Sunshine and lollipops

It's a gorgeous day outside and I'm celebrating both it, and a fun graduation ceremony (not mine) with some summery staples.

Not sure if I've talked about Mayle on here before, the designer Jane Mayle made some of the prettiest clothes I've ever seen before she decided to close up shop. I would adore owning a pair of her shoes someday, but until then... the clothes will have to do. This dress was of course and eBay find, and I had to haggle with the seller (who wears my size and has the most awesome clothes, but marks things up what I consider to be a bit outrageously), but here it is in it's beauty.

The shoes were a super-bargain Off 5th find when the first opened nearby. I don't think I'll ever find as good of a deal as I got on these again ($60 marked down from $600).

Mayle dress from the "Ten Little Indians" Collection

Christian Louboutin Peanuts in Blush

Fit on the dress is small. This is a 10, the largest size the brand makes... and while I am still carrying a bit of "winter weight", even when I'm not it's pretty snug.

The shoes also run small. These are a 37.5, and I could have worn a 38 comfortably. The toe-box is pretty wide on these, so it makes them very comfortable combined with the lower heel height.

Chrissie Morris "Zena"

On the continuation of lovely shoes I saw in New York (really, I'm not sure there's much else I did but consumeristicly gawk at shoes), I saw many brands I've been previously unaware of.

The next brand on my radar is Chrissie Morris. I wanted to check out the venerated store Kirna Zabete, and I wasn't disappointed with the selection of off-beat, unusual, enigmatic shoes.

This pair of fabulous stingray heeled sandals was my favorite in the store. I'm not usually drawn to chunkier-heeled shoes at all, but these looked and felt great on. The color combo and the glorious stingray (no really, check the closeup) make these shoes so glam. I have a soft spot for exotics, and the glittery look of stingray makes them extra special.

Chrissie Morris Zena Platform Sandal

Closeup of the Stingray material

Fit seemed maybe a bit small. These are the 37, and I could not have sized-down to my usual 36.5 without overhang. They felt incredibly comfortable but a little overpowering for me to wear. They are available online at Kirna Zabete.

Boots and a bonus!

So I didn't really pick anything up in New York (a pair of hold-ups at Agent Provocateur and some inexpensive lingerie at Century 21), which is good because when I went to Off 5th, I also happened to pick up this pair.

Let me preface this by saying I hate peep-toe boots. Well, hated. I mean all I can think is "why?" or "when am I supposed to where these?!" The booties seem a little bit more reasonable and year-round, but boots are generally meant for cooler weather and the peep doesn't mesh with that.

I also kind of think Alexander Wang is overrated (there, I said it). Or maybe just overpriced.

When I saw these Freja boots in-store, though, I thought they looked really cool. Not in the hip minimalist way I'm always jealous I can't pull off, but just cool-kid awesome. They were on sale pretty cheap and I had an extra coupon. I couldn't resist. The best test of knowing that these were for me was that I wore them within a few days of buying them.

Alexander Wang Freja Boot

The shoes can be worn up or folded down (I prefer them down), and even have a snap in the back to keep them in place.


Fit on the shoes is true-to-size to slightly large. These are a 36. I really needed a 36.5 and probably could have worn a 37, but this was what they had and I had no toe overhang. Comfort is so-so. I think had I sized up in these they would be really comfortable, but the zipper area digs a little. I might try to put moleskin underneath where the zippers are to see if that helps. I wore these for 4 hours the first time I wore them and I definitely felt it. They are still available on Outnet in many sizes (though for considerably more than they were at Off 5th).

As a bonus, I wanted to talk about Sally Hansen Salon effects nail strips. I was skeptical of these, and worried they would look tacky on, but I LOVE them! I bought the laced-up and misbehaving (bogo at Rite-Aid). They took awhile to put on (maybe 20 minutes), but they were very easy to work with and the kit has long enough nail strips to do two applications. It's only been one day, so I will report back how long these have lasted me when they start to chip.

Sally Hansen Salon effects in Laced-Up

Ruia Shoes

While I was window-shopping in Soho, I came across the cutest shoe store, Ruia (65 Mercer Street) -- full of brands I'd never heard of!

From my view on the street, I spied a pair of gorgeous lace booties. I stopped in my tracks and headed straight inside to get a closer look. Upon closer inspection, I could tell I was in for a treat.

The sales associate I spoke with mentioned that these brands are all quite popular in Europe, and the owner wanted to bring a bit of the European class to the US. I was astounded by the quality and detailing on shoe offerings.

My favorite pair in the store was the very pair that caught my eye from the street. From designer Lislie Yeung, these are certainly one of the more unique pairs I've had the chance to see.

I am a sucker for anything lace, and I loved the overlay that zippered in the back.

Lislie Young Solstiss Chantilly bootie and Black Calf bootie

I only got the chance to try on the Chantilly bootie, but the sizing was true-to-size (I took a 37). The pitch was a little steep for me, but it was difficult to gauge comfort since I had been walking around all day.

All of the shoes in-store were interesting and unique. Some of the brands carried include Dora, Twice, Missoni, Loriblu, and Baldan.

Loriblu shoes

Baldan shoes

Some of the boot offerings at Ruia

Ruia offers free messenger service in the city and will ship shoes across the globe! Check out their website for some amazing and unusual shoes you probably won't find on Zappos.

Back from the Big city

So my trip was fabulous, as expected. I got to see some lovely people I've met before, and some great new faces to add to my circle of friends. There is too much to document in one posting, so for the first one I will just feature my purpose of the trip - hang out with my fellow shoe lovers.

I arrived a day earlier than the meetup, and had a great shopping buddy in my friend Jan. We weren't sure what stores we would get to see with the meetup crew, so we decided to hit up the Louboutin Boutique in the West Village (58 Horatio Street).

I fell in love with the Luxura style online, and was happy for the chance to try it on in-store. Not gonna lie, it was hard prying these from my feet. They looked so sumptuous and the maryjane style made the height really secure. In the end, 140mms are just not practical for my everyday life, so here's hoping they pop up on sale or eBay for a decent price.

Christian Louboutin Luxura 140mm in Ultraviolet Suede

These were fairly true-to-size for me. I tried on the 37, and while they felt a bit big, I'm not sure if that was because I had been walking around since 6:30 that morning. I would want to try them on again when my feet aren't swollen, but I would feel confident ordering either a 36.5 or 37. The comfort was decent for the height, but again, being 140s the comfort wasn't amazing.

Since none of the styles were really wowing me, I decided to instead try on the 'wilder' pairs. This was my favorite by far, the Pigalili. I cannot walk in 120s without a platform, and I definitely cannot walk in these death-traps, but lawdy they pretty.

The Pigalili combines sassy spikes with refined crystals. The flashy gold specchio heel ties them all together. Personally, the gold is a bit much for me. I think some celebrity could wear them with a panache I don't have. The black was much more subdued, but they didn't have my size.

Christian Louboutin Pigalili 120 in Gold

The sizing on the 120 pigalle is huge. These were the 36.5s and as you can see they are big on me. I would need a 36, however the sides cut SO low that my foot was spilling out. This really isn't a style that works well on me (in 120, I love the 100s), but there's no denying their sex appeal.

On Saturday, my lovely shoe pals and I headed to several stores, and nearing the end of our tour at the Madison Louboutin boutique (965 Madison Avenue). There was quite a large group of us, but some of us posed in a "shoe circle" of sorts. I'm in the blue leopard pair.


I scaled down my travel bag to contain 3 pairs of shoes (plus one I wore there and back), and 6 outfits. I didn't end up wearing everything, but I was pretty happy with my choices. This is what I wore on Friday. I will document the other outfits with the other New York installments.

Helmut Lang jacket, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Atlantic Sunday dress, Christian Louboutin Adona flats, Botkier Trigger, Vintage necklace