Rabbits in Williamsburg is a Vintage Gem

I’ve long admired Rabbits, a vintage store in Williamsburg, and recently went in to check out their spring findings.

New York Magazine, bastion of all things slightly above-bourgeois, has high words for the small shop.

“Owner Saori Kuno, a former fashion designer, travels several times each year to Italy, France, and her native Japan, where she combs the countryside for elderly women willing to part with the vintage kimonos her shop has become known for. (Her Brooklyn customers love them for lounging.) Kuno gravitates toward eclectic items easily paired with current trends. This might translate to a forties feather-topped red cloche, a graphic-print Chinese dress from the fifties, or a cream lace gown with a drop waist circa 1970.”

Well, for me, it translates most importantly into rows and rows of undiscovered, un-Manhattanite-picked-over gems of great spring shoes, like these light boots and pumps:

And funky pumps like these, including the classic captoed look just begging to be paired with a wild little fur jacket for cool summer nights:

And cool metallics like these:

And here is what the store looks like:

How I love shopping in Williamsburg, where you won’t be trampled by a herd of sample salers and where funky vintage shops or smart little boutiques are the norm.

Who Says Boots Were Made Only for Walking in Winter?

I’m one of those stubborn girls who insists on wearing her boots in the summer. Why, you ask? Because boots are hot with short little skirts, and I live in miniskirts (until I turn 30… okay, maybe later too…)

But no one wants to be sweating in their boots, however cute. So here are a few that will make you look hot but not feel sweaty this summer, many of them with cutouts for ventilation (who wants to wear socks during the summer?). Winter white was hot, and now summer off-white and white are hot, but that doesn’t mean black doesn’t look still great at night.

I love the cute little curvy laser cutout Jump Mond, available for $100.80 at Zappos.

The famous Giuseppe Zanotti boot with a number for its name now comes in a summer-appropriate shade, but still at $879, unfortunately. You can zip them up by hitting Endless. I still think it looks like a whalebone corset or a skeleton.

Marc, j’adore! MBMJ Leather Cutout Boots for $550 at Net-a-Porter.

If you can afford the lovely YSL Cage Ankle Boots that go for the price of a cheap studio’s monthly rent in New York, scoop ‘em up for $1290 at Net-a-Porter.

If you can’t afford them, then try the Luichiny Star Bound for $93.95 at Zappos. Yes, people will know it’s not the real thing, and no, it’s not as quality, but it’s about $1200 cheaper and if it’s the look you’re going for…

Jimmy Choo’s Reese is $995 at Net-a-Porter.

The Chinese Laundry Kingwood is cute but I think the Western style might go out of style pretty quickly. However, if you dig the trend, it’s pretty adorable for right now. It’s at Endless for $119.95.

I can’t help but like the androidy/Star Wars getup/forcefield-like/constructed-from-Nile-reeds Sigerson Morrison gladiator, but then, you all know I like freak shoes (anything but NORMAL – gasp!). It’s available at La Garconne for $1048.60. (Yes, that’s right, you read that correctly.)

I don’t love Sigerson Morrison’s cutout boot, but maybe you will. They’re on sale for $356 at Zappos.

Lastly, leave it to Proenza Schouler to wow with $1150 boots at Zappos Couture. Love it! The interestingly placed zipper, the great heel detail, the half solid leather, half gladiator-style shredded leather, this is a perfect boot.

Lastly, my other fave, the Halston Cluny magenta cutout boots, $1395, available at Net-a-Porter.com.

Go to Shopbop for more lovely boots, including some of my favorites by Balmain, Camilla Skovgaard, Givenchy, Zero Maria Cornejo and Opening Ceremony.

Net-A-Porter End of Season Sale

Net-A-Porter is having their end of season sale.  These are a few of the designer shoes on sale starting 50% off.

Christian Louboutin So Private  $537 

Sergio Rossi Eel Pumps  $325  50% off

Jimmy Choo Prosper leather sandal  $525 40% off

FootCandy and Louboutin Help Elephants

Normally, I don’t associate shoes with elephants but in this unique situation, they are actually quite relevant to each other.

To benefit the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant foundation (GTAEF), an organization that rescues elephants off the streets of Thailand by giving them a home in the jungles of the Golden Triangle, FootCandy and Christian Louboutin have teamed up to offer you these exclusive Louboutin Rodita shoes.  Louboutin’s Rodida Rescue shoes are available for $895 and only 50 pairs in the bubble gum pink have been made.  The best part?  All sales proceeds go to giving abused elephants a comfortable haven. If you’ve ever needed an excuse to purchase a pair of beautiful but pricey Loubies,  take a look at these pictures and tell me you aren’t tempted to max out your credit card?

Choosing Shoes in the Dark

Good morning.

There was some excitement at my house last night.

Not ‘dinner party’ excitement.

Oh, no – more of a let’s find all of the oil lamps and play cards in the darkness kind of excitement.

It started with a short telephone call that we received from our neighbor as we were returning home from a quick jaunt to the grocery store.  I was driving, so my hubby answered the phone. But, I still managed to hear the word ‘exploded’ float out from the receiver.

What exploded?!

This exploded:

That, boys and girls, is what it looks like after your power pole explodes and your transformer catches fire..something to do with dry summers and freezing rain in the spring making these things into occasional tinderboxes.  Good to know.

Here’s an obligatory close-up. I know it’s blurry, but note the hint of smoke as the wood still smolders:

So, what does this have to do with shoes?

Actually, very little.

But, since hubby did ask last night, “Well honey, how are you going to turn this into a Shoeblog post”.

The gauntlet was thrown.

Here goes:

I am fairly type-A about storing my shoes. I like to keep them in their boxes and then use 2×3 printer labels to put a stock-photo of the shoe on the end so I know what I have in my closet at a glance.  But, last night, I realized there is another benefit to being a wee bit uptight about my shoe storage.

Keeping things organized prevents mismatching if you are rooting around in a dark closet for your matching shoes:

Imagine leaving the house wearing these:

Because, when you grabbed them, they looked like these:

In the dark, all shoes are gray.

I’m not saying that I’ve done this, but I know there are folks out there who have.  This is definitely one of the potential fashion pitfalls to be aware of when buying multiple colored pairs of a perfectly-fitted shoe.

Actually, I’m certain that I’ve inadvertently done this with socks.  And, there was that time I ran to the closest ladies restroom stall to perform unexpected but necessary wardrobe repair; I abruptly realized that the shirt I was wearing was, in fact, inside out.  *blushes*

So, how about any of you? Has anybody else had one of these unfortunate closet mishaps?