A Few Lessons in Shoe Buying

Who knew that such a beautiful shoe would hurt like heck after wearing for only 1 hour?

Lesson #1 when buying shoes: Never overestimate the abilities of a shoe. “100% true to width? 100% true to size? 100% excellent arch support?” Too good to be true! Indeed.

Lesson #2 when buying shoes: Always buy leather. Pay the higher price and get a pair of shoes that will stretch and fit themselves to your feet, and last for at least a few years. I don’t care if you are an animal rights activist. Your feet deserve something better than man-made materials!

Lesson #3 when buying shoes: Never buy shoes with a wooden heel. The shock and vibration after a mere half hour of walking around on an unforgiving heel will murder your calves and make your feet cry out for relief!

Lesson #4 when buying shoes: Be careful when buying shoes with a heel height upwards of 3 in. 2 /2 in. is the most comfortable, and safest height when buying shoes, but admittedly, this 5′2 girl loves the look of a 3 in. or higher heel herself. But when you reach that 3 in. heel height, then it puts 7 times the pressure on your feet.

All that to say. I thought I was safe in buying these shoes, but I was wrong. You cannot buy shoes on looks alone. I love the look of these shoes; very vintagey looking and all, with the gray color, slingback styling, and the chunky wooden heel. But, buyers beware! This shoe felt like heaven for the first half hour, but you know what after that. I had to take them off to drive home last night because they hurt so bad. :/

Anna

Dress Up (Or Down)

I’m sorry for those folks who have been waiting for a longer blog post from me. *Sniff, sniff* Life has been busy, crazy, and emotional, but it keeps on getting better! The Lord is faithful to those who are His own.

So all my readers will just have to be content with this tip of the day. Are you ready? This is especially for those of you who have a birthday today or who feel that you just need a mini-vacation.

So. Walk into your closet and take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Just stand there. Now reach out your hand and let the force guide you to…. wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Maybe we should start over. Okay. Walk into your closet. Just stand there with your eyes open, taking in what your various skirts, tops, pants, shoes, and accessories. I want you to think about your very favorite pieces of clothing. Is it those worn-in, slouchy pair of GAP jeans that you got for $5 at the thrift store? How about that stretched out, faded black t-shirt that still fits you so well despite the short lifespan it has left? Do you have a knee-length, flouncy skirt that makes you feel girly every time you wear it? Then wear it! Today, don’t worry about “getting it right”, or looking classy, or combining the correct pieces. You know what you love to wear, and you know what makes you feel downright uncomfortable. Opt for the former and give yourself a break today. I’m not suggesting that you wear your PJs around that house (though, that is pretty comfortable), but just put on what you find most pleasurable to wear.

Even better, after you get off work, or school, invite your girlfriend or sister over to hold a fashion show with you. Take everything out of your closet and drawers and put together goofy (or serious) outfits and have fun. Write down what you think makes good combinations. And if you happen to run across a piece of clothing that you absolutely despise, even when playing dress up, throw it out. Keep only clothing in your wardrobe that flatters you and that you love to wear.

Anna

Touch of Lace

Reading blogs like Pleasant View Schoolhouse, and looking at pictures from Piksi’s and Elegant Musings artful creations has inspired me. I’m not in the making my own dresses and skirts phase, yet, though that would be so much fun! Especially, if I could create Anthropologie like clothes, but with some lace I found, and cloth, too, I have embellished a few of my things, and tackled a small sewing project.

A blazer that I purchased off Ebay now has a touch of lace added to the sleeves.

Watching Jane Eyre last night, I was inspired by a bit of innocuous lace gracing the collar of one of her drab, grey dresses. In a matter of 10 minutes, a bit of lace was gracing the collar of one of my shirts.

I don’t remember why I was inspired to sew this, but one day, I decided to sew my own purse! So I took the leather handles off of an old purse I was tossing, made up a paper pattern, cut the fabric, and sewed it together! This project took me a bit longer, because I had to sew the lining, but it was so easy, and now this purse is one of my favorites.

This skirt, a thrift store find, was jazzed up with some green ribbon around the hem one morning when I had the skirt out and saw the ribbon collecting dust on our sewing table. Again, in a matter of minutes, I was able to sew the ribbon onto my skirt, and viola! almost a different skirt!

These are small embellishments and projects, but I have posted them to get you inspired, too. If I start on a bigger project, such as a dress, or a skirt, I’ll keep you updated.

Anna

Regrets and Buyer’s Remorse

Impulse buying has led to many regrets and wasted dollars for me, even as my interest has advanced in stylish and classy clothing. Writing about the right things is not a guard against doing the wrong. Even if $10 here on a shirt, or $20 there on a pair of shoes seems harmless, it ALL adds up and counts.

Don’t buy clothes that you cannot see yourself in 2 years in the future. Yes, your clothing might start to be well loved by then, but well made pieces, and items chosen to cooperate with your entire wardrobe should take you a couple of years.

Pay the cold, hard cash. I don’t own a credit card, so, while I may still tend to overspend at times, at least I know my limit and am not putting myself in debt for clothes I cannot pay for. From your hands to theirs really makes you evaluate that new item before you buy it.

I regret spending money on:

$7-8 t-shirts that last me for a couple of months and then wear out.
Cheaply made shoes that cost me the same price as well-made ones but hurt my feet.
Ill-fitting jeans.
Most fads, including various babydoll shirt styles.
Collected junk from thrift stores (one has to look very hard at thrift stores) that I mostly ended up tossing.

There is a right amount of fashion savvy that is called for, but spending too much time looking at clothes and thinking about them (i.e., lusting after every Anthropologie piece and wishing they would go bankrupt and have to sell their clothes for pennies) leads to impulse buying and not the right evaluation of what purpose clothing should serve. After I buy an item I keep all the receipts in a box; the other day, I got that box out to organize some of the papers in it and was overwhelmed by the amount of receipts. I did not add up the amounts. Can I recall in detail every item I bought, and show you where I have it in my wardrobe? No, I cannot.

What I wish I had invested all that money in:

2-3 well made bras. They don’t have to be super expensive. A brand that I found works for me is Ambrielle from JC Penney.
2-3 pairs of good jeans. Gap, Old Navy, and American Eagle all carry reasonably priced jeans. Remember when you are plunking down your dollar to try and envision yourself still wearing them 2 years into the future. Don’t pay $20 for a pairs of jeans that keep wearing out, pay $30-40 more and invest in a pair that will last you a lot longer.
3-4 knit tops; perhaps 3 neutral: white, black, and brown, and 1 printed. A knit top is designed like a tee, but will stand up to the wear and tear of normal life a lot longer. Tees are usually cheap, thin, and have a high cotton content. Knit tops are a superior knit fabric that fits and wears better than tees. T-shirts still have their place, though, and I wear them often around the house, so long as they aren’t stained, faded, or worn out.
2-3 woven tops; 2 neutral, 1 printed. Nothing looks more tailored and classic than a woven shirt or blouse. If I’m investing in only 2-3 then I would pick straight, or a-line silhouettes since they pair with every sort of skirt or jeans.
2-3 skirts; straight, and full.
1-2 dresses; a little black dress, and a casual one. I only listed 2, but a girl can never have too many dresses. Target is full of good choices.
1 well fitting blazer.
1 well fitting coat.
Black, high-heeled pumps.
Tall boots.
Walking shoes.
High-heeled sandals.
A scarf

.

I know I left out some particular things which, depending on your lifestyle or budget, you can supplement yourselves. The items I have chosen are not all the price range I am suggesting, though, do keep in mind that you are investing in an item that ought to stay in your wardrobe for the next couple of years and ought to buy high quality items. Adding a particular item here or there, and slowly building up a great wardrobe is better than trying to get it all at once.

Next up, a post on an American woman’s wardrobe vs. a French.

Anna

Bargain of the Day

I bought these jeans to incorporate into my Fall wardrobe for the grand price of $14.00.

How did I get away with such a bargain? AE is having a sale on all jeans, I used the following coupon to get 30% off, and jeans are being shipped for free!

64513146

This coupon will apply to all AE purchases. I don’t know how long it’s valid, so get yours while the getting’s good.

Anna