Great find of the Week: the BR Lady Peep-Toes (Alecia Look-Alike)

I am on a shoes kick. You will see a lot of shoes in the next days but today I want to blog about a pair of Alecia look-alike that will rave those of you who are smitten by the JCrew Alecia but find them too expensive, even on sale.
I went back and forth about the black suede Alecia all the summer: I wanted to buy a pair because I don't have anything similar in my shoe closet and they are great to add a little edge to any outfit but I waited for them to go on sale as it's a style that could look "passe" next year and by the time they went on sale I cooled off because it was too late in the season and they were still too expensive, even with the 30% off.

A month ago I was at BR and I saw the perfect look-alike, the Lady suede peep-toes. They were $140 but I had a couple of 40% off coupons to be used in September so I hoped that they would still be there when I got back from vacation. They were, and they were still full price which in this case it's a good thing because the 40% coupon can only be applied to full price items.
With the 40% they came down to $84 (what I call a good deal) and I am happy to report that Banana Republic changed back the return policy from 30 to 60 days due to costumer feedback. Take that, Jcrew!

From the front, they are identical to the Alecia, besides the stitches:







The only difference is that the zip is located on the side and not in the back (which is better because less noticeable in case you don't like zippers) and the heel is a little bit higher (4" against 3/4" of the Alecia) and straight:





In case you want to give them a try, I had to size down half a size because my foot was felling off the back. It looks like this is a design flaw as I still had this problem with the smaller size but at least I can walk and I think that it can be solved by applying a little instert.

And yes, I am wearing the Silk and sequins scoopneck tee in olive moss. You know that I really liked it when I first tried it on in sweet almond but when I saw it in store in this olive color I couldn't resist even if it's definitively expensive. It's one of those pieces that just feel like "me" and I thought that it was worth to buy it FP because it's a short-sleeved top and it's season is NOW, unlike most of the fall stuff that are full price now but will be on sale before you can even wear it (I am talking about you Dream V-draped aka "Yoga" sweater.) And if I ended up not wearing it I could always return it. But I wore it a lot already (in Milan and here), so I guess that it was a good purchase.



Now if only could go out and about like this tonight for NYC fashion's night out. I could sip cocktails with Jenna at the Prince store and rub my shoulder against Halle Berry at Ralph Lauren. Instead my husband will be sipping cocktails in Montecarlo at my place and I will be at a playdate with my daughter until 7. I am tempted to show up in this outfit at the playdate and stop by Ralph Lauren with her on my way back (I know someone there) but I am afraid that the other moms will be all in jeans. Unless I put a pair of Gap city flats in my bag and make a quick change before/after the playdate.
I will see how I feel. Anyway I will have my camera with me and if I end up going I will let you know.

Have you seen or tried the BR Lady peep-toes? What do you think? Do you own the Alecia? Please share!

Wednesdays at the Gap: the Suede Wedge Booties

For today's edition of Wednesday's at the Gap I am going to do a quick review of the Suede wedge booties that I have ordered during the recent Give&Get promo (yes, I was in Italy but isn't it just great that one can shop in the US while sipping coffee in Italy?) I was sure that these were going to sell out and in fact there is only one size left on the website in the grey color. However, you can probably still find them in store. I ordered the grey as the camel ones weren't available in my size.

First the good: they look more expensive than what they are (I wouldn't say high-end but you wouldn't think that they are Gap). The suede is a nice quality and even if the sole isn't leather they are nicely finished and the wedge is very comfortable. I personally like the golden hardware, I don't think it looks cheap at all. So, out of the box (actually, I should say out of the the plastic bag) they looked very promising and really cute. The color is a little bit lighter than on the website pic:





However, they didn't lived up to my expectations when I tried them on. I couldn't size down as they don't come in half sizes but they do run big, not in terms of length but the part that laces up and should tighten the ankle is loose fitting, at least on me. And let me tell you that I never had particularly thin ankles and calves. In fact for many years if asked what part of my body I would have changed if I had a magic wand, I would have replied my ankles and calves (nobody never asked because I am not famous and nobody ever interviewed me and asked me these kind of questions but that would have been my answer).

I wish I had more pics to show you but my camera's battery died on me, so I hope you get the idea. I tried them with bootcut jeans and half covered by the jeans they look pretty nice:



Side view of the wedge:



And this is a view from above to show you that there is a inch gap between my leg and the bootie's leather:



Granted, I still have to try them with tights but I don't think that they are going to be flattering anyway. I think the top of the bootie should be a inch or two lower and closer to the ankle. You can see that they cut the leg:



I did try them with the Minnies in the same color and didn't like how they looked together.
So they didn't work for me, but for the price you should give them a try as it is a question of fit. If you have very long legs and you can wear them with thick socks or tights, you are probably going to rock them.

Do you have these? What do you think? Are you tempted?
By the way, I hadn't the time to go into a Gap since I came back. If you know of a promo going on now in stores, please share!

You Need These Shoes

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that every once in a while I cheat on JCrew with the Gap (if Mickey knew!)

Two days ago I was in to make a return (a swimsuit that I had bought for my husband and he didn't like, as 99% of the stuff that I buy for him). It was a Wednesday and I had one of those Wednesday 40% off coupons valid on one full price item that I generally spend on stuff for my daughter. But this time I spent it on a pair of shoes for myself.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you also know that I like Tory Burch shoes and I have luxury tastes when it comes to shoes. I have been tempted to buy the Eddie flats in Royal tan but then decided to save my money for the Sallies (that as you know I have bought in the classic navy). Well, the Gap came up with the perfect Eddie knockoff, the City flats that come in an array of colors including an in-store only tan that looks exactly like the Tory tan:





Not only these are much more affordable of course ($39.50 but I paid $24 with the coupon), but they have a padded sole that is actually better than the unpadded one of the Eddies. The leather (yes, they are real leather) is buttery-soft and they come in a very chic pouch (in the same color) for easy transportation:



I tell you, they are the perfect foldable flats: anybody needs a pair of these, especially if you commute or travel frequently (I generally travel in my Revas but I am going to switch to these for my next trip to Europe in a few weeks).

Size-wise I bought my regular size, even if Gap shoes tend to fit big (I was sized out of the equally fantastic ballet flats this spring). However, since these come in half sizes (bonus), you can order one half size up if you want to be sure that the elastic is not too snug in the back (mine is not even in my regular size but I know that people often complain about this).

I think that the tan color is terrific (there were a very few left in my local store), even if going towards fall you may want to choose the purple, black or the in-store only navy or grey (I am probably going back and get another pair in navy the next time that I have a coupon available).

If I haven't convinced you, maybe the enthusiastic reviews on the Gap product page will. And if you live near a Gap (who doesn't?), check them out as soon as possible before they sell out (especially if you like the tan color or the pink).
If you want to stick to the original Eddies (which are actually already a knockoff of the impossibly expensive Lanvin flats), they now come in a new patent leather for fall.

Do you own a pair of City flats? Do you have the TB Eddies?

If Diane Kruger can wear Bright Plum, so Do I!

Do you remember this post on the JCA featuring Diane Kruger in a Jcrew outfit?
My first reaction to this outfit was that I would never have thought of pairing those two colors together and I didn't know if I liked the result. But my second reaction was that for a blonde, Diane Kruger looked very nice in that bright plum color. I have always thought that bright plum (or that shade of fuchsia) was a color reserved to brunettes (not that I am as blond as Diane Kruger but I am definitively not a brunette).

So yesterday, when I was in a store and I found the same cashmere cardigan in that same color for the incredible price of $34.99, I picked it up over the same one in black (now of course I regret not picking up BOTH for that price). If Diane Kruger can do bright plum, so do I, I thought.

I thought that it would be fun to try to recreate a similar look with this cardigan and something that I own. I don't have the Surf tweed charter skirt so I have paired it with the Drapey Drexel plisse skirt. And let's be honest, what really takes that outfit from preppy to a whole new level are the Lanvin heels (I immediately recognized the shoes when I saw the pic because my favorite shoe store had them in the window for a long time and I was swooning over them each time that I went grocery shopping, as the shoe store is on my way to the grocery store).
I happen to have a pair of similar heels from Zara that I bought in Italy just before getting pregnant. When I found out that I was pregnant I freaked out and decided not to wear the shoes until the baby was born, out of fear of falling over my heels and hurt the baby or worst (my husband agreed). In the end I never got around to wear them, because after having a baby you don't really feel like going around in a 4' heel.
But maybe, thanks to Jcrew and miss Kruger, they will have a second chance to be worn:







I have to say that this color doesn't photograph very well. If you have seen it in person you know that it's much more vibrant (and I hope that washing the cardigan won't change this) and I really like it with black, it's a nice alternative for the evening.
Here is a pic of the Lanvin-esque Zara shoes:



What do you think? Which look do you like better (you are allowed to say that you like Diane's look better, no problem)? Do you think that bright plum is for brunettes?

Mother's Day Outfit (Sort Of) and the Tory Burch Kitties

I wore two great outfits this past weekend but I also managed to break my camera, so I couldn't take pics to share. What happened is that the memory card got trapped in the memory card slot (because my daughter chewed on the camera cable when she was nine months old and a new cable costs more or less like a new camera, I use a memory card reader to transfer the pictures from the camera to the computer, which means that each time that I have new pics I have to take out the memory card) and not only I broke the memory card in two but also the slot (a piece came away with the card) while trying to extract it. It was quite the bad timing to break the camera because my daughter is going to turn three this Friday. On a positive note, it was time to upgrade it and the price of the camera that I have been watching for months (as I knew that we would need a new one at some point and I started to do my research around Xmas) has finally dropped, so it is on my way and I should have it by the end of the week (hopefully; if you don't hear from me it probably means that the camera didn't arrive in time for my daughter's birthday party and my husband killed me).

Back to the outfits, on Saturday I wore a variation of the outfit that I have blogged about in this post, only with white jeans and the silver Tory Burch thongs. I get compliments every time that I wear the ribbed vest and this time I got one from a lady who lives in the building and is normally very uptight (one of those persons who don't smile or speak or even acknowledge you in the elevator).

On Sunday we went out for brunch for Mother's Day. It was very cold for the season (it still is) but I refused to wear a coat, so I wore my Dauphine jacket instead. I bought the Dauphine quite a while ago, at the first markdown, and then re-bought it for much less during the last 20% off sale promo. I know that this jacket got mixed reviews and some of you don't like the fit, but personally I love it and I felt very chic in my outfit.
The details are amazing and I was impressed when Jenna Lyons said (in one of the interviews that Alexis put up on the JCA blog) that the tweed of these jackets (this one and the blush jacket from the Fall collection) comes from the same fabricant that provides Chanel. So it is the most Chanelesque Chanel knockoff that you can possibly get. My husband was impressed too when I told him (it was the first time that I wore it) and all of a sudden he got over the tweed jacket that I sold last spring on the JCA (he kind of obsessed over it and kept telling me that I Had made a mistake even if I had worn it once or twice maximum and it was brown, which is a color that he normally doesn't like to see me in).
I think that it looks great with the denim pencil skirt and that's how I wore it for our Mother's Day brunch. As I said I don't have a picture of the outfit but I wore something similar a couple of weeks ago when I was trying on the Tory Burch Kitties that I finally bought during the Saks Family and Friends Promo (only, I was wearing a navy top in these pics while I wore the cashmere tee in natural on Mother's Day and it looked much better with the jacket):



Detail of the beautiful fleur-de-lys golden buttons:



Here is a pic that my husband took in the restaurant (where at least you can see the top):



And these are the Kitties in the nude color IRL:





I have to say, they are beautiful but a little bit redundant in my wardrobe, maybe because they are almost flat and they don't change my life in terms of shoe choice, I feel like I could wear another pair of flats that I have instead. I haven't worn them yet (a sign) and in the end I think that I am going to return them and buy a pair of Sallies open-toe in navy when they go on sale (I tried them with white jeans and the check shirt and they looked fabulous and I don't have a single pair of navy shoes).

Have a nice week!

The Long-Awaited Tory Burch Shoes Review!

If you remember this post, some times ago (I know, it was a looong time ago), during President's Day weekend, I took advantage of a pretty exceptional 25% off promo at ToryBurch.com to order some shoes. My heart was split between the Sallies (tumbled leather with a 2 1/2 wedged heel, available in an open-toe and a closed-toe style) and the Kitties (love at first sight, lower heel, but peep-toes and available only in black).

A comment left by Summerilla (who recommended the Sallies if I liked to wear high heels) made me cautious about the Sallies: from the online pics the heel didn't look too high but I can't do high heels on a pair of shoes that I plan to wear during the day (if you have ever tried to push a stroller in high-heels you will understand), so before ordering I went to Bloomingdales to try them on (or at least have a look).

Bloomingdales had only the open-toe version, in both the royal tan and the black colors. I tried them on and I found them very comfortable to wear. The wedged heel was very flattering on the leg, without being too high and the royal tan color was a much better color for this kind of shoes than black, in my opinion. Bloomingdales also carried the Kitties in gold (swoon-worthy) and seeing them convinced me that it was better to wait and try to get the gold or nude color on sale instead of ordering them now in black (as the Tory Burch website didn't carry the gold color, nor the nude).

So once home I ordered the closed-toe version of the Sallies in the royal tan color from the Tory Burch website, along with a pair of classic Thora thongs in silver (that never go on sale) as a ride-along to get the 25% off and the free shipping.

When the shoes arrived I was obviously very excited, but when I opened the box I was disappointed by the Sallies. I had totally forgot that closed-toe would mean round toe. I should have known better because I own another pair of Tory Burch pumps that I never wear because the toe is too rounded for my taste and the logo hits a nerve on my feet (they are otherwise absolutely gorgeous in a Chanel-esque way and I simply can't part from them).

Anyway, as all the Tory Burch shoes that I own or I have tried, they are TTS (they fit perfectly). As you can see, the heel isn't too high and the rubber sole made they very flexible and comfortable to walk in (I apologize for the quality of the pictures, I clearly need a tutorial on how to take pics of shoes):



They are also very flattering on the leg:



But I really don't like the rounded toe:



The peep-toe version cut just the right amount of toe and I liked them SO much more. So back they went. I plan to buy the open-toe version as soon as they go on sale.

On the other side, the other shoes that I ordered as a ride-along are a keeper. At $85 (price that I paid paid) they are quite expensive for a pair of thongs but besides the fact that I have saved not only on the price but also on the sale tax (I know that I sound like a broken record but avoiding to pay the sale tax, that in NY applies only to items worth $110 or more, gives me a special pleasure when shopping), there is a cost-per-wear factor to be taken into account because I KNOW that I'm going to wear them a lot. First of all, if you have never worn a pair of TB thongs, they are the most comfortable (and stylish) thongs ever because the footbed is padded and the sole is rubber. Second, I really needed a pair of silver-toned thongs to wear with dresses in the summer. So these really fit the bill.
The thongs are actually the reason why this post took me so long: I had taken pics of both pairs as soon as I received them but my pedi was in a real bad condition and I decided to save you from the pitiful sight of my chipped polish. When my nails were worth showing again I was lazy and procrastinated the task of taking the pictures of the thongs, so at some point the new pedi started to look like an old pedi. Finally, yesterday I went to the nail salon again AND as soon as I arrived home I took the thongs out of their box and photographed them.
So here they are, with my new pedi:





By the way, in case you are interested, I'm wearing a new Essie shade called "Tart Deco". It's a very pretty coral (not too orange), perfect for early spring. I highly recommend it!

What do you think of the Sallies? Do you own a pair of Tory shoes? Please share!

Fashion-Related Question #2: What's the Season for Wearing Peep-Toe Shoes?

I had another post in mind for you today, but I received an email this morning that triggered this second fashion-related-dilemma post instead (where I ask for your help). The email contained a President's Day offer from Tory Burch (and you know that I love my Tory almost as much as my Jcrew) and it's even better of the Jcrew 20% off one (one nail drives out another, right?)

But first, meet my new obsession, the Tory Burch Kitty shoe, in black:



And in nude:



And in gold (swoon):



It was love at the first sight between me and the Kitties. I have been considering buying another pair of Reva flats as I wear my black ones so much, but when these came out I thought "Perfection" because they look a lot like the Revas but they are not completely flat and being 5'2" I could certainly use that one and a half inch of stacked heel (which should also make them a little bit more flattering with skirts and dresses than the Revas). They also look as comfortable as the Revas, with the same rubber sole.

Well, they are almost perfection. Because they are peep-toes, as you have certainly noticed. As a matter of fact I own only a pair of peep-toe shoes and I don't wear them much because, it seems, there is no season here for wearing them. In the spring rare are the days when it's not too cold to wear stockings but still not too warm to wear sandals. And I always thought that wearing sandals or peep-toes with stockings (not matter how clear) is a fashion misfit.
But maybe it's just me and I would like to hear your opinion on peep-toe shoes. Do you own a pair of peep-toe shoes? Do you wear them often? Are peep-toes only for the summer? BTW, there was a patent version of the Kitty in the winter, which means that someone wears them with stockings?

And now meet Sally, my alternative to the Kitty. In tumbled leather, Sally is Kitty's big sister, with a 2 and half inches stacked heel, and it comes with peep or closed toes.
Peep-toe Sally in tumbled leather (the color is royal tan):



And this is the closed-toe version (I could only get a picture of the black but it comes in the royal tan color as well):



Now, the promotion is 25% off everything on the site and free shipping for orders above $300 and I'm ready to pull the trigger on one of these (and a pair of Thora sandals, that are very rarely on sale, at least in the not-colored version), but just one, even if they are returnable.
Which one would you order for yourself? Do you think that I will get more use out of the Kitty (lower heel but peep-toe) or the Sally (higher heel but option of closed-toe)? Also, I prefer the royal tan in the Sally but I think that it's much more of a summery color choice, so it would make sense to have them with open-toes. So, if your overwhelming response is that peep-toes are summer shoes, I will probably go with the closed-toe Sally in black or the open-toe Sally in royal tan and wait for the Kitty (that is only available in black and coconut, a sort of grey, on the Tory Burch website. The other colors pictured above are from other retailer's websites). Hope that it makes sense ;-).

And now, the code (ENABLER ALERT): receive 25% off your purchase of $300 or more on Toryburch.com and enjoy free standard shipping when you enter BDAY at checkout (expires Monday 15th at 11.59 pm ET).
Unfortunately the Revas are excluded from the promotion but the code is valid on everything else on the site, including other much-coveted shoes that rarely go on sale (like the Thora and the Miller sandals).

Happy shopping (just stay away from my Kitties)!

Abby, oh Abby!

I hope that you all had a great Halloween. Yesterday has been an almost perfect day for me. I say almost because my husband was away and I would have preferred him to be with us but we had a lot of fun nevertheless.
We had the perfect Halloween weather, a little bit stormy and always on the edge of raining but as a matter of fact dry until the evening and really WARM, so the kids could go around in their costumes without a coat and it was very pleasant to be outside.
The streets were packed with people in costume and it was actually the first time that we went trick-or-treating outside. In particular there was a block (78th street between Lexington and Park) were ALL the houses were decked out and it was a giant bloc party with thousands of people in the street. Really it didn't look like New York City but like a little village, I loved it.

It was also my lucky day for another reason. In the morning I went to Jcrew with the excuse of returning something, but basically to show off my daughter (as all the SAs know her) in her bumble bee costume.
When I was at the register to return the Pippa ballet flats that I had purchased during the special event at the Columbus Circle store with the 20% off, the SA asked me if I had seen the "new" flats with the toe cap. Of course I immediately knew that she was talking about the Abby, but I didn't want to mortify her with my clearly superior knowledge of the Jcrew catalog and nomenclature. So I just showed interest without actually screaming "You got the Abby!?". Let me tell you that I regretted not ordering them over the red phone with the 20% off the minute I left the Columbus Circle store. The Pippa are adorable but a little bit too young-looking for me (it's not the bow, it's the shape) and besides they are currently on promo for $98, which is less than what I paid with the 20% off.
Anyway, as soon as I saw the Abby in my feet I fell in love. They are an instant classic and all I look for in a flat: versatility, wearability and chic-ness.
However I had the same issue that I had when I ordered the Marjorie: the 6H was a little bit snug and the 7 was too big. In the end I went with the 6H, because the SA told me that all their flats tend to stretch out and it was really impossible for me to walk in the 7 without an insole.
At the register I tried my chance and explained that I got 20% off on the shoes that I was returning and asked if she could apply it on the new pair because I was basically exchanging them (even if it wasn't what is called an even exchange). And she said yes "Just because I like you" (which I think it's true and also because I'm there every other day or maybe because it was Halloween and my daughter was adorable).
So MAJOR SCORE, because not only I saved on the price but I also saved on the sales tax (that apply only on items above $110 in NY, I know I have already told you plenty of time but please forgive me I'm obsessed with screwing the sales tax), so I saved almost $40. Yay! Well, obviously my husband would tell you that I would have saved even more I had just returned the first pair, but you know that I could not do that, right?

And now some pictures of my new Abby. From above:



Frontal:


Side view:


And detail of the racing stripe on the back:


The SA advised to "try them around the house to see how they fit", but I have hardwood floor everywhere (no carpets) so it's impossible for me to do that without marking the sole. But I found a solution. You know the little plastic bags the shoes generally come in? Well, I have found a new use for them:



Have a Happy Sunday and for those who can, I hope you take advantage of the additional hour of sleep!

Unfashionable Item of the Week: the FitFlops

I heard about the FitFlops for the first time last summer, when my mother in law was visiting us (she lives in Paris). She told me that she had read an article about the "fit-flops" (she speaks a very good English for a 70-year-old French lady) but I thought that she had misread and that she meant "flip-flops" (I was like "are you sure? Because we normally call them flip-flops"). Because she isn't very up-to-date on the latest technologies and fashion styles, she was pretty confused and she dropped the conversation.
But one day I saw a big Fitflops ad and I had to apologize to her (on the phone, she had already left).

If you're familiar with the Fitflops you probably know that their slogan is "get a workout while you walk" and that they promise to tighten your leg muscles and your butt while you do whatever it is that you normally do in your life that implies walking.
I normally don't believe in the "miracle" solutions, but I must admit that I have been thinking of buying a pair lately as I walk A LOT in the summer, pushing around my daughter in the stroller all day long and I figured that it wouldn't harm if my shoes were more suited for the task (most of the times I'm wearing Havaianas, which aren't exactly "walking" shoes, let alone "workout" shoes, and I just can't constrict my feet in sneakers). I was a die-hard gym enthousiast when I was younger but I completely stopped before moving to the USA and even if I can't complain about my body, I wouldn't mind my legs and my butt being a little more tonic these days, especially if all I need is a new pair of shoes (or as the website puts it "just by wearing a pair of FitFlop sandals you’ll get more exercise while doing just exactly what you’re normally doing").

There are two problems though. First, they are ugly. I have settled for the "Walkstar III" in the silver color (pictured) as the least ugly and more "fashionable" of all (ie, that I could probably wear with most of my casual clothes), but still. Second, they are kind of expensive. When I walked in the closest shoes store that carry them to check them out, I was ready to spend $30. I wasn't expecting them to cost $59! That cooled me down a little bit and I decided to wait. But I can't wait too long as the summer is in full swing and you can't go around in flip (oups) fit-flops in the winter in NY.
The thing that bugs me is that even on the official website, they don't mention how long do you have to wear them/walk in them to see some results, which makes me think that it's all bull(...). I read some articles by journalists and experts who "tested" them and they say that the only sure thing is that they improve the posture. And they are very comfortable for the feet, which is not too bad (but again, for $59?)

So I would like to hear from you before making my choice. Do you have a pair of FitFlops and would you reccomend them? Are they really comfortable? And did your husband/boyfriend notice some effects on your butt? If you don't own them, is it a question of style or you just never gave them a thought?