanted to get more bang for my buck!

The favorite pair of the day, that I didn't actually buy, were these boots from Proenza Schouler. I really loved the idea of them -- a backless boot with straps. The execution even felt amazing to me, but I didn't want to spend the money (they were still pretty expensive) on brown shoes. If they were black I might have gotten them just because they were awesome and so ridiculously comfortable.

Proenza Schouler Boot in Brown leather

I tried on the 37.5, and as you can see in the picture they are pretty big on me, especially around my ankles. I think the 37 might still have been a little big, but I like a lot of "toe room" in boots. They are available at Endless, but I would check around other Saks outlets because they are still nearly full-price. La Garconne has a similar pair in a high-wedge style for 50% off as well (though be aware they are final sale).

These Rag & Bone wedge booties were an amazing deal, but I had to pass on them because as much as I loved them, they aren't really "me". They are some cool hipster girl I'd like to be (well, sometimes), and I couldn't see them meshing with my wardrobe. Normally I go by "buy now, think later!" but I'm trying to keep myself instead to "will I really wear these?" La Garconne has them on sale in Taupe (though they were MUCH cheaper at Off 5th, if you wear a 7). Comfort was only so-so, which was another deciding factor in me passing.

Rag & Bone Combat Wedge

I'm really obsessed with python (or python print) in shoes, so of course I loved these pairs from Elizabeth and James. They were a size 10 (sandals) and 11 (wedges), and I couldn't find them online but the Off 5th at Tanger Outlets has them with an extra 20% off.

Elizabeth and James Sandal and Lace-up Wedge

As I've said a bunch, I really like netting/mesh in shoes. These Loeffler Randall "Georgia" booties were pretty cute and a really decent deal, but I found them uncomfortable. Loeffler Randall seems hit or miss on comfort in general (these are the 37).

Loeffler Randall Georgia in Black mesh/leather

And last but not least, a picture of me trying on the Loeffler Randalls, and the rest of my outfit. I like dressing up for shopping, because I can always get a better idea of how shoes I like will mesh with the rest of my wardrobe.

Vintage Coat, 3.1 Phillip Lim dress, Trasparenze Renella nylons, Loeffler Randall Georgia

All in all, a good day! I had a lot of fun trying on clothes, and I did pick a little something up, but I'll save that for next time. Happy Easter!

On the fence: opinions needed

I've been "visiting" these shoes at Nordstrom for the past two months. They went on sale and I finally bit. I think they are beautiful, and I'm pretty into the mesh/netting trend lately, but as much as I love them... trying to decide how much I need another pair of black dressy shoes.

Pros: D'orsay style (big fan), beautiful tulle detailing, very flattering on, comfort is okay for the height, perfect for weddings.
Cons: more than I'd normally spend for shoes made in China, do I really need these?

Discuss.

Note: The heel grips are temporarily place, the sticky backing has not been removed. It's just for fit.

Badgley Mischka "Dusk" in Black Tulle/Satin S/S 2011

Fit on these is slightly large. These are the 36.5, though the 36 fit as well (but was snug in the toe box). For the 36.5 I need heel grips. All of the Badgley Mischka shoes I tried on seem to fit slightly large as well.

An outfit for a bridal shower

Still trying to be more regular about documenting my outfits, this is an outfit I wore for a bridal shower this weekend.

The dress was a great find from the Outnet, from See by Chloe. I don't have much from this brand (or from Chloe either), but I find the dresses to be really cute. The Wolford stockings, by far my favorite pair and find ever, were a Marshall's find from awhile back that I posted about and the shoes from eBay (brand new in box, for a steal).

Kenzo for Wolford stockings with Christian Louboutin Charlene in Black Suede

Fit on the dress is maybe true-to-size to slightly small. This is a US 8, and fits well, but the way the pockets and pleating are lined up, make it maybe less flattering for hippier ladies (like myself).

The shoes are an older style, probably from 4-5 years ago. They are a 37, and fit true-to-size.

Lots of Choices

Pittsburgh may not be a mecca of fashion, but there are still some great gems around town. I found myself in one of them yesterday during a trip to the East End to get some specialty food items from another store in the area.

Choices has been around for over a decade, and has in my opinion, the most well-curated clothing and shoe selection I've seen in Pittsburgh. The clothing is chic and elegant, very minimalist in style with luxe accessories to match (including gorgeous Bottega Veneta woven clutches).

With pieces from Acne to Givenchy, each item seems to be artfully selected to have a spot in the store. I've long admired the shoe selection, as I can remember them carrying lovely styles I've lusted after over the years (including those Prada flower heels I have -- they carried the mule version), and the clothing is of impeccable taste.


I had the pleasure of talking with the owner Jeff Malkin, and it was really interesting hearing about the store from a retail perspective. I mentioned I was a Louboutin girl, and he talked about his first year with the store, when they weren't sure how much they were going to focus on shoes. When he spoke with the Monsieur at the time, they didn't have the production capabilities to handle the orders they already had taken. Alas, no Louboutin in Pittsburgh.



Too many standout shoes to list, I still wanted to highlight some favorites. Despite the lack of weather-incentive I have for Spring, it's still quite on my mind, so here were my favorite offerings for the season.

A sumptuous black leather wedge sandal from Givenchy. The width of the straps and height of the shoe seemed just perfect. They looked like a great go-to wedge for the Summer.

Givenchy Ankle-wrap Wedge in Black Leather

The Acne snake-embossed wedge sandal was a cool kid's cross-breed of sandal and bootie. I could see these toughening up any outfit.

Acne Wedge Sandal with Snake-embossed Leather heel

And, of course, I'm always drawn in by pretty. These Lanvin bow espadrilles are exactly that.

From L to R: Jimmy Choo Glenys, Bottega Veneta sandal, Lanvin espadrille

These are only a select few of what this amazing store has to offer. The size range varies by brand, but typically from 36-41, with an occasional 35 or 42 depending on brand and style. If you are in the area, and would like to stop in and check them out they are located at 5416 Walnut Street in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh. Not in the area? Give them a call at (412) 687-7600.