Shoeper Shoe Challenge # 22: Save Shoes While the Sun Shines

WHAT: Ted Baker ‘Keanah’ peep toes
WHEN: June 2011
WHERE: On holiday in Los Angeles, California
WITH: River Island dress

Only a few more holiday Shoe Challenges to go, so you’ll only have to endure a few more photos of me gazing wistfully out over the valley, I promise!

Nah, I’m joking. There are loads of them still to come. Well, you know, I took a LOT of shoes with me. “Save shoes while the sun shines,” that’s my motto. Or it is now, anyway. Now, before we go any further with this particular challenge I have to point out that I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction on this particular day in that I was wearing a strapless slip under my dress and it was a slip by nature as well as by name, because it kept dropping down to my waist, leaving that odd bulgy effect you can see in some of the photos. I took it off as soon as I realised, but that’s why I look like I have a couple of spare tyres in some of these photos…


These are my Ted Baker ‘Keanah’ pumps, and they’re one of my favourite pairs of shoes: I just love the gold soles on them!


Just to prove that we DID actually leave the house occasionally on holiday, here’s an “out and about” shot. This was taken on the street Marilyn Monroe lived on: that wasn’t the gate to her house (it was surrounded by a high wall), but I thought it was really pretty, anyway.

After seeing where she lived, we stopped at Marilyn’s last resting place to pay our respects.

(That’s actually Dean Martin’s grave I’m standing in front of. There are lots of famous people in this cemetery, and lots of very moving inscriptions: I found it all a bit emotional, which I guess isn’t surprising. I was also rather overdressed, but I like to think Marilyn at least would’ve approved…)

This is the cream version of this dress, and I must admit, I bought it with these shoes in mind. I should really stop doing that.

19 Comments

  • You look gorgeous! I’m packing for my holiday now, and I want to take all my heels with me after seeing all your beautiful holiday photos!

  • Just found your Shoe Challenge round up from last year 😀 I was far too slow to join up this year, as you’d stopped taking submissions due to the amount of ladies with our problem! Was just pondering about you letting people link to their own blogs with their ‘Shoeperwoman Shoe Challenge’ posts and then you can choose your favourite posts to mention each week? Maybe that would ease some of the pressure and allow lots more people to join in? I’ve loved every post, and really need in on this – I’ll be poised next year! Some of my poor shoes don’t see the light of day! Love your blog 🙂

  • You look lovely! I have both this dress and these shoes, and I hadn’t thought of wearing them together, but it looks really good! I must say, I really admire your holiday style. I haven’t yet mastered the art of dressing well on holidays, and I usually end up resorting to jeans and comfortable shoes and looking like a tourist. It doesn’t help that most places I go are colder than where I live, and I tend to do a lot of walking. Anyway, you’ve inspired me, and I’ll try to pack so that I can dress more like myself on my next holiday 🙂

    • Oh, I looked exactly as you describe a lot of the time on this trip too, Sara! It was actually pretty cold for the first week or so (and we were walking for miles every day!), and I caught a heavy cold, too, so I ended up relying on jeans a lot more than I normally would on holiday! That’s definitely one of my favourite things about travelling somewhere hot, though – I like summer clothes much, much more than winter ones, and holidays are one of the few times I actually get to enjoy them!

  • Oh wow the cream dress is so lovely and delicate! Stores here never really do a run of a dress in different patterns, so I’m really enjoying these River Island 50s dresses you are showing. Can’t wait to see the other one (two?)!

  • I simply loooved your dress and love the shoes! The pictures are amazing, you always look fabulous! And talking about dresses: I went to London yesterday and I’ve already said the first time I went to a thrift shop was in the UK, January 2010. Well, yesterday I found the second thrift shop in my life and I swear I thought “Amber would have loved this one!” The dresses were so cute! I was looking for a Gina pair of shoes for £1! (And, of course, I didn’t find it!)
    I really loved your outfit, really nice you could enjoy sunny days!

  • ‘I was a little over dressed’ Oh I disagree! You were the only one dressed appropriately. I live, and am from, L.A. and have dressed WAY down my whole life. I’m starting a campaign to class it up some (you are a big inspiration!) but it feels unnatural because every time I put on heels in the day time I look around and feel like I’m over doing it. No one else is wearing heels anywhere around me except to the office. I will persevere but it’s definitely an adjustment.

    • Oh, thank you! One of the things I really liked about L.A. was that although it was very casual, no one ever seemed to bat an eyelid at me in my dresses and heels. Here, you only need to wear a skirt and people will stare at you like you have three heads, but I never felt uncomfortable there, even although I was often dressed quite differently from most of the people around me. I wish everywhere was that accepting!

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