Category: shoes

Show & Tell- Easy does it

Some days you just want to wear a t-shirt and jeans. I try my damnedest not to fall into that category but on my days off I’d rather be comfortable schlepping around the house vs. worrying about staining a skirt or favorite blouse.

I have a penchant for all things scaly so when I found this t-shirt from local clothing designer Alicia Zenobia I knew I had to have it. After all I do have a rattlesnake tattoo so I’m stuck liking them anyway. I love how their mouths form the red heart in the middle. FYI that ancient brick is in my kitchen. Can y’all believe this used to be covered in drywall? I get weak at the knees for exposed brick and have it in all the bedrooms as well.

I decided to go more southwest with this outfit, minus the high waisted mom jeans. Another house note: The back porch was a storage space when we rented the house pre-Katrina. The previous owners turned it into a porch and when the weather is nice (hell even when it isn’t) we eat every meal out here. It’s also where Runty and Tigre hang out so we have to show them love. Seriously, they demand it.

I love my moccasins! And yes that is even more old brick on the side of my house. Anytime we dig in the garden we uproot even more of them. I’m sure if I crawled under the house there would be enough to build an addition to the back.

Speaking of the Southwest I picked up a lot of turquoise when I lived in Arizona. A lot. Here is a cuff bracelet that I wore with my tee/shorts combo. I was told by someone the stones came from the Bisbee mine but I’m not positive about that.

T-shirt: Autonomous Clothing

Shorts: Joe’s

Bracelet: Vintage Native American, procured at Buffalo Exchange

Shoes: Minnetonka

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

shoes show and tell

Show & Tell

I’d love to wear heels more but since I’m not a desk job type of girl comfort is my main priority when purchasing shoes to wear on a daily basis. I’ve been wanting a pair of Minnetonka moccasins for a while and I finally broke down and bought a pair via www.zappos.com. I’ve actually never bought shoes from the site but my husband frequently does. Free and fast shipping=awesome.

I wanted something a little less traditional so I opted for the studded versions in black although I dig ’em in lavender and gray as well. If I buy another pair I’ll buy 1/2 size down as these suckers get pretty wide even after one wear.

I’m going to wear the hell out of these this summer with shorts and then when fall rolls around in like four months I’ll pair them with jeans. Oh yea I swear my feet aren’t as disproportionate as the picture below makes them look.

Got an item you’d love to show off? E-mail me pictures and a story at nolagurl{at}gmail{dot}com.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

men's shoes show and tell

Show & Tell

This week’s Show & Tell comes from one of my best friends. He’s not from the south but has plenty of style so we’ll let that slide. Justin probably has THE best taste in clothes out of anyone I know. So without further adieu I present to y’all a sampling of Justin’s amazing shoe collection.

Greetings from the sunny southwest! So I figured I would get in on the show and tell Saturday with two of my current favorite pairs of shoes (as of last inventory I’m up to 20 pairs so it is hard to choose favorites).

The first pair are some Prada brogues I picked up at the Phoenix Buffalo Exchange about 5 years ago. I think my favorite thing about them is that they’re completely classic and subtle, but also full of character and amazingly versatile.

The second pair are a recent find at a Phoenix shopping gem. They’re Wolverine 1000 mile premium boots that I was happy to pay a mere $40.00 for. I had been on the hunt for lace up boots for some time and these were more than I could have hoped for. Even more than the great classic style and sturdy construction (they’ll last forever), I’m happy to have picked them up in an already gently worn condition. It would have taken longer than I’d like to take to get that great patina and scraping on them myself and now I don’t have to feel so bad when I add my own scrapes to them.

These two pairs may not always be in my regular rotation, and there may be times they find themselves pushed to the dark corners of my closet, waiting to be brought out and dusted off again. I’m sure they’ll drift in and out of favor over time, and that’s the best thing about shoes that are impeccably constructed and classically styled. Be good to them and they’ll last you a lifetime.

Remember if you have something special in your closet, be it your maw maw’s 1950’s prom dress or your latest Macy’s shopping spree we want to see it! E-mail me at nolagurl{at}gmail{com}.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

men's preppy shoes

Not a ship in sight

Ahhhh the boat shoe. Stumble into any college bar in the South and you’re bound to see at least a few guys (and more frequently girls) sporting this preppy staple. When I lived a block behind a popular college hangout in the Garden District I started a game called “boat shoe count”. I’d see no less than 12 khaki clad guys bustin’ out the Sperry’s.

Lately magazines have been showing the shoes as new “trends” but here below the Mason-Dixon line we’re so far behind we’re ahead. Just because you’ve been wearing the same brand or style of shoe since, well since your mom picked them out for you doesn’t mean you are limited in your options. Designers are offering up new twists on this old classic.

When buying classics always invest in the best quality you can afford. These blue J Shoes from Shoefty are made of supple leather that will only look better with age.

The bright color way on these Jack Purcells,available at Urban Outfitters, are sure to make these conservative slip ons a little more fun.

Looking for something sleeker? The To Boot New York nubuck versions, available at Saks, are a less clunky option that will pair well with shorts.

Of course women have a far broader range of options when it comes to footwear.

No boat shoe conversation would be complete without a Sperry Topsider mention. The Sperry Freeports, available at Zappos, are more ballet flat, less boat shoe.

These Sperry’s are the classic shape but updated with metallic gold so they pack in some fun yet maintain their roots.

Not sold on them yet? Payless has viable options that won’t break the bank.

FYI: This post comes by special request from a certain Northshore frat boy I know. ;P

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

shoes show and tell

Show & Tell

I’m in desperate need of sandals (my husband might have a different opinion) since 1. I got a new foot tattoo that I want to show off and 2. summer will be here soon. Luckily I found two really great pairs week and even the hubby agrees.

The weather has been beautiful so I decided to stroll down to La Divina for a quick bite on my lunch break. An innocent panini run turned into a shoe shopping spree when I stopped into Ah-ha while waiting for my to go order. Ah-ha always stocks Reef flip flops, which is what I wandered in for but I walked out with these Dolce Vita sandals instead. I’ve been wearing a lot of gray and blue lately and I think these will work well with skirts and dresses. I really love the way they tie at the back and the pale pink and blue is a nice splash of color.

Keeping in the Magazine St. shoe shopping theme I couldn’t resist these silver fish skeleton sandals from Buffalo Exchange. They are a fun addition to my shoe collection and for a measly $19.50 I really couldn’t pass them up.

So what’s on your shoe wish list this summer?

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

shoes shopping

Give ’em the boot

I might turn my closet quickly but one thing I never get rid of is a great pair of boots. Some of my boots I’ve owned for 10 years, others I just bought last month. Regardless of your personal style cheap boots are never good boots; you want them to wear in and become old friends, not a trendy throwaway piece of crap that will give you blisters.
These Merrell boots, available from REI are as functional as they are cool. Merrell manufactures hiking shoes so you know these will feel like heaven on your feet and be sturdy.

When it is cold and rainy outside the last thing you want is clammy feet. These Cole Haan rainboots from Zappos have Nike Air technology so you could wear them all day and remain dry and comfortable.

If you are looking for riding boots these Michael by Michael Kors, available from Dillards, perfectly fit the bill.

If your holy grail of boots is the ultimate shit kickers it doesn’t get much better than these Frye boots I found on Ebay. Since I don’t wear brown or a size 9 these babies are still up for grabs.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

shoes show and tell

Show & Tell

I’ve never considered myself a shoe person even though my husband would beg to differ. A deep sense of lust doesn’t overwhelm me when looking at a pair of platform sky high heels. I instantly wince at the pain factor and stick to shoes that I can primarily wear to work. I do however like to wear fun colors and patterns so I couldn’t pass up these J. Crew suede chartreuse driving mocs when I saw them. I love wearing these with navy or contrasting them with another bright color. Since I walk to work everyday I don’t exactly baby my shoes and these won’t last but a few more months. Let’s all sit back and cherish them before I wreck them beyond wearability.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style

eco friendly guest shoes Welcome

Guest post- me!

Check out my guest blog for my friend Mallory aka Miss Malaprop. Her New Orleans based website highlights independent artisans of every genre, eco-friendly products and of course fashion. I wrote a piece about a new favorite shoe brand, Melissa. All too often eco-friendly brands look more hippie than chic which makes for a hard sell outside of an REI catalog. Melissa is the perfect marriage of talented artists and environmentally friendly materials so you can feel good about your purchase and still look fashion forward.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style