I wear a whole lot of black. And gray. And white. And brown. And basically, every other shade of neutral you can imagine. These colors are universally flattering and so easy to add accessories to. So when it comes time to buy a new item to replace the old, I naturally think, “the more neutral, the better.” It’s like my instinctual motto.

I decided to invest in some wonderful, classic ballet flats from J.Crew. And among the colors at the outlet store, I had to choose between nude, black and red. Since spring is quickly approaching, I tried on the nude flats first. And they were pretty friggin’ cute. I totally imagined wearing them with my skinny jeans and my white blazer, and with some of my short, flirty pastel dresses. I was kind of sold.

But then, just to be thorough, I wanted to try on the fire-engine red pair of flats. I probably wasn’t going to buy them, but they were adorable and I’m a sucker. So, I slid them on and…

…I ended up taking them to the register! Here’s why I decided that buying the red shoes was actually the right investment for a neutral-wearing girl like moi.

1. Red, in particular, adds personality. Red is one of those colors that can be a lot of things: sassy, fun, sexy, chic. But more than anything, it just says, “This girl has major flare.” And that is never bad.

2. You own enough neutrals. I have to keep repeating that to myself. It’s not that neutrals are problematic. In fact, they’re really sophisticated and lovely. But don’t we all want to be a little bit more than that? If you only invest in neutral items, and don’t occasionally put down money for items in color, your wardrobe will simply read: Pretty, but BLAH.

3. A pop of color is so on-trend. Color in spades is all the rage this season. But if neon color-blocking freaks you out, opt for a simple dash. Shoes are perfect — heels, flats, wedges… they all work! — because they’re not in your face, but still very noticeable. I wore my red flats yesterday, during a rare 65-degree March day in Michigan, with a black dress, leggings and a utility coat. And I received compliments (wink, wink).

Spill it: Are you a neutral lady? Or do you like to wear lots of color?

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a) Betsey Johnson Women’s Sashaaa Flat

b) Matt Bernson Waverly Cap Toe Pony Flat

c) Kelsi Dagger Women’s Jordi Ballet Flat

You can go out with a pretty neutral outfit, but put on a pair of printed flats and it’s instant fun! I particularly like the combination of pink roses on aqua with silver cap toe accent on the Betsey Johnson’s — so colorful! And you can never go wrong with a little animal print, like these from Matt Bernson and Kelsi Dagger. I usually travel in flats, so I think any of these would make running through the airport much more fun.

1) Kelsi Dagger Women’s Jordi Flat

2) Wanted Shoes Women’s Gemma Ballet Flat

3) ALL BLACK Women’s More Sequins Flat

I’m also loving fun colors and embellishments, as seen on the flats below. The Jordi flat comes in so many pretty colors that it was hard to choose, but I love the rich color of this emerald. The jewels and rhinestones on the toe of the Gemma flats are fabulous! I feel that if I saw someone on the street in these, I’d just have to go up to her and ask her where she got them. I just adore them and, since they are on sale, I may already have them in my cart! And, of course, always a fan of sequins, I couldn’t resist adding the ALL BLACK flats to my post. I love the classic colors with a shimmery twist!

What are your thoughts on cap toe flats? Do you prefer the printed, embellished or classic ones?

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I went through a phase where I only wore heels and couldn’t stand being in flats. Eventually I realized that, although my feet are more comfortable in heels, they just need a break sometimes! But when I started looking into flats and realizing just how many cute styles were out there, I had to start incorporating them into my outfits more.

My favorite are these Prada bow flats with very large and exaggerated bows. I have small feet so the bow just makes them look even smaller and more comical, but I just love the big puffy bows!

When I wear flats, these are the ones I always reach for — my go-to’s. How about you? Are you a flats convert like me, or have you always loved flats?

Images: I am Style-ish

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Mixed stripes and over-the-knee boots are a great fall look.

And, of course, I can't leave the house without my jacket and scarf!

So what has been your go-to look for fall?  Have you embraced the over the knee boot trend?

image source: I am Style-ish

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I often find it difficult to find the right pair of boots either because they don’t fit on my calves (too big or too small) or they come up too high (having short legs means a lot of knee-high boots literally hit me right at the knees instead of right underneath so it makes them awkward to walk in).

I tend to try on several boots and order a bunch online and then decide which ones to keep (gotta love free shipping and returns!).  When buying boots online, always make sure to measure the length and opening you are needing before buying them.  Most websites will give you the measurements of the boot shaft height as well as the opening of the boot.

• BCBGeneration Women’s Easton Knee-High Boot – I like boots with a little bit of embellishment and love the little bow detail on the back.  These look like a great boot to go with jeans or pair it with tights and a dress.
• Kenneth Cole REACTION Women’s Super Chic Boot – I think that a suede slouchy boot is the perfect fall boot.  Not only are they the perfect casual, go-with-everything boot, they are quite comfortable and you don’t have to worry if the boot fits your calves perfectly or not.
• Steve Madden Women’s A-Jolene Knee-High Boot – I just love gray boots.  They are a little bit more unexpected than your regular black or brown boots, but pair with your outfits just as easily.

• MICHAEL Michael Kors Women’s Veronica Boot – A boot like this is definitely better paired with skinny jeans or a slim pair of pants.  With the buckle detail and the slightly slouchy shape, you can let them stand out against your outfit.
• Nine West Women’s Jaelynn Boot – A great classic-looking boot.  I like the small buckle that gives it a little modern twist.  I can definitely see these worn with dresses and skirts at the office.
• Dolce Vita Women’s Calinda Boot – Being that I always love tall shoes, boots with a platform front are great for gals like me who love gaining a little bit of height with their shoes.

Now that I’ve found a pretty good selection, the hardest part is deciding which ones to keep!

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1. kate spade new york ‘kirkland’ bootie | 2. See by Chloé Zip Bow Leather Bootie | 3. Steve Madden ‘Tanngoo’ Bootie

1. Aren’t the Kate Spade ones so cute with the bow and chain detail?  I think if paired with opaque black tights and a dress, you would have a great fall outfit!

2. I am loving the color of the See by Chloe booties; it just reminds me of the colors of the changing leaves.  These would look great with a  pair of skinny  jeans and a chunky sweater.

3. I’m loving the idea of a wedge bootie like this one from Steve Madden.  The color is also great for fall and is a perfectly fresh neutral alternative to black.

If you are on the short side like me (I’m 5’2″) and have short legs, some booties don’t work as well because they can cut you off at the ankle and make your legs appear even shorter.  So, to solve this, I try to stick to booties like these three below that are cut more around the ankle to give you the look of the bootie but with a more flattering cut to your leg.

4. Isola ‘Idaline’ Bootie | 5. Fergie Bootie | 6. Vince Camuto ‘Jerrell’ Bootie

4. I love the stud detail of the Isola bootie.  Sometimes you just need black booties, but the stud details kick it up a notch!

5. I think leopard print booties are the cutest thing and can really amp up your outfit.  I would pair these with some skinny jeans, a slim fit black sweater and scarf.  Easy, but super cute!

6. I actually have a pair of purple booties that I adore and wear often.  You wouldn’t think that purple would be an easy color to wear, but I actually find myself wearing mine a lot.  They’ve taken the place of my black booties many times and look great with slim black pants or jeans.

Any bootie lovers out there too?  Which ones are you eyeing?

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First off, my “splurge” picks!  I am loving the low buckle of the YSL mary janes as well as the pretty color that is great for fall!  Pair these with black tights and they will stand out even more!  The black Prada pumps are just a perfect mary jane pump, and I especially love the platform which gives you a bit of extra height, but are still comfortable to walk in.  The Miu Mius are the perfect shade of blush/nude and I love that these ones have a bit more of a pointy toe, which seems to be making a comeback this season.

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Palais’ Pump |Prada Mary Jane Pump | Miu Miu Mary Jane Pump

And now, my “SAVE” picks, which are all around $100.  Don’t you love the color of the Aldo pumps?  It’s such a pretty jewel tone, and these shoes would be the perfect pop of color if worn with a black dress or even under black pants.  The Vince Camuto are a great “look for less” version of the Prada pumps above, don’t you think?  And, lastly, I am loving the cranberry suede mary janes!  It’s such a pretty and unexpected color.  I can imagine you’d get a lot of compliments wearing these!

ALDO ‘Flavell’ Pump | Vince Camuto ‘Jasper’ | Jessica Simpson ‘Cheetah’ Pump

Now to decide which ones to get!  Which ones do you like best?  Do you have your eye on any others I should know about?

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Normally when I dress, I do not channel the “total girlie-girl” look. I like edge. I like outfit imperfections. So if I’m going to wear a flower in my hair, rest assured I’ll also be wearing combat boots. Or if I’m rocking a pretty floral frock, expect a fedora to go along with it. I just can’t help it. I can’t OD on ensemble-sugar. I need to throw a little spice in there, too!

However, there is one look I love to wear that’s unabashedly girlie–the one exception to my “edge” rule. It’s a fail-safe summer combination: A little flirty dress and a pair of wedges. I am a little obsessed.

Wedges were all over the spring runways, and have been in oodles of stores, as well. And I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t picked up a few pair for myself… they’re just so versatile!

Here, I go totally girlie-girl and show you how to pair five different wedges with a single dress. So, you can choose whichever pair of kicks you’re dying over without breaking a sweat (and pick up this versatile green tank dress, too! So cute, right?)

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