Fashion Diary: Fall shoe showdown
Gossip, first impressions, trends in the making, celebrities and style setters. A regular feature by fashion critic Booth Moore.
Fall boots, there's nothing like shopping for them. At the opening of the fabulous Mona Moore shoe boutique on Abbot Kinney in Venice on Thursday night, chicettes Tara Sandroni and Tracee Ellis Ross were going ga-ga over these new Phi buckled creeper booties (above, $1,095), which perfectly capture fall's rough 'n' tumble rock 'n' roll trend.
I, on the other hand, fell hard for a pair of suede Dries Van Noten booties with python heels ($670). In the less naughty expensive boot category, I'm also a fan of Zara's $108 studded leather version (reminiscent of a Christian Louboutin style from last fall), and Elizabeth & James' open-toed boots with lace insets ($350 at Saks).
Of course, while I may fancy myself a kick-butt boot type of girl, what I really live in are J. Crew ballet flats, and I adore the new $225 "Colleen" style with the roses on top (at right).
I am also a recent jelly shoe convert. That's right, they're not just for summer anymore.
The Brazilian footwear label Melissa has collaborated with a ton of people, including architect Zaha Hadid and fashion designers J. Maskrey and Alexandre Herchcovitch. It was my friend Heather over at the Foodinista blog who turned me on to the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa styles for fall, and Brooklyn boutique Epaulet's online site has a great selection.
I picked up a pair of Westwood for Melissa UltraGirl II flats with tortoise-colored bows (above left, $120). And I'm happy to report that they are really comfortable and, of course, totally waterproof, which I'm hoping will serve me well during rainy days at the runway shows.
I'm also thinking about cruising by Payless. The budget shoe source has been doing collaborations with designers for several seasons now (Abaete, Alice + Olivia, and most recently Christian Siriano of "Project Runway" fame.) But it's the $34.99 Lela Rose for Payless "Mallory" suede booties (see right) that caught my eye. They are navy (so hard to find a good navy shoe), and will look great with long skirts and short dresses.
What are your cheap chic fall footwear discoveries?
Photos: Top: Phi bootie. Credit: Denise Malone. Top right: J. Crew "Colleen" flat. Credit: J. Crew. Top left: Melissa Ultragirl II. Credit: Melissa. Bottom: Payless "Mallory" bootie. Credit: Payless.
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