Suede Shoes for Fall

There is something about suede that I find absolutely irresistable.  I love touching it.  I love the way it holds color.  I love the way it looks.  I have also heard many of you complain about water damage, so you have completely given up on wearing suede.  That’s understandable.  But, since I live in an area that gets 6 inches of rain a year, that isn’t an issue.  (I know it’s annoying to hear me chirp about our mild winters, but we also hit 113 degrees today, so I get what I deserve.)

Yesterday I was able to go to the local Nordstroms and nearly died.  They had about 30 pairs of suede shoes that I wanted to take home with me.  I did buy a couple of pairs, but  will have to wait to wear them because we won’t see autumn until mid- November.

Let’s see some suede shoes.   All these shoes are from Nordstroms.  Maybe you can guess which shoes I purchased. 

Kors Parker Wedge Pump. $150. (more…)

Givenchy Vs. Jeffrey Campbell

So, I’m sitting here,  sipping a home-brewed mocha with a sprained ankle. It seemed a perfect opportunity to do a quick shoe-showdown. What else would I expect do with sudden, unexpected, bed rest?

These Givenchy wedges were seen last fall on the SS2010 runway and were available for purchase as of late March of this year. Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Tick’ wedges beat Givenchy’s runway wedges to the retail scene by almost six months. So, are they a crazy, rushed, runway-inspired copy? Or did several designers get mad deals on similar, psychedelic, tribal fabric?

Yes, these are the things I wonder about at 10pm when most people are either tucked into bed or out on the town.  I’m not sure what, if anything, that says about me…hmm..Anyway, I’d love to know which style is your favorite and why.

Givenchy Jersey print wedges $1550.70 at Luisaviaroma.

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Tick’ wedges $150 at Karmaloop.

Shoe Deja-Vu: Jeffrey Campbell’s Unicorn Heels

Last year, visions of Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Michelle’ shoe sent shoe-loving bloggers into a  veritable swoon. Something about the frilly ruffles and that twisted unicorn heel effortlessly recalls fairy-tale dreams of girlhood; a time where you could be a tomboy one moment and an all-powerful queen the next.

Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Michelle’ is $109-135 in various colors at Nordstrom, Solestruck, LuLu’s, Bianca Rose & Whatapair.

So, who has copied this design?

First,  Jeffrey Campbell has lifted his own unicorn-heel design and added a solid punk vibe:

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Inches’ ankle bootie $129.95 at Solestruck.com & $119 at LuLus.com

Then, for the buyer on a budget, Wild Rose is offering the inevitable low-priced knockoff – in both a pastel inspired version as well as more literal JC copies.

Wild Rose Lucy 02 $22.99 & Wild Rose Lucy 04 $21.99 at Cutesyshoes.com

(Also available at GoJane.com)

Wild Rose Lucy 01 $21.20 at GoJane.com & UrbanOriginal.com

At this under $30 price-point, don’t expect longevity; these are for those people who only wear unusual shoe styles for a season or two.

If you, however, know that you will love these for years instead of a single season, I recommend that you find a way to budget yourself into a pair of the Jeffrey Campbell originals.

Sundance Style: My Favorite Shoe Store in Park City

Every year at Sundance I see celebrities in the cutest footwear and feel inspired to buy new shoes! I stay at a hotel on Main Street, and therefore walk by Mary Jane’s (613 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060) every day! I can’t help but look in the windows and admire the shoes. Mary Jane’s a great selection of shoes and a lovely staff to match! This always leads to buying at least one pair of shoes before the film festival ends!I just found out that the store has a website! I have not ordered anything online (yet!), but it’s a nice alternative if you can’t make it to Park City.

Here are a few of my favorite shoes currently at Mary Jane’s:

Frye Maxine Shortie for $285 at Mary Jane’s (or $287.95 at Endless and $298 at Zappos)

Pink Studio Allyson Flat for $79 at Mary Jane’s

Jeffrey Campbell Pepper Booty for $155 at Mary Jane’s

Pantone’s Color of the Year: Turquoise

I’m not one for following every color trend that comes along.

As I push on closer and closer to (age) 40, I tend to stick with those colors that have proved to be complimentary to me over the years. Luckily, pretty much anything in the blue color family works for me.

Plus, with something close to an even zillion re-tweets last week of Pantone’s Color of 2010, this particular color trend seemed worth mentioning.

It will certainly be interesting to see if fashion and shoe trends fall in line with this prediction. It makes sense given the current resurgence of 80′s-inspired fashion that several of the staple colors from that decade, including turquoise and fuschia, would make an appearance. I also recall seeing a significant increase in both turqoise and fuschia sandals last spring and summer, so maybe this is less of a prediction than an acknowledgement of an emerging trend.

So, here it is:

15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

Luckily for me, I already have my turquoise for the year – care of a few great sales last spring:

Guess ‘Chiquita” & LAMB watch

Sandals by ‘Hot in Hollywood’

Report Signature’s ‘Dita’

Okay, I’ll admit, the last is more of a faboulous sky blue, but what’s the point if all of my shoes are the exact same shade?

Anyway, while I doubt any of these shoes from my collection are still available anywhere but the retail aftermarket, there are still a huge number of fantastic turquoise options for you to choose from right now.

Among them:

Christian Louboutin Double Platform Knotted Mule $895 at Nieman Marcus

Christian Louboutin Glitter Peep Toe Pumps $725 at Nieman Marcus

Stuart Weitzman Turquoise Embellished Strappy Sandals $395 at Saks.com

And, for the slightly more budget-conscious:

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Downtown’ Bootie $139.95

Poetic License ‘Kiss and Tell’ $94.95 at Nordstrom.com

Tory Burch Reva Jelly Flats $95 at Saks.com

Steve Madden ‘Saahara’ $49.95 at Nordstrom

And, for the extreme frugalista:

Montege Bay ‘Oscar Bow’ $16.99 $12.99 at Payless.com

Montego Bay ‘Marissa’ sandal $19.99 at Payless.com

So, will you be on the hunt for the perfect turquoise footwear this year?