Sole Sister!

Someone recently asked me, "if you could have anyone's wardrobe, past, present or fictional, whose would it be?" 

It took me a lot of thought but I have decided...

Carrie Bradshaw!!! 

Yes, she is a fictional character but Oh. My. God. aren't her shoes amazing? 

I'm a huge fan of Sex and the City and have watched the series and movies many times. Carrie Bradshaw is a columnist, fashion addicted socialite and a best selling author. She is everything I aspire to be. 

She has a wardrobe I would kill for, lives in New York City (and briefly, Paris, in Season 7) and ends up marrying the man of her dreams! And she does all this, in designer heels. Let's just say... She has the life that I actually dream of! 

There are so many fashion icons in the world and so many to choose from. After making this tough decision, I decided to watch Sex and the City 2...again. 

In the opening scene of the movie, I was definitely convinced, I made the right decision. Carrie steps out, onto the streets of Manhattan, in a beautiful white Halston Heritage dress, reflective aviators and a killer pair of Christian Louboutin, sparkling gold, Pigalle heels. These shoes, are the shoes, I've been dreaming about since 2010.

Sex and the City 2 movie poster

Throughout the movie, Carrie puts her best foot forward, in more stunning and drool worthy shoes by CL and other designers (which are all amazing). And this is only skimming the surface of her shoe collection. 

Throughout the movie, Carrie also impresses me with her exceptional choice of attire and accessories. 

The standout dress of the movie and one that I would love to own, is the Emilio Pucci teal gown. This is the dress that Carrie wears, when she has dinner with Aidan. This dress is just amazing. The gold detail and the colour contrast is exquisite. I don't think I really need give any further explanation, just look at the poster! If I could just have the Christian Louboutin sparkling gold heels and this dress, I would be very happy! 

Sex and the City 2 movie poster

And this is just the amazing fashion of SATC2. I don't even think I should get started on the first Sex and the City movie ... or her Manolo Blahnik collection. 

After watching SATC2, this not only confirmed that Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe is utterly amazing, it has also made me really want those Pigalle Louboutins! 

Image from the Christian Louboutin website

If you could have anyone's wardrobe, whose would it be?

How to Care for your Shoes

Everything happened in slow motion. The man falling into the woman, her cosmopolitan flying out of her hands and heading directly at me. Her glass and its contents landing directly on me and my nude high heels. 

Has this ever happened to you?

For you to get the most out of your favourite accessory, it's very important to care for them.

And caring for your shoes, could not be any simpler.

Leather Shoes

Leather shoes are extremely durable and easy to care for. 

When caring for leather shoes, give it a coat of good quality leather conditioner. The leather conditioner acts like a sunscreen and moisturiser for your shoes and protects your leather from the sun. It also stops the leather from ageing and cracking. 

When applying a leather conditioner to your shoes, apply a small amount of the cream to a clean, dry cloth. Lightly cover the entire shoes with the conditioner. NOTE: Do not to rub the leather.

I usually leave the conditioner on the shoes for a few minutes and then buff the shoes, with a clean sponge. If you have a good quality leather conditioner, it should dry clear. If the leather conditioner has left any marks on the shoes, you can go over the entire shoe with an instant shine sponge.

After you have leather conditioned your shoes and it has dried completely, give the shoes a coat in a good quality waterproofing spray. This protects the shoes, from water, dirt and oils absorbing into the leather.

Shoe care is an ongoing commitment, so I recommend using the leather conditioner and waterproofing spray after every seven to eight wears.

If you are busy and always on the run, you can get an instant shine sponge, for your leather shoes. The instant shine, is a sponge which is impregnated with an oil and will shine and polish your leather instantly. 

Suede Shoes/Nubuck 

People tend to wrap there suede/nubuck shoes in cotton wool and never wear them because they are afraid of ruining them. Don't! They are very durable and easy to care for.

Before wearing your new suede/nubuck shoes, make sure you give it 2-3 coats of a good quality waterproofing spray. This adds a protective coat/barrier around the shoe so no water, oils or dirt can get into the suede.

By waterproofing your suede/nubuck shoes, it will also keep your shoes smelling nice. Wet suede is not a great smell!

I recommend waterproofing your suede shoes, roughly every seven wears. I would also recommend using a suede brush on your suede/nubuck shoes. This will make sure they stay supple, soft and neat.

After a lot of wear, your suede/nubuck shoes can become very smelly, so it's important to wash them. You can wash your suede/nubuck shoes with a suede shampoo, which you can purchase from a boot maker or some shoe shops. Note: Make sure you let them dry completely before packing them away, as they can smell out other shoes if they have not dried properly. It is also important to use a suede brush when the shoes are wet.

Satin/Fabric Shoes

Satin and fabric shoes are just as easy to protect as suede shoes.

They can be protected with a waterproofing spray but I would suggest coating it with roughly 3-4 sprays, letting them dry each time. Satin and fabric shoes are not as durable as suede and cannot be cleaned as easy, so the more coats, the more protection, the better. Like suede, waterproof your satin and fabric shoes after every seven wears.

Patent Leather

Patent leather can be cleaned with a leather conditioner, just like your leather shoes. However, you will need to shine them, once the conditioner has been applied. To polish my patent leather shoes, I just use a clean, micro fibre cloth to shine them up or an instant shine sponge.

Other Notes

It's important that you choose shoe care products that do not have a colour base to them. This means you can use them on any colour shoes and it wont leave any marks on them.

The more you wear your shoes, the more frequently you should use your products. For me, I top up the shoe care for my shoes after seven wears.

It's also important to keep your shoes in shoe boxes. This protects them against dust and any unwanted moisture. By keeping them in individual shoe boxes, it prevents different fabrics and colours rubbing against each other and permanently staining them.

You can always take a photo of your shoes and put them on the outside of the box, that way you know what shoes are where and they will never be forgotten. This will also give your wardrobe a funky look!

If you are using new shoe care products that you have never tried before, I would suggest testing the products by applying a small amount on the shoe first, to see how it reacts. 

When hard work finally pays off...Part 2

“Shoes transform your body language and attitude. They lift you physically and emotionally.” – Christian Louboutin

When I step my feet into a pair of high heels, I instantly change. They transform me from a shy, quiet person, into someone who is confident and ready to take on the world. And what better way is there, to conquer the world, than in a pair of iconic, red lacquer heels?

In my last post I talked about my first pair of Christian Louboutin heels, well, I bought my second pair of Christian Louboutins, at the same time. 

So, it's time for me to introduce you to my second (and equally amazing) pair of Christian Louboutin heels, the stunning, 'Divinoche'.

I'm a frequent visitor of the designer shoes section of David Jones Hay Street. I covet the high end footwear and day dream about what shoes I would buy if I came into some money. I'd been eyeing this pair for a while but then I spotted 'Fifi' (see previous post for this story!) and knew these ones would have to wait!

Wearing: Veronika Maine dress / Samantha Wills and Tiffany and Co Rings / Clavin Klein Watch / Christian Louboutin Heels

When I returned to David Jones to buy ‘Fifi’, I noticed these shoes were on sale. Who could say no to them now? 

I owed it to the shoes to at least try them on! :)

Once I stepped my feet into the shoes, I knew, I wanted them (yes, I say this with all my shoes but isn't it obvious? I'm obsessed). It was like they were made especially for my feet. They fit perfectly and they were incredibly comfortable. They had to be mine.

These shoes are everything that I believe a shoe should be. They a chic, stylish, feminine, beautiful, unique, simple and of course, a little bit sexy. 

I love the 120mm heel. They define my calf muscles and make me stand so much taller. The little platform under the toes is an added bonus, it takes away some of the height, which makes them more comfortable to survive the night in.

I love the colour contrast on these shoes. The maroon and pink go great together and makes this style very unique. I also love the way the straps wrap around the ankle, they really elongate my legs. 

Every time I look at my Christian Louboutin shoe boxes, I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I feel proud of myself for working hard and achieving something amazing.

Anything can happen if you set your mind to it.

When hard work finally pays off...Part 1

The time has finally come…

The moment I have been working towards…
The dream of all shoes lovers…

I have just purchased, my very first pair (well two pairs, but more on that next week) of Christian Louboutins.

I have worked extremely hard for years and had to endure long hours, overtime, peak hour traffic and early mornings (and I am so not a morning person!). Now, I finally get to celebrate all my hard work.

And what better way to celebrate, than by purchasing my very own pair of Christian Louboutins.

Introducing my first purchase of designer shoes, the extra special, ‘Fifi’ in black spikes by the one and only, Christian Louboutin!

To make this momentous occasion even more special, not only did I buy my very own pair of Christian Louboutins, they also happen to be in my name (well close enough).

For many years, I have been on the hunt to find a pair of shoes that I love, in my name. And now I have finally found them.

I was walking through David Jones in the City on my lunch break when I spotted them. I picked them up and observed them from all angles and immediately knew I wanted them. I turned them over to admire the red lacquer sole and I read the style name, ‘Fifi’, and, they were in my size.

This was fate. I knew these were the pair of shoes I was working towards.

Since I worked so hard to get them, I didn’t want to buy these shoes purely as an impulse and I wanted them to be a shoe I would love in 10 or 20 years time. So I decided to sleep on it! 

For weeks, all I could think about was these shoes. I knew I loved them and knew no other shoes were going to compare.

I finally decided they had to be mine.

I went back to David Jones a few weeks later to buy them. Once I headed to the Christian Louboutin section, I noticed one style was absent. My shoes. I was so disappointed. I had waited too long and now missed out on the shoes of my dreams.

I tracked down a sales assistant (who was absolutely amazing) and asked about ‘Fifi”. She said she would check the reserves to see if there were any left.

She came back empty handed.

My heart dropped.

She noticed my disappointment and said she would see if any other stores had them. 5 minutes later, she came back carrying a shoe box. 

I couldn’t contain my excitement. 

She said they were originally on hold for a customer which is why she didn’t notice them initially and that I could buy them if I wanted too.

Wearing Cue top, Country Road jeans, Samantha Wills rings and Christian Louboutin heels

The sales lady placed them on the ground and with shaking hands; I slipped them both on my feet. And, they fit perfectly.

At that moment I knew these shoes, were destined to be mine. And now they are.

I love everything about this style. I love how classic the black patent and black spikes look and how well they work together. The round-toe pump is stylish, yet simple. The stiletto is terrifyingly thin but oh so appealing and who cannot resist the lure of the iconic, red soles?

I am incredibly proud of myself for working hard to reach my goal and finally meeting it.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Christian Louboutin story…