Summer Sandals - The No Budget Edition

Whilst writing my Summer Sandals Essentials Guide last week, my eyes could not help be drawn to the more expensive shoes and sandals sections.

If you decide to treat yourself to a pair of designers shoes, my tip would always be to chose something classical and not to complex.  You don't after all want to spend hundreds of pounds on a pair of shoes, only to find that they only go with one outfit!

These are my favourites sandals that I have been looking at over the past week, all of which could fit into any wardrobe whilst still eluding a sense of style of glamour.

Michael Kors £55.00

I just adore these Michael Kors Sandals.  They would be perfect to show off your summer tan and add a touch of bling to your outfit. 

Southaven - £119.00

These sandals are a classic strappy style with a manageable heel, given a cool edge with the vibrant orange colour.  These will look fantastic with a black dress, or something clashing if you are feeling adventurous.

Swedish Hasbeens £149.00

I love these shoes so much I cannot even tell you.  They aren't particularly stylish or up to the minute fashionable, but anyone who has ever loved the Mary Jane combined with a 50s sense of style will love these shoes as much as I.

J Crew - £360.00

Now we are getting into the pricier end of the market.  I love the simple style of these sandals, jazzed up with the sequinned heels and strap.  You could wear these sandals with lots of different neutral tones.

Alaia £750.00

Last, but not least, the most expensive pair of sandals I am showing you today.  Classic, stylish, expensive yes, but absolutely beautiful.  These are the pair that you save for.  What is more, you could wear these shoes with any evening outfit for years to come. 

What are your favourite pair?

K.Jacques Sandals

As I write this post, the rain is pouring outside and the weather forecast is miserable.  Last week though happily we had a few lovely sunny days and it gave me the chance to test out my new sandals from K.Jacques

K.Jacques is a family run business in France that create bespoke sandals to your precise specifications which sell all over the world.  K.Jacques have had artistic collaborations with the heights of fashion such as Givency, Karl Lagerfield; Balenciaga and Helmut Lang; to name but a few.  So when you create your own bespoke sandals, you know that you are in great company.

I was given the chance to create my own pair of sandals, which is something I have always wanted to do.  

The first step is to chose your style of sandal.  I went with the Buffon style with a combination of black leather and Dover Capri leather for a touch of sparkle.  Once you have submitted your design, this is sent off to the design team who come back with a picture of your chosen sandal, sometimes with a suggestion of an added element or design.

Once you have agreed your chosen design, the next step is providing them with a hand drawn outline of your feet so that they can create the perfect fit for you.  This is especially great for me as I have a slightly wider foot, somewhere between an E and EE so finding fashionable sandals is usually a bit of a challenge.

One week later and my beautiful sandals arrived on my doorstep, with a bag to keep them in to ensure that they stay in great condition.  The leather is luxuriously soft and the sandals fit me perfectly.

Being bespoke and handmade they cost a little more than your usual sandal purchase, but for a pair of sandals that fit like a glove, are soft to the touch and are designed to your precise specifications; the money is worthwhile.

With the weather turning to rain and cold I may not get another chance to wear my sandals now until next Summer, although with our changeable climate, I could be wearing them again in blazing sunshine next week!

*These sandals were gifted to me but all opinions are, as ever, my own.

Interview with House of Fraser

I was recently given the opportunity to interview Sheila Toor, Senior Designer for the Therapy Brand at the +House of Fraser The Therapy line aims to interpret catwalk trends, being fashionable, but not too fashion forward at an affordable price. 

Here is what I asked:

What inspired you to get into fashion design?

From a young age, I have always been fascinated by clothes. My love of fashion design, however, started when I was 11 years old, after I made a pair of jodhpurs as part of a project. I made them from a horrible scratchy fabric but I didn’t care — I was so proud and I thought I looked great!

That’s when I knew that fashion design was the career for me. Even today, I’m still as passionate about crafting clothing as my eleven-year-old self was back then. The only difference is that I now steer clear of those dodgy fabrics!

If you had the chance to be able to dress anyone, who would it be and why?

Now this is a really difficult question! I’m always most excited to dress those who are similar to me and have a real passion for fashion. Someone who has their own unique style and whose eyes light up as they spot the rail of clothes are the most enjoyable to work with. 

Vintage-style prints and shaping are becoming ever more popular.  What trends from the past would you like to see return and which do you wish had never happened?

I think we’d all rather forget the questionable styles of the new-romantic era in the late 1980s. I mean seriously, what were we thinking!?

Personally, I would love to see a revival of 1940s fashion. The era’s flattering, feminine dresses perfectly enhanced a woman’s hourglass shape, while the beautiful floral prints were just to die for. Ladies always looked effortlessly elegant and, of course, drop-dead gorgeous!

The plus-size market is quickly growing momentum with more people than ever wanting the same fashion available to them as the straight-size ranges.  Do you think more fashion brands should incorporate a plus-size range?

Totally! Ladies should be able to express their individual style however they choose and should not be limited by something as silly as a garment’s size label. As attitudes change, I’m certain we’ll see more and more brands including plus-size clothes in their range as standard.

There are many rules that women obey when it comes to fashion, especially when you are a size 16 plus.  Do you believe that fashion rules should be obeyed or is your own sense of style more important?

I’m all for individuality and the beauty of fashion is its versatility. Life would be boring if everyone dressed the same, so I definitely rate individuality over style rules.

I live by the mantra that as long as you feel great, you’ll look a million dollars. Choose items you like, prints you adore and clothes you feel comfortable in. After all, confidence is the most important part of any outfit.

10 Day You Challenge – Day 4!

Today’s challenge is 7 wants.  This should be a hard one, but only in the sense of limiting it to 7 haha!

1. Love.  The first want is always love.
2. Continued friendship.  I have friends in my life that I want to have until the day I die. 
3. A designer handbag.  Just one.  Yes, a frivolous want, but just once in my life I want to have something from a major designer. 
4. I want to travel much more extensively than I have.  There are so many places in the world that I want to see.  I’m not the backpacker type before you ask.  Girl needs her straightening irons and a hotel room.
5. A big want here.  I want more people to realise that animals have just as much a right to live on this earth as the rest of us.  A rat is not vermin, a mink is not a coat and a lion is not there to be caged and then hunted down and killed by rich idiots.
6. To write more.  In addition to writing my blog I would love to write elsewhere too and not just for free.  Who knows if that will happen.
7. To carry on believing that anything is possible.

Number 8 would have been a tall dark handsome stranger but damn, I ran out of numbers!