Dolce & Gabbana black patent pointed toe pumps, £388.19

I didn’t include them on my list of five shoe styles I couldn’t live without, but if I could’ve stretched that list to SIX pairs of shoes, black patent pumps would definitely have made the cut.

There’s just something so classic and sophisticated about this kind of style, particularly when there’s a pointed toe and a curvy side involved. They’re the kind of shoes that will make a pair of black trousers look instantly elegant, and they’ll do exactly the same thing for a pencil skirt, dress, or anything else you care to mention. I mean, who wouldn’t want a pair of shoes that could do that?

These ones by Dolce & Gabbana add a low vamp into the mix, and team it with an 11cm heel. Glamorous and sexy, they’re also totally simple, but then, that’s the whole point of this type of shoe: although beautiful in their own right, their job is to allow the rest of the outfit to shine. Which brings me to the real point of this post, which is to show you this amazing dress:

What to wear with black patent pumps:

dress // bag // sunglasses // hat  // nail polish  // lipstick 

This outfit actually started with the polka dot pillbox hat, which I came across while I was putting together outfits for my “What to Wear to a Wedding” post, and instantly fell in love with. When I found the red dress, I knew they had to be worn together: not by me, unfortunately (I can’t wear red OR pay £1000 for a dress…), but this is exactly the kind of look I can imagine Dita Von Teese wearing. It’s probably a little bit much for the rest of us, but in my imaginary life, in which I’m a film-noir heroine, this is what I’d be wearing, for sure!