Nardcotix for the New Year!

A couple of quick hits from Nardcotix today, hard to believe that this is my final post for 2009! Nardya Rousellot has just released a fantastic basic pump in 20 great shades and there is a special pre-release of the Nuria MaryJanes to accompany a great look from DCNY Clothing Co. too!

The Nuria MaryJanes (in Black & White) were sent to me for a peek weeks ago, and I had forgotten all about them until I was shooting some ads for DCNY, they were a perfect match with the new outfit so I contacted Nardya to release the preview pair at the DCNY Store today, to correspond with the release of the Madelene Outfit. Yay!



Also, responding to a special request from a customer, Nardya has released the Rebekah Pumps, a simple and perfect heel, in 20 gorgeous colors. You get both a colored heel and a black heeled version of the shoes in each pack, 2 pairs for the price of one, fantastic! You can find these goodies at the Nardcotix Main Store located here.


Have a fantastic New Year's Eve, and don't forget to visit DCNY to get the Nuria Shoes, additional colors will be made available soon, but for now the only place to get them is at the DCNY Main Store on Xalapa, here.

The Stuff:

Look 1 - Skin: LeLutka, Hair/Hat: Maitreya, Outfit: DCNY Clothing Co., Ring: Donna Flora.

Look 2 - Skin: LeLutka, Hair Pieces: booN (custom modified), Dress/Tights: Oyakin for Designers United, Earrings & Ring: Donna Flora.

We End the Year with a New Giveaway

We are ready to write this year off. Let's face it: common consensus is that this year sucked. We've found a palliative for the pain. It's called "winning free stuff." And thus we bring this year to a close with something of a ray of hope: the chance to win a pair of the Ugg Dakota! We chose this particular shoe because, frankly, we like the pink leather deck shoe tie. We also like the suede and the super-nubbly-cozy-soft shearling lining, but, mostly, it's the pink. So cute and fun and happy! So non-2009!

Sign up and let's usher in a new year and a better decade. Happy New Year to all our customers and readers and good luck in this latest giveaway!

Some LeLutka and Designers United

Today LeLutka designer, Minnu Palen, sent over the updated footwear collections first seen on the LeLutka ULTRA Runway. The Saffron Pumps and the Shavon Ankle Boots have both been seen on this blog before, but now I have the full range of colors to play with, and there are just so many, particularly in the Saffrons, that I could never really show them all... you will need to go see these for yourself.


The Saffron Pumps are those super tall stilettos with the built in platform for an extra high punch. They come in an amazing number of colors you will have a very hard time choosing between; Neutrals, Soft Colors, Two-toned and Electric brights. I even mixed and matched my brights to suit the amazing Dada Aurelia leggings from the set available for a limited time from Designers United.


Designers United was really the fashion source for much of what you see in this post, the colors and quality seemed to pair so well with this footwear. The corset of the incredible Veschi creation, Veschi-ville by Alla Ruff, pairs perfectly with the two-toned Saffrons in Terracotta and Brown. Moving on to the Shavon boots, I simply could not resist this fabulousness from Runo Runo, '5 Minutes to Curtain', and the Pearl leather boots seemed a great match.


Finally, my long romance with corsets emerged and I grabbed up this beautiful 'Dancer by Day' Dress from Twosome. Instead of the long bustled skirt it came with, I chose the ruffled pantalettes that are meant to be worn under the Vaudeville Dress by Oyakin, to go with the amazing Olive shade of the ankle boots.

Visit LeLutka for Footwear (release on 12/29) and Designers United for Fashions.

The Stuff;

All Footwear - LeLutka

All Skins - LeLutka Estelle (Sunkissed & Light)

All Hair & Hair Pieces - booN

All Poses - EverGlow

Look 1 - !DADA! 'Aurelia' for Designers United, Accessories by U&R Dogs.

Look 2 - Runo Runo '5 Minutes to Curtain' for Designers United, Ring by U&R Dogs.
Look 3 - Veschi 'Veschi-ville' for Designers United, Hosiery by Battered Boudoir.
Look 4 - Twosome 'Dancer by Day' & Oyakin 'Vaudeville Dress' both for Designers United, Earrings by Paper Couture, Garter Socks by Pig (tinted darker.)

(click on images to expand.)

All Star sneaker

All Star sneaker

All Star sneaker

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Jessica Z. of St. Louis, the lucky winner of any Jeffrey Campbell shoe we carry. Her pick? The s-s-s-Slither. Long as the serpent it brings to mind, Slither's (way)-over-the knee tooled cowboy is one sexy boot. Well played, Jess!

And to all our entrants, a big thank you for supporting Lori's and patronizing the site. Keep an eye out for our next giveaway (and an exclusive special in your inbox). Happy holidays!

Urban Planning: Jewelry for the Cityfolk

We recently divvied up our jewelry collections to make room for a trend we've seen about town. We're calling it "Urban Planning" because, like city fathers Daniel Burnham or Robert Moses, we're making no small plans to reinvent the city look. This season that means an emphasis on bold, confident bib necklaces littered with glass gems, rhinestones and a grab bag of materials. (More, after all, is more.) Pyramid studs, nailheads, chain and metal beading are huge. You will find them on strappy leather thongs or wrappy strings of stones and metal.

The look might be called "luxe accretion." Build your look through a piling-on of glamourous baubles. Put bracelets over bracelets. Necklaces are layered like a precious version of the geologic record. We've also seen a lot of materials applied within the same piece: silver and gold, pearls with crystal, dogs and cats living together ... we digress. The point is, bring it. Like the city's denizens, your jewelry is a collection of unique characters restlessly coexisting and in the rub making a culture come alive.

This is a look you can dress up for an NYE ballroom or pair with a badass boot like the JC Brit (in piture above) for am edgy, kool kid tension (how ironic depends on your capacity for tragic hipness or perhaps the number of single-gear bikes you own). However you wear it, wear it with confidence. Big ego, people! And a happy holiday.

StyleCard: NX Absinthe Heels

More beautiful footwear from Nardya Rousselot this week. The Absinthe Heels are just another perfect Holiday delight courtesy of the Nardcotix label. A softly pointed high-heeled pump wrapped in shimmering fabric gets dressed up with an elegant bow on the heel. Available in 13 yum-tastic colors, including baby blue, gold and lilac, these shoes will be a perfect accompaniment for your formal attire and party wear. Expect these to hit shelves later today.

Visit Nardcotix to get a pair, I dare you to resist that delicious fatpack!

The stuff; Shoes - Nardcotix - Absinthe Heels in Scarlet, Skin - Curio - June Sundust Frex - Swan 2 (dark), Hair - Gritty Kitty - Ghetto Black, Dress - Donna Flora - Diletta Gown, Earrings - Donna Flora.

An Ultra Post

Ok, So... I was extremely excited to be part of the LeLutka ULTRA runway show yesterday, not only was it a top notch presentation of the more avant garde side of SL fashion, it was also a chance to walk the runway in another great MAD Agency production. The design team behind LeLutka created some incredible pieces, some are not as suited for everyday life or SLife as others, but the quality of the individual components is magnificent, and I challenged myself to mix and match items from the collection, and naturally, the new footwear, to create some more accessible looks, still high fashion, but not out of reach for the average fashionista.

This is just an early look at the new footwear that will be released soon in multiple colors and combinations, the 2 styles show here are the Saffron Pumps, a sky high über stiletto with a combined platform sole, and the Shavon Boots, a short boot with layers of shape, straps and metal buckles. These items are well suited to the runway, but are equally happy paired with dresses, gowns and casuals with a more mainstream appeal.

All the clothing, skins and accessories shown are from the new collection by LeLutka, with the exception of the dark brown hairstyles with can be found at booN, the Blue Eyes from MADesigns, and the pair of opera gloves, credit to COCO. Now, obviously, the term 'Real Life' is used loosely, we all know that SL is not RL, and in case you hadn't noticed I am not wearing my typical shape, but one specifically for the LeLutka ULTRA production. Items from the collection and the new footwear should be available soon at LeLutka.

StyleCard: Aleida Bobo Wool Boots

The Aleida Bobo Wool Boots are a very unique combination of legwarmer and boot, with a pair of buckles to lash the boot upper to the leg. The textures are interesting, and there are an assortment of earthy shades. Aleida Rhode is a creator of clothing, skins and footwear, all of which can be found at her main store on Glendalough, which is well work a visit if you are looking for something a little extraordinary.

Visit Aleida for a closer look.

The stuff;

Boots: Aleida, Bobo Wool Boots, Plum.

Skin: Belleza, Jesse Sunkiss, 1 HB.

Hair: booN, ZGO223, Chocolate.

Clothing: Baiastice, Insomnia Shirt & Sweet Cotton Pants (Grey).

Accessories: Sigma Jewels, Orian Earrings, Silver.

(click on image to expand.)

A Wonderful Gift, A Generous Creator.

Cajsa Lilliehook kindly contacted me today to let me know about a very special gift from 'In Her Shoes', footwear by Rachel Boram. Rachel has priced all of her footwear for 0 L$, yes, all of it is free, a nice assortment of heels, flats, sneakers and boots (and some men's styles too.) Here are some snaps of just a few styles.

Please do visit 'In Her Shoes' to get some holiday cheer, and while you are there leave a little something in Rachel's Tip Jar to show her just how much we shoe lovers appreciate her generosity.

SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vignette/124/102/56

Style Notes;

Look 1 - Shoes/In Her Shoes - Christmas Plaid Sneakers, Hair/::69::, Skin/Curio, Sweater/En Svale, Jeans and Tank Top/Maitreya.

Look 2 - Shoes/In Her Shoes - Vignette Betty Dots - Black&White, Hair/Maitreya, Skin/Curio, Minidress/Luck Inc., Leggings/Maitreya, Fur Bolero/Nadas, Bangles/Fresh Baked Goods.

Look 3 - Shoes/In Her Shoes - Bows Bows - Pink Plaid, Hair/::69::, Skin/Curio, Lingerie/LeLutka, Pearl Jewelry/Carolines.

Look 4 - Boots/In Her Shoes - Warm Winter Boots - Black, Hair/JE*REPUBLIC. Skin/Curio, Sweater/Madsy, Tank Top/DCNY, Leggings/DP YumYum, Ring/Donna Flora.

(Click on Images to expand.)

Lobster Claw!

Alexander McQueen recently sent models down the runway wearing the most out-there shoes we have seen in a long time. As covered in T, The New York Times magazine, the shoe resembles a lobster claw. Crustacean couture? We can't imagine wearing them, but we also can't imagine not at least trying to wear them. On the foot or off, we simply can't look away.

StyleCard: More Prestige

So Phoenix reviewed the fantastic new BAX Prestige Boots in Suede not long ago, but I love Bax Coen's suede boots so much that I decided to do a quickie post on them today as I was running around taking some photos in them. So here they are, and if you hadn't heard they come in a rainbow of shades, well there are 5 sets; Black, Green, Purple, Blue and Brown - and each set allows for four unique shades of suede, metal options, trim features, etc. So these really do offer a lot of value for your dollar. The fit on these is very easy to adjust, and they look perfect!

Visit BAX to see the full range of shades.

The stuff;

Boots: BAX Boots, Prestige Boots Suede, Black (set to Dark Grey).

Skin: Curio, Sundust June, Frex - Swan 2 (Dark).

Hair: BooN, VYN287, Mat.

Outfit: Blacklace, Guinevere: Silver Sequins Evening Gown (includes Lingerie.)

Accessories: SAIKIN, Rabbit Fur Mittens and Scarf (Grey). Aluinn Earrings.

Pose in 1st Image: *xoxo ania*, against the wall.

(click on images to enlarge.)

Designer Sighting: Steve Madden

How cute are these two?? During the recent buying trip to New York Lori ran into fellow shoe dog Steve Madden. She was excited for Spring 2010, not to mention running into the Man himself. Keep an eye here for pictures of upcoming styles and trends from Steve Madden and more.

Group Gifts & Goofy Getups

Just a quick post to let you in on the amazingness that is the new Group Gift from Nardcotix! If you have been drooling over the gorgeous shoes that Nardya Rousselot has been churning out lately, don't miss your chance to get a pair of the Kurvy Ruby Slippers by signing up at the Nardcotix Subscrib-o-matic!

And as if that wasn't enough, Nardya will also be placing a perfect holiday sweater, the Frosti Sweater, under the tree in her Main Store, both Male and Female versions, so be sure to visit Nardcotix soon to get your sweater too!

Oh yeah! and just because it's been a while since I did any shameless self promotion, you can find the 'I'm a Fruitcake' Set at my shop Kitsch*en*Couture for only 50L... and the Christmas Crotch Swan for only 1L. Taxi to Kitsch on Retrology, here.

Sale Shoe Of The Day : 'Lawed' by Faith

I know, I know. Party season has only just ended so why the hell am I proposing a party shoe as Shoe Of The Day? Because of these reasons:

a) It's never too early to plan pretty party outfits
b) There's always a need for pretty shoes
c) They're £25 down from £55

As for the shoe itself, it's a fairly classic choice - black, sparkle, satin, shaped heel. But don't think that means it's boring. No, no my friend, rather regard it as the versatile classic it is.

Lawed sandal from Faith, £25 reduced from £55

StyleCard: MEB Suede & Studs Boots

It's that time of year again, Festival of Lights... yada, yada, yada. I spent the first night of Hannukah... or Chanukkah (actually there are 17 acceptable spellings of the word - I looked it up), seeking out the last of the Down the Chimney Hunt goodies. And then it was home to unwrap a very special gift from my girl Abraxxa Anatine of Earthstones. Last year she gave me the most gorgeous Menorah, but this year she went all out and gave me her new Dreidel Game, complete with golden coin 'gelt' for the really heavy holiday gambling. Anyhow, enough about the latkas and donuts, I guess we should get to the boots now.


MEB, the fashion house created by MariaElena Barbosa, has always included footwear with it's complete outfits, and while the shoes were nice they were never really the main focus. More recently though, MEB has introduced a much more detailed and unique assortment of shoes, ones that accompany the clothing collection nicely, but also stand alone in an updated shoe department, full of boots, sandals and heels to suit many tastes. The Suede & Studs Boots come in a quartet of great shades, capped off with a rolled knit topper. Cute and comfy, and perfect for attacking a gridwide hunt... though I can't say I will be doing another any time soon.

Visit MEB to take a look at the footwear collection!

The stuff;

Boots: MEB, Suede & Studs Boots, Ice.

Skin: Curio, Sundust June, Frex Doe 1 (Dark).

Hair: ::69::, Verte 04, Stud Scarf, Darkbrown.

Outfit: Narwhal, Tuck Me In Outfit (includes socks).

Accessories: DeLa, Tiana Earrings, Pink/Gold.

(click on images to expand.)

Shai Lizard Boots

Shai Delacroix has long been considered a major talent, and everything she endeavors to undertake seems to turn to gold.

So it's about time to she turned her attention to the foot.


The Lizard boot is the first of its kind, and hopefully not the last. Blending classic styling with her own unique twists, this boot is a great staple to fit into your wardrobe seamlessly.

There are six colours available, at L$400 each. Unfortunately, there is no fatpack, and more distressingly, there is no demo. Hopefully, that will come soon, because it's a very rare thing that I buy a shoe without a demo. Because it's Shai, though, I did.

Today, and today only, the red lizard boots are only L$50 for Fifty Linden Friday. You've got about four hours left to pick these up for that price, so make sure you head down to Casa del Shai!

Shoes for a Fairy Princess

The newest collaboration between Love Soul and R2 has produced a gorgeous pair of sandals, fit for a wedding or a fancy occasion, or hell, even shopping.

The details are exquisite, from the rose to the nail decorative art. Which, luckily, is removable. Because I'm not a girl who can wear decorative things on my toenails. I absolutely love every detail of this shoe, and the HUD included is really great. It is very clear and easy to use, with three switchable tabs, and the entire thing can be minimized.


The one disappointing this about this shoe is the foot, specifically the shading and shadows. They're a little overdone for me, and I think they make the foot look a tad dirty (viewed in my standard Caliah preset), and a bit strained. I also found it tough to tint it to my skintone (in fact, I changed skintones to make an easier time of it) but that may just be my being spoiled by other creators who include lists with numbers to just plug in to get a perfect match. So you may have an easier time of it if you're used to tinting skintones.

These sandals are L$840 each, or you can choose to get the fatpack of nine colours for L$4970.

Go to Love Soul.

Converse 100th Anniversary All Star Weapon Leather Hi

Not immune to the trends of hybrids, one of Converse’s biggest releases forth coming for the 100th Anniversary of the brand is the mash-up two of it’s perennial stars, the Weapon and the All Star. In some ways you can consider the All Star Weapon Leather a much slimmer version of the original Weapon, as it maintains relatively the same style of upper. Other releases include the All Star G&S originally issued at the 1960 Olympics and the WC, another Olympic release back in 1936.

Converse 100th Anniversary All Star Weapon Leather Hi

Not immune to the trends of hybrids, one of Converse’s biggest releases forth coming for the 100th Anniversary of the brand is the mash-up two of it’s perennial stars, the Weapon and the All Star. In some ways you can consider the All Star Weapon Leather a much slimmer version of the original Weapon, as it maintains relatively the same style of upper. Other releases include the All Star G&S originally issued at the 1960 Olympics and the WC, another Olympic release back in 1936.

Converse 100th Anniversary All Star Weapon Leather Hi

Not immune to the trends of hybrids, one of Converse’s biggest releases forth coming for the 100th Anniversary of the brand is the mash-up two of it’s perennial stars, the Weapon and the All Star. In some ways you can consider the All Star Weapon Leather a much slimmer version of the original Weapon, as it maintains relatively the same style of upper. Other releases include the All Star G&S originally issued at the 1960 Olympics and the WC, another Olympic release back in 1936.

Trend Pink Wedding Shoes

Trend Pink Wedding Shoes

Trend Pink Wedding Shoes

StyleCard: Nardcotix Ashoka T-Straps

I have had to guard my Ashokas for a few days now. I was lucky enough to get an early peek at these gorgeous things over the weekend, and people were practically yanking them off my feet to get at them. Nardya has pretty much gift wrapped our feet for the holidays with these insanely yummy plaid pumps. Just look at the festive colors and that beautiful ruffle detail, I don't often use the F word, but I will for these... Fatpack. I know I could never decide between all the Nardcotix Ashoka T-Straps colors, I had to have them all!


Visit Nardotix super quick to get these!

The Stuff;

Shoes: Nardcotix, Ashoka T-Strap Shoes, Red.

Skin: Curio, Sundust (Dark) June, Swan 2 Frex.

Hair: TRUTH, Ashlynn, Caramel.

Outfit: Phoenix Rising, Motive, Red.

Accessories: Paper Couture, Pearled Simplicity Earrings. & Earthstones, Petite Tennis Bracelet (Abraxxa's Bridal), Gold.

(click on images to expand.)

StyleCard: Redgrave Moscow Boots

Just in case you were having a difficult time trying to decide which pair of boots to buy today... here is just one more amazing possibility. Viola Leigh, who makes the Redgrave footwear, returns after a long time away, to bring us a little taste of Moscow, well, Moscow Boots.


We all fell in love with those Biker Boots she made, and have been hungry for more ever since. It was a great to slip into these detailed leather boots with nice high heels and straps, and just enough fur to add style without looking like a ski bunny.


The boots are available in 5 colors, with a very special red and white Santa pair for all of you festive footwear lovers. Regular shades sell for a very reasonable 350 L$/pair, and there are a couple of multi-pack options, while the Santa Red Moscow Boots are available for only 222 L$!

Be sure and visit Redgrave to get some of these great boots!

The stuff;

Boots: Redgrave, Moscow Boots, Black&Brown.

Skin: Redgrave, Leona Tan, Smoky.

Hair: fri.day, Deena, Delighted Blond.

Outfit: Bijou, Shelter Outfit, Black (includes stockings). & COCO, Fur Cape, BrownMix.

Accessories: Redgrave, Driving Gloves, Long Finger (Black).

(click on images to expand).

Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi B

Despite the long and storied history of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi, Converse has still managed to be reinvent the shoe. This latest design incorporates a velcro ankle strap. The days of wearing All-Stars as actual performance sneakers have long passed rendering this strap a mere aesthetic addition. Available in three different colors, black, red and green. Available now at Flauge.

Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi B

Despite the long and storied history of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi, Converse has still managed to be reinvent the shoe. This latest design incorporates a velcro ankle strap. The days of wearing All-Stars as actual performance sneakers have long passed rendering this strap a mere aesthetic addition. Available in three different colors, black, red and green. Available now at Flauge.

Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi B

Despite the long and storied history of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi, Converse has still managed to be reinvent the shoe. This latest design incorporates a velcro ankle strap. The days of wearing All-Stars as actual performance sneakers have long passed rendering this strap a mere aesthetic addition. Available in three different colors, black, red and green. Available now at Flauge.

BeeBee's a SLinky Goddess

Siddean Munro of SLink gets better and better with every release. Her latest, the BeeBee ankle boots are, in a word, spectacular.

Today, Siddean released a special festive limited edition version of red & green, with a white fur trim and some little jingle bells. I'm not normally a holiday type of girl, but one look at these made me change my mind. Now, I already had the fatpack of these luscious leather cuties, because I hightailed it right over as soon as I got my notice of their existence, but I needed the festive ones too!


I love all of the interesting features of these, like the strap going under the heels and the zipper tab. The suede and the leather textures are amazingly done, and Siddean tells me besides (legitimately) sourcing the actual textures, the entire rest is all hand-done.

Each colour is L$650 each, and if you're like me and prefer to buy fatpacks where possible (it's a sickness, an awesome sickness), it's only $2900, which is slightly more than 50% off! The Xmas edition is only $150.


SLink Mainstore.
SLink Blog.

Credits:

Hair - Truth Grazia in Treacle \ Skin - Laqroki Ania 01 in Nougat \ Dress - LeLutka Charliz is Dancing The Polka Mini in Night \ Leggings - Truth Xanadu in Black \ Poses - Reel Expression Shoe Fair 07, Glitterati Sci-Fi Hallway.