Pea green with envy

For about a month I successfully shoe-banned myself. Then these shoes happened. I'm fairly new (and will probably remain that way) to Rene Caovilla shoes, having only tried on a few pairs (I do own those snake shoes, too), but their allure keeps growing on me.

So, back to the shoe ban. I still have saved searches on eBay, and this brand is one of them, you know... in case a good deal comes along. Interestingly enough, just that deal came along last week and I ended up winning this pair of vintage gorgeousness... for $17. I couldn't believe it myself, and honestly I still can't believe no one bid more.

Vintage Rene Caovilla Grosgrain Ribbon, Mesh and Leather heels

With my new green heels in tow, I set out to find a dress for them. Armed with a J. Crew gift card, I took advantage of their extra 30% off sale code (which ends today, the 28th) and found a pretty dress that seemed to match the Mad Men vibe of these shoes.

I know a lot of people aren't a fan of matchy-matchy, but sometimes I think it's pretty great.

J. Crew Leighton dress in Pine

I can't wait to get the dress, and wear it (provided it fits okay). I'll be sure to post the results.

Fit on the shoes is small, but comparable to vintage sizing. These are a 37, and they are fine in length but narrow at the toe-box. Because of the mesh front of the shoe, I would be worried about the integrity of the shoe if I tried to stretch them, so I do not plan on it. In general, Caovilla shoes are not made for wider feet.

On my radar: Minimarket

I have long-admired the Minimarket zipper-back wedges, and when Outnet had a Minimarket sale, I was hoping to snag them. I didn't but instead, I was introduced to their bridge line -- Mini for Many.

There were a few pair of Mini for Many shoes I thought were cool, but my eyes zeroed in on these wedges that reminded me of "ones that got away" (Christian Louboutin Tigresse Wedges in the Zebra pattern). They were incredibly inexpensive, and I thought would be perfect for spring, so I took a chance.

In the order (which I also ordered a Mini for Many skirt -- which ran REALLY small), they arrived in the cutest bag!

Inside the bag was a pair of the most adorable cotton-canvas wedges, and I was even more excited upon seeing them on!

Mini for Many Cotton-Canvas striped Wedges

Fit on these is large. I followed Outnet's sizing advice and ordered down. These are a 36, and the length and width of them is perfect. They are incredibly comfortable, and I cannot wait for this weather to pass so I can wear them!

How I put it all together: an outfit to the Ballet

I know I'm not the only person who "saves" shoes (or clothes) for special occasions. I had just the special occasion recently. I knew what dress I wanted to wear, but was debating between two pair of shoes. In the end, I went for red to match the theme of the night.

These lovely shoes were a surprise eBay find. I think I've mentioned before, "strassed" shoes are decidedly out of my budget, but when these showed up million percent off retail online I decided to bite. Initially when I first saw them, I thought they might be kind of "eh" in person, but for the deal I got them for, I figured I could always make back what I paid for them if I didn't like them in person.

Well, as you can guess, I adored them in person -- but there was one issue. The seller listed them as having a 4" heel height, and when they came I could see they were very much 5"... without a platform. My experiences with non-platformed 5" heels has been that I cannot walk in them. I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived and I found them way easier to walk in than previous attempts.

Christian Louboutin Alta Rita Diam S/S 10

They look so tall, right? All in all, I'm glad I kept them, and even happier to have saved them for a lovely occasion: drinks with friends; then off to a local ballet company's performance of Dracula. The shoes were a big hit, and I felt they added the perfect touch to my outfit.

The dress was a huge discount find from Nordstrom. I love DVF wrap dresses and was happy to have this Svetlana in my collection.

Diane Von Furstenberg Svetlana in "Spanish Nights"

And of course, an obligatory "shoes in action" picture, as pictured with the gorgeous chandelier inside the performance space. I'm sure you can imagine the looks I got when taking the picture (obviously not taken *during* the performance).


Fit on these is small for open-toe, and especially small considering the pitch of the shoes. When I've tried 120mm shoes without a platform, generally I've had to size down a half to a full size. These are actually a half-size UP from my open-toe shoe size, and the length is just right. I have mild slippage with the strap at the ankle, but with strappy strips they were great. The comfort was actually very decent for the height. They certainly weren't slippers, but I wore them for several hours that night with no discomfort.

In the name of LOVE

Sharing these lovely Net-A-Porter exclusives that I scored at an Outnet sale.


This entry also marks the entrance of a new camera to take pictures with, given to me by my own Valentine. It's going to take some time to learn, but maybe the future pictures will be all winsome-blog worthy.

Christian Louboutin LOVE pumps in Black suede with Dorado strass

Happy Valentine's Day.

Fit is slightly bigger than true-to-size. I didn't know this at the time (and Outnet only had whole sizes available) but the LOVE pumps are based on the Ron Ron last (I had thought they were Decollete, which run VERY small for me). These are a 37, and very slightly big. Since they are suede and will stretch, a 36.5 would have been best, but nothing heel grips can't help!

Stuart Weitzman Kimbow

Shoes just keep getting higher and higher, don't they? I've been trying not to go too much above 4" on the heel height (right), but I love these feminine shoes from Stuart Weitzman.

At 5 1/4" inches in height, it's hard to deny their power. Anything that tall automatically makes me think "fierce", but not these shoes. They are so pretty and dainty, a feat for something so high, in my opinion. I am in love with the stitch detailing on the platform. I think I would prefer these as a closed-back peep-toe, but I admit they are pretty great as-is.

Stuart Weitzman Kimbow in Adobe Aniline

Fit seems to be slightly small for open-toe, and especially considering the height (where I usually have to size down because of the pitch). I took these in a 37. Because they are slingbacks, I perhaps could have taken my usual size, but I may have had a bit of overhang in the back. The comfort was "okay" given the height. I think the sling factor might make these slightly more difficult to walk in, but I didn't find them painful.

They come in black, adobe and cream patent. Available at Zappos and other retailers.

Tory Burch does tough girl

Tory Burch seems to be like Coach -- everywhere. Everyone swears by the comfort of the Revas, but they stabbed my foot when trying them on (my toes are very sensitive and the metal plate was hurty). I've avoided the brand for the most part, because I'm not a huge logo fan.

Fast forward to a recent trip to Nordstrom. "Oh hey, those blue shoes are niiiiice." And then I look closer and see the logo (on the inside of the shoe). I felt a little duped, but I'm not going to deny the beauty of these shoes. Plus they are named after me. Kind of.

Tory Burch Erinn

For the non-heel wearer out there, they style comes in a flat version, too.

Tory Burch Courtney flat shown with Erinn heel

I didn't try on the flats, but the heels fit large. I would have needed either a 6 or 6.5 with heel grips.

Note from the Shoe Lady: I'm going to be honest and admit I used to own a very discreet Tory Burch dress.

Celebrity designer doing it right (or at least doing a good job of copying others)

Jessica Simpson shoes have kind of been on my radar ever since she knocked off Louboutin Brogues (I think she did a patent/cork version? I remember seeing them sell for serious money on eBay). I find a lot of the shoes are "inspired bys", but sometimes there's something unique.


The Ely pump caught my eye immediately when I was at Macy's checking out the shoes. Very reminiscent of Ruthie Davis shoes (which I've lusted after but yet to try), I thought the powdery pink with the black was stunning.


Endless has them in three beautiful colorways, but I still like the one I tried on best. Fit was true-to-size to my open-toe size. I took these in a 6.5.

I haven't quite seen anything like these Cheetah pumps. The look of exotics without the guilt (or price, for that matter).


Fit was true-to-size. I tried on the 6.5, but the 7 would have been best for comfort.