Another Shoe to Share (My Sub for the Ares Platform Heel)

Let me just start this out by saying that I love J Crew shoes (um, except for the more masculine styles which just aren't me).  They are oh so pretty.  I love their colorways.  They are so yummy-looking when I scroll through the website or flip through the catalog.  And then cold, hard reality hits.  The flats really just aren't as supportive as I'd like.  I honestly think some of my Target flats have more support and cushioning.  And they tend to run narrow - especially up front in the toe box where, thanks to bunion genes running amok in the womenfolk of my family, my foot runs wide.  (I am the only girl who hasn't had bunion surgery - my sister had it in college - ow!!) 

And then there is the heel issue.  I love the look of heels.  I completely agree that most girl people, myself included, do look better when wearing heels.  I just don't feel as mobile or as speedy.  So I wear flats or a lower heel - which, admittedly is hard to find in a cute, not dowdy, shoe.  I really try to stick to 3" max, and yes, I like a thicker heel if I'm planning to walk much.  Maybe for my mid-life crisis when I turn 40 in a year and a half, I'll actually learn how to walk in heels and start wearing them as a default.  (yeah right...)

So while I admire the J Crew shoes from afar, they just don't work for me in 99% of cases.  Joley flats and Danielle flat sandals being the exception - both of which I have and love, but definitely realize are not cushioned or supportive for all day walking.

So, as with my Sofft sandals from yesterday's post, once again, I found myself with a near-dupe of a J Crew sandal - in this case, the Ares Platform Heel (#25485, $215), pictured below. 

My version, purchased from Loehmanns for about $40, but still available from Piperlime - and now on sale for $29.99.  Granted, they definitely aren't as edgy as the JC version, but they are wearable for me.  Maybe it helps that I have longer legs, I don't know.  White Mountain Medusa:

And the IRL on my toesies. 

I don't think I've worn them in an outfit pic, but I'm sure that I'll get a pic of them soon enough.  Especially now that I'm hopefully back in the blogging saddle again.

How much do I love these shoes?  Tons.  Way comfy, even for a heel.  Totally stay on my foot.  Great neutral go-with-everything color.  Last time I wore them was with a white shirt & white jeans and they were fab.  Love them with regular jeans.  And I think they'll work with some of my summer dresses, too.

Close Enough....(for me) by HeidiGblog featuring White Mountain shoes

White Mountain Medusa
$40 - piperlime.gap.com
More White Mountain sandals »

Men - shoes - Ares metallic platform heels - J.Crew
$215 - jcrew.com

Yes, It's What's On the Outside that Counts

First of all, following the lead of so many others, I started a secondary blog for selling clothes.  It's Heidi G - From My Closet.  As I say in my sub-header: "Because the post office is closet than the consignment shop."  (It really is.)  Browse all you want.  I'll still list on the JCA Weekly Exchange and Polyvore, but this will have more than just J Crew-wear.  And I'll be adding to it regularly.

Secondly - my Public Service Announcement for the Day/Week/Month/Year:

Clean out your dryer lint - the lint screen and the outtake hose!  My neighbor across the street had her dryer catch on fire earlier this week.  Not a fun experience at all.  Fortunately everyone is ok.  Which brings me to my next point - don't turn on your washer/dryer/dishwasher and leave the house...unless you are 100% sure that everything will be perfect.  This will be a definite mindset change for me!!

Enough lecturing...and back to regularly scheduled blogging...

How much time do we waste on just the clothes, yu know, the shirt/sweater/pants without stopping to consider the outer and the under and the with?  I'm certainly not going to pretend to be an expert on the underpinnings to put with an outfit (that's why we have Cleo's blog, Trousseau Adventures).  But I am pretty comfortable talking about the "outer" and the "with" stuff...at least as it relates to my style.

Sometimes it is really is all about the outerwear and accessories.  Remember in Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lechter made the comment to Clarice about "your good bag and your cheap shoes"? 

We do love our clothes...but if you're throwing on a crappy coat or cruddy shoes, it will ruin the whole look.  And when it's cold, rainy, snowy, or just not 75 degrees outside, most of what others see is your outerwear and accessories.

To illustrate here on the left. First picture: Before, perfectly fine, simple, standard type of outfit for me (I do adore this Cambridge cable turtle!) Second picture: After, with sunglasses, trench, & bag.  C'est plus chic, non? (then again, didn't we learn that from Jackie O, Audrey, Grace, et al?)

Starting with the outerwear...How many coats do you have?  How many do you wear?  How many are actually flattering on you?  Which ones improve your outfit instead of actually competing with it? 

I do try to make sure my outerwear at least works with my outfit for the day - if not actually taking my look up a notch.  In fact, if all I'm going to be doing is running errands, it's easy to just slip on a plain, simple (i.e., typical me) outfit, but add a coat that is either bright/happy/cheery as the focal point of the outfit - yes that would be the Winnie coat - or in warmer temps, the green Gap corduroy coat I wore today.  Conversely, I find that my charcoal gray heather hooded car coat from Bloomies 10 years ago (aka my pregnancy coat), adds wonderful texture to ensembles.  It all depends on mood.  And weather.  But you don't have to spend a fortune on coats.  It's something to work on over time.  And the way sales happen so soon in the season...you hardly ever have to pay full price, unless it's something that you are just *dying* over.  But the great thing about coats is that when you talk CPW (cost per wear), you get a lot of value for your money because you were them so often.

The quickest way add luxury to an outfit is with a big, cozy scarf.  Even if it's not super cold outside, a generous but lightweight scarf always chics up a look.  And if you're always cold like me, it keeps you warm!!  This is not a wardrobe item that has to cost much.  If you want to lay out a ton of cash, be my guest.  I won't judge.  But you really don't need to.  Most malls have that kiosk in the middle where they sell the pashminas rather inexpensively.  And just about every store, or at least the ones I go to, has a wide selection of scarves, wraps, etc.  The beauty of the scarf is that it comes in so many different colors, textures, fabrics, patterns - you are sure to find something that's right for you.  One of my favorites is a damask hot pink wrap that I got from Old Navy about 5 or 6 years ago for $10 on mega-sale.  I'd say the CPW of that one is down to pennies, or at least dimes.  And the light gray cashmere wrap I got from Banana Republic right after Christmas for $30?  Definitely under a dollar per wear and dropping rapidly.  Of course, you don't always need one with a turtleneck like I have here.

Shoes?  Bags?  Hats?  Sunglasses? Oy, I could go on for a while...but it's been a crazy busy week, and I'm done. Good night all! No, I'm not going to bed quite this early, but will be pretty soon. So I will probably try to catch up on blog reading until my eyelids close...

Polyvore from March 2:

3/2/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

A Pair of Pairs of Shoes (does that even make sense?)

I was planning this post along with some JC reviews, but decided to bump it up based on Harvill's comment on my last post.

So a couple of weeks ago, I ran into snaphappy at my local DSW Shoe Warehouse, which I admit, I don't visit often enough. I'm trying to branch out a bit with the shoe purchasing...and trying to really find cute shoes that are actually not bad - or maybe even good - for my feet.

Only one purchase on that 1st trip, and did I mention I had a coupon for $20 off a $49.95 purchase? Naturalizer Cedra Patent Moc (#194610, $49.95) Ok, I did use the coupon and got them for basically $30, but oh yeah, these are definitely worth full price. First let's be shallow and go with looks. Brown croc patent? Too cute. Love the little tassel thingy. They are synthetic, but are so comfy that I haven't had any rubbing or blister issues. I got a 9 1/2. I agree with DSW's reviews that they do tend to run a bit short. I love how they look with jeans - that's probably how I will usually wear them. Being that they are by Naturalizer, you do expect the support and comfort, and I give them an A+ on that. (snaphappy got a pair of these, too.)

Now, you know I love my ballet flats and let's be honest...it's a lot easier to camouflage all that support and comfort in a pair of mocs than it is in ballet flats. Probably why I usually go with my cheapie Target shoes and a gel insole, since it's not like they're going to be *that* much more supportive if I spend more money... Well, I stand corrected. Some ballet flats can be a bit more supportive and comfy. And I would like to thank snaphappy because when we were at DSW the previous week, she said "Did you look at the clearance section?" I replied, "nope, never even got there." (thinking it would be all summer and I'm looking for fall/winter shoes)

Flash forward to this past weekend when my parents were visiting, my mom wanted to stop by DSW to look at some shoes. I honestly, truly I swear, rode along to get a bag of dog food at Petco right next door. (Lucy, now 9 months old and 48 lbs, goes through a 35-lb bag of food in 1 month. And folks, she's not chunky.) So I got my intestinally-friendly large-breed puppy food (yeah, I know, ridic, huh?) and wandered back to DWS to meet my mom. She was still browsing and I had pretty much seen everything on the regular rows, so with snaphappy's words in mind, I headed back to the clearance section...and fell in love.

Me Too Swann Cap Toe Ballet Flat (#177123, $39.94 online). I got it for $54.94, less 50%, so a wee bit less than $28. Again, score! And um, yeah, I probably would have paid the full price for these too. Yes, they are a bit of a Chanel knock-off, but what ballet flats aren't (other than the TB Revas, of course). So pretty - beige leather and black patent cap toe. Love! But the big news is how comfy they are. Without looking totally clunky. I did get a 9 1/2 in these as well, but probably could have made the 9's work. Except that my mom got the 9's for herself. I did add one of those back-of-heel cushions to help them stay on a bit better. Can't wait to wear these with most or all of my fall/winter sweaters. (And now I have a pic I can clip to Polyvore because I can't on the DSW site...stinkers.)

Here are my IRL pics of the 2 shoes. Pardon the mark across the top of my foot - I was wearing toe socks earlier today with my J Crew sneakers...and did a quick photo op of both pairs of shoes before swapping out for big comfy cozy socks.

You MUST MUST MUST Read and Take the Open Toed Shoe Pledge

Ok, this post is basically devoted to 2 other blogs. The first is Sea Glasses, whose post today on sandals (like the blue patent ones I got at Target X ago) shows of multiple iterations of the same style in gold. Very fun! And I really enjoy Sea Glass Mom's blog, particularly because she is the mother of twins and I am a twin - and therefore feel sympathy and admiration for anyone raising twins. (mental note, get nice present for Mom for Mother's Day)

So at the bottom of her post, she wisely referred us all to Jemma Ruby's blog, Diary of a Wonder Woman, where she had the Open Toed Shoe Pledge. You must must must read this. It is hilarious! As a hopefully potential member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I am taking the pledge, and I urge you to do the same. Let's make the world a more beautiful place, one foot at a time!

After you read and take the pledge, hop on back here because I need some opinions, and I *know* you all have them.... (there's a very funny joke about opinions and everyone having them but don't know if it's appropriate to share) Anyway...I got these shoes at Target - the Xhilaration Samala Flat in pewter patent ($19.99), after seeing them in black on a Bobbi Brown SA, who raved about their comfort. They are comfy. But after getting them home, I'm a little unsure about whether I should keep them. Are they that great? Or just cheap & crappy? Was I seduced by the fact that they match the OPI You Don't Know Jacques polish on my toes? What do you think, Keep or Return? (that should actually be a new feature...the Keep or Return Files)

IRL pic:

A Little Fun for the Little Girls

So E and I decided that she needed some spring shoes since it's getting to be March and she is mostly wearing her dark fall/winter shoes, and the white sneakers are just about toast. So off we went to Target on Sunday afternoon, and this is what we came home with - Target's Girls' Camp Rock Wedge.

Ok, ok, they are heels. But seriously, have you seen some of the trashy things they have for this age group? It's hard to keep them from looking like a 14-year-old hoochie most of the time. (Don't get me started on my bathing suit rant. I like 2-piece for her because it's easy come bathroom time, but I don't want her wearing a Brazilian bikini) And we (yes all of us) did love Camp Rock.

Anyway... they have such a cute selection of toddler shoes, but the girls shoes were rather lacking. These at least, aren't too high (you wouldn't believe some of the girls shoes...) and they are definitely more secure than a flip flop. And she loved them. Good fun. And I'm sure they'll be trashed within a few months and we can bid them adieu!

J Crew V-neck Short-Sleeve Cardigan

Back in February, on one of my shopping sojourns, I finally tried on the J Crew V-neck Short-Sleeve cardigan. (item #10510, orig $59.50 or $72, depending on whether you believe the B&M tag or the online info, currently $29.99) Online, it is only still available in white, but several B&Ms that I have been into lately have had a whole rack of them in various colors - navy, white, putty, yellow, fuchsia, pale pink.

Since I am always freezing indoors in the summer, I thought I would give it a go and sure enough, the navy one came home with me. I am a sucker for navy. Of course, I believe it was 30% off as well, so I got it for just over $20. Very happy with it. The length is nice and long, just the way I like it.I don't think I would button all the buttons. I will either wear it open as in the online pic above, or with the top few buttons done, as I am wearing it here at right.

I have to give credit to Elegant Mom, from whom I "borrowed" about 90% of the idea of this outfit; see her post here. But it's a great comfy way to spend a spring-like day. I got to wear my red peep toes because the snow is almost gone.

Such a perfect piece for summer. I can throw this on over just about anything to up the warmth factor and the cute factor. I understand some of the other colors are much more sheet, but I think keeping the cardi open mitigates that. I highly recommend this one - get thee to a B&M.

Shopping Ban Update and Success at Target

It's Thursday, so what am I up to...Day 9 of no shopping? I started by shopping my closet and pulled out one of my favorite combos from last spring. The navy striped shirt is from AT Loft (spring 07) and the cardi/jacket is from BR (last winter). This outfit always reminds me of spring.

Today was a definite test as I went to Target with my list in hand. And I only bought what was on the list - lotion (all gone, not just trying out something new), body wash (again - all gone, not just wasting current and trying something new), fruit snacks for M, tin of Altoids, Clorox Greenworks spray.

To be honest, I also got a pair of slipper socks but I had to toss my stinky slippers, so I figured an extra pair of slipper socks would get me through until next fall when I will get a decent pair. And since I hardly ever wear socks, other than with sneakers or boots, I figured this would be acceptable, as I don't currently have a huge stash of socks. They were only $3.99 after all.

So far the Lenten shopping ban has been going pretty well. But then I start to see the new J Crew catalog, the new merchandise online, the blogs with pretty pictures... Cotton cricket cardigan - you are calling my name. And even though my "Keeping a Holy Lent" info from church says that "Sundays are celebrations of Jesus' resurrection and are always an appropriate day to lessen the restrictions of Lent", I'm not quite there yet. I still need more time for reflection and consideration. I haven't broken the cycle yet. Plus I still need to clean out that closet - the shirts, the sweaters, the pants, the shoes...

Speaking of shoes... we still have snow on the ground. I wanted to wear the shoes on the left. But I thought closed toes was more acceptable, so I wore the shoes on the right. But we're supposed to get to the 70's this weekend - yay Spring!

J Crew French Terry Double Zip Hoodie

It seems odd, with the approaching snow tonight, to be writing about the J Crew French Terry Double Zip Hoodie (item #12661, $49.50). Because that, my friends, is probably going to become my throw-on-top-of-everything summer staple. I tried it on over a few outings before I finally purchased. But I am so glad I did. (Mardi Gras purchase #3, and that concludes the J Crew portion of the Mardi Gras shopping.)

I got the dark charcoal but I included the model pic so that you can see the pockets and other features better. And I honestly debated about the color, as I liked both the light pewter and the white. In the end, I decided that a dark color would last a whole lot longer between washings, and I wouldn't be as concerned about setting it down somewhere.

I love the double zip, especially since it hits a little lower than the traditional hoodie. Plus that additional few inches in the length elongate the figure a bit. Us non-models can always use a bit of help in that department.

The fabric is very soft. A perfect weight for a spring/summer topper - not too heavy, but not too light or thin. It has pockets - always a bonus. And they're quite cute with the top flap and all.

One of the my favorite features about the hoodie is the collar - you can see it best in this picture - it has a full collar all the way around, with the hoodie coming out over it. Just a nice extra feature that your standard hoodie is usually not equipped with.

Size-wise, I took a large. Honestly, the large and medium looked the same, so I figured I would go with the large to allow a little extra wiggle room with potential dryer shrinkage.

And the sleeves. They are actually long enough. Amazing! (Remember, I did take a large.) But they looked really, really cute folded up in a cuff, so if you have shorter arms, that would work, too. The sleeve is finished in a

I wore the hoodie this past Friday with a shell tissue boyfriend vneck tee, jeans, and my new Clarks Clearlake flats (see earlier post). And I layered my Anthro typeset initial necklace with the JCrew twisted crystal necklace doubled for a little sparkle.

Aren't these shoes cute? I love them!

Day 2 of No Shopping, What is SAH???, and Running in Heels (no, not me)

All good. Stayed home and worked. Deleted all the sale emails that came into my in bin. Even played with the camera some more to figure out how to get pics to post. Tomorrow - pairs training (no, I'm not an ice skater), drop off at the consignment shop, volunteer in M's class if I'm not too stinky after PT, early release from school for the kids, and Movie Afternoon. Life is good!

On a related note, a friend asked me what SAH stood for, so I told her "Stay at Home". At least that's how I was using it. She rightly pointed out that it could be "ShopAHolic". So am I a StayAtHome/WorkAtHomeMom or a ShopAHolic/WorkAHolicMom? Hmmmm... (Discuss amongst yourselves)

And in some very fun news, while the lawyers and greedy bastards duke it out over Project Runway (I miss you, Tim Gunn!!), we have an appetizer in the interim...

Premiering March 1 on the Style Network, Running in Heels tracks the lives of three Marie Claire interns hoping to make it in the world of publishing. More info here. I think this would have been a fantastic name for a blog, except that I so seldom wear them. Although I did actually wear my Aerosoles Inspiration patent pumps on Monday all day long - to Target, the grocery store, and volunteering at school. Yay me!

Will you watch Running in Heels?

Life's Too Short for Ugly Shoes

Sitting here watching the Oscars, I started thinking about all the fantastic high heels that the girls, and for all I know, some of the boys, wear. (Remember when the South Park guys showed up at the Oscars dressed as Gwyneth and J Lo? Ok, I'm dating myself, but it was great.)

So I've really been trying to reform my shoe habits. And considering the foot surgeries my mother and sister have both had, I probably should be concerned. Starting this past summer, I virtually eliminated my flip flop wear (I miss you, my cute, fun JC flip flops!). But the different in my feet was amazing! But when fall started and I started wearing my totally unsupportive Target ballet flats (even with the tacky gel insole - but it works, I tell ya!), I started having occasional pain on the top of my foot. And my Dansko clogs, much as I love them, just aren't what I want to wear everyday. Then again, maybe I should have gotten the leopard patent pair that my sister and my friend, Laura, have. And I have a wide foot up front that's narrow at the heel, so it's not always easy to find shoes that fit. Much as I love JC, most of their flats and heels are just too narrow in the toe box. This year, I am on the lookout for cute shoes that are actually supportive and (gasp) comfortable. So far, I have found 2 winners over the past month.

#1 - Clearlake by Clarks Artisan. (Yes, Clarks.) They have a small heel to offset my usual flat wearing - always good to switch up your heel height! As you would expect from Clarks, they have some nice padding and support. But they are so cute on! This is the light pink patent. The bummer is that I've only worn them once so far as the weather has been too chilly. But come spring, I'll be all over these. They fit in perfectly with the nude trend for spring that JCrew and others have been showing us. I may even consider the gray leather version, except, of course, I don't need another pair of peep toes, much as I love them, since it is winter.

#2 - Inspiration by Aerosoles. I got these a couple of weeks ago. They look great with a dress and a pair of black opaque tights. I wore them for 2 parties over the past few weekends with said dresses, and they worked. Enough heel to be fun, but not so much that some of my shorter hemlines looked trashy. I'm an a-line mini over a pencil skirt kind of girl - works better on my shape. I definitely thing the black patent is best in these, since they give it a little more pep than the flat black. They are insanely comfortable and I am actually planning to wear them to school tomorrow to volunteer in my kids' classes. THAT's what we call a true road test!

So, what are some of your favorite comfy but cute & chic shoes?