The Seven Shoe Trends I’m Wearing RIGHT Now

I love shoes. No, I mean…. I REALLY love shoes. My mom likes to tell the story of how she knew my shoe-lust was first going to be trouble for her: I was maybe 10 years old and we were in Nordstrom. Mom was quite taken with a pair of gorgeous, butter-soft leather, leopard print ballet flats. While admiring them on her feet, she heard a small voice from below say, “Oooh, I’d like a pair of those too!” And thus, it began. I still have those pretty little flats. They are a size 4 ½ and too tight now, but still as beautiful as ever.

Shoes are wearable pieces of art, so I find it somewhat surprising that it has taken me this long to write a blog about them; it’s high time I rectified that situation.

So without further a-shoe…. I mean, ado… I present to you my seven favorite shoe trends that I’m wearing right now:

 

1.  Studded, spiked, and seriously fierce. I don’t have any tattoos, so this is my foray into a little bad-girl rebellion. I like how such a hard, tough object can be combined with such a delicate and feminine silhouette like a heel. There is something about putting on a shoe with spikes that makes you feel like you could literally kick ass and take names. Every girl deserves a pair of heels that makes her feel invincible. My spiked, studded ones are what does it for me.  Here’s a pair (by Guess) from my collection:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Color-blocked and sky high. I did an entire blog on color-blocking and mentioned that the easiest way to dip a toe in (pun intended) is to buy a pair of color-blocked heels. They add just the right punch of color to an all black ensemble or finish off a khaki jumpsuit or solid colored dress. The key to wearing shoes with this much color is to let them be the focus. Your outfit shouldn’t compete with the shoes in this instance. All my favorite color-blocked heels (shown below) seem to be by Jessica Simpson. Even if she can’t figure out why there is no chicken in Chicken of the Sea tuna, the woman does know her shoes.
   
   
   
   From L to R: Jessica Simpson, Jessica­ Simpson, ShoeDazzle, Steve Madden
   
   
3. Leopard print. It should be noted that in my world, leopard print is ALWAYS in fashion. I can’t help myself. Maybe it’s the call of the wild, maybe it’s the graphical nature of the print, or maybe it’s the slightly naughty vibe it gives off. Whatever the case, I can’t get enough. I have heels with hints of leopard, heels that are completely leopard, furry leopard boots, smooth leather boots and am jonsing for the bedroom flats shown in the bottom photo below. I like the slightly “Hugh Hefner in a smoking jacket” vibe they have.
   
   
   
   
   
   From L to R: Steve Madden, Steve Madden, Steve Madden,unknown, Steve Madden, Victoria’s Secret
   
   The Hugh Heftneresque Steve Madden Madee Flat available at www.stevemadden.com
   
4. Ssssnake print. Along the same animal print lines as leopard, but with a slinkier vibe, snake print shoes are not new, but the cut of this current breed is sleeker and more modern. The fashion powers that be are also showing snake skin in a variety of not-found-in-nature colors. This pair by Fendi shows the trend quite nicely.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Faux-fur embellished. These boots are made for walking…and I love every second of it. I feel all chic and warm and après ski when I have a pair of fur embellished boots on. The pair on the left (from Victoria’s Secret) below was a lovely Christmas gift from my fiancé. The others shown are actually not fur-embellished boots at all, but my regular boots shown with some boot toppers from Claire’s. At $20 a pair, it’s a much more affordable alternative to buying an entirely new set of boots, and no one was the wiser when I wore mine. I promise I won’t tell if you won’t! They come in tan, black and leopard.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Lace. Lace is having a major moment.  Whether it’s a pair of knee high lace boots or delicate lace heels, they add a bit of sex to your wardrobe. No matter how you look at it, lace is sexy, saucy, and all together hot. One of my favorite pairs (from Chinese Laundry) from my collection is shown below. I know several men that consider black lace their Achilles’ heel, so wear with caution ladies….or maybe not. ‘Wink’
   
   
   
   
7. Embellished and glittery and all together glam. Whether it’s rhinestones up the heel, dripping with feathers, or all over glitter, there is just something sassy about shoes that sparkle. All that glitters is NOT gold, but it sure is pretty. The great thing about shoes this shiny is that they glitz up any outfit. They can even change your staid office suit into serious flirt-at-the-club wear. Plus, don’t we all like to feel like we just slipped on Cinderella’s slipper ever once in a while? I know I do.
   
   
   From L to R: Enzo Angiolini, Steve Madden, Steve Madden, Steve Madden

So those are the trends I’m rocking right now. And to give you an indication of the depth of my shoe love, this list started out with five trends and I just couldn’t keep to that number. And while I’m a fan of sky high style, I know not everyone is -- all these trends are available in flats and various heel heights, so don’t be intimidated. Also, it should be noted this list was all about fashion trends, so while I love me a good pair of Chuck Taylor Converse, this wasn’t that sort of list. I didn’t include any of my old standbys. I’ll save that for another time.

Speaking of, other topics coming up include:

• To Buy or Not To Buy, That is the Question

• It’s a Croc, The Ugg Effect

• How to Dress Appropriately for Any Occasion

• The Five Shoe Staples Every Girl Should Own

If you think I missed any important trends or just have some you want to add to this list, please leave a comment below. Want more information on how to wear any of the above styles or have any fashion questions? Drop me an email at princessheatha@hotmail.com.

Now and always,

Be Fierce. Be Fashionable. Be Yourself.

XOXO

H

Color-Blocking for Beginners

I’ve never been one to just jump into the water. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person that does the graceful swan dive into the deep end, but that just isn’t me.  I often find that you can reach the same destination by taking baby steps.  I dip my toes in, and after they acclimate, I go full legs, then up to the waist, and so on and so forth until I’m comfortable.  Before you know it, I’m in the water and I can jump over and over again into the cold depths with the best of them. Mission accomplished.

And so it is with fashion sometimes. I’ll see a trend and want to try it and then quickly realize I have no idea how to go about doing so. This is how I felt when I first saw color-blocking. It started with a picture much like this one:

This is Solange Knowles. My first thought when I saw it was, “CUTE!”, closely followed by, “How in the heck did she look in her closet one day and decide all that would work together?” I mean, yellow pants, red, black and tan shirt, purple purse, leopard heels, and somehow it’s all popping. It’s at least part attitude, but what’s the other part?

I wanted to try it, but after looking in my closet, I was flummoxed. So I did what I usually do: I took baby steps. I found this dress at Express: 

It was perfect for dipping my toes into the color-blocking shallow end.  It did all the color-blocking for me. I just added the black cardigan and heels and I was done. After wearing it all day, I picked up a few pointers along with the all the compliments I received. First, when color-blocking, black provides a good base and gives all the other colors an anchor. Second, like tones go best with like tones. For instance, on this dress, all the colors are fairly bright. The purple is the only exception, but it’s in the same color family as the berry pink.

In order to slide a little further into the deep end, I decided to use Heatha’s Ninth Tenet of Fashion Fabulousness: I stole Solange’s idea. I wore my red skinny jeans with a black and tan striped top, leopard heels, and a yellow cuff bracelet.

Jeans, blazer, striped tee – Express.  Yellow cuff, sunglasses - Steve Madden. 

Handbag - Jessica Simpson.  Owl cuff – Lucky Brand.   Shoes - Betsey Johnson. 

Necklace, ring – BCBGeneration.

I think it worked out really well, but you can all judge for yourself.  I did notice that when going this bright and utilizing this many colors, keeping most of the jewelry simple is key. I went with gold jewelry to compliment the color palette.

I must say, after wearing this outfit, I feel like I’m really starting to understand the whole trend and I’m really enjoying it. As with any trend, if it isn’t your cup of tea, don’t do it. No need to try every new thing that comes along, but if you do want to try it and are unsure, use my method and just go in increments. My next step is trying to wear something as eye-popping as Sarah Jessica Parker:

Wowza!

If you want to try it, here are a few color palettes to use as inspiration: 

              

So get out there and jump in the deep end….or wade in little by little. If you like color-blocking, give it a try. And send me the pictures of your results -- I’d love to see them.

Need a quick cheat sheet? Remember these four things: 1. Use black as a base or an anchor. 2. Like colors go with like colors. 3. Steal a star’s style!  4. Keep the jewelry simple.  And if you are intrigued, but still a little wary, I suggest starting with some great color-blocked pumps. Then you can, quite literally, just dip your toes in.

Alright, next up for Heatha Be:

• Shopping Your Closet
• Sequins: Not Just For Parties Anymore
• To Buy or Not to Buy, That is the Question
• It’s a Croc, The Ugg Effect

Stay tuned. And as always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or advice, you can contact me at PrincessHeathaB@gmail.com. And remember….

Be Fierce. Be Fashionable. Be Yourself.

XOXO

H