Chanel Spring 2010 via Grazia

So we won’t like, we hate clogs. It’s no secret. We really hate clogs. But apparently Karl (and the people at Miu Miu) LOVE them and we – as fashionable folk – need to somehow incorporate them into our Spring wardrobe. (Gag.)

Our advice for taking on this trend?

Buy down.

We vote for the Charlie Clog, by reigning king of big brand knock-off’s: Jeffrey Campbell. The Charlie is inexplicably sold out virtually (yes, we mean online) everywhere but we found a few pairs, and the option to back order at Lori’s Shoes online for $126 – so, at least our regret won’t be four figures deep.

- RACHEL RACZKA

The Charlie Clog by Jeffrey Campbell, $127, Lori's Shoes

]]> http://balletheel.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/extreme-high-heels-maybe-dangerous-shoes-probably-ugly-yes/ Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:47:28 +0000 lifetishstyle http://balletheel.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/extreme-high-heels-maybe-dangerous-shoes-probably-ugly-yes/

Never said I would think balletheels beautiful LOL – but there are shoes in my high heel collection beeing extreme (more extreme than balletheels?) and for sure UGLIER than balletheels are LOL -

As to height of course easy to walk – similar to normal *porn*- platform heel but unfortunatly quite dangerous because of the egdy steel platform sole even if walked an even surface… I don´t call them high heels (are they?) but flat-iron shoes LOL

Ich hab ja nie behauptet, dass ich Ballet-Heels schön finde! Es gibt aber in meiner High Heel Sammlung Schuhe, die extrem sind (extremer als Balletheels?) aber vor allem HÄSSLICHER als Balletheels, *g.

Da sie an sich nicht so hoch sind, kann man die recht gut laufen- ähnlich wie normale *Porn-Plateau Heels – nur leider sind sie recht gefährlich wegen den spitzen Ecken am Metall-Plateau un der Metall-Sohle, sogar wenn man über glatte Ebenen läuft….  Ich nenne sie allerdings nicht High Heels (sind sie es?) – sondern Bügeleisen-Schuhe !

If you wear these, I may actually punch you.

At our New Years party it was not me wearing the craziest and the highest shoes! I am not sure you can call these high heels but for sure they ARE very high and not that easy to wear either! I did want but then during the party I just forget to ask her for her boots to try on – I´ve never worn such! I know some call them ponyboots, some even ballet boots, but they are not- though I would not know the correct name for them. I confess I also think them ugly, but also very fascinating – aren´t they? And this is quite a funny look when one traipses on those crazy boots over the snowy wet terrace

When I was living in Brazil, I’d occasionally peruse the digital pages of UrbanOutfitters.com to see what Stateside trends I was missing out on. Fortunately, I didn’t miss much.

It seems as though all of Hollywood and its fashion followers (life imitating art, or art imitating life?) jumped onto the “cage shoe” bandwagon. Shoes all of a sudden became torturous contraptions that were lattice tanline-creating, blister-inducing, little leather nightmares. To top it all off, we’ve already seen this trend before. It didn’t look good then, and it looks even worse now as we attempt the comeback. Everyone seems to be wearing them, yet no one has noticed the utter terrorist act it commits on the shape of one’s legs. If you want your leg to look like an asymetrical triangle, that’s your business, but in my case, I’d rather they look, you know, normal and not like sausages stuffed into a cowskin meatgrinder. Thanks.

Since the summer, buyers for Urban Outfitters and Piperlime have been trying to continue this trend deep into the frigid air of a New York winter, reminding us that we might need leather lattice work in the cold, too! Because nothing says warmth like a shoe that has a ton of holes in it, right? Lattice heeled sandals transformed into lattice boots, boots with chunks missing, BOOTS WITH OPEN TOES! I was shocked. Had these people lost it? They attempted to redeem themselves by injecting common sense here and there, only to yield even uglier results. Take, for example, the rehashing of the schoolmarm shoe, only in boot form, or what I like to call “The Wallabee Wedge,” a hideous combination of the suede sole soother by Clark’s and, well, a wedge. I could leave you to imagine all these things, but I’ve decided to supply you with pictures just in case your imagination wasn’t strong enough to come up with these monstrosities on its own. Look at your own risk:

the infamous “Wallabee Wedge”

::shudders::

- RetailDJ

i have been most incredibly lax in blogging… well, in most of my internet activities for the past week (my blog reader came this close to exploding in my face), because i have been lost in a frenzy of work, cleaning, packing, and flying 7 hours from there to here. i’m home! one month of warmth and sunshine and hair made heavy by humidity. eeks for the last, but otherwise, yippee! 

from this -

to this -

in 7 hours. air travel is simply incredible, don’t you think? it feels a little surreal now, reading about winter fashion, while i join my shorts-wearing, flip-flopping, bare-legged compatriots here in singapore. i am rather more lazy about dressing up in singapore. when you aren’t doing anything serious (i am on holiday after all) shorts just seem to be the one solution. a little like jeans in colder climes, i suppose.

and here, i would like to present – the ugliest pair of shoes i have ever seen. a relative passed them to my mum, and i was struck dumb with shock the first time i laid eyes on them. canvas sneakers, in that design, on stilettos. oh, and the pointy toes. oh.my.god. what was the designer thinking??

and even though i know less about singapore than about japan (yes. embarrassing, but true.) the lovely A over at glamourous grad student has graciously put up this little bit that i wrote about singapore and complemented it with great pictures, as always. and you see, that bit i wrote about shorts? just proven true.

i shall endeavour to document a little of singapore for this blog in the next few weeks, but my priority, really, lies in just soaking up the sun and stuffing my face with local food. woohoo!

I dunno what’s up with the kicks people rock here. That’s how I judge people

Just as I predicted Lady Gaga is wearing the New S/S 2010 Alexander McQueen hideous platforms in her new music video. Daphne Guinness is also another celeb who was caught wearing these fashion ‘dont’s’ on the red carpet. One word EWWWWWWWWWWW!!

So Michael and I went to Macy’s on Saturday because he needed fall attire, and while we were there we found some really nice things, as well as really awkward, ugly things.

First off, he bought a really really nice navy blue Ralph Lauren Peacoat (forgot to take pictures of these, sorry!):

It’s a shame that I don’t have a picture of Michael in his peacoat because it looks much better in person, and not so shapeless and blah as in the picture above.

As well as a button down, safari looking kind of shirt, whose image I can’t find online right now because I don’t remember what brand it was….

Anyways, while there, we took as many pictures of things that interested/disgusted us as possible without us looking creepy.

First, the things that we adored:

I am such a sucker for bows and flowers and prissy things.

Michael was eying these shoes simply because he has some obsession with wingtips...

Another pair of wingtips we adored.

And now the ugly…

The Sketchers work out sneaker. I cringe even when I see people in the gym wearing them...

Ah, the classic mom jeans. Except these were in the men's department. I hope they aren't making a comeback.

Super shiny, tacky sneakers.

Their purple counterpart (though you can't really tell from the picture)

Plastic, vinyl covered Converses. I generally like Converse (especially on boys) so I was abhorred at first, until I realize they aren't actually of Converse brand, and just knockoffs.

And the best one for last: an orange velvet vest.

Honestly I thought Macy’s was a classy sort of store, but I suppose one can’t be perfect, and to be fair, I still wish I could own a good percentage of what they sell.

This Friday I point you to some recommended reading around the blogosphere:

1. I loved this skewer of the whole Joe Wilson thing. Grown-ups in politics? Naaahhhhhhhhh….

2. I also enjoyed this thought-provoking analysis in the Detroit Free Press of why long summers may be delaying adulthood.

3. Here’s a Q and A with author Andrew Cherlin about the state of marriage in the U.S. and Europe, based on his new book, The Marriage-Go-Round.  Given how many (happily) un-married couples and parents I know in London, I was really intrigued by the cross-national statistics.

4. But for those of us who are married, wives will surely enjoy Michelle Slatalla’s laugh-out-loud essay on what happens when your husband comes home with a new pair of (ugly) shoes.

5. Here’s my own rant on American fast food in yesterday’s PoliticsDaily.com.

6. Finally, Robert Kaplan makes the case in The Atlantic for watching Al Jazeera. I have to say I’m intrigued.

Enjoy your weekend!

Many, many parents yearn for the beginning of the school year. Even parents like me, who have their tiny tots signed up for daycare or preschool activities that do not send them away for an entire day. I still yearn.

Here is proof that I am more than ready for a few precious hours of peace, sans kids thankyouverymuch.

See Javamom in pretty blue dress.

This colorway is a basic one. But it hasn’t made me like the Spizike past its initial release.  While they repeat beautiful colorway of some classic Air Jordans I feel like it just won’t help the ugly model. But then again I’m just not a huge fan of the Fusion thing.

I thought the Michael Jackson shoes looked bad..but then i saw the Barack Obama ones….

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Never owned a pair of these.

Looks like that window of opportunity may be closing.

Poor, pitiful me.

How the mighty and foamy have fallen–story HERE.

I am a little obsessed with the level of complete and utter fugliness of shoes in this country.  Never before have I encountered so many ugly, plastic, cheap and uncomfortable ways to encase the foot. 

It is obvious that they are so uncomfortable as many Koreans will walk on the backs of their shoes, as their heels are obviously being cut to shreds by the plastic digging into them.  Also, the girls totter around so awkwardly, often needing the arm of their boyfriend or gal pal to prevent them from falling over.  Its definitely fashion before comfort when it comes to shoe-ware here. I just wish they had better taste in fashion.

Unfortunately,  I never seem to have my camera with me for the truly golden examples,  but here a few snaps I took of some of the shoes Korea has to offer…

This is precisely like adorning shit with glitter.

So lately I have been thinking about stupid fashion rules. 

Here’s one of my personal favorites: “Don’t wear white after Labor Day“. Not only is that rule stupid, it also doesn’t make any sense. Like, isn’t every day after Labor Day? What part of the year is the “before Labor Day part”?

So anyway, I delved deeper on this subject and apparently it mostly applies to the wearing of white pumps.

WHITE PUMPS?!

I’m sorry, no thank you. You should only be wearing white pumps if you are five and they are accompanied by frilly, white socks. Or if you are seventy… and even then it is questionable.

White shoes should only been worn if they are sandals or fun, summer, beach-ready flats. But white, leather pumps are a “no” any day of the year. In fact, don’t even wear white pumps on your wedding day (check out these gross wedding shoes). Get some cute crystal sandals or something…

Ew, I’m sorry, but white pumps…gross. If anyone can find me a cute picture of white pumps I would love to see them. 

gross

I saw these and had to hold my Subway 5dollar footlong in, lol…

someone in nike's design department needs to be shot for this one, lol. but seriously... "why?"