Alice + Olivia ‘Gigi‘, $295

Well, I DID say these were probably going to be my most-wanted shoes of the year, so when I noticed they were starting to sell out at Shopbop, I decided to jump in and buy a pair, using some Shopbop credit I’d saved up. I’m so glad I did, too: I’ve been in love with these since I opened the box (or probably before that, actually: it’s a pretty cute box, after all!), and am just disappointed that I’m going to have to wait another few weeks to wear them. They’d be the perfect shoes for Valentine’s day, but with a white faille upper, I don’t think I’d want to risk them in the current constant downpour we’ve been experiencing!

These are my first pair of Alice + Olivia shoes, and so far I’m really impressed: they’re beautifully made, with leather soles engraved with the designer’s logo, super-cute uppers, and a fabulous shape. I was slightly worried about the sizing, because according to the Shopbop website they run “narrow and small”: they advise going up a half or full size in order to get the right fit, but I didn’t notice that message until I’d already ordered my usual size, so I wasn’t sure they’d fit, and was prepared to be disappointed when I tried them on. As it turned out, however, my usual size fit me perfectly: I’m not sure if it’s just me, or if Shopbop have got that one wrong, but I’d say they’re very true-to-size, and I’m really glad I didn’t notice their sizing advice until it was too late, because even a half-size up would’ve been too large for me. (Not that I could have sized up anyway: the 38 was already sold out by that point, but the warning would probably have put me off ordering them, as I’d have assumed they were going to be too small.)

Anyway, all’s well that ends well, and I think I can safely say that these will be getting a lot of use once the weather gets a bit warmer/drier. Having said that, I haven’t been able to resist wearing them around the house since they arrived, so at least I have that option if it keeps on raining!