0 Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw covered two topics very near and dear to innumerable women: sex and shoes. While the two seem miles apart from each other, they’re actually quite similar. Both bring exceptional pleasure to a woman, both are made more rousing by diversity/options and both have the potential to disappoint if you aren’t prudent in your decision making.
In all seriousness, the shoes a woman wears speaks greatly to her personality. In fact, a 2012 study by the University of Kansas found that people could accurately guess certain factors about another person based on their footwear alone.
We’ve already put together a guide on iconic bags and what they say about the owner, now we’re delving into the realm of glorious footwear. Instead of focusing on a specific type of shoe (such as a heel, ballet flat or wedge), we’ve opted to highlight well known brands.
Go sift through your mountain of shoes to determine which brand you’re particularly drawn to. Then, read through the commentary below to see if the personality description fits you the way your favorite pair of kicks do. If you’re like most women, you probably favor more than one brand, so it makes sense if more than one section describes you.
About the Designer: Mr. Louboutin — who hails from Paris’s 12 arrondissement — has been fascinated with shoes since his early teen years. He’s credited with “bringing back the stiletto” in the ’90s and 2000s thanks to his 4+ inch shoes. From the beginning, Louboutin’s ultimate objective was to make women beautiful and to make their legs look as long as possible. For that reason, he rarely designs low-heeled or heel-less shoes.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Victoria Beckham, Kristen Bell, Heidi Klum, Emma Stone
What They Say About You: Women who appreciate the silhouette of a Louboutin are the perfect blend of sassy and sweet. She’s demure, but not sickeningly so, and has a fabulous sense of humor. While she doesn’t mind the spotlight being on her, she does enjoy her alone time.
About the Designer: While relatively new to the shoe scene, Jeffrey Campbell footwear is the epitome of street style. He’s particularly known for his daring designs, which teeter — and sometimes push beyond — the edge of “footwear as art.” His ability to combine vintage nostalgia with futuristic pizzazz is what sets him apart from many shoe designers.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Ginnifer Goodwin, Mena Suvari
What They Say About You: The woman sporting Jeffrey Campbell footwear is indubitably fearless. She’s quirky and unconventional and has enough talent for an entire neighborhood. While determined to succeed and focused on the end goal, she doesn’t mind taking a breather to have a good time, either. Her mood is a blend of optimism and realism and for that reason, she is destined for great things.
About the Designer: Though raised in a tiny town just outside of Chicago, Atwood always dreamt big. His fascination with footwear began in his mother’s closet, which eventually led him to clothing design at FIT in New York. After an impressive stint at Versace in Milan, he mastered the art of women’s footwear and created his own label in 2001. He was awarded the Sworovski Perry Ellis Award for Accessory Design by the CFDA in 2003.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Lea Michele, Zoe Saldana, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hayden Panettiere
What They Say About You: Refined, regal and radiant are three words that describe a Brian Atwood footwear fan. Wearers are typically reserved, but when necessary they are comfortable enough in their own skin to speak with confidence. Women who prefer Atwood’s aesthetic are also fashion-forward and love setting trends.
About the Designer: Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo may no longer be with us, but his shoes remain a staple in many closets to this day. In the ’20s, he worked with numerous Hollywood starlets, bringing them innovative shoes that glistened on the red carpet. He’s most noted for his wedge and cage heels and continues to be a household name to this day.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Meryl Streep, Dita Von Teese, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Aniston
What They Say About You: The Ferragamo wearer has perfected the art of being a subtle star. Everyone notices her, but she never feels the need to be overtly flashy. She’s always in control, even in the most difficult situations, and has a sort of classic elegance that you’re born with or without. While she is slow to trust another, her loyalty is unparalleled when it comes to family, good friends and lovers.
About the Designer: Hands down, Jimmy Choo is one of the most coveted brands in all of fashion. Choo is a Malaysian Chinese designer who’s based in London, but his shoes are worn all around the world. He opened a workshop in North London in the mid ’80s and shortly after his designs were featured in an eight page Vogue Magazine spread. Princess Diana was a fan of Choo’s work, which also helped catapult him to shoe fame.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Jessica Biel, Kristen Stewart, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson
What They Say About You: Any woman wearing a pair of shoes by Jimmy Choo can be likened to a modern day Cinderella. She’s kind and sweet, but not about to settle for anything less than the best. You’ll often find her fresh faced, bubbly and surrounded by people who genuinely appreciate her company. Despite her saccharine disposition, this woman is not a pushover in any sense of the word.
About the Designer: Fashion editors around the globe have quickly become loyal fans of Giuseppe Zanotti, an Italian DJ-turned-shoe designer. In the mid ’90s, he hired 15 employees and took over Vicini shoe factory in an effort to make a name for himself. His hard work and eye for design paid off, as Zanotti now owns over 50 stores around the world and sells 400,000 pairs of luxury shoes annually.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Beyonce, Khloe Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera
What They Say About You: Zanotti shoe wearers are spirited fashion lovers who emanate confidence, gumption and pep. Some may describe her as unorthodox, but she’s really just chock-full of moxie and charisma. Even though the Zonotti lover may be an intimidating woman to approach, she’s actually quite socially deft. A giant teddy bear, if you will. When she speaks her mind, she does so thoughtfully and empathetically.
About the Designer: Manolo Blahnik is easily one of the most well known high end shoe designers in the entire world, and rightfully so. The Spanish designer, who studied art in Paris and wrote for Vogue Italia, ventured into footwear in the 1970s. Amidst the chunky platforms of the era, he focused on the thin stiletto, which serves as the brand’s cornerstone to this day.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Nicole Kidman, Lucy Liu, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel
What They Say About You: Women who prefer Manolo Blahniks can be described as elegant, sophisticated and poised. She’s well put together — both fashion-wise and in terms of her life and career — and emits a sort of grace that other women envy. She never feels the need to scream or resort to antics in order to be heard. While she certainly enjoys the finer things in life, she has fun doing the not-so-glamorous things, as well.
About the Designer: Born in Germany in 1980, Nicholas Kirkwood is a young shoe designer who’s gone quite far in his 33 years. After participating in the fine art foundation course at Central Saint Martins, he worked at milliner Phillip Treacy’s London store for 5 years. Inspired by Treacy’s hats and Alexander McQueen’s clothing, he began a quest to design footwear that made just as strong of a statement as the aforementioned brands. Since then, he’s won a string of impressive awards and his shoes are worn by A-listers and style gurus across the world.
Celebs Who Wear Them: Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Leighton Meester
What They Say About You: The woman drawn to designs by Nicholas Kirkwood is a playful person who loves to have a good time. Fun is always her first mission and she’s learned how to make even hard work less mundane. She’s a go getter who never says no and can be described as whimsical, flirty and intrepid.
By Wendy Rose Gould
Posted by Wendy Rose Gould at 08:30 AM
bargain news , Fashion: Trends, Style, and Business , Opinions , Trends , Trends |
0 Outside of an elite minority of buyers, iconic handbags in the five or six digit price range are an unrealistic splurge for many. Fair enough. Spending over 10 grand on a bag — more than a year’s worth of rent in my case — seems an eager display of extraordinary affluence.
Still, many argue — and prove their point via purchases — that owning a well made, coveted designer handbag is a worthy investment. (Granted, bags that sit comfortably in the three to four digit retail range are more often procured than their exorbitant 10k to 500k brethren.)
I’m not here to preach or even to sell you a bag, but I will say that splurging on certain handbags makes sense. Especially if you are fashion forward and appreciate the creative genius behind quality products.
Keep in mind that, yes, bags serve a utilitarian purpose, but they’re also art. Art that’s viewed by most everyone who passes you by on the street, as opposed to art that hangs on walls and is only viewed by the few who visit your home.
“While the dress goes out of style — or gets stained if it’s me we’re talking about — and a shoe gets ruined while running for the bus, a bag could really be forever,” notes Mirela, Stylish City founder and Upper East Side shopping ambassador. “Why not invest in something that really says who you want to be, as sometimes [bags] really are aspirational pieces.”
Speaking of investing in something that tells the world who you are (or who you want to be), we’ve rounded up eight of the most iconic handbags to date. Some have more history than others, but all are prized by the world’s most fashion savvy veterans. Based on the bag’s appearance, history, price range and celebrities who carry it, we’ve generated a mini profile about the person who chooses to carry each bag.
About the Bag: Hermès designed this bag in 1981 for English singer and actress Jane Birkin. Legend has it that Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Birkin on a Paris to London flight when the contents of her current bag took a spill. After explaining that she couldn’t find a suitable leather weekend bag, Dumas created the now world-renowned Birkin bag.
Celebs Who Carry It: Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Rachel Zoe, Katie Holmes
What it Says About You: The Birkin bag was created as a weekend tote, so it’s large. In addition to being large in size and price, this bag also has a larger than life reputation. As a result, women who carry the Birkin most likely enjoy standing out in a crowd, clearly care about the way they’re perceived and are often high maintenance. The bag’s sophisticated, streamlined design also shows that the woman who wears it is confident and isn’t afraid to stand her ground.
About the Bag: At over 10 years old, Balenciaga’s City Motorcycle bag remains a treasured favorite to celebrities and fashion icons across the world. It features a naturally distressed leather exterior — available in just about every color under the sun — and a hearty supply of pockets, tassels, studs and buckles.
Celebs Who Carry It: Khloe Kardashian, Christina Aguilera, Tori Spelling
What it Says About You: The owner of a Balenciaga City Motorcycle bag is a chick with an ultra tough exterior and style sense that’s easy, relaxed and downright cool. Despite her hard shell, though, the City Motorcycle owner has a soft heart. As a result, she’s easily moved by heartwarming stories, romantic gestures and charitable deeds.
To Be Continued………
By Wendy Rose Gould
Posted by Wendy Rose Gould at 07:00 AM
bargain news , Fashion: Trends, Style, and Business , Opinions , Trends , Trends |
