I hate the way that, about halfway through January, as soon as all of the sale stock has been cleared, the stores start filling up with wonderful, summery clothes: sandals and shorts and bikinis and all of those other things that just scream SUMMER.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the clothes. Oh, God, do I love the clothes. Summer clothes (and shoes) are my kryptonite, in a way that winter stuff has never been able to manage, and while the rest of you are all dreaming of coats, boots and tights by the end of May, I’d happily waft around in a summer dress and a pair of peep toes forever. So it’s definitely not the clothes I resent: it’s the fact that it’s still only the middle of January. Here at Shoeper Towers, we still have a good two months of winter ahead at least, and probably four or five before we’ll be able to start thinking about bikinis and sundresses. And by then the stores will be full of winter stuff again…Fashion world, you confuse me.
OK, mini-rant over. You know what I DON’T hate? These shoes from Dorothy Perkins. I don’t hate those AT ALL. In fact, if this was June, say, and not January, I’d be strongly tempted to buy them, because navy upper? Stripes? Huge platform wedge? It’s like a “How to Make Shoes for Shoeperwoman” guide, isn’t it?
While I was placing that order, this skirt would probably fall into my basket too:
Yes, it’s identical to the black and white one I bought in Primark last month, but you know what I always say: when you find something you love, buy it in every colour. And sometimes even multiples of the same colour, if I’m honest.*
I would promise not to wear it with the shoes, though. Well, I would try not to…
Navy and green are probably the two colours I wear most often (I’ll just give you a few seconds to recover from that deeply surprising bit of information, shall I?), so naturally, finding a shoe which combines both colours is like finding free Louboutins at the end of a rainbow. OK, no it isn’t: nothing would really beat free Louboutins, would it? But these Dorothy Perkins colourblock heels are still pretty cute: the chunky heel and two-toned bow both get my vote, and if navy and green aren’t your colours, there’s also this version:
These up the ante a little with three different colours, one of which is the season’s-essential (if you believe in such things): orange.
Finally, if you’re still not down with colourblocking, or if, like me, you have a bit of a problem with constantly buying more pairs of “nude” heels, I give you these:
I like them all, and I also like the £42 price tag: if you do, too, you can click here to buy a pair!
Anyone who’s a regular visitor to both this site and Dorothy Perkins will probably have been expecting these to pop up here sooner or later: I mean, they’re practically jumping up and down, shouting, “Shoeperwoman! Shoperwoman! Over here!” aren’t they?
Well, here they are, and obviously I love both the blue and coral colours, and the polka dot platforms and bows. If I could make just one small change, I’d have skipped the chunky ankle strap, and make them slip-ons instead, but I guess the strap does add to the chunky look these have got going on.
What do you think? They’re only £40, and you can click here to buy them at Dorothy Perkins.
I’ve mentioned a few times now that I’ve been really loving Dorothy Perkins’ work lately, especially when it comes to dresses: in fact, barley a day goes by at the moment without me adding yet another item to my wish list, that’s how obsessed I am.
I’ve been a little less impressed with the footwear selection at good ol’ Dotties, however… until today, when I came across these red origami high heels. Not only are these the perfect shade of red (which can be pretty hard to find: too bright and it can look cheap; too dark and it lacks impact) suede, they also have a really interesting toe detail. Forget bows and flowers, and all of the other things we typically tend to find on shoes: these have an “origami” pleated detail, which I think gives the shoe a rather sophisticated feel, don’t you?
In addition to the perfect colour and shape, these also have a near-perfect price tag too, at £35: click here to buy a pair!
I really wish Dorothy Perkins had included a photo of these shoes from above, rather than just from the side because I have a feeling that bow would be right up my street. In fact, I actually think it looks like two bows, layered on top of each other, and as we all know, if there’s one thing better than a single bow on a shoe, it’s a double bow on a shoe, no?
Other than the bow, I like the deep raspberry colour of these, and I also like the cutout on the toe, which makes them just a little bit different from the usual bow-peep-toe. Only a little bit different, mind you: these aren’t going to be winning any prizes for originality, and if you’re looking for something “edgy” and “fashion forward”, well, you’re going to be disappointed.
If you’re looking for a pretty little shoe for only £40, though, you just might have found it. Click here to buy them, if so!
Yesterday morning I paid a quick visit to the Dorothy Perkins website, and was instantly confronted with this:
Now, this is just cruel, isn’t it? I mean, a red, pleated skirt, and a stripey top? And they seriously expect me to resist this?
Well, no, they don’t: they want me to buy it, obviously. And, you know, I did my best. I clicked on the “shop now” link, to track down that skirt, and… it wasn’t there. Huh. I’m guessing it just hasn’t come into stock, yet. I did, however, find the shoes:
Now, even someone like myself, who is decidedly Not a Brogue Person, can see that these are cute. I love the two-tone upper, and the dapper feel of it, and I love the practicality of a closed, high-vamp upper for winter. I also like the price, which is £35: bargain! (Click here to buy them.)
Ever visited a website and instantly wished you hadn’t?
It happened to me yesterday when I clicked a link on Twitter and found myself clicking “buy now” on a dress in a colour I already have more than my fair share of dresses in (I’ll leave you to work that one out for yourselves, shall I?), and then it happened again today when I decided to take a quick look at Dorothy Perkins, only to find these teal suede shoes featured on the homepage.
Now, I love teal. I don’t have enough teal in my life. And I love shoes with bows: particularly when the bow in question is attached to a strap, just like this one. I can’t seem to see a pair of shoes in this particular style without wanting to pick them up and stroke them, but I think this is the first time I’ve found a pair in thus particular colour, which is why I had to show you them.
While I’m here, I may as well show you the red version, too:
Red, as I’ve mentioned a few times, is a shade than can be hard to get right on shoes and clothes, and it’s very easy for it to look too “brash”. I think that could be in danger of happening here, although I’ll reserve judgement for when I see these in person, because colours can look very different in photographs to how they look in real life, too.
I’ve bought more than enough pairs of shoes already this month, so I’m going to turn away from these shoes and leave them to you. You can click here to buy them.
I know what you’re thinking: RAFFIA? AGAIN? Yup, it’s the fabric (if “fabric” is even the right word for it) that just won’t quit right now, isn’t it? I actually didn’t realise these shoes were raffia – or that the heels and sole were – until I read it in the product description, but having zoomed in on the image on the Dorothy Perkins website, I think this is a really nice use of raffia, which really adds something to the look of the shoe.
These are also available in black, but the red version was the one to catch my eye and steal my heart. These are £38, and you can click here to buy them.
