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 Very rarely does something bring together a host of people from all walks of life, but the movie Bully, and a protest against its rating by the MPAA has united men and women of myriad backgrounds.
Bully is a powerful, thought-provoking documentary that raises awareness about bullying in our nation’s schools. It chronicles the lives of five students and their families who suffer from the effects of bullying. For example, the documentary highlights two families who’ve actually lost their children to suicide after they were incessantly bullied by peers. It also tells the story of a mother and her 14-year-old daughter who was incarcerated after bringing a gun onto a school bus.
The anti-bully movement has been — and continues to be — a strong one in the United States. This documentary, though, has sparked controversy after the MPAA rated this movie “R.” An “R” rating means that the children and teens who need to see this film most — the bullies, the bully-enablers and the bullied themselves — won’t be allowed to.
Katy Butler, who was bullied by her peers after coming out as a lesbian in the 7th grade and has since founded Change.org, has created a campaign on her website that’s collected over 300,000 signatures in hopes of changing the MPAA’s mind. Those who’ve signed the petition include the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Justin Bieber and 26 Congress members.
Others are getting involved too, including Tommy Hilfiger, Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa. Hilfiger will design and sell an exclusive t-shirt inspired by Bully with proceed portions benefitting Facing History and Ourselves. Also, Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper hosted a screening of Bully at the Crosby Hotel on March 12. Among the guests were David LaChapelle, Courtney Love, Michelle Trachtenburg, Andre Leon Talley, Rachel Roy and Paul Haggis.
Even after much protesting from Hollywood, fashion, business and political figures, the MPAA chief has held firm on the “R” rating, says the Boston Herald.
Some do agree with the MPAA’s rating, saying the topics covered are too extreme for younger audiences. The problem is that these very topics, which include violence and sexuality, are commonplace in our nation’s primary and secondary schools, despite what many parents may believe. In fact, these topics are often prominent in bullying situations.
You can sign the petition at Change.org.
By Wendy Rose Gould
Posted by Wendy Rose Gould at 02:28 AM
Points of View , Trends |
