Strawberry Shoes Forever

My friend Michele, who is married to a Brazilian man, introduced me to Melissa shoes. She recently returned from a vacation there, and she came back with the most amazing footwear for herself and her daughter. Made in Brazil, they’re fashioned from MELFLEX PVC that’s durable, flexible, hypoallergenic, recyclable, and…wait for it…fruit-scented.

Intrigued by the concept, I decided to try to find them online. Nordstrom, as always, came through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the ‘Ultragirl Sweet’ Hidden Wedge Peep-Toe Skimmer, available in black tortoise and sand. It’s one of the most comfortable flats I’ve ever worn, and the hidden wedge gives me that extra bit of height that I’m always craving. I managed to find them on sale, but even though they’ve gone back to full price, they’re still very reasonable for a non-leather shoe.

If there’s a little girl in your life, you might want to look into Mini Melissas—also available at Nordstrom. One pair is more adorable than the next!

‘Tis the Season for Booties

One of my favorite styles for winter is shorter skirts and dresses with tights and booties. The look is crisp and polished, and the tights make it possible to venture into shorter (translation: fun and youthful) lengths without showing any skin.

The ideal footwear for this look is the Netta bootie by Kate Spade. Available at Nordstrom in both black and grey suede, it’s currently on sale for 40% off. The gold trim on the inside of the heel and the tiny gold-studded bow in the back allow it to be dressed up a bit more than a basic bootie. It’s a great choice for the holiday season!

Yet another dress

Alas, there’s no sign of my dress passion fading. Suffice it to say that last night I had a dream that the feds had accessed my financial records, and their conclusion was: “This woman spends too much money on too many dresses!” Given the fact that most of my purchases have been on (significant) sale, “too much money” isn’t exactly accurate. I will admit, however, that “too many dresses” is.

Setting all of that aside for the moment, this is my latest acquisition. It’s part of Nordstrom’s 40% off sale, which I find hard to resist. To be sure, it will show up at a party or dinner this holiday season.

 

Houndstooth Flats—A Great Look for Fall

I’m on a flats kick. While my passion for heels will never disappear, every now and then I sidestep and go for something completely different.

There’s something fun and playful about flats, and I especially love them with brightly colored skinny jeans. And now that the weather is cooling off, I find that they’re a stylish and comfortable look with a tank or cami, cardigan, and flowy scarf.

I found these on the Nordstrom website and fell immediately in love.

The houndstooth pattern is both traditional and playful, and the comfort level is second to none. I usually have a hard time with flats because my feet are slightly narrow with a high arch, and I often get a gap that is both unattractive and uncomfortable. Not so with these. When I can resist the urge to want to be 5’10”, I pass on the lofty pumps and reach for these.

Let’s talk about boots, shall we?

For starters, who are this season’s boots made for anyway?

After a recent visit to Nordstrom, fueled by the rather incredible anniversary sale prices, I sat in the shoe department for nearly an hour trying on pair after pair. In every instance, the shaft was enormously wide and came up to mid-knee. The look was akin to a pair of trumpets on my legs, and tucking in skinny jeans did nothing to take up the slack. I was frustrated and disappointed, because the styles were quite wonderful.

[I feel the need to interject that I do not have particularly scrawny calves. I’m in the gym at least five days a week, and while I may not be ripped, I can flex a decent calf muscle.]

The sales associate who was helping me seemed as disillusioned as I was. It was clear that he had run into this problem before, and he wasn’t very happy about having dissatisfied customers walk away empty-handed.

“The brand you need to try is Aquatalia,” he said. “The shaft is cut much smaller, but I don’t have any of them on sale.”

“Fear not,” I replied. “that’s why we have the Internet.”

And that’s how I discovered these.

I’ve owned Aquatalia boots in the past, so I know they tend to run a half size small. With this is mind, I ordered up and landed a perfect fit. The shaft doesn’t stick out from my leg, yet it expands to accommodate a pair of tucked-in jeans. They’re comfortable, waterproof, and stylish, and the woven design sets them apart from other equestrian boots on the market. They’re also made in Italy, which almost always works for me. Perhaps best of all, they’re on sale for 40 percent off.
I’m a happy shopper.

Pencil Skirt Dilemma

I own this:

I like this:

Both have interesting texture, but are they different enough to warrant having both in my wardrobe?

Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale

Anyone with the shopper gene knows that this event is currently underway. Those same DNA-enhanced people are likely cruising the Nordstrom site on a fairly regular basis to see what fabulous bargains they might discover. Such was the case with my friend Penny, who loves shoes but has a hard time wearing heels. Because she’s such a good friend, she has no problem passing on her finds to me, and her I-can’t-have-’em-but-you-can attitude led to these:

Nordstrom and/or Miz Mooz call them a T-strap, but I disagree—probably because I’ve always hated T-straps. Also, I dare you to find a T-shape anywear in the design.

Miz Mooz shoes are consistently made of the softest, plushest leather, and this lovely shade of green is perfect for spring. I also love the retro look, which seems to be part of a phase I’m going through these days. My guess is that I’ll wear these happily through spring, summer, and early fall.

Thanks, Penny!

I have no will power.

I’ve been lusting after these sandals since last summer.

They’re by Stuart Weitzman…no surprise there…and I am hopelessly in love with them. Steve Madden has done an inexpensive knock-off this season that’s profoundly similar in design, but unlike the khaki neutral of the Weitzman shoe, Madden’s is a muddy brown. And I just can’t go there.

There’s something in my DNA that viscerally resists the idea of looks-like-the-real-deal-but-is-a-cheap-imitation. It’s compounded by the fact that I was raised by a mother who believed that accessories can make or break an outfit. When I was a teenager, she told me that a quality shoe can make even an inexpensive dress look good, but it never works the other way around. Even the most beautiful, costly outfit will pale if paired with cheap shoes…and I’ve never forgotten that.

So here I sit…waiting for my authentic Stuart Weitzman “Alex” sandals to arrive via UPS. Nordstrom has ’em. Bloomingdale’s has ’em. They’re absurdly expensive, but that’s feeling irrelevant at this point.

Sigh. I am truly my mother’s daughter.

The Little Black Dress

I will be attending an authors’ event in two weeks, and, as is my habit, I’ve been obsessing over what to wear. Business attire is encouraged, although event organizers have made it clear that attendees of this annual fundraiser often show up in cocktail dresses. The dilemma: do I risk getting too dressed up and possibly look like I’m trying too hard? Because I’m one of the authors—not a paying guests—is it better for me to knock it down a notch or two? The answers I’ve finally landed on are “no” and “yes”…in that order.

And so began my quest for the perfect little black dress. A woman can rarely go wrong with the LBD, since it has the advantage of being dressed up or down as an event dictates. Change the jewelry and shoes, and the look can go from meeting appropriate to night on the town.

I found these two on the Nordstrom Web site…both very similar and classic in design.

Donna Ricco Ruched Matte Jersey Sheath Dress

Adrianna Papell Pleated Jersey Sheath Dress

Since they’re not available in the store, I ordered them both.

Um…

Well…

That’s a little misleading. What I actually did was order them both in each of two sizes. (Thank you, Nordstrom, for having a don’t ask/don’t tell return policy.)

Before you dismiss me as a dimwit, I do have a rationale for purchasing four dresses with the intention of keeping only one.

Clearly, the dress needs to fit close to the body on the top half, yet shouldn’t be too terribly clingy on the bottom half if hips are an issue. Translation: there’s a very good possibility that the top of one size and the bottom of another may actually be just right, which is a common occurrence with a sheath and the primary reason why God made tailors.

If you care, I promise to report back. The dresses are due to arrive in about a week, at which time I will hold my own private little fashion show for my profoundly tolerant husband.

Love these shoes!

These espadrilles from Nordstrom are surprisingly comfortable, given the heel height and low price point.

I usually shy away from inexpensive shoes because they invariably hurt, but I spent the better part of a day walking around in these, and I was fine.