Flats for Fall

saksfifthavenue.com's pic

While I love wedges & heels, my current lifestyle isn't really conducive to shoes that could possibly slow me down (though I have both teetered on woodchips and chased a two-year-old across a field in 4" wedges).  So an integral part of my daily uniform includes flats - usually ballet, with the occasional loafer thrown in.  (I do still enjoy wearing heels if we have a night out.)

My favorite details right now are animal prints/embossing, buckles & big hardware, and bright colors - especially in suede.  Brands I tend to shop the most include Tory Burch, Sam Edelman, Jeffrey Campbell, and Steve Madden among others - and some of my favorite places to shop are Nordstrom, endless.com, Zappos, and shopbop.com.  I find endless.com often has the best prices. 6pm.com is another great site for discounts.  If you are in Paris, I would highly recommend stopping by a La Scarpa boutique (not the same as the one in Las Vegas).  They have loads of reasonably priced, classic, comfortable flats in great colors.  I have worn my brown suede and nude patents quite a bit and wish they were available online.

So, here are some of my top pics from what I am seeing out there this season:

French Sole 'Wasabi' $149.95 - $150.95.  Also available in black.  I love the chain link hardware on this one.

endless.com's pic

Sam Edelman 'Ida' $118.95.  Available in a few different colors. Love the three tiny bows - classic and very dressy while still understated.

endless.com's pic

Sam Edelman 'Jeneva' $113.90 - $129.95.   Also available in other colors.  Beautiful shape to this shoe & great oversized buckle.

endless.com's pic

Franco Sarto 'Jazz' $89.95.  Also available in purple, brown and black, but this blue is my fav.  The quilting is a little reminiscent of Christian Dior - who currently has out my top pic for a new Fall bag.

Nordstrom's pic

BP 'Frankie' $59.95.  This one comes in loads of colors - just search "Frankie" on Nordstrom's website.  The crackled gold and crackled silver are my favorites.

Nordstrom's pic

And of course, Tory Burch Revas are a gorgeous basic.  There is a great selection on Nordstrom's website right now or you can also buy direct from TB or at shopbop, Neimans, Saks etc...  The basic black with goldtone logo is one of my wardrobe staples and her suedes are beautiful - I love my Equestrian Orange pair.  Another cute TB shoe is the Romy:

TB's Romy, Nordstrom's pic

I missed out on the Arabian Pink/Latte two-tones but they are still available in Khaki (shown above) and in Black.  I have another TB shoe, the Reese, which has this same side detailing/back as the Romy and I took the same size as I do in Revas which is my regular 8.5.

Of course the gold standard for the ballet flat is the original Chanel.  I spent a good 20-30 minutes chatting with a saleslady at a Chanel boutique in Las Vegas who was eager to share her excitement for their collections (and they weren't busy) and learned lots about their bags and shoes.  As the flats are priced around $600.00, I haven't gone for them yet, but they are on my list.  I would probably go with a black quilted style.  The quilting helps hold the shape of the leather.

And now for a "luxe or less":  Target has a gorgeous little flat out right now (unfortunately my size is gone at my store) which Gigi reviewed here.  They are quite similar to the Elizabeth and James 'Jessi' which is priced at $235.00 and available at Nordstrom.

Elizabeth and James 'Jessi' $235.00

Nordstrom's pic

Target Mossimo 'Valda' $24.99.  Not exactly the same, but for a $210.01 savings, I'll go with Target.  Available in Black, Cranberry, Cognac, and Mushroom.

Target's pic

And lastly, I will end with a quick snap from inside my closet.  Last year I decided to tape pics to the outside of my shoe boxes to remind me exactly what I have and to make it easier to decide what to wear in the mornings while keeping the shoes safe & dust free in their boxes. It's been really helpful.  I still keep some shoes and my boots on the floor of my closet - which I need to get organized in some way - but this works for most of my shoes.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo