She's Come Unheeled Comes Unheeled

Coming unheeled with my girl

Since I brought my sweet baby home from the hospital this past winter, I have been struggling to maintain She's Come Unheeled--which you may or may not have already concluded from my lack of regular posting.  It's not that I don't still love fashion (I do!), or writing (I do!)--but my adventures as a self-proclaimed fashionista have become...different. 

It may be that my priorities have shifted.  Darn conscience; I can't feel like a good mama if my credit card is burning a hole in my wallet after splurging on a pair of shoes or handbag that I really shouldn't buy, when there are diapers, wipes, formula, and baby gear to buy.  Glamorous, huh?  Yet, I still feel a sense of calm come over me when I walk through the front doors of Bloomingdales and step onto that signature black-and-white tiled floor, and there are more dog-eared pages than not in the newest J. Crew catalog.  I am, it seems, still a fashionista (what relief!), but I am also a mother, and the latter has afforded me a new lens through which to view the world--of fashion and otherwise.  So, just as I have found myself rocking my lovely yet sensible Tory flats instead of my exquisite and indulgent Louboutins lately, I feel that it is time for She's Come Unheeled to come unheeled--as I have.

No, I'm not quitting!!!  Please.  Rather, I am embracing the changing nature of my adventures as a self-proclaimed fashionista so the tone of She's Come Unheeled will likely change accordingly, now that my days aren't all filled with my lust for a Chanel handbag (just most of them).  I am guessing that there will be some days devoted to my new favorite nail polish or the shoes I'm coveting, but I am also excited to write about the amazing children's consignment shop I discovered, whether or not baby girls should wear bikinis, and the delicious mocktail recipe I tested while my babe was napping.  Don't worry, I will NOT be giving up designer denim in favor of mom jeans (the horror!), but beyond that, I'm not entirely sure where my new adventures will take me.  I just hope that you, like me, will look forward to finding out--and maybe, just maybe, coming unheeled with me. 

Episode 6: Jeans For Dress-Up

When I was growing up, there was a distinct separation between casual clothes and dress-up clothes.  Dress-up clothes were for church, parties, airplanes (remember those days?), and weddings or funerals, whereas casual clothes were for pretty much all other occasions.  This separation was just as important as cardinal fashion rules like wearing a slip under a skirt or no white after labor day.  In fact, even into my angsty teenage years, I pretty much subscribed to this wardrobe dichotomy.  It wasn't until I moved to LA for college that my staunch New England fashion preconceptions loosened a bit, and I discovered there was an entire style spectrum in between casual and dress-up.  During my four year stint in the City of Angels, I learned a lot about fashion--not to mention, life in general--but perhaps the most important fashion message was that you can (and should) wear jeans for dress-up, and it is for this revelation that I will be eternally thankful to my one-time home of LA.

Some ponder important life questions like: what came first, the chicken or the egg?  As for me, I wonder whether jeans for dress-up inspired the designer denim fad (a trend that is happily alive and well today) or if the designer denim fad made it okay to wear denim to dinner and a movie?  Regardless, I learned about both during my undergraduate years, and my wardrobe has never been the same.  I hoard designer denim like, well, a hoarder--and there have even been times when my husband has had to set some harsh limits for me, like no more jeans until I get rid of some that I already have (sigh).  But I digress... 

The beauty of jeans for dress-up is that they are as stylish as they are comfortable, and when I'm wearing my favorite denim, I never feel more like myself--which is precisely how any girl wants to feel, regardless of the occasion.  Interestingly enough, denim has a spectrum in and of itself.  That is to say, there are some pairs of jeans that I reserve for casual wear and others that are more appropriate for going out.  The difference between the two, of course, is further reinforced by footwear choice: Uggs or heeled leather boots, Converse or Louboutins, flip flops or flats, and so on.

But don't get me wrong.  Now that I'm all grown up, I love playing dress-up just as much--if not more--than I did when I was a little girl.  But with the exception of church, the really fancy occasions are few and far between, and the occasions that call for just a little something special are far more frequent.  And this is how I rationalize all the jeans that I already own--and all that I still want to buy...  So thank you, LA LA Land, for teaching me about casual couture and the absolute necessity of jeans for dress-up.  My fashion sensibilities will be forever indebted.


High Waisted Skinny Jean in "adore me" wash, $125
By J. Crew



This Is NOT An Urban Shoe Myth

Any Sex In the City lover worth her salt can remember the episode when Carrie stumbles upon a pair of Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes in the Vogue closet--what she thought was an "urban shoe myth." If not, click here, and prepare to be enlightened. The point of my pop culture reference is to revisit Carrie's sheer excitement and joyful disbelief in discovering the (indeed fabulous) Campari Mary Janes by Manolo Blahnik. Believe it or not, it was with equal excitement that I first laid eyes on the Relika Patent Mary Jane Pumps by Christian Louboutin.

Ladies, I swear to you: this is NOT an urban shoe myth. Though their beauty may parallel the mythical unicorn, Relika is the real deal--albeit with a slightly unreal price tag. Made of shiny black patent leather (essential in obtaining the "Mary Jane" moniker), their extreme platform makes them a fierce, fabulous, and utterly modern force to be reckoned with. There's not an outfit that I can imagine that wouldn't be made ten times better by rocking these utterly perfect shoes. Yet, driven by reality (and with it, budget), I can only hope that the fashion gods take pity on my poor little feet and that these shoes somehow find their way into my closet.

Remember how I obsessed I was over ankle boots? Well, I have officially taken it to the next level. If it were possible to stalk a shoe... Well, let's just say that this is the stuff that sonnets are made of.



Image: (1) Manolo Blahnik "urban shoe myth" scene from Sex In the City, image thanks to Zimbio (http://www.zimbio.com/); (2) Relika Patent Mary Jane Pumps by Christian Louboutin $835, available at Saks Fifth Avenue (http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/).

I'm A Barbie Girl--and so are they...

It wasn't too long ago that I was raving about Christian Louboutin's fabulous Barbie partnership--and I confess I didn't think it could get much better than that! But it seems wonders never cease, for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a not-for-profit trade association of America’s foremost designers, hosted a Barbie Collector Charity Auction on Ebay earlier this year to benefit their educational initiatives and scholarship program. The benefit featured Barbie (obvi!), à la Kate Spade, Alexis Bittar, and Betsey Johnson--just to name a few. Clearly, life in plastic just got so much more fantastic.

These special Barbies' apparel centered around everyone's favorite fashion MUST, the little black dress (LBD), in accordance with the style and personality of each of these fabulous designers. Don't ask me how it happened, but the fact that I MISSED this exclusive event (which ran from January 28-February 7) is something that I may never forgive myself for. My only hope is that one lucky bidder will get tired of their Barbie girl and put her back up for auction?... Pretty please?...

Psst: For more information on the CFDA, visit their website: www.cfda.com. To become a fan of the CFDA on Facebook, click here.

Image: CFDA Barbie Collector Charity Auction, online at http://stores.ebay.com/auctioncausecharityauctions/pages/barbie-basics.

Unheeled? Maybe Never...

A couple of weeks ago, I asked you, my lovely fashionista friends, to tell me your thoughts on heels. More specifically, to heel or not to heel?--that was my question. Given the name of this blog, it seems like an appropriate forum to discuss heels. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder when she/me will indeed "come unheeled?" Maybe never...

Last month, the New York Times' Room for Debate Blog addressed "Why We Love the Shoes That Hurt Us." Not surprisingly, that headline caught my eye immediately, as I ask myself that very question all the time. Why do I keep going back to my gorgeous black Christian Louboutin pumps when, after wearing them for a whole day, it feels as though my shoes are filling with blood? Is the fact that I constantly get paralyzing foot cramps any indication that maybe I should lay off the sky-high heels? Perhaps. Yet, I don't (or won't?). I like to consider myself an intelligent and fashion-forward individual, so what gives?

Some would suggest height as a motivation, but I can confidently reject that reason. I've been walking tall at 5'11" for as long as I can remember--yet, I still opt for death-defying footwear that places me around 6'3" on an almost daily basis. Plus, these days it seems that everyone is in heels. If we're all tacking on the inches, then the added height is essentially pointless. So if not height, then what?

We're so vain. The Times blog debate quoted Nancy Rexford, author of Women's Shoes In America: 1795 to 1930, who explained this seemingly inexplicable lust for heels: In an age of slovenliness and fat, simply being thin is a mark of status, and high heels emphasize the advantage by lengthening the leg. Add platform soles, and you rise superior to a wasteland of waddling sweatshirts and dumpy athletic shoes.

At least for me personally, it's difficult to deny Rexford's explanation. After all, I look much, much better in heels than I ever would in flats. If I'm wearing a skirt or a dress, my legs look longer and leaner with heels on. If I'm wearing pants, I prefer the way the fabric falls over heels. Though I might be more comfortable in a pair of flats or even low pumps, I am willing to pay quite a high premium for a confidence strictly available with a 4-inch boost.

So what do we heel-lovers sacrifice in the name of fashion? My sister is one of the few fashionistas I know who doesn't wear heels. When I asked her why, she quoted Agador from The Birdcage, saying with a smile, I do not wear the shoes... because... they make me fall down. Joking aside, I remember walking arm-in-arm with Daddy at my wedding, frantically whispering, "Don't let me fall, don't let me fall!" as we made our way across the sloping lawn. Wearing 4-inch wedges, I clutched his arm--delicately, of course--for dear life. But my shoes, like my wedding, were perfect. So it was worth it.

Yet, as far as health goes, Marlene Reid, the Naperville, Illinois podiatrist and spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association quoted in the Times blog piece, explains that many podiatric physicians are concerned about the future problems stemming from shoe choices. High-heels are an obvious target, causing pain in the ball of the foot and knees as early as one's 20's. More interesting is the fact that flats are not exempt. Rather, continuously wearing (unsupportive) flats can result in arch problems for both women and men. I'm no podiatrist, but it looks to me like we're damned if we do, damned if we don't--short of wearing running shoes all the time (gross).

The age-old expression, beauty is pain, seems appropriate for this footwear conundrum. Are sacrifices in the name of fashion simply inevitable? In a recent Washington Post article, shoe maestro Christian Louboutin confessed, I would hate for someone to look at my shoe and say, "Oh my God! That looks so comfortable!" That's not what I want to project. But I'm not a sadist. I don't believe suffering makes you beautiful. But comfort is not part of my creative process. The take-home message? Suffering, while not mandatory, may be unavoidable--at least as far as your L'Bouts go.

Reid, on the other hand, argues that healthy feet does not require sacrificing fashion. To keep your feet happy and healthy, she suggests dropping down half an inch in heel height for stability, selecting shoes with padding, and alternating your heel height daily. Never wear a shoe that doesn’t allow you to walk normally. Alternatively, if you're wedded to those gorgeous sky-high heels, you can cheat a bit. Remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada when a faceless Runway employee quickly slips out of her clogs and into her pumps when word gets out that Miranda has entered the building? Similarly, I have a friend who keeps a pair of flats or flip-flops in her bag for commuting purposes. Another friend will only wear heels when there is no extensive walking involved.

We all have our reasons for loving heels: longer legs; better posture; feeling confident, powerful, sexy, etc.; that irresistible clicking sound they make against the floor. Or not: they hurt; they're bad for your feet/body; you can't walk properly; that annoying clicking sound they make against the floor. Heels or flats? Given the option, as Victoria Beckham once said, Heels! I just can't concentrate in flats. But that doesn't mean that a girl can't come unheeled every now and then. I mean, Chanel does make some darling ballet flats, and I lovelovelooove my Chucks with jeans when I'm bumming around! But at the end of the day, I'll side with Manolo Blahnik every time: You put high heels on and you change. End of story.

Sources: (1) "Why We Love the Shoes That Hurt Us" from the Editors of the The New York Times (click here to see the full text); (2) Christian Louboutin, quoted in The Washington Post (click here to see the full text); (3) Thanks also to all the fashionistas who shared their opinions on heels with me!

Images, in order of appearance: (1) Girl in heels, photo from FabSugarUK (http://www.fabsugar.co.uk/); (2) Me! putting my shoes on, photographed by Ross Jacob Photographers (online at http://www.rossjacob.com/); (3) Christian Louboutin, image thanks to http://www.panachereport.com/; (4) Victoria Beckham, photo from SoftPedia (www.news.softpedia.com).

If You're A Barbie Girl...

If you're a Barbie girl, then this will be the ultimate tease: Christian Louboutin and Barbie have joined forces in celebration of Barbie's 50th birthday. If turning 50 means special treatment from Monsieur Louboutin, then count me in.

According to Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice-President of Marketing of Barbie at Mattel, it is a match made in runway heaven, for Barbie has a long history of working with various designers and artists who use Barbie as a muse. It was a natural for Barbie, not only with her fashion heritage, but also because of her passion for shoes. She has a billion shoes and we needed to do something special for her shoe collection.

It may be time to dust off the old Barbie collection--even if you chopped all their hair off before realizing, sadly, that Barbie's hair won't grow back (but I'm not speaking from personal experience or anything). The Barbie Collector site dishes that the premise behind the Louboutin line is that Barbie (international fashionista that she is) spent a year in Paris with Christian himself, exploring his favorite places and experiencing his fashionable world. What's more, Christian Louboutin has actually designed three new Barbies, soon to debut. As part of Barbie's Louboutin-inspired makeover, she also gets four pairs of itty-bitty Louboutins to call her own--equipped with their own little boxes and shoes bags.

No doubt, these limited edition dolls will go like, well, limited edition Louboutins! And the VIP pre-sale list is already closed so it looks like we're just going to have to be patient. Be sure to stay tuned for details, and click here to sign up for the exclusive designer update from Net-A-Porter. Ahhh, life in plastic--it's fantastic.

Image: Louboutin for Barbie, email from Net-A-Porter (www.net-a-porter.com). Quotes and additional information from Barbie Collector (www.barbiecollector.com) and M.I.S.S. (www.missomnimedia.com/).