Bright Blocking

Sunshine and happy feet, lint-y pants. Packing day at the office. Oops.

It’s nearly impossible to put these shoes on and be in a bad mood. They get a lot of attention and not a few compliments which doesn’t hurt, but really, they just make me happy. And isn’t that the point, a friend was quoted as saying on the topic of sartorial choices, “…isn’t that part of what this is all about? Being happy?” I couldn’t agree more.

I am a firm believer in knowing and abiding by certain fashion rules as a matter of good taste, decency, prudence and well, good manners. I am also a firm believer in infusing one’s wardrobe with personality. Everyone who knows me knows I love shoes and (sometimes at the same time) navy stripes. I always will, whether or not they are the current trend. I buy and wear shoes, like these from Zara that make me happy. The color combination of tomato red satin trimmed in fuschia leather (in a petite, straight bow no less) keeps these ballet flats a little modern. The Spanish purveyor of fast fashion added a slightly squared toe for full ballerina effect. The seriously bright hue is really all the color you need, if color’s not really your thing. The end result is a great transitional shoe in hues that will brighten my fall wares of olive, navy and khaki and eggplant. The simple reason I bought them: they made me smile.

prov⋅e⋅nance

[prov-uh-nuhns, -nahns] –noun; place or source of origin.

Date of Purchase: Summer 2011

Circumstances: Zara has a half-yearly sale. I did not know this. I like Zara for fashion-forward affordable fun pieces, but I don’t visit the store often. Why? Because it is located in a gigantic mall and I have a serious aversion to gigantic malls. The only reasons I ever visit said mall is to shop at Zara or Club Monaco. However, now that Zara has online shopping with free shipping and Club Monaco opened a lovely and spacious womens boutique nearby, I may never go again. But I digress. I read on Twitter about Zara’s half-yearly sale and decided it might be worth braving the mall. I naturally went right at 10am to avoid any possible crowds. Luckily I arrived shortly after open and immediately, systematically trolled every rack, every garment. A solid sale, I concluded. After 2 trips to the dressing room I landed several good items, including this pair of shoes (they also came in a pretty pale mint green trimmed in navy). The red and pink was just too precious to pass up.

Comfort: The comfort of ballet flats is dependent almost completely on the front cut of the shoe. If not done well, they can cut into the top of your foot. Luckily, these are just right, and the satin is less stiff which helps. Overall 9 out of 10.

Worn with: Blue seersucker popover from Wharf Clothing and Wares, Paperboy navy cropped pants from Anthropologie, loads of bracelets/jewelry from Michele, Target, J. Crew and vintage.

Compliment meter: 8. Lots of attention and several comments from ladies and gents. Frequent quote of the day, “Hey red shoes.”

Thoughts: “Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest.” ~ Christian Dior