Tuesday, October 6, 2009

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

27 comments:

  1. That shoe collection is insane. Love the organization going on here! I just recently picked up my first pair of Reva's well actually I picked up 3 pairs and I bought an 8 1/2 (my normal size) and I'm pretty sure they are too small because they kill the backs of my heels and I am seriously considering selling them. boo.

    xoxo
    J

    P.S. STOP BY THE SITE I'M DOING A GIVEAWAY.

    www.talkprettytome.blogspot.com

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  2. Really like how you photographed your shoes and keep them in boxes ... makes each pair seem special. I try to keep mine organized on shoe racks by they still can get messy. I agree that flats are a great option for everyday life, and there are so many embellished styles now they can be as cute as heels. Great picks!

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  3. Talk Pretty - thanks for stopping by! before you sell you may want to give them a little time - the backs bothered me at the beginning too but they seem to have stretched. The Chanel lady told me when you buy Chanel flats to buy them so they JUST fit and feel too tight - and they'll bother you for a while but after a few weeks they'll be perfect. I don't know - that's just what she said :)

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  4. Oh.my.gosh. You have my dream closet! I LOVE flats. Being on a tight budget I have gone for many Target flats including the ones you posted here. Cute and perfect for one season. Love all of your picks!

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  5. My closet looks the same {and my husband makes fun of me}! I keep my shoes in clear containers with lids and a laminated picture on the outside. I organize them by seasons for easy access.

    Any suggestions for fall flats that are comfy and stylish? I'm on my feet all day in my classroom. The floor is concrete with a layer of flat hard carpet. Everyone swears by Danskos but they clunky looking and aren't very cute.

    Jo

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  6. Love love love love your closet! i'm so OCD and i love how organized you are.

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  7. I like several of the same shoe brands that you do, but want to mention a few others that I love - Bloch (on sale at Martin & Osa for approx $100), Pretty Ballerinas (www.prettyballerinas.com), and if anyone is traveling in Europe look for Fred De La Bretoniere (mainly boots however the leather used for their metalic flats is fab).

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  8. I own the Target flats in the raspberry color - LOVE! I wear them non-stop and get compliments on them all the time! A must.

    http://chasingdavies.blogspot.com/2009/09/wear-now-wear-later-fall-like-suede.html

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  9. I saw some Tory Burches in Harvy Nic's last week but didn't have enough time to try them on. I can't wait to try them because this is the first I've seen them here in teh UAE!

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  10. Stylestance & Open Letter - thank you!
    Jo - I knew I would find some like-minded people here! :) The most comfortable shoes I've worn (besides Uggs) are by Sofft. I actually have one of their styles in 2 colors & a pair of suede boots by them. They all have a bit of a heel - maybe 2" or so - but they are extremely comfortable and not as clunky as a lot of the comfort shoes. :)
    Christina - thanks! :)
    Lake Nokomis - thank you for the info. I'm going to check those out :)
    Chasing Davies - I love that color!! My store is sold out in almost all sizes in that and the black. I keep checking back to see if they get replen but it's just been such a popular shoe I think I'll have to get them online.

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  11. Jemma Ruby - I hope you get a chance to get back and try. Love my TBs! I always wear my regular size but a lot of people say to size up and I know Summerilla was having issues with them stretching too much & ending up too big. So I think it is a brand you should try on in-store if you can. :)

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  12. Your shoe collection is impressive! I also love flats...thanks for the great suggestions.

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  13. aren't those fergie shoes amazing??? They look really cute on! But I was buying the boots so I limited myself to one pair. I still will probably get them.

    I can't believe your shoe closet!

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  14. I do the same thing with my shoe boxes!
    I just took pics of all of my new shoes yesterday so I can get photos printed :O)
    I love when I see someone as organized and anal as me!

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  15. Girl, I am in love with your shoe closet!!! How awesome is that??!! Your brands are some of my favorite's, as well. I LOVE Tory Burch and love those Romy Flats you posted here......must have them!!! I am looking for some cute leopord print flats now, have you seen any???

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  16. I LOVE the way you have organized your shoes! Great idea!!

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  17. Lissa - yes. I love the color you picked out!
    Suburban Princess - too funny! :) I love keeping them organized this way.
    mrs.a - thanks :) Leopard flats... there are actually some cute ones at Target right now with a pointy toe and patent trim. They are calf hair though which personally I don't really like so I passed. Mine are a coated canvas I believe... also check on endless.com. They are one my favs and I love that you can search by color. I will look around for you - I love leopard :)
    Petunia - thanks! :)

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  18. mrs.a - I think these are cute http://tinyurl.com/y8cky8u I don't know the brand at all though. Try going to endless and searching 'leopard' - LOTS of choices.

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  19. Cringing at the juxtaposition of your gorgeous shoe collection and the thumbnail picture of me in your blogroll wearing my crocs .... the shame, the shame.

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  20. Love your closet and shoe collection. Ahhh, Tory. Love me some Tory. Thanks for the other sources. I totally forgot about endless.com. I'm with you sister on wearing flats. When I became a mom, flats became a staple in my house.

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  21. Thanks for such a great post. Re:the Target shoes, not sure if you are aware, but Target.com has a feature that let's you find items at a local store. It's a nice little feature because when I have errands, I can see which of our local Targets have the items I'm looking for. Thanks again.

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  22. Do TB flats ever go on sale? I would love a pair, but Seattle winters would destroy those in one winter!

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  23. E&J is one of my faves and on my list for this season so, agreed! Fabulous.

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  24. Joyce - oh too funny. You inspire me how you always look so elegant and together - you can have one day off! :)
    Dishy Decorator - thanks for stopping by! :)
    Harvill - I did NOT know that!! Thanks so much - I will definitely be using that feature :)
    Kelsey - they do. I got my gold espadrille Revas on sale at Nordstrom and shopbop.com has done sitewide percentages off which I have used to buy Revas.
    Blushing Hostess - yes they are gorgeous. Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  25. Love the closet! It's so nice to know that there are other's that have as many shoes as I have! ;-)

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  26. you would throw up out of pity if you saw my closet. i'm throwing up out of sheer envy from looking at yours!!
    all my flats are Target :)

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