Category Archives: shoes

Grown-up glamour

Posted on September 3, 2010 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Last fall, Ms. S&C aspired to dress boldly. She wanted bright, rich colors and prints (paisley and polka dots were favorites). This year, she still wants color and prints — and a certain level of boldness — but also glamour.

Ms. S&C wants glamour in a grown-up way. She wants style that is charming, a little mysterious, a little adventurous, a little sexy, but also smart.

A good example: this floral dress from Anthropologie. When trying it on, Ms. S&C knew she was in love with this dress before she even headed to the full length mirror for a glimpse. The brilliant floral print, the ultra feminine neckline, the sculptural cap sleeves, the striking waistband: it is glamorous, it is flattering, it is work appropriate, and it is a great transition dress. Ms. S&C can wear it now with nude slingbacks (she already has!), and she can wear it in the fall with black tights and some simple black pumps.

Another favorite from Anthropologie is this Tracy Reese print dress. With a price tag slightly under $300, this is an aspirational buy. Again, we’ve got a funky print, combined with a great collar and delicate silver buttons. The classic design makes it feel grown-up, but the whimsical print and silk fabric makes it feel glamorous.

As for shoes, Ms. S&C already has shoes in her closet that work well with both dresses (her black platform peep-toes from last fall are certainly an option).

Anthropologie also has an incredibly unique footwear selection. You don’t need a great dress when wearing Anthropologie shoes — they are showstoppers unto themselves. Here are a few of Ms. S&C’s early favorites. Love the thicker-heel trend this season. Love that curry color on the peep-toes, that rose detail on the black pumps, and a pair of oxfords will be in my closet stat!

Ms. S&C wants to know: What fall trends do you like? What new items do you plan on having in your closet this season?

posted by Ms. S&C

Breaking Shoe News

Posted on August 19, 2010 by missmojito | 4 comments

Miss Mojito just received a phenomenal shoe delivery. So phenomenal, in fact, that a live, breaking news update was in order. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to what will undoubtedly be my favorite shoe of fall and the pre-fall transition season: the Ginara Clog.

I’ve heard all the talk about how the clog is just huge for fall, and I had my doubts – it’s an inherently unfeminine and slightly clunky shape. But clunky, I’ve learned, isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to shoes. Banana Republic has taken the clog and feminized it, adding a lovely sling back (all the better for walking) and a slightly rounded toe. I’m obsessed with the wooden base, the hardware detailing and the gray suede.

This is the first shoe I’ve bought from Banana Republic, and I’m as pleased as punch. And thanks to a combination of discount cards and sales, I got these for a steal at $50 off!

When the box arrived at my office today and I finally got around to opening it, I broke into a chorus of Alleluias – literally. Then I quickly put them on and walked around the office for five minutes to show everyone how happy I was with these shoes – really.

This is such a fantastic purchase because I deliberated for just ages on whether or not to take the clog plunge. I visited two Banana Republic stores in person with no luck locating this particular pair, and since the Web site doesn’t have a picture of a model wearing the shoes, I just couldn’t envision their beauty. Until now.

Added bonus: they’re available in a rich, brown leather too. Which, honestly, I might just have to buy as well. They’re that amazing.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

4 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged clogs, fall 2010

Blood, sweat, and beers

Posted on July 27, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

A little over a year ago, Ms. S&C ran her first 5K. Since then, she’s run in ten 5Ks and one 5-miler. Her 11th race was this past weekend, when she ran the Crystal City Twilighter. It was sweltering, it was tough, but it was also so freakin’ gratifying. I don’t know if it was because of the cheering crowd, because other friends ran in the race, or because it was one of the hottest days of the year — this race was memorable.

What shoes was Ms. S&C wearing? A new pair of Brooks. What was Ms. S&C drinking? Well, a hell of a lot of water before and after the race. But, a little after 9 pm, she opened a beer — a Bud Light — and no beer has ever tasted better.

There was at least sweat and beers as Ms. S&C ran her 11th race on
one of the hottest days of the year.

Continuing with the S&C music momentum, Ms. S&C thought she’d share her current running playlist. While she doesn’t listen to music during races (she tries to make it on pure adrenaline), her iPod is a necessity for everyday runs.

The S&C running mix includes:

Bruises — Chairlift (the song made popular by the iPod Nano commercials)
Hey Ya! — Outkast
MMMBop — Hanson (a little embarrassing, but whatevs, it is fun)
Rill Rill — Sleigh Bells (love that it samples Funkadelic’s “Can You Get to That”)
Drunk Girls — LCD Soundsystem
Party in the U.S.A — Miley Cyrus
Empire State of Mind — Jay-Z (and the Jay-Z song was on)
You Know I’m No Good — Amy Winehouse (remix, featuring Ghostface Killah)
Crazy — Gnarls Barkley
Here Comes Your Man — Pixies
My Place — The Adverts
No Woman, No Cry — The Fugees
Time to Pretend — MGMT
Cold War — The Morning Benders

And finally, our public service announcement: go for a run. Go for a walk. Get outside. Then, drink to your health!

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in beer, shoes

Tagged beer, running, S&C music, to your health

All Things Espadrillian

Posted on July 15, 2010 by missmojito | 4 comments

We all know the difference between a trend and a classic. Classic: blue jeans. Trend: bell bottoms. Classic: pencil skirt. Trend: boho hippie skirt.

But there are some articles of clothing – and footwear – where the division between classic and trend isn’t so black and white. Today, I’d like to make the argument for the classic appeal of the espadrille.

First, this is a shoe rooted in history, making its debut in the Pyrenees in the 14th century. Moreover, the concept of the espadrille is highly customizable: the braided jute sole can go upscale with a metallic leather upper or classy casual with printed canvas. Finally, this is a shoe that you can invest in at a relatively affordable price. What more could you ask for in a classic?

Here, we offer a mini-sampling of my favorite espadrilles in the under-$100 price range.

Uma Espadrille Wedge
$50 – freepeople.com
More Free People sandals »

Charles by Charles David Yell
$60 – piperlime.gap.com
More Charles by Charles David shoes »

Old Navy Womens Knotted Jersey Espadrilles
$13 – oldnavy.gap.com
More Old Navy shoes »

Tory Burch Classic High Wedge Espadrille – Brt Blue
$83 – toryburch.com
More Tory Burch shoes »

I’ve already added the fabulously-priced Old Navy pair to my wardrobe, and despite the steep heel and the lace-up styling, they’re a model of summer comfort. But even with this recent acquisition, I can’t resist lusting after the geometric Tory Burch pair, the work-appropriate option by Charles David Yell or the city-chic sandals by Free People.

To Miss Mojito’s mind, these staple sandals constitute a certified summer classic.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

4 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged espadrilles

Reading material

Posted on July 13, 2010 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Remember me? I’m Ms. Shoes & Cocktails. I used to blog more frequently about topics near and dear to my heart. While blogging inspiration inevitably ebbs and flows, I promise you this is just a small drought. It is summer after all.

If you are looking for some S&C-related reading material, can I recommend the following?

No longer preppy, the J.Crew look is now “a European in the United States.”

Here’s a great article from The New York Times Magazine about J.Crew’s new and improved transformation. It is now a brand that “twinkles with references to France and haute couture.” I also particularly enjoyed the description of their copywriting style as “distinctive J.Crew haikus.” A good example: these Raffia Rose Printed Peep Toes are described as, “Both sweet and sultry, these blushworthy peep toes ensure that summer romance isn’t just in the air but also on your feet.”

The Bloody Mary: nutritious and naughty, packed with vitamins and vice. A farm-to-table drink; a liquid salad.

The New York Times is the source of another fantastic article. This article by Frank Bruni, former restaurant critic for The Times, takes a look at how the Bloody Mary is changing for the better. How is it changing for the better? One restaurant in the East Village has a version called the “Chicago Matchbox,” and includes pickled Brussels sprouts, caper berries, white turnips, green beans and radishes. Also: some bartenders aren’t afraid to replace vodka as go-to spirit. Bruni goes on to say, “Tequila is perhaps vodka’s best bloody surrogate: its smokiness plays nicely with the flavor of tomato.”

I just want to go back to Paris.

Lastly, you want something that isn’t S&C related? Check out my new favorite blog, littlebrownpen. The author is a copywriter and photographer, and has the most beautiful photos of Paris I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I melt every time I look at them. I am so awestruck that I forget about all the places I’ve never visited, and I just want to go back to Paris. Check out this glorious sequence of Red and Green, and isn’t Violette a pretty word?

Mmm. Just what I needed. Now I’m inspired.

posted by Ms. S&C

Summer look

Posted on June 29, 2010 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Ms. S&C plans to keep it simple this summer. More than anything, she just wants to be comfortable. It is far too hot for anything else. Far too hot.

As for her wardrobe, Ms. S&C has in heavy rotation a Mossimo maxi dress she picked up at Target last year (it’s green and very similar to this one). She also still truly loves these studded sandals she found over at Zappos.

Flowing dresses and flat sandals help keep her comfortable. So do drinks with ice.

When she finds a concept she likes, she happy to stick with it. Here are a few other items that will bring her comfort during the blazing months of summer. First, there’s a long knit dress from Garnet Hill. This maxi-style dress is made of super soft cotton, so it is — yes — super comfortable. Style is not sacrificed for comfort, however. The twisted shoulder straps give the dress an unique detail, and the fitted bodice and v-neck front (and back) flatter any body type. Plus, what great colors and prints!

Ms. S&C’s favorite summer look: soft, flowing dresses paired
with comfortable sandals

Paired with the dress are metallic sandals from Piperlime. Big selling points: the silver flats have a little extra padding for extra comfort, love the woven detail, and they are ridiculously inexpensive. To finish off her look, the lovely dangly earrings are from Anthropologie (and are the same ones she picked out for her “Style in the City” party outfit).

Ms. S&C wants to know: What will keep you cool and comfortable this summer? Share your wardrobe and drink ideas below.

Happy Summer! (If only it weren’t so damn hot.)

posted by Ms. S&C

Summer Shoe Report Back

Posted on June 11, 2010 by missmojito | 1 comment

After scouring the Internet and a few fave shopping spots for the perfect pair of comfy summer flats, Miss Mojito opted for not one but three options. Apparently, I was on the hunt for neutrals: all of the latest additions to my shoe family are in shades of beige, brown, tan and bronze.

For super casual summer nights, I’ll look no further than this duel-tone pair of Nine West sandals (far left). I love the mixture of dark and light brown with the silver hardware, and they’re wonderfully comfy.

My second pick was a bit less successful on the comfort scale. I love the look of these Urban Outfitters gladiator sandals (center), but the back strap rubs the ankle in a most unfortunate manner. Band-aids are clearly in order to make these cute shoes tolerable.

And finally, we have the work-appropriate, metallic peep toe flats by Bandolino (right). I’m a huge fan of the coppery crackled finish. Since it’s hard to find a pair of flats with a sole that’s thick enough for true comfort, I snatched up this pair in a flash.

I can’t seem to put my cursor on close approximations of the Nine West and Bandolino pairs, but I found mine at DSW.

Now all I need is a fresh pedicure and I’m good to go! Happy summer shoe shopping to all!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

1 Comment

Posted in shoes

Tagged flats, nine west, sandals

Outfit planning

Posted on May 27, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

Ms. S&C is co-hosting an event (everyone’s invited!) this Friday, and she’s pretty excited about it. The weather forecast looks good! It’s a holiday weekend! All her best girlfriends will be in town! Yes, her excitement can hardly be contained.

Since the event is all about celebrating style (and drinking champagne cocktails), she found this to be a pretty damn good reason to do some major outfit planning (and shopping). Here’s a preview of what Ms. S&C will be wearing to the “Style in the City” party: Shoshanna one-shoulder ruffle dress (actually purchased at local Alexandria boutique Periwinkle), Anthropologie printed clutch and fleurs-de-lys earrings, and Pierre Dumas trendy cage sandals. She likes the feminine (yet, kinda sexy) ruffle on the dress combined with the edginess of the strappy metallic sandal. She’s also in love with this “ultramarine” shade of blue.

Today, she took care of the mani and pedi. But now, she needs help with hair and make-up? Suggestions?

Sneak peak of Ms. S&C’s “Style in the City” party outfit.

posted by Ms. S&C

2 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged Anthropologie, champagne goes with everything, S&C outfits, sandals

On foot

Posted on May 11, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 5 comments

Miss Mojito and I seem to be on the same wavelength (but that’s nothing new, right Miss M?). Last week she highlighted a few footwear selections conducive to walking. Ms. S&C gets around on foot A LOT and has some new acquisitions she’d like to share.

I came across these bright, sunny BC Footwear flats in a little boutique in State College, PA. So far, they’ve taken me on and off the metro, morning walks to yoga, and more recently, a stroll around Central Park. They are a great casual shoe with a happy color.

SimplySoles, based right here in DC, has an exclusive line of shoes — lillybee — and these stylish, pointy toe wedges are named “Angela.” Owning them was like my destiny, I suppose. The classic design and color mean they will be worn A LOT. Totally chic with the patent leather straps and a little bit of height, they are a perfect match when you want style and comfort. They are what Miss Mojito has coined wedge-a-rific.

Ms. S&C wants to know: What shoes do you wear when getting around on foot? Do you find it hard to balance fashion and comfort? Do you even care? Tell us your thoughts below.