It’s been a long time that I’ve been looking for a pair of spats to add some flair to my shoe wardrobe. I’ve tried tracking them down in vintage clothing stores, through ebay, and through various online shops. But none of them have really hit me right. However, recently, there seems to be a noticeable resurgence in interest in spats, because people have started to sell them in more interesting designs.

Spatterdash has been selling men’s spats and pocket squares for the dapper gentleman for a while now, and they’ve recently come out with a line of women’s ankle spats, which includes your basic white

and some more snazzy choices like leopard print and red satin

There’s also the UK-based company Strumpets, which is a big favorite of uniquely styled celebs like Gwen Stefani. Elizabeth Melinek, the Strumpets designer, makes high fashion spats that make me drool. Check out some examples

You can’t buy them online easily, but you might be able to find a pair if you hunt for them.  Or you can check the stockists page and see if there’s a store near you that sells them.

And then, for a whole different look, you can turn to Maide, a German company that makes these incredibly detailed, gorgeous spats.  They may look like they belonged to someone three or four generations ago, but they’re really just incredibly finely made.  If you’re interested in these, use the contact info on the site to see if they’re still available and what the prices are.  Be prepared for them to be high… that’s all I’m sayin’.