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This weekend we made a bit of an impromptu trip to Westfield and I couldn't resist getting myself these shoes from River Island.

They're my first pair of high tops, and have a concealed wedge (you can hardly see it's there) hidden in the heel.

I've already done a post about these sorts of shoes as they're a copy of an Isabel Marant pair as seen on Miranda Kerr and Anne Hathaway to name just two and I really am so excited to finally have them!

They're uber comfortable, you hardly feel like you're wearing a heel at all, look good with my usual attire of skinny jeans and a tee, and didn't break the bank at £40.

I really can't wait to wear these over summer; I think they'll look great with denim shorts for weekend casual. And not to mention they're my first pair of trainers since I was a child! Is it bad that I'm already eying up another pair sans wedge? :S

Saturday Steal No. 005: Charlotte Olympia Kitty Flats

Charlotte Olympia possibly created the cutest shoes in existance with her Kitty Flats, shoes with cats on! Who can deny that is adorable? Anyway the originals are priced at £485 a pair, steap, but Missguided have a near exact pair for just £23.99.

These shoes have also been on the feet on anyone who's anyone, with Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry and Alexa Chung all fans.

What do you make of these Kitty flats?

 

 

Pumped Up Kicks

Okay, tell me if I'm being crazy here, but I've spied a few people wearing hi-tops with a very subtle concealed wedge, and I think I love them!

Isabel Marant is possibly responsible for this micro trend after her Bekket sneakers have been on the lips (and feet) of anyome who's anyone on the fashion scene.

Celebrity fans of this trend include Miranda Kerr, Beyonce, Anne Hathaway and Alicia Keys.

That black pair are just calling out for me and they look incredibly comfortable, perfect for a relaxed day.

The Isabel Marant beauties are £430 unfortunately at Harvey Nicks. BUT, a brand called Ash have a near identical pair for £139  over at ASOS. Still too expensive, but I have definately fallen head over heels (pun entirely intended) with these shoes!

Topshop and New Look I expect to see something similar in your stores very soon!

 

Grey New York City Sweatshirt- River Island | MOTO Baxter Jeans- Topshop | Casio Classic Blue Watch- ASOS | Cable Knit Beanie- Forever21

How would you style a pair of wedge hi tops?

Chelsea, Chelsea I believe

Last week was the world’s first Online Fashion Week as hosted by Vogue.com

Lots of activity happened including:

Christopher Kane, Alice Temperley and David Gandy chatted from aboard the London Eye (not all together, sadly); Selfridges gave away a £500 shopping spree every day of OFW; Cheryl Cole talked us through her new shoe collection; January Vogue cover girl Florence Welch got the action underway; Matches gave one lucky winner a spring/summer 2012 must-have each day ( including a Christopher Kane dress); Christian Louboutin unveiled his first ever European transactional website, exclusively here; the 100 most influential people in the digital world (from bloggers, to editors, to retailers) were unveiled; Donatella Versace joined the OFW party; Mulberry gave away a limited-edition Bayswater bag; Victoria Beckham gave readers her bestcareer advice; and our Twitter account was hijacked (only for an hour a day), by the industry's biggest names - from Matthew Williamson to Anya Hindmarch.

You can see all of the action here.

Dune were one of the partners and set up a competition to win a gift voucher of theirs. To my surprise I won and a shiney gift voucher arrived the very next day!

I went for the Knicknack Double Buckle Chelsea Boot, and I have to say I am chuffed!

I've been eying up Chelsea Boots for ages (see my earlier post) and am very happy now I have some.

The sale has also just started at Dune, and they have some glittery shoes that had to be prized out of my hands because I'd have no where to wear them to. :( But if you've got any parties coming up or are looking for something a bit more special for Christmas or New Years I'd recommend popping in!

Twinkle Toes

Now it won't come at a surprise to learn that I can't resist a good shoe. And something that's been getting my attention recently is the amount of glittery, sparkly and generally fabulous shoes there is out there at the moment.

Perfect for the party season, I need a pair of these bad boys on my feet NOW.

I'm struggling to pick out just one favourite, but Dune, a shop I walk past every day on my way to work and can often be found with my nose pressed up against the window, have a particularly broad range. My personal favourite is the Bedazzled, a glittery court shoe, not too high and not too low, which comes in black, silver and gold.

Also worth a mention is their Sparkling Shoe. These are an irresitible glittery pink pair costing £90, but for each pair sold £50 is donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust, so it's win win!

Twinkle Toes by kayleya featuring fur shoes

Platform high heels
£80 - office.co.uk

Carvela fur shoes
£120 - kurtgeiger.com

Aldo shoes
aldoshoes.com

Women's Red Schuh Prince Court at Schuh
£65 - schuh.co.uk

High Heel | Dune
dune.co.uk

High Heel | Dune
dune.co.uk

Will you be taking inspiration from Dorothy and investing in a pair of sparkly heels this party season, and if so what will you be wearing them with?

Best Dressed of the Week: Selena Gomez

Best Dressed of the Week this week is going to Selena Gomez at the MTV VMAs.

The 19 year old starlette wore a Julien MacDonald Fall 2011 dress. The black lace and neck datiling does give it a bit of a gothic feel, but her gold accessories, bronze tan and lilac nails complimented it perfectly.

The short legnth at the front but longer length at the back is a look I love seeing at the moment and is something Selena wears a fair bit. As always her make up and hair were flawless and if it weren't for Beyonce's surprise announcement and knock out performance, she would have totally stole the show for me! Don't be surprised if she's the best dressed of the week again at some point!

Do it Like a Dude

The womenswear trend of adopting a more masculine style of dress has been in style for a while now and the autumn/winter catwalks showed no sign of it slowing down just yet!

D&G showed a more 'Victorian gentleman' style of dress while Ralph Lauren and Temperley London went for a sophisticated style featuring bow ties, tuxedo jackets and braces to complete the look.

The trend seems to have slipped down all the way to our footwear, with brogue style shoes and loafers being a massive trends this summer. For winter the chelsea boot seems to be the shoe du jour, with Chanel teaming large, billowing top halves with a streamlined bottom, finished with a leather boot. Jill Sander adopted more of a wedge heel but similarly paired them with a straight silouette on the bottom half.

Asos have a classic interpetation of the Victorian style shoe for £50 at the moment, but if you're not brave enough to go for all out masculinity a heeled pair, like the Asos acorn leather platform as shown in the bottom left is a far more wearable style.

Will you be wearing a pair of Chelsea boots this Winter?

Best Dressed of the Week: Kelly Osbourne

Earlier this week Kelly Osbourne made an appearance on the Jay Leno show and whilst her comments about Kate Middleton seem to have got most of the attention, I particularly like the vintage look she was going for.

She wore a cream silk dress cynched in at the waist paired with some sparkly pink stiletto platforms. She finished off the look with some pin curls and red lipstick. Whilst the style might not be for everyone seeing someone outspoken and not waif life in the media is always refreshing, she has a unique style and knows how to dress for her shape. I personally always look forward to seeing what she'll be wearing to events.

Best Dressed of the Week: Mila Kunis

My choice for best dressed of the week this week is going to Mila Kunis at the Moscow premiere of her latest title Friends with Benefits.

The actress wore an Elie Saab couture dress from the 2011 collection.

The dress has a ballerina style about it and the sequins make it sparkle beautifully. The low necklace is hidden by a mesh panel making the look all the more delicate and lady like.

She paired the gorgeous dress with some Elie Saab heels again in white, and went for a brown smokey eye. The hair bands and the loose, wavy hair finish off the look perfectly.

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2011 RTW

I recently saw a snippet of this collection from Love Maegan and like the magpie that I am it certainly got my attention!

Taking inspiration from 80s slightly kitsch, punk and rock and roll influencers like David Bowie and Adam Ant, the collection fused retro with modern to create a celestial filled extravaganza!

Mainly sticking to a muted black, white and grey colour palette pops of colour came through the accessories which were quite frankly, amazing!

Behold:



Zebra print, tiger prints and leopard prints, neon pinks, turquoise, stars, spangles and sequins, I love it all! The shoes are universally pointed, pin heels; meaning we can say a welcome 'adios' to sky high platforms in favour of a far more manageable, not quite so intimidating heel. Now I just need to work out how I could get my hands on some!

The clothing was certainly a bit hit and miss for me. Whilst I can't say I was much of a fan of some of the masculine tailored looks which I'm becoming a bit bored of seeing, certain pieces like the black lace and leoprint print sequins really got my attention, despite the shapes being ones we've seen from D&G numerous times before and them being draped over Victoria's Secret models who look good in bin liners! (Alessandra Ambrosio in particular is stunning!)

Here are a few of the highlights for me:



What did you make of this collection?

Best Dressed of the Week- Ashley Tisdale

My best dressed of the week this week is going to Ashley Tisdale at the Miu Miu Presents Lucrecia Martel’s “Muta” event in Beverley Hills.



Ashley wore a cream coloured peter pan colour dress from ASOS, paired with Miu Miu Mary Jane peep toes in a plum colour. I love the way the cream colour of the dress compliments her enviable Californian glow and the shoes give her just enough edge to prevent this look from becoming boring.

Her make up is equally as understated with girlie pink lips, nude eyes, subtle blush and some not OTT lashes; she even finishes it off with nude nails with a statement ring finger. That watch is also beautiful, I need one!

I am very jealous.

I'm not jealous at all!

I also have a sort spot for celebrities wearing high street clothes, especially to a Miu Miu event so bonus points to Tisdale for that!

The Look for Less: Miu Miu Glitter Leather Loafer Pumps

I've been eying up heeled loafers for ages. Admitedly, they sound ghastly. I've always associated loafers with Clarks, in a drab brown colour made out of plasticy feeling imitation leather. But how things have changed, since they were featured on the Prada Fall RTW 2010 catwalk they've seemed so much more stylish. Perfect for work with a high yet not over the top chunky heel they can be styled in so many ways.

You could try the Granny Chic look as they were worn on the Prada catwalk, with thick woolen tights and twin set, or you could update the look for Spring, try a midi skirt and a sheer blouse, or be brave with thigh high socks and a billowing shorter length dress.

My personal favourite pair has to be the Mui Mui Glitter Leather Loafer Pumps. They were on netaporter for £370 and bring some glitz to the occassion with a sparkly upper. Unfortunatey now they're sold out and a couple of seasons old.

On the high street however is an excellent dupe. Miss Selfridge's Blackberry Brogue heel. Chunky heel, gorgeous colour and even better price at just £50! You'd better be quick though as it's an Oxford Street exclusive and sizes are disappearing fast!

DIY: Lanvin Style Chain Shoe

I aboslutely love Lanvin's collection of shoes adorned with gold anklets. However, at around £800 they're just a wee bit out of my budget. Not to be beaten, I've fashioned my own pair after some inspiration from Meagen's blog.

DIY: Lanvin Style Chain Shoe

I absolutely love Lanvin's gold chain shoes. However, at £800 they're a bit out of my budget and any sensible amount to pay for a pair of shoes for that matter... Not to be beaten, I've fashioned my very own pair from some cheap gold chains and a pair of old shoes with some inspiration from Meagan's blog. What do you think?

TUC Propose Ban on High Heels

The TUC, Trades Union Congress, have proposed that high heels should be banned in the workplace as they pose a threat to health and safety and are sexist. They’ve even has the audacity to suggest that female workers shouldn’t wear heals which exceed an inch to avoid injuries and the development of long term back and foot problems.

The only thing sexist I can see about heels is the suggestion that women would be unable to do their job properly wearing them, and they lack the sense to not wear a pair of shoes which cause them pain or prevent them from doing their job.

Granted, seeing a waitress in a pair of stilettos, or a factory worker teetering in her Manolos would be impractical, but for the majority of office workers will only take a few hundred paces around the office in the day, so a pair of heels can’t possible affect their ability to perform their role, nor can it affect their health.

Heels have long since been a staple of the female’s wardrobe and far from being a symbol of female repression; rather, they represent female empowerment and the ability to take on males in the work place.

For shorter women, adding an extra inch (or five) in height gives them the confidence to walk with more pride and be more assertive, allowing the wearer to give the illusion that they are in charge and should be taken seriously.They elongate body, causing you to arch your back, lengthen your legs and stick out your bottom, resulting in, for many, a reminder of your femininity, which is handy in a workplace dominated by men.

As well as being used as an empowering tool in the workplace, the high heel is also a status simple for lots of women. Anyone flashing a red sole, trade mark of designer Christian Louboutin, is bound to get admiring glances, that’s a woman who knows the importance of good shoes!

A shoe is an item of beauty and wonderment in itself, and it’s something that men will never be able to comprehend. So until a man can truly appreciate what it’s like to wear a pair and experience the feeling of which Manolo Blahnik said, “You put high heels on, and you change.” Maybe the TUC should spend their time at least trying to do something useful, rather than debating the pros and cons of a woman’s footwear choice.

Photocredit: Lauren Close