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?

Sole Attraction

I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for all things pretty, romantic, retro, glam, goth; what I think of as fabulous but affordable luxuries. And one thing that I find truly fabulous on a shoe is a sensational sole.  The details and attention that show on the top of the shoe have historically received the primary artistic focus.  However, when the designer has thoughtfully added a bit of art to the underside of the shoe, well, that’s just a cool and unexpectedly delightful present for the wearer.  It’s a bit of a sweet little secret you can enjoy all by yourself.

Here is a look at some of the surprises that might await you should you peek at the underside of the shoes around you. 

Siren by Mark Nason:

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Everything’s coming up roses

I was sighing over the perfect Zanotti rose sandal a few weeks back; in the meantime, I’ve discovered that it also comes in blue, wanna see?

Yep, still pretty, still out of my price range at $550.

But! Never fear! Rose seems to be a popular sandal flower this season. Poetic Licence has issued this pretty version that’s selling like hotcakes (plus, it’s double the rose!):

The red version is $80 at Piperlime or Endless, $88 at Anthropologie; and if you want it in gold, Zappos is barely holding on to their last pair in a size 8.

Anthropologie also has this pretty-pretty raffia rose sandal, for $188:

Then there’s this adorable French Sole “Serenity” sandal, $202 at Zappos (also comes in a black/cream raffia combo):

But wait! There’s more! How about this darling Moschino sandal, available in yellow or red? ($354 at Zappos):

My, my, roses are really in season this spring, aren’t they? Go grab a fresh one while they’re still in bloom!