Tag Archives: shoe icons

Conquering with style

I finally got around to watching the Coco Chanel movie that premiered on Lifetime recently. Yes, I said Lifetime (the soon to be channel of Project Runway). Yes, it did star Shirley MacLaine. And yes, I thought the movie was quite good.

The life of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel was a rags-to-riches story. From an orphan to a dressmaker’s assistant, to a hat maker to an entrepreneur, to a legendary fashion icon. And throughout it all, she was always a rebel. She was quoted as saying, “In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” In the early 20th century, she was not afraid to dress women, including herself, in trousers and comfortable fashions, using simple textiles such as jersey. And, no one could make black and white look so good. Her designs have tremendous staying power. They are classic, timeless – they are Chanel.

When the Chanel Two-Tone Shoe celebrated its 50th Anniversary, Elle.com issued a special report on the shoe with an incredible photo gallery. The Chanel label is full of iconic emblems, and the ballet flat is yet another reminder from Ms. Chanel that chic and comfortable are an option.

S&C alerts–shoe icons, shrubs

Below are some of my latest finds in shoes, cocktails, and things related.

  • S&C is a big fan of lists, rankings, critics’ picks, recaps, etc. Footwear News has another great slideshow highlighting the top 50 styles that have stood the test of time. We’re talking about shoes that are timeless. Classics. Icons. Make sure you check out the photo captions and find out a little more about Converse All Stars, Dr. Martens, Timberlands, and Manolo Blahniks, of course.
  • Be on the lookout for shrubs the next time you are ordering specialty cocktails. They are all over the cocktail/mixology blogs these days. Everyone is realizing that fresh, local produce (in this case, fruit) has a place in drinks too. Shrub is a vinegary fruit syrup that was commonly prepared and drunk during the colonial times. To make your own homemade shrub, bring 1 cup white or champagne vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 2 pints fresh berries, and up to a half cup of water to a boil. Stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and bottle. My good friend, JD, just gave me a bottle of raspberry shrub prepared locally in PA — glad that I now have some good uses for it. Here are a few recipes worth checking out:
    • A Dash of Bitters recently made a Cabana Shrub using Cabana Cachaça and raspberry shrub syrup, and blueberry-gooseberry syrup.
    • The Cocktail Chronicles made Apple Bramble Buck with blackberry shrub.

Shoes & Cocktails wants to know: What shoes/cocktails do you consider iconic? Post a comment below.