Divine Inspiration - Pink Patent Pumps

I had a dream.

Two nights ago, I dreamt of pink patent leather pumps.

They were perfect.

Babygirl pink, medium heel, round toe, a hint of a wooden edge on the sole.

Demure, but not boring.

Where they came from, I don't know, and how they got in my head, I have no idea. But needless to say, when a girl dreams (at least this one) of shoes, she works very hard to find them. It's along the same lines as the pair of red patent leather pumps I went back to "visit" three times before I finally bought them. My own personal rule? If you think about them constantly for 3 or more days, and you can afford them, they need to be bought.

So using what might just be a new favorite tool (I'm sure I'm the last on this bandwagon), like.com, I'm scouring the web for these pearly babies. I'm convinced they exist. If not, I might just pick up the phone and call my new favorite shoe designer (if you haven't checked out her in-house, personally designed, named after her own Bean line, lillybee, do it NOW), Kassie of simplysoles, and suggest them. I don't even need credit for the idea. I just want the shoes.

So here's the run down, and how they aren't really what I saw in my dreams.

Demonia - around $40, and cute. Color's close, and the stitching and bow are a nice touch, but, well, demure they're not.

Bettye Muller. Not $40. Softer color, lower heel, but the price, the peep toe, and the heel aren't quite right. (Though I thought maybe Bettye Muller would be the place to find my dream shoe, with the modern retro feel.)

Bandolino. Online, about $30. By far the most reasonable. And definitely the most demure, with the Mary Jane detail. But, well, they're red. And the MJ is juuuuust too demure.

Juicy Couture. Also not $40. But the toe is right, and they're simple. Fun color, too, but clearly not the right pair.

Another Demonia pair, reasonably priced, and more demure than the first pair. Like the spectator detail, but the color and the MJ strap aren't right. Nor is the height. Stripper going to church?

J Crew. The closest, by far, in the sense of my dream shoe. The bow is just a-DOR-able, but still very wearable. They were on like.com in a darker pink than I dreamt, but apparently everyone else in the world thinks they're wearable, too. Completely sold out in every color.

So Kassie? I'll be calling soon!

Budding Washington Style

It's been 20 months since The Bean arrived. She's a growing girl, stylish in her red patent leather mary janes. She loves the playground, walks, and "cooking" at the kitchen sink while MamaCeline makes dinner.

She also has a boyfriend. They met on the swings.

A younger man, he's an active guy. He's into cars (particularly racy yellow and orange ones that zoom around the playground) and dirt.

They dine together on "crakah" and "gapes," sometimes asking politely "peas" for something off the other's tray. More often than not, they just grab for it. If one's slower than the other, well then, too bad.

When they get together, they're usually in playclothes, ready to hit the (no longer - it's all foam and mulch now) blacktop. But based on his recent dinnerwear choices, maybe we need to step it up a notch. His mama reports that he dragged this jacket out of the closet yesterday and wouldn't take it off. Perfect with his striped T and jeans. Jazzes up a "newt" snack instantly.

Desperately Seeking Style

Talk about ruts. Yes, it's partially Bean-induced, but man, am I draggin' in the style department. The last decent bit of style I flaunted was my Iisli sweater dress at H's reunion. That was at Thanksgiving. Work wear has been scrounging. What does fit - all three pieces - is in desperate need of drycleaning or Febreeze, and somehow, when I put it together, let's see, how did H put it? I wish I could remember (Bean Brain)...it wasn't as bad as "you look like a mom," which is what he said the day we were headed to a friend's one-year-old birthday party (off came the top I had on, and the jeans, and on went the nicely worn jeans and a boob-hugging printed T - underdressed? maybe. Hip? Yes. Mom? Only if you look really hard to see the binky peeking out of my pocket.)

You see, the problem is mostly that the perfectly respectable and occasionally stylish clothes left in my closet after my Big Purge no longer fit. I've been wary about saying it, because I don't want anyone to hate me. The problem is that, between one-handed eating and breastfeeding (it's true, it does work), I've lost all of the Bean Weight and more. My pants are literally hanging off of me.

I went shopping and bought one pair, which I wear to death. And finally went online at Banana (yes, yes, mass production) to snag a couple of staples on sale. (It helps to know you can count on a particular store's or designer's cuts when shopping online.) Which I found. And they arrived. And two of the four pieces fit - one pair of black slacks and one grey pinstriped pencil skirt. Happy they're in my closet now, but bummed that the brown striped slacks and the pretty white cuffed shirt didn't fit (in between sizes - ugh).

So I had to (sorry Mom!) resort to Mom Clothes. Literally. My Mommy was down on Sunday and left me with a couple of pieces that don't fit her. Monday, the concept wasn't terrible, if conservative. The brown plaid cuffed trousers and a (I'm burying my head in style shame) pale pink ribbed turtleneck. I wish I could say I was channeling Sharon Stone in her stylish days, but alas!, I think I just looked like your average government worker. I didn't even through in a great pair of shoes to help out. Didn't have the energy.

Fortunately, today's a little better. I drug out (is drug the right conjugation?) the black trousers that do fit and topped it with the black version of the mildly offending pink turtleneck. Can't go wrong with black on black, right? We're not in NYC, but hey - whatever works. I made myself feel a little better with a vintage headband (thanks, MIL, for the groovy color!) and my Will-Never-Ever-Throw-Them-Away-Even-Though-They-Have-Square-Toes-and-Stacked-Heels red patent pumps.

Style found.

The lesson? Less is more (read: monochrome). Then add a splash of color. Oila! Funny Face channeled for 2007.

And yes, I have realized the teensiest bit of irony in the fact that I've 1) referenced Sharon and her Gap turtleneck, 2) I've referenced Audrey, used in Gap ads, and 3) I'm actually wearing a Gap turtleneck. Puns and references oh, so not intended.

Style Dilemma: November Shoes

Chicago Golden Girl writes:

We have a wedding here this weekend. 6:00 Saturday night. I have a bcbg sateen cotton, deep halter with a bubble skirt dress. It’s a medium golden brown/tan. I wore it too one wedding with gold sandles. What shoes should I wear in November? Are retro satin cream peep toe pumps too heavy? New shoes are an option…. Suggestions?

Dear Golden Girl:

First thing to consider, other than the time of day - the venue. If it's a fancy-schmancy place, you could absolutely wear gold sandals, even in November. And while I'm a fan of sateen pumps, especially ones with a retro feel, I think that, unless they're a really soft ivory cream, yup, they might weigh down the dress, rather than grounding it.

If you are up for buying new shoes (and who isn't?), my suggestion would be to go for a splash of unexpected color. Treat the dress as a neutral (somewhere a long time ago I wrote about brown as a true neutral, rather than a color), and find a pair of airy, delicate pumps or sandals in any color you like - yellow, red, royal blue, and yes, even green (I think that's my front runner suggestion). If only Valentino had had the foresight to make these lovelies in green instead of predictable red...riiiiiiight...as if I'd have the money...a girl can dream, can't she?

Red Shoes (or How to Make Wedding Style Your Style)

(Admittedly, BabySis is getting a lot of press lately. Can I help it if she has style?)

A bunch of you went through dress selection and M crises for measurements on the 'Maids dress for BabySis' wedding. Wanted to share a little...

I find that one of the toughest thing for brides I know is how to personalize not just their wedding, but their look. Whether it's the color of the dress, an heirloom piece, or carrying grandmom's prayer book, everyone's trying to find a way to say, "Hey! I'm all dressed up in this big dress, but I'm still me!"

So what did BabySis do? She wore Red Shoes.

It was perfect. Beautiful Red Shoes on her tootsies. A Statement, capital "S."

Oh, and here's a final look at the 'Maids and our dress choices. And no, I wasn't purposefully hiding The Bean with two bouquets. The Bean got billing in the program for heaven's sake.

Thanks to one of the coolest photographers ever. Kim and I got to ride in the '37 Plymouth with suicide doors with her (BabySis had arranged for 7 antique and classic cars to transport from church to party; our uncle is a Car Guy). Not only did she not blink an eye when the yours truly surreptitiously changed the bride's plans to make a pit stop for black & white milkshakes at the Thunderbird, she thought it was one of the coolest photo ops she's done in her 15+ years of shooting weddings - photos by Jen Capone

Style Dilemma Solved: Brown Pumps and Black Wedges

When BabySis called in a full-fledged Shoe Panic last week, we came up with two soloutions to her bridal shower and bachelorette party dilemmas.

First, the bachelorette party. What shoes to wear with a white tank and denim mini to make it officially Not Hoochy. She picked the black Amanda wedge sandals recommended to BlueSuit Girl for her Cairo trip.

Secondly, BabySis did go for the brown pumps to pair with her pale silver shorts. Though the pic at right doesn't show them, she wrote, "brown, in this case, was a bold neutral. can't find an exact picture of the shoe - but it's [a classic pump] shape with little cut outs - kind of shoe take on eyelet."

Style Dilemma: Bachelorette Cute - But Not "Too"

BabySis called me yesterday evening in a panic. So much so that when I didn't return her call right away, I found out she called Mom. Clearly, she was desperate (we love you Mom, but...).

She's attending a bridal shower and bachelorette party for a good friend (actually, one of the 'Maids from her wedding) this weekend, and needed some help.

First question was what to do about the bachelorette attire. The girls are going in a "uniform," with some of them buying a blinged out pink tank for the heck of it. But BabySis is, well, curvy, and bling on a ribbed tank looks, well, let's just say she's opting for an old skool white tank and either a denim mini or jeans (they're headed out in Annapolis, Maryland). So if she goes with the mini, she wonders, what to do about shoes? What won't look hoochy (in a bad way - because some hooch is good sometimes)?

Second question is what shoes to wear with a navy blousy top and pale silver suit shorts (not metallic). Her instinct was brown pumps, but in that frantic call to mom, mom said "not brown." She was all turned around, color-wise.

So what to do?

Funny, when someone calls with a question about what to wear, I tend to get pictures in my head from what they're describing. And when she told me about her denim mini, I pictured cream colored ankle-tie espadrilles (like the DKNY sandal version, top left). A little beachy, pretty, and girly, all at the same time. Colored ones would work, too. But she doesn't want to spend any money and buy new shoes. "I want to work with what I have," she says.

Then flats. Metallic flats, something like MIA's woven ballet Gabriella (2nd, at left). She has those, I know. But apparently, they're not in such good shape.

Her first thought was black patent pumps. "Nope," I say. "Hoochy. In a bad way." In fact, any pumps with a mini is pushing it - unless you have a big, blousy top - which she doesn't, for this event. So those are out.

"What about wedges?" I ask. Height (as if she needs any - she beats 5'9"), but not hoochy, and the wedge makes for easy walking on the cobblestoned streets of Annapolis. Score. She has those - in fact, the Amanda (Isaac Mizrahi for Target) pair I happened to recommend to BlueSuitGirl for Cairo. That should work. She sent confirmation this morning that she's packed those, along with some fun earrings and necklaces from which to choose on Saturday night. Perfect. I'm always a fan of a simple, neutral outfit with a big splash of color jewelry.

Next, on to the shower. A blousy (banded short sleeves and waist) scoop neck top in navy (H&M*) and pale silver suit shorts. My first response: brown pumps. Might sound a little odd with the silver, but like I've said before, brown can either be treated as a color or as a neutral. In this case, it's a strong neutral. A nude shoe would be to pale, and black too blah. So brown pumps or even pick a color - almost any color, other than gold (and even that could be done, if careful). Yellow, green, or red (classic, but stately), especially. And seeing as the only red shoes she has are her wedding shoes (yeah, BabySis wore red d'orsay pumps under her gown - a brilliant touch, in my book), she's opting for brown. My pick, if she didn't already have some? KORS by Michael Kors - grounding to the blousy top, and flirty enough to not look staid with the suit shorts.

BabySis, if you get a chance, forward a pic or two from the weekend and let us know how the style choices ended up. We'd love to see!

*Dear H&M: Please put pictures of your inventory on your website. I would love to look at the pretty things before I go buy them.

**Thanks to zappos.com for all of the pics! My favorite online shoe site, by far.

Dressing in the Dark

Today was apparently a bad day for dressing in the dark.

M wrote: I just wanted you to know I pulled a "Mick" the other day and didn't realize until the end of the day. Definitely pulled out the brown socks to wear with my black shoes and pants. That's what happens when you get dressed in the dark!

M wasn't the only one.

4:30am - alarm goes off

4:45am - 2nd alarm goes off. Decide to get out of bed because if I don't, I'll completely fall back asleep and not get to work by 6 to print out what needs to be ready for the 9am meeting but wasn't ready until my boss finished it at 4:17am (note that I'm taking better care of myself - it was not me here at 4:17am).

5-ish - get out of the shower, makeup, blowdry bangs (b/c that's all I can manage at 5 in the morning). Get dressed. Black skirt, claret sweater, black big houndstooth tights. Go for my standby black patent leather flats.

5:15 - totally frustrated, groan and whine loud enough for H to hear me and wake up. Can't find my darn shoes that I know I left on the floor by the chair and didn't move all weekend, even though I should have.

5:30 - H and I have been round and round, crawling on the floor, trying to find the shoes. "Why don't you just wear another pair?" you ask. Well, as I've whined about previously, none of my other shoes are wearable, essentially. And I was wearing black tights & a claret sweater, which minimizes my color choices. Blue shoes (previous post) are out - wore them yesterday, never mind that would be too many colors. Brown pumps - too painful, and don't go with outfit on. Moccasin flats? H suggested. Uh-uh, I whine, as I have to run a meeting today with external folks, and was supposed to go to a networking thing this evening. 1 - they don't go. 2 - not professional enough. Whine.

5:35 - rip through my closet. Nothing.

5:36 - rip through the drycleaning bag. Pull out my black slacks, and attack the white mark on the pant leg with a washcloth. Pull out a standby black knit top, and bring out the red patent leather pumps (which are much brighter - a lovely deep red, not so maroon as in the pic at left).

5:40 - grumpily - ever so grumpily, leave H waving sweetly at our apartment door. Text message a colleague to tell him I'm on my way - late because I couldn't find my shoes. Morning fashion crisis (that felt like waaaaaay more than a fashion crisis) averted.

20 bucks to the person who recognizes: "All for the want of a horseshoe nail."