Fashion Blog

I have been taking advantage of the January sales, as they have been quite phenomenal. Pre -Christmas I was in search of that wardrobe essential - a stylish pair of black boots. I wanted something unusual but classic at the same time. I really don’t like wearing the latest this or the latest that for the simple fact, I like individual style.

Thus my quest began. I hunted high and low for that ’special’ pair of black boots but to no avail. The regular high street range bored me to tears. The higher end designer range cost the price of a small used car, and actually had me laughing hysterically at the  suggestion that I would be prepared to pay that amount.

Sergio Rossi Boots - $4,368/small used car

So there I was sitting down, surfing the net, with my Well Connected Cousin (see The Ice Queen Cometh post) looking for pretty underwear on the Victoria Secret website. One of the last times I had shopped at Victoria Secret I was in Manhattan, with my cousin. It was raining so we ran over to Bloomingdales where I purchased a gorgeous leopard print umbrella. We then went into Victoria Secrets and I went shopping. My cousin wandered off somewhere out of the store, I suspect he wasn’t that interested in looking at ladies underwear - not on the shelf anyways. $150 later I was done and off we went back home. I then discovered that I had left my gorgeous leopard print umbrella in the umbrella bucket in Victoria Secrets. I was devastated, especially as I couldn’t go back and would be flying home to London, England. A moments silence for my lost umbrella please. Thank you.

So anyway, there I was back at Victorias Secret  - online. I made my underwear selections (we don’t have Victoria Secret here or an equivalent), I then decided to look at the footwear. Then I saw them  - my new pair of stylish black boots. It was love at first browse and I ordered them promptly. I actually called Victoria Secret to check my English shoes size, which turned out to be a US 8. The assistant was excellent (you are more thorough than us over here guys!). I placed my order and received an e-mail letting me know my order was being processed. The e-mail also let me know that it would arrive around 28th of January. However, they actually arrived on January 3rd, having been ordered on December 27th. One week exactly.

My big sister Ann Marie was there for the grand opening of my boots. Well packaged and in tact, I removed them carefully from their box. They fit perfectly and looked wonderful. My sister was astonished at the height of the heel and made me walk up and down on several surfaces to see if I would fall over or get a nose bleed. However they have a built up platform on the sole which balances out the height of the heel. I immediately found an excuse to wear them and changed my whole outfit just to do so.

The boots are quite comfortable, but they are not walking boots! The stud detail takes away any chance of them looking too ‘tarty’. I wore mine with a long black high collared coat and slick black polo neck.  I am happy!

Lace-Up Buckle Boot by Bronx at Victoria Secret: $148.99 on sale

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Bronx boots.

These suede boots look so comfortable.  And, they are a comfortable $83 on sale.  They aren’t completely flat, but have a very short heel.  These will last you a while, as long as you take care of them.  They come in a variety of colors:  chestnut, purple, sand, green and brown (pictured).

Steve Madden Touring Brown Suede Boots: $83 (Was: $99)

*A none shoe related reminder:  Zappos is offering FREE OVERNIGHT SHOPPING on clothing until December 1st!

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Steve Madden boots.
                                        Discounts on suede boots.
                                        Buy flat boots.

What’s on top of your to-do list right now, besides starve to get ready for a lot of turkey, stuffing and gravy next week? Investing in a pair of hardcore winter boots, of course. Why? Because unless you live in the tropics, winter is on its way here, and there’s nothing worse than getting stuck blocks away from your car, miles away from your home, or hours away from your favorite shopping destination when it’s snowing and you don’t have the proper footwear. But the question really is: how do you reconcile safety and warmth with fashion and style? Throw away grandma’s gardening boots, ladies. Here’s a taste of some wintery treats:

The Furs: While I recommend not pairing these with a fur jacket, fur hat and fur gloves, I do think they stand alone as a mighty cute pair of foot attire. They will definitely keep you warm and toasty, and the sturdy treds will make it easy to get a grip on some icy mornings.

                                                                        Sorel Ahnah Winter Boots: $75.95

Ugg Fans Delight! If you’re a true Ugg fan, than these Moon Boots turned winter shoes are for you.

                                                            Gray Down Fur Line Winter Flat Boots: $18.99

Glamorous Entrances: These boots downplay the fur aspect, and give you a nice fashionable boost with a wedge heel. They won’t be the best for icy conditions, but maybe even better in the snow…? Can’t hurt to be lifted off the ground a couple of inches, though it will be harder to run around during a snowball fight.

                                                American Eagle Opal Beaded Wedge Boot: $49.99

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Ugg boots.
                                        Discount on fur boots.

I love the “tumbled leather” style of these mid length brown boots.  It makes them pretty unique, I think.  They also come in black if that is your fave.  Since it’s still not super cold here in Cali (low 80’s today), I’d suggest wearing these with some black leggings that go just below the knee with a light sweater and scarf.

Gabriella Rocha Aubrey Boots: $71.10 (Was: $79.00)

*Remeber: Zappos offers free overnight shipping until the end of 2008!

Steve Madden Zestie Platform Stretch Boot: $99.95 on sale

First off, these boots are on sale for under $100.  The real deal is the fact when you purchase two or more pairs of boots at Endless.com you will get 20% off each pair.  The savings will be reflected automatically at check out when you add a pair of “qualifying” boots to your shopping cart.

Here are some “qualifying” boots:

STEVEN by Steve Madden Ellisha Hi Heel Ankle Boot:
$229.95 Now: $193.90 $155.12 with 20% discount

Chinese Laundry Adore Boots:
$179.95 $177.90  $142.32 with 20% discount

So, that means that my first pair of boots will also be 20% off - $79.96!

If I wanted to stock up on fall/winter boots and purchase all three of these pairs, the total (before tax) would be $377.40.  Not bad for three pairs of quality boots!  That’s a total savings of $94.35.

Shop through all boots from Endless.com.

Shop for more Steve Madden boots.
Find more Chinese Laundry boots.

For any of you who are back in school, it’s highly likely that you may be suffering from a classic case of back to school blues. But not to fret my friends, a good dose of fashion just might do the trick.

This week’s look is from Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2008 show. It was really the only thing that popped out at me from the collection, which consisted of some very masculine looks overall. I like the whole collared shirt under v-neck sweater thing for fall.

Although quite preppy, one can’t help but feel polished and pulled together when sporting such a style.

  Nic & Zoe “Dotty” Cardigan $119, Nordstrom.com

   Adidas by Stella McCartney knit golf sweater $180, Nordstrom.com

   The Oxford shirt by Gap $24.99, gap.com

   Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Marc’ scripted necklace $68.60, Bloomingdales.com

Our Heroine bootie by Seychelles $100, Piperlime.com

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more cardigans.
                                        Shop for more women’s oxford shirts.
                                        Shop for more Marc Jacobs jewelry.
                                        Shop for more Seychelles boots.

Ankle boots are in for fall so, if you don’t already have a pair, these basic and sleek black boots are the perfect first pair for the season.  First and foremost, they are on sale for an affordable price.  Second, the 3” heel makes them a little sexy and they actually look pretty comfortable.  They also come in dark brown leather, black suede and dark brown suede.

Bandolino Erina Bootie: $40.25 (Was: $93) 

So, as a storm was raging on back East this last week, New York Fashion Week did not subside. Dozens of designers have unleashed ready-to-wear collections, but alas…they are for next spring.  September is a funny leeway in between fall and the very end of summer. White season is officially over, but yet it is too warm to don sweaters and tights.

As somewhat of a rebellious girl, it’s tough to abide by such restrictive rules with fashion, particularly when you live in a rather warm climate. So instead, I like to pick and choose favorite looks that are intended for future seasons, i.e. Spring 2009, and get ideas from those to use for Fall. Band of Outsiders presented Boy with the lovely Kirsten Dunst as their spokes model.

Paper thin sweaters and pencil skirts hang on the indie princess’ slim figure, but rather than pointy toe stilettos on the feet, envision the looks below paired with some warm cognac leather boots, or a fringed scarf—an accessory that many a neck will bare this season. I can’t even imagine putting on a winter pea coat right now but slowly layering on top of light spring/summer pieces might just get me in the mood.

    Long Waffle Knit Cardigan $58, gap.com

J. Crew stretch vintage cord skirt $68, jcrew.com

Plaid fringe scarf $29.50 gap.com

      Frye Vicki Campus Boot in Cognac $398, thefryecompany.com

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more Frye boots.
                                        Shop for more long cardigans.
                                        Shop for more women’s scarves.

These Franco Sarto Novella Round Toe Boots are kind of perfect. They’re right in between being fancy and casual, so your outfit gets to decide how dressed up you are. Not to mention, that heel looks pretty forgiving. I have a pair of Banana Republic round toe boots with a skinny heel, and I can never quite wear them casually, but these are good daytime boots.

I read the user reviews of these shoes, and almost all were positive. A big plus for many of the women who bought these was that the calf size can be adjusted with those stylish straps. And since legs come in all shapes and sizes, this is a deal clincher for a lot of women. Plus, they all said that the expandable calf made them great for tucking in jeans.

Franco Sarto Novella Round Toe Mid Shaft Boot, $79.99 (Old Price= $170)

See more boots here.

In more proof that Rihanna can pull off just about anything, here’s a pic of her sporting boots with brass knuckle boots at a recent appearance on BET’s 106 & Park (source). I don’t know about you, but I could never ever make these work–I would get arrested for sure.

Celebs are really into bossy shoes, lately. Maybe it’s the Victoria Beckam effect–she loves agressive footwear. Oh, and look, these have the square toes I just trend alerted about his morning.