This weekend while browsing at Sportie LA, I was tempted to try on a pair of Crocs, JUST to see what they felt like. Are they really as comfortable as devotees would have you believe? Alas, they were attached to a display case and I was too embarrassed to have someone take a pair down for me to try on (plus, having worked in retail I will never be a customer who has someone help me just so I can try something on for fun). The boyfriend bought a pair of Nike’s and we went on our merry way. Today, I stumbled upon a very interesting photo shoot featuring Raquel Zimmerman from French Vogue, in which she is wearing Crocs. Yes, Crocs. This led me to ponder the age-old philosophical question: “If something that is universally considered to be plebeian and ugly ends up in a French Vogue shoot, and Carine allows it, is it actually chic and cool?”

I won’t pretend that I have an answer to a question like that, just like I can’t tell you what came first, fashion or style. But I can tell you that I heard Crocs make great gardening shoes, and Style.com is reporting that “winter garden” is a trend for fall, and well, if anyone knows what’s hot, it’s Carine…

May I suggest an understated khaki pair of Crocs, if you have the guts to try to pull them off?

Image Source: Fashionindie

Dear Jimmy Choo,

I would like to thank you for creating your beautiful Autumn/Winter 2008 shoe collection. Although your shoes are beyond my means at this point in time, this collection has given me the motivation to work hard so that some day I may walk in to Saks and say, “I’ll take both pairs, please.” Some people dream of a big house with a huge swimming pool, others dream of high-end automobiles. My dream is to have an assortment of your ridiculously beautiful shoes stacked neatly in my bedroom-sized closet, organized by style and color. If in fact you realize that you have a couple of pairs just lying around the office and want to donate them to a devoted fan, please feel free to email me. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Chicshopper

Source: Jimmy Choo Website

PS. If you are wondering, I am a size 7 1/2 so if you happen to have any of the styles below I’d be more than happy to take them off of your hands. Thanks!

Glenys Elaphe Snakeskin Sandals

Glossy T- Strap Pumps

During my brief weekend vacation to Santa Barbara, California, I was able to do a tad bit of shopping. As I poked my head in and out of various boutiques I was stopped dead in my tracks by the following items:

I noticed one of the typical Santa Barbara housewives (dripping in diamonds) commenting to her Tommy Bahama clad husband… “Oh, how darrrrlling!!!” She actually went as far as to ask for the golf themed “hot flops” in her size.

Do you know what I wanted to tell her?????

This room is full of people who think those shoes are cute.

With that being said… if you are looking for a new pair of sandals and/or flip flops, perhaps you should take a look at these less… ostentatious alternatives.

Some chic Tory Burch sandals perhaps?

Love these Michael Kors Sandals.

room: source

Hot Flops: source

I stumbled upon this photo during my daily 6 hour perusal of the internet. I thought to myself, “oh, I have those shoes” and quickly skipped over the article, thinking nothing of it. Wait! Quick step back… The manicure matches the shoes! This could quite possibly be the most fabulous thing I have seen on the internet- all day (and mind you, I am on the internet all day.)

Source: Iconic Fashion Blog

Since I was five years old I was getting my nails done with my mom. In fact, just today I was pondering how much time it would take for me to hop on over the local nail salon for an afternoon mani-pedi. Combining my favorite leisure/maintenance activity with my favorite shoes? it’s like combining eating with shopping, parties with cocktails, and dating with… talking. Why did I not think of this before? The “Louboutin manicure,” is beautiful and sadistic- in a dominatrix sort of way.

Hooray for Knock offs! Try these Jessica Simpson Barbie Pumps with some Vampy black nails.

Throughout the summer I have been an avid “wedge wear-er,” opting to be at least three inches taller than the average flip-flop wearing citizen. During my summer outings, I would be the girl at the beach party prancing around in four inch wedges whilst my friends flopped around in their rubbery sandals. Why do I choose wedges over flip flops? Perhaps it’s the extra height that I enjoy, or perhaps the way wedges make your legs look three times as long. This simple shoe provides the comfort of a flat with the elevation of a high heel- sheer genius! These shoes compliment any style, any outfit, and it just plain feels better being a couple inches above the crowd. I have been rather distraught since the expiration of my Michael Kors wedges, last April (sigh.) Finding another pair to replace them has not been easy but through trial and error I have found a couple of pairs that I now absolutely adore.

Source: Celebrity fashion blog

Take a cue from Jennifer Aniston: Wedges give a polished look to any jeans and t-shirt ensemble.

I have these Steve Madden wedges and wear them absolutely every day. The gold goes with everything and they are also so comfortable- you will not even believe it.

Whoo! Who knew Nine West shoes could be so sexy?

Jimmy Choo’s fall/ winter 08/09 advertising campaign finds the lovely Angela Lindvall traipsing around the Plaza Hotel, surrounded by Jimmy Choo accessories in shots taken by the king of smutty snapshot-photography, Terry Richardson. “I chose to work with Terry Richardson because of his inimitable style and the way he captures women as modern, glamorous and independently confident,” said Tamara Mellon, president and founder of Jimmy Choo.

The shots are supposed to tell the story, in moments, of one evening spent at the hotel. My favorite has to be the bathtub shot- at the same time a bit naughty and incredibly chic. Quintessential Richardson. This campaign isn’t Jimmy Choo’s first risque story- telling campaign. For fall 06, the brand hired Brett Ratner to shoot Quincy Jones and Molly Sims and featured images of the duo in the desert that ended with Jones pictured sitting next to Sims’ seemingly lifeless body with a shovel in his hand. Keep an eye out for the ads in August issues of the fashion mags, and as part of the brand’s strategy for evolving into a key lifestyle brand, they have taken four consecutive advertising pages— the biggest unit of advertising it has taken to date— in the September issue of Vogue.

I’m thinking that these Jimmy Choo satin sandals would go great with my own bathtub…

Photo Cred: WWD

My friend Michal and I were participating in two of our favorite things- Google Chat and online shopping, when she started giving me all the great things she was finding online and her reasons why they are must- haves. I decided I would dedicate a post to her selections, and, without further ado, here is your first installment of Mich’s Picks:

She loves this brand, Mystic Tan. You can get a lot of bang for your buck as the products are far less expensive than a spray tan, smell better and give you streak and blotch free results. Mich: “It’s reallllly good. And I’ve tried a lot of tanners… my sister came over and she was so pale from not being in the sun- it instantly worked, and she didn’t look orange.”

My girlfriends and I all love this handbag line, Aaneta. It is chic, well made and affordable. Mich: “Ooooh it’s Deb’s cute new Aaneta bag!”

Mich: “These are a really great deal, you know you want them.” Enough said.

Michal helped me pick out two new watches that I receive compliments on all the time. Mich: “This Seiko men’s watch is cool- but on a woman.”

Mich: “These remind me of college. Reef’s are great because they have a slight arch so they are comfortable to wear all day.” Good music festival sandals.

Mich: “This is the best hair product- it makes your hair look cool and stylish. It’s great for a day when you haven’t washed it, or after you have washed it to give it the messy look. And it makes your hair smell great.” The girl does have great hair…

And there you have it.

When I was a kid, I used to get the same exasperated comment from my stepfather whenever we were getting ready to go somewhere: “Zuri, we’re going on a hike (or to the movies, to the market, or the dentist), not a fashion show!” You’ll be happy to know that not much has changed. While some girls may make a careful list of essentials to bring to music festivals- sunscreen, water, maps, etc.- I worry about cultivating the perfect indie-bohemian-hipster-goddess outfit in which to revel in the music filled sunshine. This weekend kicks off the music festival season with Coachella in Indio Valley and Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and if you can’t make it to those you still have time to plan for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, All Points West and more. In case you haven’t put as much thought into what you will be wearing to your festival(s) of choice, here are some suggestions:

A straw fedora, like this one from Hurley, serves two purposes- its a funky addition to a sundress or cut-off shorts and a tank, and it protects your face from the sun when you are out in the heat all day. Tip: buy an inexpensive hat so that you won’t be too bummed if it doesn’t make it out of the festival in one piece. This goes for pretty much anything you wear to a music festival.

I like the idea of wearing a jumper to a festival. If you are staying overnight, it’s lighter to pack than separates. Additionally, it is a little more funky and music festival worthy than your average dress or shorts. Most importantly, you won’t have to worry about flashing your panties if you need to sprawl out on the grass or hop a fence like you would in a dress or skirt. I like this version from Anlo Chase- no straps equals no tan lines.

While some people might suggest that you wear tennis shoes to a music festival, I am a Coachella goer and it is imperative that my feet can breathe in that heat. What is important is wearing comfortable shoes- don’t try to break in your new gladiator sandals that weekend. I like to wear my Havaianas- they are lightweight, come in fashionable colors and if they get filthy you can rinse them off. Perfect!

And my stepfather would like me to remind you to bring your sunglasses and drink lots of water, after all, this isn’t a fashion show…

It’s not just about the ’It’ bag anymore - lately, designers, boutiques, and consumers seem more concentrated on finding that perfect ‘It’ shoe.

They’re not in stores yet, but these pumps, sandals, and ankle boots - fresh off the fall runways - can still provide some great inspiration for summer’s hottest nights out.

Balenciaga showed fantastically futuristic booties (above) in silver and white with splashes of color.  The most inspired pair?  This uncharacteristically soft-looking pink leather version.

Miu Miu delivered as always, with a wide stylistic range of pumps and boots.  My favorite?  These 1920s-style suede colorblock heels.

Chloe’s shoes were beautifully complex commercial works of art.  These violet pumps - trimmed with patent ‘flowers’ and wrapped with sleek crocodile - make for quite a statement piece.

Another unusual new shoe?  These dainty pink-and-black suede and lace ankle boots from Valentino.

Pierre Hardy, like Balenciaga and Miu Miu, featured sleek brights with a skinny heel.   These electric blue ankle boots set the tone for a colorful fall.

It may be too early in the year for suede and boots, but why not at least get some inspiration from next season’s shoe trends?  Exotic materials, innovative shapes, colorblock prints, and cheery hues will be on-trend all year round.  Get the runway look with these picks from Calvin Klein, Christian Louboutin, and Cynthia Vincent.

In a fitting homage to the soon-to-be resurrected Carrie Bradshaw, the “naked dress” (the infamous side-of-the-bus dress for those of you not well versed in all that is Sex & the City) is back for spring. Fresh, feminine, and easier to pull off than white, nude is the perfect spring neutral. It easily can go from demure to naughty depending on how you wear it and what attitude you wear it with. I suggest wearing it the way you would any neutral, simply swap out the black, brown and grey items you have been wearing for fall and winter with nude for an instant update. Even better, this color also looks great paired with those other neutrals.

The drop waist and satin seer-sucker fabric of this Derek Lam dress make it a perfect 20’s inspired spring pick. A girlfriend of mine recently wore pale sand colored gladiator sandals, similar to these Fairylrobin ones to her birthday bash and she received so many compliments, and no, it wasn’t just because it was her birthday. They were a perfect pick for a spring BBQ in Newport Beach.

I like the idea of the below Loeffler Randall knee high boots and Fendi jacket. They bring a spring twist to an outfit when the weather isn’t quite right for tank tops and sandals quite yet.

These two pieces show just hot versatile this trend can be. The Zac Posen Lilly bag is definitely 80’s inspired while the Oscar de la Renta blouse is romantic and Victorian.

For your shopping pleasure, another nude Zac Posen bag and Alexia Admor dress are just the bare necessities: