Shoe challenge #30: Dia de los muertos

Woohoo! Thirty saves!! I'm still way behind with my shoe saving, but at least a round number makes me feel like I'm still in the game. I bought the dress at a festival three weeks ago, and the shoes on my trip to London. I pranced around in them for the entire weekend straight, and they certainly were a smart addition to my wardrobe.

I especially love the movement of this kind of silhouette. Gorgeous! I really should get myself a petticoat for the full effect though.

Dress Hell Bunny / shoes Schuh

Shoe challenge #29: Gingham

I wore this to go for dinner at my boyfriends parents' place. We were going to eat fancy food (oysters and lobsters and other deliciousness) so I thought I might as well dress a bit fancy as well. So I wore my newest Karen Millen dress with my gingham wedges. They didn't get much wear last year, but I thought they'd be able to shine with a completely white dress. The embroidery on this dress is amazing by the way. I can certainly recommend it!

Dress Karen Millen / shoes Schuh

On my feet: Bree

These were my only purchase in London: a pair of Schuh courts that I was already planning on ordering anyway (I already wrote about the silver version here). Well, at least I saved myself the shipping costs. Added bonus: I got to try them on, which I'm glad I did, since I actually needed to size down in these.
I really needed a pair of simple black pumps, not too high and not too low, able to survive some rain and above all, comfortable enough for a walk. Up until now, every time I went to visit my parents in my home town, I've travelled with at least two or three pairs of shoes, just for the weekend! Ridiculous! That's where these come in handy, as they'll match absolutely every outfit. I absolutely adore their plain shape and the triple bow, and I'm already waiting for the red version to go on sale.

Too much

Whoever thought creating these was a good idea, should be voted off the design team. Carry on.

Blightly

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, these popped up.

Filthy landlubber

I love it when a certain shoe appears in several variations. Usually designers opt for a certain shape in different colours, but sometimes they just use a very cool upper and rework it into several shapes. Iron Fist is the only brand I know that does this pretty much always. At the very minimum, they launch a ballet flat and a high heeled pump of a certain style.
And that when I noticed this gorgeous pirate-inspired/rockabilly upper, with skulls in sailor hats, moons and flowers. The first version I saw of it, was this T-barred peep toe wedge. I love it, but it's not perfect. I wouldn't kept the ankle strap and the touch of tan on the toe, but without the extra strap going up the foot. This one is £80 at New Look.

This court version with peep toe and bow is also available at New Look, and seems to be more popular and a bit cheaper (£65) than the wedges.

Those who prefer less heel might love these ballet flats from the Schuh website. At £35, they're a steal.

But the ones that I would commit mutiny for (har har!), are these chunky heeled sandals. The perfect ratio of tan and print, and they look genuinely comfortable. If only I had £75 lying around...

Bowen Peep

The origami bow has been really big lately, and has been popping up in a lot of different shoe collections. So far, it's still missing from my personal collection, and I wouldn't exactly mind these sandals rectifying that issue pronto.

Because contrary to popular believe, I don't believe that glitter shoes are limited the holiday period. Oh no, there's always room for more glitter in my life! And if you're not that crazy about pewter glitter, there's also a patent black version to enjoy.

I would be absolutely towering in these though, as that massive block heel is an impressive 13,5 cm high. Oh well, as long as they're pretty and cheap (£50)...

Geri

Just in case someone's still out there dreaming of becoming a Spice Girl... Your dream is only £100 away.

Zana

I've been buried with work this week, which explains the silence on my part, so I'll hope for now I can satisfy you by just showing you pictures of these very pretty shoes.

These are one of those classic shapes that you can get a lot of wear out of and they're real suede too, which means you would get a lot of value from your £65.

Personally I'm a sucker for this particular shade of purplish fuchsia, but Schuh has a black version as well.

Bree

Glitter and metallics are pretty hit-or-miss. They can look elegant and festive, or tacky and cheap. These Schuh courts definitely fit into the first category. They tick all the right boxes: beautiful curves, a heel you can walk/dance on (very important for party-appropriate footwear), and a bow on top to finish it off. Not just any bow either, but a triple bow! These are only £40 from Schuh, so perfect to inject some budget-friendly glamour into your weekend...

Oz love you

Call me crazy, but finally there's another pair of Irregular Choice shoes that I actually do like! These are still a little bit preposterous, but in a good way. That massive plastic bow is superfun, and I love the gingham uppers. I'd definitely go for the red version though, I think it works better with the colours of the bow.

And look how pretty they look on! I'm usually not a fan of those perspex heels, but for these, I can see past that. Tricky thing would be to find an outfit to go with these, as you don't want to venture into toddler territory by wearing them with a cutesy dress. If you know just how to style them, you can get them at Schuh for £80.

Princess

Schuh keeps coming up with more takes on their Princess wedge, and I'm quite fond of this neon striped/glittery version. You may think I'm crazy, but I just think I'm funky like that! I don't like the silver version nearly as much as I love this one, and I would gladly rock this design overload on my feet.

Too bad my shopping budget for April is already spent (yes, I do realize we're only the 2nd of the month), and I still want to check out H&M's Conscious collection in two weeks. Aaah, fashion dilemmas, such a first world luxury problem! In the meantime, if you have £68 to spend, you can do so here.

Shoe challenge #3: Like a pigalle

My Pigalle lookalikes from Schuh must be one of the most uncomfortable pairs of shoes I own. Figures, because I own the red version as well. In the beginning I was pretty impressed that they weren't as uncomfortable as they looked, but they're still mighty uncomfortable. Bad news is, I was counting on train-to-office distances only today, and now my best friend asked me for drinks and soaking up some sun after work. Then again, that isn't exactly bad news, now is it?
Also wearing: cropped pink jeans from Zara, black top from WE and yellow poodle blazer from H&M.

Cameo Crown

Shoeperwoman Amber already posted about the high heeled version of these Britannic inspired ballet flats, but I figured these flats deserved some time in the spotlight as well. I actually like the flats a whole lot better, even without a stiletto on them. I think it's the hidden platform of the high heels that ruins the shape for me a bit.
These however, have a lot going for them: navy stripes on white, a crooked red bow and a sparkly crown on top. That's a lot for £28. Me loves me some blingbling!

Minnie Mouse wants her shoes back

In spite of what that title may suggest, I actually do like these ballet flats very much. I'm usually a fan of slightly quirky shoes anyway, and these polka dotted & be-bowed (those aren't real words, now are they?) ballet flats strike a chord with me. I have been buying a couple of flat shoes, but I don't want to drive it too far, as I know that they rarely get any 'real' wear. I mostly just wear them when I have to pop out quickly for bread or a walk with the dog. The reason I won't be buying these is the £35 price tag (they're Rocket Dog), which is a bit more than I'm willing to spend on flats. Otherwise I would've long splurged on those Senso flats.
If you live in flats though and you think these are amazeballs, you can find them at Schuh.

Leopard, but not in the good way

There's a lot of things that can be said about these shoes, but they sure are interesting aren't they? Don't get me wrong, I don't like them and I'm definitely nominating them for ugly shoes of the week, but at least you can accuse Irregular Choice of not being creative. Because yes, of course these are Irregular Choice, w hat else? At least they have ideas.
To get the full effect of these, you have see them on though.

See? Interesting. With the edgy shapes and the OTT uppers, these are certainly not for me. But if they fit your aesthetic, you can find them here. At £119 they don't come cheap though. Don't say you weren't warned.

Dance the night away

Now that I've finally booked my New Year's trip (Belgrade, Serbia here we come!!), I'm getting more and more excited about looking for a proper outfit. Since girls in Serbia are (in my imagination at least) very thin, blonde and heavily made up, I have two options: either I go with it, or I just stick to my own style and hope people there will interpret it as 'exotic'. I probably won't buy a new outfit (dresses enough in my wardrobe, some still unworn even), but I'm always on the lookout for a great glittery party shoe! Especially since I still haven't found those misplaced sequin peep toes (also never worn, since I simply haven't seen them since the big move). My Kurt Geiger Jasmins are awesome, but a bit too 'Dorothy of Oz' to work on New Year's. (I will probably wear them again for Christmas though, I'm such a sucker for a good cliché) To make a long story short, I thought I'd share some of the favourites on my shortlist with you.

These look comfortable enough to get you through the entire night of dancing and drinking, without suffering too much. I would go for these if I was wearing a bright outfit, since I'm not a big fan of bright clothes paired with black shoes anymore. Would look great with anything red, pink, orange, yellow or green. £65 at Schuh.

Again a quite sturdy heel, this time in demure black glitter. I'd pair them with anything metallic or leopard print. £62 at Topshop.

The perfect shoe for a little black dress. Wear with a matching clutch and shiny jewellery. £62 at Topshop.

After months of visiting the Schuh website just to look at these, they are still my favourites of the bunch and the rightful frontrunners. Again, the heel combined with the platform is sturdy enough to be comfortable and they are not too over the top, so I think I would get a lot of wear out of them even after the holidays. Chances are these will be on my feet while I'm dancing my way into 2012! £65 at Schuh.

An eye catcher, these are. Wow! These have diamond embellishments rather than glitter and might be more elegant because of it, but I would be scared of accidentally scraping off the jewels while I'm walking or dancing or hitting my feet (which I do all the time). £85 at Miss Selfridge.

Very elegant and subtle. Wear with a pencil skirt to your office party. £225 at Kurt Geiger.

I love love love these. No glitter or diamonds, but with the different metallics still very festive me thinks. I love the shape, but the peep toe isn't a plus for the winter holidays. Especially because these don't seem to work with dark tights (because of the 'lightness' of the shoe). They might work on another occasion though, so I will keep these in mind... £75 at Schuh.

These look like a good backup to have around, in case your party shoes don't turn out to be as comfortable as you wished. Very high chance these will end up in my collection as well, especially for that price. £16 at New Look.

A very strong contender, they go neck to neck with the purple ones. The product shots aren't much, but they are simply stunning on a foot. These wouldn't be the most sensible choice though: although it's true the wedge will be more comfortable, you won't exactly wear them to work or to dinner. Or would I...

A slightly less obvious choice, but perfectly suited for everyone who's afraid their little piggies will freeze off in the cold winter nights. Would work well with miniskirts or skinnies. £30 at New Look.

Aaaaaah, Christian Louboutin. If I would suddenly walk up tomorrow a little richer, these would definitely be my party shoes of choice. They look like they came straight out of the firey pits of hell. Fierce, aren't they? $1695 at Neiman Marcus.

Which pair is your favourite? And what will you be wearing on your feet for New Year's?

Shoe challenge #64: Secretary chique

I'm not a big fan of this picture, I have no idea why I'm making that face, but it showed off the outfit the best of the entire series. Apparently this outfit craved movement, since I look awful it all the 'standing/posing' pictures. Besides, that's what my face looks like anyway and I'm not afraid to show 'the real me' anyway (that's why I always go sans make-up).
When I was packing up all my stuff for the big move, I had a hard time deciding whether I would keep this shirt or not. I bought it years and years ago, when I thought it would make me look more smart at oral exams, but afterwards I thought it looked more like a man's shirt. So, if you can't beat them, join them! And I treated it like I would a 'boyfriend shirt'. Turns out it emphasized my waist, so double score! This monotone outfit did need a pop of colour though, which is where these were supposed to save the day.

These shoes are actually the red sisters of my black birthday shoes. I was so happy with those, that I decided to pick these up in the sales, thinking I'd like them as much. Well, I'll tell you straightaway, I don't. Don't, I tell ya! Especially the left shoe was rather hurting my (slightly larger) foot, but I noticed it was ebbing away by the time I got home, so maybe they just needed a little wearing in.
My colleagues laughed about me looking like a secretary all day (in a good way), so I got a lot of 'Can you xerox these papers for me please?' jokes. Well, as long as there's a reaction, I'm sure I'll survive. At least my efforts don't go unnoticed.

Skirt, camisole and shirt (H&M), belt (random shop) and shoes (Schuh).

New shoes: red gingham

I've had a truly dreadful day today. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I've felt extremely tired and bad at ease the entire day. I even said no to sushi after work, because I really didn't feel like it. Now there's a sign something is wrong!
Luckily there was a little ray of sunshine to lighten up my bad mood: a package arrived! These gingham wedges had been calling my name since they came online, and they look stunning in real life. So so glad that I knew to order up, because the reviews (including one from Shoeperwoman) are right to call these extremely narrow in the toe. For a moment I was afraid they wouldn't fit, but once I wiggled my toes around a bit, it was fine. Enter sigh of relief. Now that would've totally ruined my day.
I am usually a 4 or a 4 1/2, but I normally order a size up anyway. Which is why I took a chance by ordering these in a 5. If you're jealous of me for just looking at this picture, you can get these in the Schuh sale as well. Btw, don't you just love how quickly Schuh deliver? (They should though, for the £8 shipping costs they make me pay)

Shoe challenge #47: The bronze age

Skirt (Zara), top (H&M),
tights (New Look) and
shoes (Red or Dead)

I just couldn't find an outfit for these shoes. I kept envisioning them with a plain LBD, and that's hardly a real outfit, now is it. And then I remembered my Christmas skirt, which has flecks of a goldish bronze in it and matches the shoes perfectly. I ended up looking a bit overdressed for work (one of my colleagues said I ressembled a New Year's present, aka giftwrapped), but who cares? I sure don't.
The photos don't really do the skirt any justice: it looks far more voluminous in real life and the colours are amazing, little flecks of goldish bronze and purple. Hence the top. Long story short, the outfit looked far better,  but I didn't feel like reshooting the photos. I'm lazy like that.

I really love the look of these shoes, they truly are a cheap alternative for the YSL heels and I'm eyeing the yellow suede ones on the Schuh website, but I would definitely order a size down next time. I ordered a 5, just to be on the safe side since I didn't own any Red or Dead shoes yet, but they are at least (!) a full size too big on the right foot, and half a size on the left.