high heels

The rise of the flat sole

 in Shoes / Trends  tagged high heels / spring 2013 by

Over the course of 2011 and 2012, we have discussed the possible demise of the platform sole. As fashion moves into 2013, designers and Fashionista’s on the street have rediscovered the flat sole shoe and have started to push their platforms towards the back of the closet. This is not to say that the platform is not relevant; it still has its’ place in fashion. The platform is just slowly fading and starting to hang out in the shadow of the new “IT” shoe in town; the flat sole.

Shoes have been reaching for new heights over the past several years and designers have been having fun being creative with platform soles. As garments begin to be more lighthearted, and consumers begin to tire of the sky-high platform, the sole of the shoe has become more understated; as not to compete with the rise of “anything-but-understated” apparel.

Prints, neon hues and bright colors are hot right now, and will continue to reign supreme as we move in 2013. This being said, the last thing a properly dressed Fashionista wants to do is have her shoes compete with her dress. This brings us to the flat soled shoe. A pretty, pointed toe pump in a solid, bright color looks perfect and fresh for the spring 2013 season when paired with a beautiful, floral, A-line dress. Somehow the thought of a multi-colored platform shoe paired with a sweet floral frock does not seem proper; wouldn’t you agree?

This does not mean all platforms must be banished from our closets, it just means as we move into 2013, look for a balance of soles in your wardrobe and invest in flatter soles rather than sky-high heels. Carrie Bradshaw and her collection of Manolo Blahnik shoes will be proud J

Fall 2012 shoe trends: oh how we love them!

 in General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged boots / fall 2012 / high heels / winter 2013 by

Fall 2012 is a fabulous season for shoes. Designers in Paris, New York, Milan and London brought us jewel tone colors, rocker chic studs, flirty ankle straps, edgy ankle booties, masculine smoking slippers, t-strap heels and playful leopard print. All of these shoe trends have made us crave an entire new wardrobe of shoes and Fashionistas everywhere are finding themselves building ensembles from the shoe up. Literally!

The amazing part about all of these fabulous shoe trends from the runways is that they actually made it to the streets! How often does that happen?! Normally we find a handful of shoe trends make it from the runway to the street, but this fall/winter 2012 season fashionable shoppers been flocking to every shoe trend they can get their hands on!

Fashionistas are being spotted wearing leopard print flats with casual jeans as well as their little black dresses. Jewel tone pumps are being spotted on the street paired with prints and contrasting hues. Rocker chic studded shoes are being paired with preppy ensembles while weekend activities are calling for smoking slippers. Of course, sassy snkle strap heeks have been spotted at cocktail parties. To sum it up, everyone this season seems to being spending their seasonal budget on footwear! Love this!

What has been your favorite shoe trend this fall?

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Ankle strap shoes for fall 2012

 in General Fashion / Shoes / Trends  tagged ankle straps / fall 2012 / high heels / winter 2013 by

There are so many shoe trends for the fall 2012 season, and many of them are modern takes on old classics. One of the fresh twists to a timeless shoe style, which is hot for fall, happens to be the ankle strap! Loathed by some due to the fact that ankle straps can shorten the look of one’s leg, the ankle strap is a classic shoe feature which can be found in many different forms over the years.

Ankle straps have faded in and out of fashion over the past several decades and have shown themselves in the forms of bow-ties, ribbons, buckle straps, single straps and double straps as well as large pieces of leather or fabric. For the fall 2012 season, the ankle strap is mainly found as a solid piece of leather, faux leather, patent or fabric. The strap is normally ultra-thin, although thicker “ankle cuffs” have also been spotted for fall; there is no medium size ankle strap for fall 2012.

The ankle straps shown on shoes this season offer a standard buckle free from embellishments and “bling.” The wider ankle straps or “ankle cuffs” offer an avant-garde vibe while the thinner ankle straps this season are flirty and lighthearted.

For those of us with short legs, the thinner ankle straps are more flattering than the thicker ones since ankle straps can shorten the look of the leg. Lighter colors are also more flattering for short or thick legs. If worn with dark tights, or another type of leg covering, dark colored ankle straps and thick ankle straps can easily be worn by a short leg since the color of the leg is tonal.

We found a few fabulous pairs of ankle strap shoes online and assembled them into the Polyvore set below. Hope you love them! Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 

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