Friday 30 April 2010

FLATS: DAY TWELVE

DAY TWELVE: White canvas slip-ons, Converse (2001 Limited Edition)
Apologies for the delay in posting today, it’s been a crazy day which started with my handbag breaking just as I got too far from my house to go back and change it.
Anyway, HURRAH it’s Friday so I’m going casual and busting out the Converse again. I bought these while I was still at school and they come out every summer. I didn’t have a chance to wash them before I threw them so they look at bit like they’ve been through the wars. You probably can’t see it very clearly in the picture but they have a red and white swirly floral print that runs along the rubber trim - that coupled with the fact that they’re slip-on rather than the standard lace up style sold them to me all those years ago.
Worn with: Blue skinny jeans, Miss Selfridge; Polka dot vest, H&M; Grey vest, American Apparel; Leopard cardigan, Pure Collection. Not pictured: Grey leather trophy biker, Topshop; Spoon necklace, Aqua; UFO scarf, Topshop Unique; Broken leather saddle bag, Prada.

FLATS: DAY ELEVEN

DAY ELEVEN: Beige leather moccassins, Catarina Martins (2009)
When my mother brought me back a pair of these from her trip to Florence last year, at first I was a little bit dubious. There was something that invariably shouted GRANNY SHOE at me every time I looked at them but gradually, I came round. It may be something to do with the fact that they’re really, really comfortable and their funny nudey-beige colour looks really good with even the slightest of tans - please note that my ankles are not that orange in real life. At least, I hope not.
Worn with: Blue skinny jeans, Miss Selfridge; Micro-stripe tee, New Look; Leopard-print scarf, Marks & Spencer. Not pictured: Grey blazer, Topshop; Brown leather saddle bag, Prada

Thursday 29 April 2010

FLATS: DAY TEN

DAY TEN: White canvas plimsolls, Primark (2008)
As I’m going to be spending this afternoon running around press days followed by an event this evening, I need some comfy shoes to pound those pavements. My toes are feeling the burn from yesterday’s pair of pumps so softness was a key factor in choosing these plimsolls as today’s pair. Of course, running around town means that by the end of the day these’ll be more grey than white but you can’t have it all. These are another Primark find, one that I liked so much that I rushed out and bought a second pair as there’s always one set in the wash - these were fresh out this morning and as you can see, they’re already looking a little dirty. Oh well.
Worn with: Blue vintage wash Baxter jeans, Topshop; White slubby tee, Asos. Not pictured: Grey blazer, Topshop; UFO print scarf, Topshop Unique; Navy leather bag, Marni; 

Wednesday 28 April 2010

FLATS: DAY NINE

DAY NINE: Blue metallic ballet pumps, Primark (2007)
Apart from Office and Topshop, a large portion of my shoe collection used to come from Primark. I know that it’s cheap, slave labour made, killing rainforests and blah blah blah but when I was interning, it was the only place where I could afford to go shopping. I think these were about £4 and the summer that they came out, I literally bought them in every colour going. Most have now gone to the great shoe cupboard in the sky but this pair has proved pretty resilient, despite the creases and the battering that I give all of my shoes.
Worn with: Grey denim shorts, Topshop; White spine print tee, Hannah Marshall for Matches. Not pictured: Blue leopard cardigan, Marks & Spencer; Green cropped parka, River Island; Blue splash print scarf, Urban Edge; Silver bauble necklace, Phase Eight; Navy leather bag, Marni.

Tuesday 27 April 2010

FLATS: DAY EIGHT

DAY EIGHT: Grey suede and black patent toe cap ballet pumps, Office (2010)
 Yes, I know, it’s another pair of the Office toe cap ballet pumps – I can’t help it, I love them too much not to wear them. These are actually my most recent acquisition and they have a geometric pattern stitched into the suede instead of quilting like the rest of my collection and they’re more shallow cut meaning that there’s some serious toe cleavage for any foot fetishists out there.
Worn with: Grey skinny jeans, Uniqlo; Striped top, Day Birger et Mikkelson. Not pictured: Rope necklace, Asos; Black wool biker jacket, Topshop; Black and cream grid scarf, Deena & Ozzy; Navy leather bag, Marni

Sunday 25 April 2010

FLATS: DAY SEVEN

DAY SEVEN: Grey canvas Chuck Taylor All-Stars, Converse
Everyone loves a good pair of Converse, including me. I think I own about 15 pairs in various colours and designs, so you’ll probably see quite a few pairs on here, especially on weekend posts. Today, I did a mad dash around Westfield and then the supermarket in preparation of barbequeing again, so I pulled out one of my trusty grey pairs. They’re battered to kingdom come and the entire insides have worn away on the heel so I have to wear them with socks but I love them and can’t bring myself to chuck (pardon the pun) them away.
When I was at university and before the advent of ballet pumps, Converse were pretty much all I wore so they hold a special place in my heart and indeed, shoe collection. One of the best places to buy them is definitely Office, which has one of the biggest variations in terms of style and colour, as well as often having exclusive designs - I’ve got the leopard print pair firmly in my sights.
Worn with: Black ‘Baxter’ jeans, Topshop; Grey and navy stripe jumper, Boden. Not pictured: Green parka-style jacket, River Island; Grey/green studded bag, Max C

Saturday 24 April 2010

FLATS: DAY SIX

DAY SIX: Silver leather sandals, Topshop (2009)
I have a feeling that weekends, particularly Saturdays, may throw up something of a conundrum in the flat shoe stakes. Today, I’m heading to a barbeque during the day and then a party in the evening, so I need a pair of shoes that will carry me through both events without ripping open my feet. These sandals from Topshop should do the trick - they’ll keep my feet cool as I loll in the park and then later this evening, I’ll pair them with black trousers and a smarter top for the party or maybe even a dress, depending on how warm it stays.
Worn with (day): Dark denim shorts with studded waistband, Zara; Striped vest, Topshop; Grey bandaeu top, American Apparel. Not pictured: Grey and navy striped jumper, Boden; Red leopard print scarf, Marks & Spencer; Brown leather saddle bag, Prada
I’ll update later with ‘Worn with’ for the evening. Enjoy the sunshine, everyone!
UPDATE: Worn with (night): black leather leggings, H&M; White racer-back vest, H&M; Grey blazer, Topshop; Red leopard scarf, Marks & Spencer; Black safety pin clutch, Bodhi

Friday 23 April 2010

FLATS: DAY FIVE

DAY FIVE: Black quilted leather with patent toe caps, Office (2009)
Remember how I said on Day Two that I had bought three pairs of the same Office shoes? Well, here’s pair number two. I get a lot of comments on these as they’re so similar to the Chanel ones (minus those beautiful interlocking CCs) and to boot, they’re super soft and comfortable, which is good as yesterday’s numbers ripped up my feet slightly (can you spot the plaster?). I was gutted when I was told that they wouldn’t be carrying over the style for 2010, so imagine my delight to find some new colourways while browsing in my local branch of Office the other day. I feel a purchase coming on…
Worn with: Black Baxter jeans, Topshop; Black and cream striped tee, BDG; Not pictured: Trophy biker jacket, Topshop; UFO scarf, Topshop Unique; Grey leather bag, Jaeger; Hangover.

Thursday 22 April 2010

FLATS: DAY FOUR

DAY FOUR: Nude leather ballet pumps, Topshop (2009)
This is actually my second pair of this particular pump after the first pair were chewed up by an over-enthusiastic (and teething) dachshund puppy that we were dog-sitting last spring. It took a lot of stalking around various branches and an almost obsessive bashing of the Topshop website until I finally found another pair, such is my love for them. This is another pair from the spring regulars stable of last year and as it’s finally warm enough to wear them, I figured that they’re the perfect foil to my leather panel leggings.
Worn with: Leather panel leggings and sheer stripe tee, both H&M. Not pictured: grey blazer, Topshop; Black scarf, unknown; Grey leather bag, Jaeger

Wednesday 21 April 2010

FLATS: DAY THREE

DAY THREE: Red coated canvas Mary-Janes, Topshop (2009)
I’m busting out of monochrome and embracing a little colour on this sunny, sunny day. These shoes were an impulse purchase by my mother, who then lost the receipt when she was going to return them so I took them off her hands. This is actually the first time that I’ve worn them as the backs were a little stiff and they felt a little tight but as I’ve been walking around today they’ve thankfully loosened up a little bit. I’m always weary of styles with straps as my legs are pretty curvy but I there’s something kind of charming and Marni-esque about these, they remind me of the Start-Rites I used to wear to school.
Worn with: Red and white micro-stripe tee and black tube skirt, both New Look; black opaques, Wolford. Not pictured: Grey blazer, Topshop; Black cardigan, Gap; Black scarf, unknown; Grey leather bag, Jaeger.

Tuesday 20 April 2010

FLATS: DAY TWO

DAY TWO: Cream quilted leather gold toe caps ballet pumps, Office (2009)
I bought these last summer and loved them so much, I bought two more pairs in different colour ways (no doubt, coming soon). At £50 a pair, they’re a lot cheaper than their Chanel counterparts but the quality is definitely there. In all honesty, I’m surprised I haven’t worn through these yet as they’re part of my staple wardrobe and my feet are barely out of them. I’m actually kind of sad that I don’t get to wear them for another month now. Boo.
Worn with: Black ‘Baxter’ jeans, Topshop; White slubby tee, Asos. Not pictured: grey/black Chanel-style jacket, Peacocks; Grey leather trophy biker jacket, Topshop; UFO print grey scarf, Topshop Unique; Grey leather ‘Tilly’ bag, Jaeger

Monday 19 April 2010

FLATS: DAY ONE

DAY ONE: Pewter woven leather ballet pumps, Topshop (2009)
I bought these late last summer and have only worn them about four times since, even though they’re lovely and soft. Saying that, I wore them last week with bare feet and they sliced open my toe - hence the tights today. Well, that and the slightly cooler weather.
Worn with: Grey tee, H&M; Striped skirt, New Look; Black tights, Wolford; Not pictured: Yellow cardigan, Brora; Grey leather trophy biker jacket, Topshop; Blue printed cotton scarf, Urban Edge; Grey leather ‘Tilly’ bag, Jaeger
Rate ‘em or hate ‘em? Let me know.

Sunday 18 April 2010

THIRTY DAYS OF... FLATS

Before I begin this fun little fashion experiment, I thought it wise to give you all a little background. Pretty much a year ago to the day, I decided it would be a good time to sort out all of my shoes, organising them into categories. In the process, I realised several things:
1. I own a lot of pairs of shoes.
2. In particular, I own a LOT of flat shoes.
3. I spend an awful lot of money on said shoes but only wear about four pairs on rotation.
Before I go any further, we’re going to need a little more back story. By day, I am a Junior Stylist on a national newspaper. While most of my peers run around in sky high stilettos (mid-heels be damned), I am confined to flats due to hyper-mobile joints which have resulted in my left knee blowing out three times.
As I mentioned in point three, I seem to wear a handful of pumps on rotation, despite the fact that I own far more pairs than is probably healthy. Therefore, for the next month, I will be attempting to wear a different pair of shoes each day, with no repetition. I’m hoping that not only will it mean that I will actually get to air out some pairs that have lived in crates since last year but also jolt me sartorially out of my uniform of black jeans.
Starting tomorrow, each day I will post a photo of the shoes of the day on here, along with details of what they were worn with and to, because let’s face it - you wouldn’t wear the same shoes to a wedding as you would to a Pitch’n’Putt. My only question for you all out there is whether you’d prefer a full outfit photo to put the shoes into context or whether knees down will suffice? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Wish me luck.

Before I begin this fun little fashion experiment, I thought it wise to give you all a little background. Pretty much a year ago to the day, I decided it would be a good time to sort out all of my shoes, organising them into categories. In the process, I realised several things:
1. I own a lot of pairs of shoes.
2. In particular, I own a LOT of flat shoes.
3. I spend an awful lot of money on said shoes but only wear about four pairs on rotation.
Before I go any further, we’re going to need a little more back story. By day, I am a Junior Stylist on a national newspaper. While most of my peers run around in sky high stilettos (mid-heels be damned), I am confined to flats due to hyper-mobile joints which have resulted in my left knee blowing out three times.
As I mentioned in point three, I seem to wear a handful of pumps on rotation, despite the fact that I own far more pairs than is probably healthy. Therefore, for the next month, I will be attempting to wear a different pair of shoes each day, with no repetition. I’m hoping that not only will it mean that I will actually get to air out some pairs that have lived in crates since last year but also jolt me sartorially out of my uniform of black jeans.
Starting tomorrow, each day I will post a photo of the shoes of the day on here, along with details of what they were worn with and to, because let’s face it - you wouldn’t wear the same shoes to a wedding as you would to a Pitch’n’Putt. My only question for you all out there is whether you’d prefer a full outfit photo to put the shoes into context or whether knees down will suffice? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Wish me luck.