Topshop ROLO T-bar Platform
Topshop ROLO T-bar Platform, £65. (also comes in Navy Blue and Gold)These hot sandals from Topshop are perfect for teaming with darker denim. Pair with wide-leg jeans to complement the '70s-inspired platform and retro T-bar style.
Topshop Alexia High Sandal Boot
Topshop Alexia High Sandal Boot, £70. (also come in Black)These beautiful high sandals from Topshop can be perfectly matched to any outfit! These will definately boost your confidence so show them off!
Leggings & Loafers
Our truly awesome marketing team was on the bus recently when they spied the absolute cutest look and were inspired to blog.The look is at left: knee-highs and penny loafers under a knee-length skirt. It's that "mostly covered" look we've loved all fall. We love this update on the academic look with loafers replacing traditional maryjanes (call it Catholic Schoolgirl meets Young Corporate).
And while we've touched on tights before, we've overlooked the loafer. We were distracted by wine-dark heels reaching ever higher. As we extolled the virtues of height, the lowly penny loafer quietly infiltrated our shelves until we found ourselves surrounded. We gladly capitulated.
The resurgence of this stereotypically conservative clog is hardly surprising given the seasonal lean toward clean, tailored looks and a reliance on menswear. In fact, we can't help but wonder if endless campaigning and a rumbly stock market haven't become fashion's newest influences. Have a vertiginous stock ticker and acrimonious politicians become a base from which to build a classically stylish look?
Below we've paired three takes on the classic penny loafer with leggings designed to add some spice. You can bend this look more feminine, play up its so-called conservativism or complicate it with layered textures and bold gestures for something altogether different.
Look 1: Poli-Chic
This look marries the stalwart Bass loafer -- a gleaming, cordovan-hued genre classic -- with olive green leggings braced in a soft lime green diamond pattern. It's '40s Ivy League Student Body with a dash of Sexy Librarian thrown in to spice things up.
Look 2: The Compassionate Come-Hither Conservative
While based in traditional menswear looks, this pairing has a more audacious energy. A bold, semi-sheer argyle legging steps into a chestnut-colored Jeffrey Campbell penny with a fabulous snub toe. Casual sawtooth finish on the tongue adds some zippy playfulness to the lines. (Maybe it's the leg form, but we can't help but be reminded of the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window. Ralphie would have loved it. Grownups will too.)
Look 3: Bailout Bohemian
Perfect for strolling over to Washington Mutual to clean out our desk while celebrating our unexpected freedom from the corporate workplace! The banded vamp of the Franco Sarto Kline is a reptile patent with a feminine buckle. Patent trim lines the opening and contrast topstitching on a suede upper keeps it easy and casual. The heather gray cashmere tights are luxurious but simple; a pair of Hot Sox legwarmers keep things interesting with bold, working buttons reminiscent of spats.
Alexander McQueen 'Union Jack' Ankle Boot
Alexander McQueen 'Union Jack' Ankle Boot, £600.These Alexander McQueen 'Union Jack' ankle boots are 'Heritage chic' at its best. They have a gold tipped toe and a zip fastening that sits on the inside of the boot. Talk about patriotism, make a style statement with these McQueen ankle boots with the Alexander McQueen Union Jack 'Britannia' Skull Clutch Bag at http://seriousarmcandy.blogspot.com/2008/09/alexander-mcqueen-britannia-skull.html
Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Sparkle Platform Pump
Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Sparkle Platform Pump, £445.YSL shoes have got to be the ‘IT’ shoes of the season, from the pumps to the boots, these shoes are just amazing. With a concealed platform and 4.5 inch heels these are every fashionista's dream!
Stella McCartney Patent Ankle Boots
Stella McCartney Patent Ankle Boots, £595.As seen on the runway. These Stella boots are gorg!!! I love these boots. They are well sculptured, powerful, and magnificently high - wear them with everything - you'll have too, you won't want to take them off!
Gucci 'Babouska' Leather Bootie with Studs
Gucci 'Babouska' Leather Bootie with Studs, £537.A popular bootie and very much in demand, these Gucci 'Babouska' Leather Bootie with Studs are a hit! This has got to be the boot to be seen in this season.
Give an Inch ...
Super sexy heels have enjoyed special attention this year as they rise to the improbable six-inch mark and beyond. We are seeing it all over the runway, the magazines, the fashion sites. (Just ask Bill Cunningham at the New York Times.) We see it on pumps, on boots, on, well, everything except flats. For a moment we wondered if all the teetering and tottering and inevitable sore feet were worth the look. Then we came to our senses. Of course it is worth the look. The answer to "height" is always "yes." Our quest for world domination through sexy feet demands it.
We're working on the assumption that Christian Louboutin's Babel boots ($1,425 at Net-a-Porter) might be a smidge pricey, given that we're now saving to cover our share of the SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS needed to bail out Wall Street (quick calculation ... $2,300 per every man, woman and non-tax-paying child in the U.S.). So we thought we'd put together some more affordable options.
Daino's 2850s are similar in style and height to the Babel with a nearly four-inch heel. (And we never said this but perhaps a little Testor's red gloss enamel, a #6 oil brush and a half-hour and, well, we never said it.) It's leather forever as these knee-highs lengthen and cover your legs. This look references the Goth trends we've been seeing this fall -- a heavy influence of blacks and leathers with an emphasis on hardware and layered jewelry. It's darkly sophisticated, but paired with a long, flowing skirt(s) you'll mute the gloom and create a sealed and polished look that speaks to your urban sophistication.
Daino 2850 with fall looks by Marios Schwab and Halston.
We're working on the assumption that Christian Louboutin's Babel boots ($1,425 at Net-a-Porter) might be a smidge pricey, given that we're now saving to cover our share of the SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS needed to bail out Wall Street (quick calculation ... $2,300 per every man, woman and non-tax-paying child in the U.S.). So we thought we'd put together some more affordable options.
Daino's 2850s are similar in style and height to the Babel with a nearly four-inch heel. (And we never said this but perhaps a little Testor's red gloss enamel, a #6 oil brush and a half-hour and, well, we never said it.) It's leather forever as these knee-highs lengthen and cover your legs. This look references the Goth trends we've been seeing this fall -- a heavy influence of blacks and leathers with an emphasis on hardware and layered jewelry. It's darkly sophisticated, but paired with a long, flowing skirt(s) you'll mute the gloom and create a sealed and polished look that speaks to your urban sophistication.
Daino 2850 with fall looks by Marios Schwab and Halston.Likewise, we'd love a pair of Missoni's crocodile booties ($5,695 at Missoni New York), but since we're currently down more than 5% net worth, we're just as happy with Pour La Victoire's Lea in black patent croco print. (And, truthfully, we'd be just as happy with it if we were ahead.)
The four-inch heel gives you lift while its sexy curves finish off the lines of your calf, ankle and down through your heel for a sleek, polished look. We love -- LOVE -- the wide-cut opening here which makes the foot look smaller, draws attention to our darling ankles and evinces a general playfulness. The purposeful gapping and brassy pattern plays off against pencil skirts and streamlined, basic silhouettes for a sexy-librarian chic.
Pour La Victoire's Lea and Missoni's salivatingly beautiful crocodile boot.
But enough about us. We want to hear what you think of the high heel trend. Take our poll below and sound off!
The four-inch heel gives you lift while its sexy curves finish off the lines of your calf, ankle and down through your heel for a sleek, polished look. We love -- LOVE -- the wide-cut opening here which makes the foot look smaller, draws attention to our darling ankles and evinces a general playfulness. The purposeful gapping and brassy pattern plays off against pencil skirts and streamlined, basic silhouettes for a sexy-librarian chic.
Pour La Victoire's Lea and Missoni's salivatingly beautiful crocodile boot.Ann Demeulemeester Triple Lace-up Flat Tall Boots
Ann Demeulemeester Triple Lace-up Flat Tall Boots, £978.I love these Demeulemeester boots, especially the lace-up detail. Pair these boots with jeans or shorts for a cool day look and finish.
Yves Saint Laurent Trooper Platform Ankle Boots
Yves Saint Laurent Trooper Platform Ankle Boots, £575. I love these YSL Trooper Platform Ankle Boots. They have a curved heel, solid platform and golden hiking sole. These will definately make one of the season's stand-out booties.
Casadei Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09
Casadei Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09. (price on demand)These sharp platforms from Casadei have a chunky front and slim-line stilettos that spell style and oozes confidence. These will definately make you stand out from the crowd!
5 Reasons Why I Love Topshop.....
Topshop's PETA Premium Platform Sandal £80.00 
PETER JENSEN for Topshop Point Ankle Boot £100.00
PETER JENSEN for Topshop Lace Ankle Boot £100.00
Topshop's PREEN Suede High Ankle Boot £110.00
Topshop's UNIQUE High Ankle Boot, £115.00Need I say more other than T.O.P.S.H.O.P ROCKS!!!!!!!
I just Love Topshop because they are always on top of all the trends. And now, thanks to the launch of TOPSHOP in the U.S.A this month, our friends State side can also enduldge in some of these sought after treats from Britain. Remember, the early bird catches the worm so get shopping!!!!
The Shape of Things
Trends in bags have diverged of late. The continuing growth of spring's gigantic bag, as evidenced by the Louis Vuitton/Richard Prince collaboration, is alive and well. But we've also been receiving shipments with smaller, more structured leanings. Hardcase clutches, handsome doctor's satchels and businesslike attaches have clean lines and sharp silhouettes inspired by the professional and political realms.
(Sidebar! As America's political race goes from overheated to red hot, we are wondering: could we be seeing new, unexpected fashion influences? Wonk-chic? Pollster pulchritude?)
With such divergent trends, what's a handbag company to do? If you are Melie Bianco, the answer is simple: both.
The W8-252 – a name that simply trips down the tongue – is an attache in gray and blue, a flat leatherette portfolio with smartly contrasted trim. The crowning detail is a hexagonal handle cutout. It's policy meets pleasure. Think early '70s. Sigourney Weaver in the "Ice Storm." Stylishly confident, powerful, rebuking expectations.
Likewise, the w8-10 overlong clutch in mustard or purple is a bright bar of color across your outfit. The extra length and brilliant hues draw attention to your look like a Dan Flavin in a white-walled gallery.
So naturally we're picturing these bags as a linear pop of color on an otherwise clean-as-a-whistle outfit, meaning pencil skirts, riding boots with clean lines or sexy-spiky office heels and a reduced palette of heather grays, blacks, saddle browns, whites. Add a scarf or ropey necklace to break up the lines.
If the w8-252 attache and w8-10 clutch energize your look by inverting the buttoned-up, the 84004 pops all the buttons off said shirt. These glazed bags in boldly lacquered fall colors are assembled from asymmetrical panels draped, pinched and ruched to create a form that is less handbag so much as frozen explosion of sassy, sensual, voluminous folds.
Again, keep it simple. This bag demands attention; don't fight it. (No A-lines here.) Continue the sense of flow with a layered chain necklace. Try some flat-heeled boots with a slight scrunch or low, chunky heels that work back to this bag's organic shape.
(Sidebar! As America's political race goes from overheated to red hot, we are wondering: could we be seeing new, unexpected fashion influences? Wonk-chic? Pollster pulchritude?)
With such divergent trends, what's a handbag company to do? If you are Melie Bianco, the answer is simple: both.The W8-252 – a name that simply trips down the tongue – is an attache in gray and blue, a flat leatherette portfolio with smartly contrasted trim. The crowning detail is a hexagonal handle cutout. It's policy meets pleasure. Think early '70s. Sigourney Weaver in the "Ice Storm." Stylishly confident, powerful, rebuking expectations.
Likewise, the w8-10 overlong clutch in mustard or purple is a bright bar of color across your outfit. The extra length and brilliant hues draw attention to your look like a Dan Flavin in a white-walled gallery.
If the w8-252 attache and w8-10 clutch energize your look by inverting the buttoned-up, the 84004 pops all the buttons off said shirt. These glazed bags in boldly lacquered fall colors are assembled from asymmetrical panels draped, pinched and ruched to create a form that is less handbag so much as frozen explosion of sassy, sensual, voluminous folds.
Again, keep it simple. This bag demands attention; don't fight it. (No A-lines here.) Continue the sense of flow with a layered chain necklace. Try some flat-heeled boots with a slight scrunch or low, chunky heels that work back to this bag's organic shape.
COS Platform Ankle Boots
COS Platform Ankle Boots, £129.I absolutely love platforms and these are my must-have platforms for this winter. These high-heeled ankle boots from COS will be perfect for giving any look that 'statement status' this autumn/winter.
Kenzo Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09
Kenzo Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09. (prices on demand) This sleek collection from Kenzo for Winter 08/ 09 are the ultimate pick-me-up for any tired wardrobe. Very stylish and oozing instant-chic, these shoes are definately on trend for the new season.
Jean Paul Gaultier Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09
Jean Paul Gaultier Shoe Collection, Winter 08/ 09. (price on demand) The 'enfant terrible' of French fashion does it again with these cutting edge boots from his Winter 2008-9 shoe collection.
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