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.

Baby it's cold outside

It's a nice day outside today, but I can feel the open-toe weather dwindling. Maybe in different regions one can get away with open-toe year-round, but this side of Pennsyltucky doesn't really lend itself to grin and bearing it when frost-bite is an issue.

When DSW first started carrying "luxury" shoes on their website, they were pretty cheap. Well, considering anyhow. These shoes showed up on the website 80% off retail, despite the fact they were still full-price on many websites and in-store. Never having tried anything by this brand, I decided to take a chance and hoped I would hate them in person, because I didn't really need them. Are you surprised I didn't hate them in person? Yeah, me either.

Seeing a picture of these off the foot really doesn't show them in all their splendor. On the foot? Hello, gorgeous. Lace-up shoes that hit right at the (c)ankle can be difficult to pull off, but these shoes are so damn sexy I can't stand it. (Hold the phone - I know it's creepy when I talk about my own shoes like that)

These shoes aren't in most retailers anymore, but I've seen the leather version pop-up on eBay, and I'd also check discounters as I saw this style make most final cuts. They came in fuchsia and black leather as well as the lace. They came in two heel heights, 3.5" inches and 4.5". These are the lower-heeled version.

Givenchy Gillie Lace Sandal, S/S 09

Fit is small and narrow. The 36.5 was the only size available to me at the time, but a 37 would have been much better. The leather version may be more forgiving in terms of width, since leather tends to stretch, but the canvas/linen blend of the uppers on this version has no give whatsoever.