Riding off into the Sunset

On this last day of my salute to riding boots, I'm going to take a look at a few of the offerings from Ralph Lauren. Since the label is known for their equestrian inspired style, one would be remiss in not looking to Mr. Lauren for a fine riding boot.

Here are a few of the Ralph Lauren riding boots:


Lauren by Ralph Lauren "Willa" riding boots (shown in two toned dark brown/burnished calf color)
$200 USD at various department stores


Lauren by Ralph Lauren "May" riding boots (shown in dark saddle with gold-tone hardware)
$198 USD at Bloomingdales


Ralph Lauren Collection "Serana" riding boots (shown in dark oak)
$1100 USD at Bloomingdales

I like that Ralph Lauren gives a nice range of price points for their riding boots between the Lauren by Ralph Lauren and Ralph Lauren Collection labels. Of these three, I think I would go with the Willa style, although I can't say that I'm in love with any of the styles. The Willa is a nice, basic, utilitarian riding style boot, so I think I could get the most use out of it. It will definitely do the job. I love the hardware and leather embellishments at the top of the May boot, but they lose me at the bottom of the boot. The design of the stitching and the height of the heel make it look too much like a Go-Go boot and not enough like a riding boot. The Serana, while clearly beautifully made, is just a little too hardcore for my taste. I want a riding "inspired" boot that makes sense in the city while I'm shopping or going to lunch. These, with their serious hardware, seem out of place anywhere but firmly placed in the stirrups atop one's favorite equine pal.

So now I will have to stew over all of the great riding boots we've looked at this week and try to figure out which ones will be making an appearance in my closet very, very soon! See you next week!

Giddeyup!

Today I shall continue my salute to the riding boot with two more styles that I feel have that perfect blend of style and practicality. The first comes from Celine:


Celine leather riding boots
Black leather riding boot with brown leather contrasting panel at top of boot and Celine logo.
$750USD at www.net-a-porter.com
Though I often don't like two-toned boots, the subtlety of the contrasting colors works with these boots and also makes them very versatile in terms of wearing them with black or earth toned outfits. (Yes, all black boots could be worn with earth tones just fine, but brown boots would be a little less fabulous with a black outfit.)

Next, this lovely offering from Chloe:

Chloe camel Equestrian flat boots
$998USD at www.net-a-porter.com

I think these are FAB-U-LOUS! Love the originality of the camel color, the curvature in the stitching, the delicacy of the sole (not at all big and heavy). They are beautifully crafted and the soft, buttery leather is just delicious!

Tomorrow I will have a couple more riding boots for us to savor, then next week will begin the big job of catching up on the top designers' Fall/Winter shoe collections. I'll highlight the fabulous (Rickard Shah, ahhhh) down to the just plain odd (that's right, I'm looking at you, Christian Louboutin!) So many shoes, so little time!!!

Finally, from our reader mailbag:
A UK reader writes in asking where to find the fabulous Rickard Shah shoes featured in the "Kelly Hearts Rickard Shah" post. Thank you for your note! As I have only bought Rickard Shahs in the US, I don't have any personal knowledge as to where to get them in the UK, however, I have written to the company via their website, to see if they can answer your question. Hopefully I will have an answer for you shortly (and we'll get to see how good their customer service is!)

*******UPDATE************

I heard back very quickly from Binith Shah, himself! Apparently in the UK, one orders directly through Rickard Shah in Florence. Email and phone number is available on their website: www.rickardshah.com

Since I have been so out of the shoe loop these past 11 months, I have also apparently missed out on a new line Rickard Shah has come out with called Rickard Shah PURE, which launched in Los Angeles last week. You'd better believe there will be further information here immediately!!!

Cheers!

Back in the race!

Well helloooooooooooo there! After nearly a year's hiatus, I am back and blogging about my second greatest love - shoes!! (The title of my greatest love has now been claimed by the reason for my hiatus - my new baby daughter! And yes, she already has an extensive collection of baby shoes!) :)

Now that my feet are back to their pre-pregnancy size (thank goodness! If they hadn't gone back and I could no longer wear the shoes in my collection, that would have pretty much been the end of me.), I have decided it's time to search for a celebratory pair of shoes! Currently my obsession is with riding boots. As much as I am devoted to heels, I think a pair of flat boots is a necessity. Plus they are so stylish!! They are truly the perfect Fall/Winter accessory. These don't come cheap, but are really worth the investment. They are a timeless style that can last a lifetime, if you get a good pair. That said, a good pair can be found at various price points.

The mother of all riding boots, in my humble opinion, are the Hermes Kelly Jumping boots. They are gorgeous!!! They are stylish!!! They are EXPENSIVE!!! (YEEOUCH!!!) They are also very hard to find photos of, so here's what I could come up with:

The Kelly Caleche ad which features the gorgeous boots in brown:


A closer shot of the boots in brown, highlighting the removable Hermes clasp, which is the same style as the one on the Kelly handbag:


The boots in white on white with calfskin and croc:


Can't say that I'm a fan of the white on white with the croc. White boots, in general, don't do it for me. I'm also not a fan of the contrasting textures on the riding boots. I prefer the cleaner look of using all one type of material (plain calfskin or all croc are groovy.)

If the pocketbook would allow, I would love these boots in black or brown leather. Since they are starting at $1750, they will probably have remain firmly in dreamland for now, but ahhh to dream...

More riding boots to come tomorrow!

It's party time!

Wow, the holiday parties are already starting up! So in honor of the fêtes that await us this season, today's shoes will be Christian Louboutin's Anemone pumps. These are true party shoes and not for the faint of heart. These shoes will get you noticed and will tell the world you are ready to whoop it up!

P.S. - The Lerre gold strappy sandals with turquoise detail (from the post below) are now happily in my closet and they are even prettier in person than in the pics. Love them!!!

Lerre have you been all my life?!

Today is indeed a glorious day, for I have discovered a new shoe designer! The company is not new in the sense that this is their first line of shoes, but they are new to me because I had never heard of them before now. Behold the beauty that is a Lerre shoe. Fab designs, bits of flash, great colors and excellent proportion. I think I may have a new obsession...

About to be in my closet (I just ordered these moments ago):


Lerre gold kidskin strappy sandal with hand set turquoise stones. These are going to be so amazing in hot locales!

Here are a ton more pictures of the wide range of styles coming to us direct from Italy, courtesy of the geniuses at Lerre...

Hello brown suede Lerre boot. You are lovely!


Hi there purple silk open toed pump with bow detail. You look beautiful.

Yes, green silk strappy sandal with bow detail at ankle, I will let you live in my closet and wear you about town.

Marry you, champagne strappy sandal with crystal detail? Ok!

Why yes, I would love to wear you every day, adorable orange sling back suede flats with bow detail!

Silver strappy sandals with woven crystal detail are ready for their close up.

Whether champagne or seafoam green, I am madly in love with you both. Oh yes, you will be mine.


Not business as usual in these little beauties!


Simple, elegant, fabulous!

Flashy, yes, but I'll bet these look absolutely amazing on a lovely tanned foot with some gorgeous peasant skirt.

Lerre is a shoe company that has incredible range and gorgeous designs. I have a feeling I am going to get to know them very, very well... :-)

Ode to the Pilgrims

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, I thought I would give thanks for that which the Pilgrims brought us. A feast shared with the American Indians? No. An indelible fashion statement that they brought to the new world. To the shoe world. Behold the legacy of the Pilgrims lives on...



Roger Vivier flats with buckle detail (a favorite of Jessica Alba's and available in a zillion fab colors.)


Christian Lacroix peep toe pumps.
The peep toe part may not apply, but that flap thing that sticks up at the front definitely reminds me of the shoes of our Pilgrim pals.


Manolo Blahnik black pumps with rhinestone buckle detail at toe.
An even more modern approach to the Pilgrim buckle shoe, these jewel encrusted evening shoes from Manolo Blahnik still give a nod to our Thanksgiving forefathers.

So when you are sitting down with your family enjoying that delicious turkey dinner, don't forget to take a moment to give thanks to the true gift of the Pilgrims. Hot shoes! :)

Holiday Party Shoes...

Can you believe it's that time of year again? With Thanksgiving coming up next week, that means the holiday party season is right around the corner. So today I thought I'd look at a holiday party shoe put out by designer, Sergio Rossi.

Sergio Rossi gold pumps with black trim and gold and black toe embellishment.

I don't think I'm in love with these, but I do think they are pretty fun. For the holidays, you can really go a step beyond with your shoes. Shiny fabrics, bigger embellishments, you name it! It's a time to be festive and what better way to express your festive mood, than through your shoes!

Here is an idea of how to put the whole holiday party look together with these Sergio Rossi shoes:

Since the shoes have a lot going on (with the shiny fabric and pronounced toe embellishment) they are best matched with a simple dress (like the one pictured from Graeme Black, which I am completely coveting, but that is a whole other story.) So when the whole look is together, I am definitely liking this holiday offering from Sergio Rossi, more and more.

So there we have it! Holiday shoe season is officially kicking off!

Shoes glorious shoes!

Hi all! Though the current writers strike is threatening to cut into my shoe budget, my love for these gorgeous little gems continues, so today I would like to present a shoe I am currently coveting.

Pedro Garcia - Mary Jane close-toed pumps in black leather.

I am working on updating my clothes and shoe closets with classic staples that are stylish, but that have staying power and won't be obsolete next season. A basic black pump is a great staple and this super skinny strap across the bridge of the foot adds some fun flare. The strap's placement (not too high, not too low) and slimness are the key to making this a hot pair of shoes. In many ways I was very "over" the whole mary jane shoe thing (the Manolos that SJP coveted as an "urban shoe myth" were absolutely everywhere for so long that I couldn't stand the sight of them and refused to get any because they were too omnipresent.) As I look at them again now (pictured below) I do appreciate them as a beautifully designed and executed pair of shoes, but I still can't bring my self to want them due to the over-saturation of the market.

Manolo Blahnik black leather Mary Jane pumps.

I think the reason I would be interested in the Pedro Garcia pumps over the Blahniks is that the Blahniks make it too much about being a mary jane (if that makes any sense). The strap is thick and prominently placed right in the middle of your foot. It shouts in your face, "these are mary janes!" With the Garcias, the strap is slim, delicate and subtle. The strap is more of an embellishment to a simple, classic pump, rather than its raison d'être. However, Manolo Blahniks will still always remain my favorites for heel shape over any shoe out there. Blahnik's water drop heels are, and will always be, true shoe perfection.

Red Shoe Diaries

Ok, it is my (almost) new month resolution that I shall return to being a good little shoe blogger. While shoes have retained their spot in the center of my heart, work has stolen my blogging fingers away and kept me from writing about my beloved little zapatos. So, I have decided to reprioritize and put shoes back at the top of the list where they belong!

Today, I want to take a peek at red shoes. I love the kick of a scarlet red pump when they are an accent to a neutral outfit. Here are a few that I like right now:


Domenico Vacca (a favorite designer of mine), red peep-toe pumps with bow accent. Adorable!


Jimmy Choo leather and snake skin pumps. (These would look so hot with a work outfit.)


Manolo Blahnik red open-toe satin pumps with cut-out detail.

Viva la red shoe!

The Fall Essentials

Sorry I've been away for a bit. I have been traveling and up to my eyeballs in work. But I'm happy to say that I'm back home in Boston, finally, and back to looking at hot shoes!

So in my in-box today was Net-a-porter's list of Fall shoe must haves, and I'm very happy to say that we've been chatting about pretty much all of them! :-) They are:

Knee high boots
They suggest either stacked heel boots or flat riding style boots. I'm going to go with the flat Jimmy Choos that I've already got (though I'm still considering removing that tassel) and shall continue to covet the high heeled black knee high Choos that I posted about earlier. Net-a-porter also suggests boots with buckles and studs such as these:

(Brown boots by, Celine, Black boots by, Fendi)
I think the Celine boots are ok, but I'm not feeling the Fendi boots. That's just me.

Platforms:
They suggest animal prints (woohoo, we're so ahead of the curve), satin sandals, and t-bar styles. I'm not a big platform shoe fan, at all, but these Christian Louboutins are pretty coolio.


These have a cool peep toe which makes them good for not only the "platform" section but also the next suggested Fall essentials:

Pumps and Peep Toes:
My sweet Bruno Frisoni's can definitely be one of my new peep toes (though they haven't arrived yet, so I can't wear them to the symphony tonight! Boooo!), but I also like these pretty Jimmy Choos:

Ankle Boots and Shoe Boots:
We've covered these like crazy in a post below, so take a peek there for some hot styles for Fall.

Embellished Flats:
Again, we've covered these like crazy in a post below, so scroll on down to check them out.

So hooray, peeps! It looks like we've set our selves up pretty well for the Fall and were way ahead of the curve as usual! Why are we so good??? :-)

Kelly Hearts Rickard Shah!

My favorite shoes on the planet are designed by Rickard Shah. They are a husband and wife team based in London who make some of the most beautifully designed and expertly crafted shoes out there. In a word, they are spectacular. So today, I saw that they have just come out with their "Icon Collection". This is a limited edition run of their classic pleated peep toe pump in limited edition colors. I have these pumps in black and a super pale ballet pink and I just love them. They are so feminine and really flattering to the foot. (Jessica Alba loves this shoe so much they ended up renaming it the Jessica.)

Here is the collection of limited edition colors in the Icon Collection:



Currently in my Closet:


Ballet Pink


Black

Currently Coveting:

I love this shade of Emerald Green!

I also love this shade of Eggplant! But alas, for now I shall just covet them....

Fall Boots

Ok, so I have decided to let Summer go (for now) and start focusing on the shoes I want for Fall! Today I want to look at boots, the perfect staple for a Fall wardrobe.
Currently in my closet:


Jimmy Choo fringe boots.
I bought these last year and didn't get a chance to wear them much, so I am determined to wear them a bit more this Fall. I love the color and the suede. I'm still a bit on the fence about the tassel (which I may take off), but it is kind of cool and bohemian chic, so for now it gets to stay. I think these are great with jeans tucked in and a sweater or even with a shirt and blazer.

Currently Coveting:


Cognac Jimmy Choo leather short boots. I love this cognac color and could definitely use it in my shoe collection. Because I would be wearing these with pants, I like that they are short so I don't have too much bulk under the pants around the calves.


Black knee-high Jimmy Choo stiletto boots. I have a great pair of beige knee-high stiletto boots, but no black ones and I think I could get a lot of use out of them.


I like these dark brown Manolo Blahnik flat boots so much. Very mod. I think I would wear these tons and tons!

Au revoir!

The flat sandal...

I know the Summer months are coming to a close and Fall is upon us, but the Los Angeles sunshine is making me want to hang onto to those last vestiges of Summer with both hands. Thus, today I want to look at flat sandals. So cute and meant for the sunshine. Perfect when worn with a long or short whispy dress while walking along the island of Capri...

Simplicity in Gold:


Michael Kors Collection

Lily Pulitzer flat sandal in Gold


Embellishment:

Jimmy Choo embellished flat in bronze

Jimmy Choo embellished flat in silver.


Neutral Brown with Embellishment:


Manolo Blahnik brown flat sandal with gold hardware.


Jimmy Choo brown flat sandal with gold embellishment

A splash of color:


Brian Atwood suede flats with ankle ties. (From the same collection as the Brian Atwood high heeled sandals as shown in an earlier post, below, which are now in my closet!)

So there is today's review of summer flat sandals. It may not seem to be the most timely point to post about them, but hey, I bet these babies are on sale right now in all the stores! :-)