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…
These boots are far from my usual style, so it may come as a bit of a suprise to hear that I absolutely love these – so much so that if my size wasn’t sold out, they’d probably be en route to me right now.
And why do I love them so much? Well, for one thing, they’re navy, and it’s so unusual to find navy boots of any kind that they’d be worth buying for that reason alone. And for another… well, when I’m not wearing my usual little dresses and high-heeled shoes, I sometimes like to entertain the idea that in another life I could’ve been a bit of a rock chick, and worn boots with buckles and maybe some skinny leather pants. OK, maybe not the pants. I would wear these, though, if I possibly could: if you would too, they’re by Buffalo, they’re £102, and you can click here to buy them!
Oh, I do love a good pom-pom on a shoe, and if it happens to have a polka dot pattern on it? So much the better! Navy uppers, to go with all of those navy dresses and skirts I keep buying? Bring it on! And a £36 price tag? The best bit of news so far.
These are also available in black, and would make cute party shoes, although I’d also be tempted to wear them with jeans. Click here to buy a pair from Barratts.
Because of Christmas and my vacation, I’m currently on a shopping ban until the end of January. These shoes are making that ban really, really difficult. I mean, just look at that beautiful navy and cold upper, the straps, the suede, the YSL-reminiscent peep toe! Beautiful, elegant and a little bit different from the current run of party shoes, these are £69.99 at River Island: click here to buy them.
Remember the heart-front peep toes from Accessorize which I showed you earlier this year? Well, here are the closed toe version, just in time for winter! I love these shoes: they’re practical, but they also have a whimsical feel to them, and while the navy and red colour mix would probably be my preference, I think the black and white versions could be fantastic with a similarly monochrome outfit: or with anything else, really!
I could just be imagining this, but I’m fairly sure I can remember my mum owning shoes like when I was a little girl. Actually, knowing my mum, if my memory’s right, she probably still has them tucked away somewhere, so I must remember to ask her about them next time I see her!
These definitely have a very 1970s vibe about them, and there’s also a little bit of YSL thrown in there too. I think they’re just a touch front-heavy for my tastes, but I’m judging purely by the photo, here: they could look different on a foot, and I do like the colours, so next time I’m in New Look I may well try them on and give them a whirl around the store.
What do you think of them? (Click here to buy them)
Well, pay day arrived, and by an amazing co-incidence, so did those navy platforms from New Look which I was drooling over last week! Oh come on, like you didn’t know I would buy these!
These actually felt like even more of a bargain than the £25 price tag would suggest, because I happened to have some money in my Paypal account, and, like Caroline, who’s also written about this, I always feel like a Paypal balance is somehow free money. I mean, it doesn’t really count, does it?
(Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep telling myself that…)
I had a bit of trouble with the sizing on these shoes, because I’d initially assumed they were the same style as the pink and black platforms I have from New Look, and which I’d had to size up in. I ordered them in a size 5, then, but when they arrived I realised that they’re not quite the same shape at all: these have a round toe rather than a pointed one, and the 5s were huge, so they had to go back and be replaced with my usual size 4.
That aside, I love them just as much in the flesh (or in the faux-suede, rather) as I did in the photo, and am planning on getting lots of use out of them.
Enough about me, though: which shoes are YOU wearing today?
Just when you thought I couldn’t possibly come up with another nautical-themed shoe, along comes Dsquared2 with these cute little peep toes in navy and red.
I love these shoes (is anyone surprised by this admission?), not just for the colours, and the rope detail on the toe and slingback, but because they’re the perfect mix of casual and dressy, and would therefore make a versatile addition to a summer wardrobe or suitcase. I guess I know what I’M hoping Topshop/New Look/Matalan/whoever decide to take inspiration from this season, hmm?
If you’d like to take inspiration from them too, they’re £584 at Far Fetch.
