Sole Obsession: Clear Lucite Heels

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I've been dreaming of clear heels since Chanel showed their Fall 2012 at Paris Fashion Week.  Last March I had stalked multiple Zara's in search of their budget-friendly lucite heels, but it wasn't until December that I was able to finally own a pair of clear heels via Margiela for H&M.



Since then an abundance of clear heels have hit the internet, and I now finding myself wondering if I should be allowed to have two pairs of clear heels.  One for spring and one for fall perhaps?  Here are some of the pairs I've been eyeing.

Senso "Sasha", $160

Miista "Tara", $265

Miista "Siri", $282

Minimarket "Singha", $437

Jeffrey Campbell "Sterling Light", $150

Jeffrey Campbell "Devandra", $147

Fall Footwear: Lady Loafers

I'm a fan of menswear-inspired footwear especially for fall. Over the past two years, I've acquired quite a few lace up oxfords. My latest obsession? Slip-on loafers! They're comfortable and easy to wear to skirts or pants.


DV by Dolce Vita "Marcela", $69.00I love the wingtip detals and tassels. I bought these loafers in the natural sand color. It's a bit hard to keep light colored suede and white soles looking fresh, so looking back I kind of wish I had gone with the magenta. I'd imagine they'd hide the dirt better, and they're an affordable way to sport the jewel tone trend happening this fall.


Matiko "Lilo", $114.95These flats are a bit manish, but I'm a sucker for perforated leather and I love how sleek these look. They're black flats; you can't really go wrong.


By Paige Fox "Black Needlepoint", $147.00Needlepoint might seem a bit grandma, but I love how cozy they look. With fitted pants or a pencil skirt, these foxy flats could look great.



Steven by Steve Madden "Madee", $119.00Leopard, love leopard! Pair these with some classics like dark jeans or tapered black pants for perfection.


Jeffrey Campbell "Sunshine", $119.90These vintage-inspired loafers are perfect a preppy black to school look.

American Spirit: Red, White & Blue

In the spirit of July 4th, I thought it would be fun to do a post dedicated to red, white and blue!

Jeffrey Campbell "El Carmen" platform, $130
UNIF American Flag shirt, $128
Nasty Gal has quite a handful of American flag print items this season. These two are my favorites of the bunch.


Topshop flag printed hot pants, $70
Na Nin Vintage American flag scarf$24
These items would be fun to wear to a casual BBQ or picnic. And I'd like to point out that the scarf is made in the USA! Perhaps one day all American flag print items will actually made domestically.


Corey Lynn Calter silk crop top, at Gilt $65, retail $141
Corey Lynn Calter pleated skirt, at Gilt $75, retail $158

This blue silk top and red cotton skirt from Corey Lynn Calter are currently on sale at Gilt Groupe. These pieces would be great not just for the holiday, but also the rest of summer! The sale ends tonight, so act fast.

Look for Less: Burberry Prorsum Boots

Burberry Prorsum, $895 & sold out last fallLast year, Burberry's 2009 heeled combat boots were spotted on dozens of celebs and it girls. This season black combat boots have continued to rise in popularity as they're a semi-practical heel for colder days and a hot look!


Jeffrey Campbell, $175Jeffrey Campbell got on this early with a dupli-CAUGHT version of the infamous Burberry boots for their fall 2009 collab with LF stores. They were called the "Poland" then. The shoes appear to have been re-issued as the "Boot Camp" and are available again online in a variety of colors at Solestruck.


Kelsi Dagger, $150My personal favorite for this look is the Eva boot from Kelsi Dagger. I actually bought these for myself last week after Piperlime restocked in my size, and I wore them literally everyday last week. I got compliments on them at work, and outside the office a tranny asked me where I bought them. That's how you know you have a fierce pair of heels on, haha.

I love this pair from Kelsi Dagger because they're more practical for someone like me who walks everywhere and spends a lot of time on her feet. There's just enough platform and heel for the look without becoming too clunky. On Friday I started my day at 8AM and wore them all the way through work and two DJ sets, ending the day 19 hours later at 3AM. And while my feet were definitely exhausted, I don't think it would have been possible with some of my other shoes.

You can find these heels in black, brown and mushroom at Piperlime, Solestruck, Nasty Gal, Revolve and Moxsie.

Shopping for Woven Oxford Flats

Many of you have asked me where you can find my brown woven flats. Mine were a limited edition run from Jeffrey Campbell & Shoe Market. The vintage inspired style was called Driggs named after a street just a block away from Shoe Market. Unfortunately this pair was from last summer and no longer available, so your best bet would be to search for a vintage pair. If you find them at a boutique or on etsy/eBay, they will range from $50-$100.

I've been searching for a replacement pair for myself since I get so much wear of these. I've had no luck for myself, but I've found quite a few pairs for friends who wear different sizes.

This pair is exactly, and I mean exactly the same as the Jeffrey Campbell pair that I have. I really wish these were a 7, but hey, now my friend Ashleigh can have a pair too! So keywords to find similar pairs - "woven (and your shoe size)" or "woven oxford" have been the most successful for me.

I've come across a blue and black pair, but no brown. If find a size 7 brown, please email me!

Not the same shoe, but I came across a very cute pair of pixie booties that I wanted to share in case anyone who wears a 7.5 would be interested. If the heel didn't have a zipper, I would have maybe considered purchasing them myself and using some inserts in the front and back.

Dupli-CAUGHT: Charles Anastase vs. Jessica Simpson & Jeffrey Campbell

These ridiculous and amazingly high wooden wedges made their debut in Charles Anastase spring 2009 collection. Since then these shoes have picked up lots of buzz in the blogosphere and been knocked off by a couple times.

The first copy was from Jessica Simpson a few months ago, and the $98 "Dany" heels completely sold out on Amazon, Endless, and Zappos.


The dupli-CAUGHT continues with a newly released pair from Jeffrey Campbell x Nasty Gal, which exactly the same as the original. These "Foxy" platforms sell for $145. If you're ok with knockoffs and are thinking about getting them, do it now. With all of the blogger craze over these heels, they'll be gone fast.

Dupli-CAUGHT: Surface to Air vs. Jeffrey Campbell & Forever

Remember these Surface to Air multi-buckle wedges that I posted awhile back? Apparently I'm not the only one in love with these $358 shoes.


Jeffrey Campbell does too! The "Warrior" wedges, which retail for $144.99, are strikingly similar to the original pair from Surface to Air. They both have four buckles and angled cutouts around each buckle on each side. The most notable and perhaps only difference in design is the lower wedge on the Jeffrey Campbell pair.

Earlier tonight while seeking shelter from the freezing cold, I stepped into the Forever 21 at Union Square and spotted these.
Surface to Air wedges for $29.99? No, just another Forever 21 pleather and plastic knockoff.

Trend Report: Roper Boots

Last fall I wrote about roper boots coming into style, and this season the trend is in full effect. I've spotted a lot of roper-style boots in-stores and online.


Jeffrey Campbell "Acme Lace Up Boots", $190 at Shopbop
& We Who See "Fringe Boot", $78 at Urban Outfitters
If you're in the market for lace-up boots, may I suggest the original roping boot from Justin? I love these boots because they accomplish the look of combat boots without being too chunky or heavy, and the fringe in the front... fun!


I recently bought a pair for myself from justinbootstore.com which ships directly from the manufacturer for $89 plus $6.95 shipping & handling. The website and e-commerce experience are a bit archaic, but it works and their customer service is great. I had to exchange for a smaller size. It always stinks to spend extra money I spent to send it back.

I missed the size chart when I placed my order, and I ordered a 7 which is my usual size. The boots actually run quite large, so I had to return and order a size 6. Justin roper boots also come in a variety of widths. I think a C width would fit nicely for anyone with average to slightly wide feet.

These boots are a good buy and in most cases, actually cheaper than the boots they inspired. They're well made, and the foot bed is very comfortable.

If you're open to wearing secondhand, you can find them on eBay by searching "lace up roper". They used to go for $30-$70, but with them becoming more popular, they usually sell for $50-$100. If you live in Texas or Oklahoma, check your local thrift store. I hear you can find them for five bucks!

Daffy's Designer Deals & Apt Steal

For those of you who don't live in New York, Daffy's is a chain discount retailer similar to TJ Maxx or Loehmann's. Their stores have a lot of good deals; you just have to be patient and willing to dig. I don't have too much Daffy's shopping experience, but I heard good things about the pop-up shop so I decided to check it out.
The inventory was stock you could find at a regular Daffy's, but edited to include cocktail and dress pieces from bigger names like Love Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Tracy Reese. Prices were what you would expect from Daffy's, at least 40% percent off retail. Even at deeply discount prices, some pieces were still $1,000+. The dresses that caught my attention were mainly in the $200 range, but not in my size, no luckily no temptation there - though they are updating their inventory every other day, so I will probably be back before the store wraps up.

If I remember correctly, there were about 3-4 racks of women's wear plus two walls of shoes and bags, and there was a rack of apparel and wall of shoes for the men.
My favorite part of the store was the store display in front - Jeffrey Campbell, whad up! There were a couple Chinese Laundry pairs in there, but it was all about the Jeffrey Campbells. I've been following that line for years; I remember when they didn't even have a website.

If you're still looking for a pair of summer sandals or just want a funky pair of flats, the Daffy's pop up store is definitely worth checking out. All the shoes on that table were all $30 or less! I was this close to buying the orange flats, but decided they were just a little too big.

Oh, and one last note, the staff is super friendly and helpful!

Who: Daffy's Pop-Up Store
What: Discounted men's and women's wear, cocktail dresses, shoes and handbags - inventory updated every other day!
Where: One 7th Ave South near Carmine, 212-337-9967
When: Mon-Sat 11AM - 8PM & Sunday 12noon - 7PM
And in case you haven't heard already, Daffy's is doing a crazy marketing promotion - Enter to win a one-year lease on a fully furnished $7,000-a-month apartment in West Village on 7th Ave at $700 a month. Oh what?! Can I win that please?

To enter, just show up at select Daffy's locations to create a 30-second video explaining why you deserve the apartment. Daffy's will post the best videos online for people to vote, and the winner will be announcer August 16th. For details and locations, visit daffys.com.

iWant Jeffrey Campbell Miley Sandals

Jeffrey Campbell kills it again with his new "Miley" sandals. I want! The mesh and cutout detail are so hot! And I love that the front is wider open-toe rather than tiny peep toe, which can sometimes look kind of awkward.

These heels are so perfect for spring and summer and so on point with the season's trends. They would look great with boyfriend jeans, leggings, pretty much anything and everything. You can find them at David Z for $109.99.

dupli-CAUGHT: Aldo, Zara & Jeffrey Campbell

Remember back when I was raving about Christophe Decarnin's Balmain collection? Looks like everyone wanted in on the action. Balmain is incredible and the sky high prices (similar Balmain shoes sell for $1,745) match the sky high stilettos that everyone is knocking off this season. Knock offs are wrong especially when they are as blatant as the examples I have below!

The Original Balmain Shoes feature super sparkly large sew on crystals I am assuming are Swarovski and graceful heel that curves inwards, two ankle straps of varied widths, silver square and round studs. Suede shoe base with front toe strap. These shoes are actually super sparkly!

These Jeffrey Campbell Mel's are in my opinion the closest of the imitators. They cost $169.95 on Solestruck. You can see that the heel is shorter, clunkier and straight down. A front platform has been added. The toe strap removed. Crystals changed from individual sew ons to crystal trim while others replaced with studs. The suede has been replaced by patent, which makes the shoe look more blinged out than necessary. They do use a combination of both square and round studs and triangles have been added as well These studs appear to stick out of the shoe more than on the Balmains.

The next closest shoe spotted on Jak & Jil are Zara's attempt at the Balmain's. They do get points for sparkle, and the heel shape is more similar to Balmain's than Jeffrey Campbell, however the strap widths are all the same and only one type of stud was used which is also a higher profile pyramid stud that is very unlike the originals. Toe strap has also been removed. They were selling for $169 but are sold out in stores and greedy ridiculous people are selling them on ebay for upwards of $379! I've seen it in the $500s which could buy you a nice pair of Louboutins or 2! I hope no one buys them from ebay because it's seriously ridiculous to be paying that price for Zara imitations when you could be buying actual designer goods! These shoes are also super floppy and have no structure when off the foot.

Last but not least are the Aldo imitators! They created not one but 2 copies! The Smeal and Molavi are both $125. They are the cheapest option but they also lost alot of the design elements along the way. Heels on both are straighter and pointier and they use leather instead of suede. Straps have been reduced on both styles they use enamel and sivler round and square studs and don't have any crystal embellishment.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then we have alot of Balmain wannabes in the world.