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Observations in Fashion

Happy Feet—Tips For Keeping Your Shoes As Comfortable As Can Be

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 To wear socks or not to wear socks that is the question. Socks make our feet feel better but vanity will suppress our need for comfort because we don’t like how this looks! There are some wonderful products that are available that can give you comfort without the look of wearing socks!

The truth is we like the look of wearing shoes without socks but that can have painful consequences; blisters, calluses and smelly feet.

I think I have a solution for you with a new product I have been using called
Gekks— These are shoe liners that grip the interior of your shoes with the help of a velcro adhesive strip. Gekks will add a whole new level of comfort to them to your shoes. These sock liners will stay in place and are machine washable.

Here is their story. They easily fit inside your sneakers,loafers and ballet flats. They are able to stay in place with an adhesive or gripper that is first attached to the heel and sole of the shoe. The claim is that the techno-material they are made of will prevent odor.
Here’s my plug—they actually work!! Get the 3 pack for $47. They are worth every penny!!

However, there are those days when you want to wear socks but you also want the no sock look.
Nylon peds just don’t provide enough comfort and they have a tendency to slip off.

Try Bombas—they are made in cotton and the cut is fuller so they won’t slide off your foot.

 

Here are some tips for other shoe issues

For heel rub—Try Heavenly Heelz by Foot Petals


Too much pressure on the balls of your feet?—foot cushion by Foot Petals will help

Do the straps of your slingbacks fall off your heel?—Try Strappy Strips.

All of these have an adhesive side which keep your cushions in place

Here is my last tip:
I love my Vans, Supergas and the like but what I find is that there is not enough support for long walks. This is an easy fix.

 

 

Gel inserts are the best! You can get them at any drugstore and they will provide the extra cushioning you need.These are such a game changer for me that I have them is most of my flats.

Eat well, laugh a lot and be chic!

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14 Of The Best Style Tips For Everyone

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I have written many a blog regarding styling for your shape, lifestyle and budget and can tell you that great style comes down to 14 simple tips.

Whether or not fashion is your thing we all care about how we look. Furthermore, in an effort to pull ourselves together we might make a few missteps. Primarily these missteps occur because we feel intimidated by Fashion’s rather incoherent messaging. For example, “Don’t dress too old because you don’t want to look old and for god’s sake don’t dress too young because it will make you look old!” This message is crippling because we all grow older and consequently get lost in a whirlwind of trends, fit and substance. My first bit of advice is don’t let yourself get caught up in the noise because so much of what is available is not worth wearing.

 

1~Invest in a capsule wardrobe. Treat your wardrobe like a good investment. It’s fun to every once in a while go crazy and buy that fanciful necklace with it’s edgy and artsy groove but that is not how you should approach creating a solid wardrobe. Purchase well-made classic silhouettes that have stood the test of time—a luxurious coat, tailored trench coat, white button down shirt, solid colored slim pants (note; not the skinny ones), basic cardigans in fine gauge wools and cashmeres and simple solid colored knit tops are just a few pieces you will own for a lifetime.

2~Find a good tailor. Yes, I know, I have written extensively about having a good tailor in your contacts but how many of you still have pieces laying around that you don’t wear because they need tailoring?

3~Don’t get cheap. Never buy something motivated by an inexpensive price tag. Chances are it won’t hold up or you just didn’t love it enough when you bought it. However, if you love it, it’s made well and it’s marked down go for it!

 

 

4~Know what colors look best. Your coloring (hair, skin, eyes ) will determine what shades look best. If your hair color changes then the colors that were flattering might not work. Experiment with other colors. You will never know what looks right on you unless you try it on!

5~Just because it is in doesn’t mean you should be in it. Stop buying clothing just because it is “in” style. A trend is just that. It is meant to exist for a moment in time and will become irrelevant.

6~If you find a flattering style buy it in multiples. I cannot stress the importance of tip #6 enough. Pants are difficult for everyone. If you happen to find a flattering pair buy at least two. The clothes you wear the most are the basic classic pieces and they are the ones you will need to replace more often because they will wear out. A classic cashmere coat will last forever—buy one. A pair of black cigarette pants will wear out—buy 2. Did you find a great style in a dress recently that looks incredible on you? Buy one more in another color. Remember shopping less is also part of buying right.

7~Get your inseam right. Never guess at an alteration. Always have someone else do the pinning. And that someone else should be your tailor (refer to tip #2). Take the proper shoes with you when you visit your tailor. If your trousers are machine washable wash them before you have them fitted.

8~Get expert advice when shopping for a bra. Remember to replace your bras when they start to loose their memory. But most importantly get one that fits properly. If you don’t have the time to step into a lingerie store check out Third Love. They are available online and will connect you to one of their specialists to help with fitting questions.

9~Never wear clothing that is much too tight. It never looks good.

10~Get a full-length mirror. I remember getting dressed one morning in the dark and in a hurry. Thankfully, I took a quick look in a full-length mirror before I walked out my door. This is what I saw. Half of my collar was tucked into my jacket and the other half was sitting outside my jacket. There was a stain on my shirt and the zipper on my trousers was down. When I pull it up the zipper broke. I was a mess! Take a quick glance in a full-length mirror before you walk out your door.

11~Always carry safety pins with you. This might seem inconsequential but you never know when you are going to have a fashion emergency. Did you lose a button on your skirt or trouser? Grab a safety pin. Did the hem of your pants come down? You get the idea.

12~It’s always better to dress up than dress down. Yes, I know styles become very casual. But nothing feels worse than stepping into a room where everyone is dressed up when you are so dressed down. It really doesn’t take much to step-up your outfit.
It can be as easy as throwing on a colorful scarf!

13~Invest in a good pair of frames. Sunglasses and reading glasses will change your look as much as a haircut or new hair color. Changing your frames is the easiest way to update your look.

14~Remember your most important accessory is confidence. Simply put, always be true to yourself.

Eat well, laugh a lot, and be chic!

The Radical Change in Fashion, Art, Politics, and the Summer of Love

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From The DeYoung Museum’s exhibit The Summer of Love

The 60s was a remarkable time in our history on so many levels. This swift change in everything from politics to art and fashion was turned on its head. But it was the Summer of Love in 1967 that exemplified the radical nature of that shift.

Before we can understand the importance of the impact of that shift we need tot first go back 10 years in time  to 1957.

Fashion in the 50s was neat and informed the perceptions of how society expected us to dress. Women dressed like women and men dressed like men. A well-dressed woman never thought to leave the house without gloves and a hat. And men would never think to wear anything other than a single colored suit and solid dress shirt to go out to dinner. In addition pants were rarely worn by women except when cleaning or attending the occasional backyard barbecue. Alcohol and cigarettes were the drug of choice. The number 1 and 2 billboard hits were sung by Pat Boone (Love Letters in the Sand) and Elvis Presley (All Shook Up). Furthermore, our involvement in the Vietnam War had just begun 1 year earlier.

From The DeYoung Museum’s Exhibit The Summer of Love

In the year of the Summer of Love the notable shift in our culture was so dramatic that it epitomized the expression counterculture. It took just a handful of years for women to go from wearing pearls around their necks to wearing feathers in their hair. And everyone wore pants creating a fertile ground for the unisex movement in fashion. Women and men no longer dressed in the conformity of past generations. The youth of America was rejecting the mainstream values of their parents and exploring a different way of life.

DeYoung Museum–The Summer of Love
DeYoung Museum–The Summer of Love

There was nothing neat about the 60s. For those who hopped on a bus to the West Coast it was a time of self-expression and experimentation, a time of protest and a time of free love (thanks to the pill). Clothes were groovy and creativity flowed from the minds of the youthful culture.

DeYoung Museum–The Summer of Love

Denim became a thing with add ons like triangular pieces of contrasting fabric sewn into the bottoms of the side seam to allow for the wearer to slip on over their boots. And yes, boots were a thing as well. Clothing was worn loose and was cleverly embroidered. Secondhand clothes were restitched and reborn. Wearing lots of bright colors were more important than fit and in some cases fit didn’t matter at all. No pressing was required as the styles became more relaxed.

Sit-ins and love-ins replaced the backyard barbecue. But gloves and hats were still worn by the counterculture however, they were inspired more by sartorial irony. Pot and LSD were the drugs of choice. The number 1 and 2 billboard hits were sung by The Box Tops (The Letter) and Lulu (To Sir With Love). By 1967 we had increased our dominance in Vietnam and the counterculture was having none of it!

De Young Museum–The Summer of Love

Whether we were there or not, 1967 brought to light a new way of thinking that called out the establishment. Fashion was not being copied or tweaked. It all came to us as novel and new. Music, art and political platforms all radically changed as well. Also extraordinary musical sounds were in the making–sounds that we had never heard before. And for the first time in quite some time we questioned authority. “Make Love Not War” was the mantra which, if we can all agree, is not a bad way to go.

Eat well, laugh a lot and be chic!

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