February 2009

Thursday’s TPS Report: Textured Sweater Blazer

by C February 19, 2009 Fashion

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.

We like this textured cotton sweater blazer from White House|Black Market. It’s springlike and sophisticated, but at the same time friendly and comfortable-looking. We’d wear it over shift dresses — navy ones, preferably — in the spring and summer, and with winter white pants in the fall and into the winter. Available from White House|Black Market for $98. Textured Sweater Blazer

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Suit of the Week

by C February 18, 2009 Fashion

We’re loving this vintage-inspired skirt suit from Rebecca Taylor. All the little details make it so gorgeous and interesting: the notched collar, the puffed sleeves, the pickstitch detailing, the backpleat on the jacket, and we love, love the defined waist. The fabric flower/boutonniere is actually our least favorite part, if only because you have to treat it as an accessory and therefore can’t accessorize that much more once you’ve got it on — we’d say earrings or necklace and you’re good to go. The jacket is available at Nordstrom’s for $365 (Rebecca Taylor ‘Coco’ Jacket) and the matching skirt (Rebecca Taylor Slim Skirt), which also has a backpleat, is $220.

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Wednesday’s TPS Report: Rachel Mara Short Sleeve Top in Cream

by C February 18, 2009 Fashion

You have to click on this top and get in close to look at the details — it’s a cream silk blouse with delicate embroidery all over the neckline and sleeves. Absolutely gorgeous and really unique; we don’t think we’ve ever seen anything quite like it. We’d wear it with brown or navy trousers — possibly even pinstriped ones, to mix the embroidery print and the pinstripe print in a subtle way — or perhaps a black pencil skirt. The best part? It’s now on sale at RevolveClothing.com for $102 (was $253). Rachel Mara Short Sleeve Top in Cream

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Poll: How High is Too High?

by C February 17, 2009 Fashion

Our readers are thinking along similar lines, because a second reader wrote in to wonder if there is a limit on how high a shoe can be before it’s unacceptable for work.

I recently bought some shoes, including these (pictured) (3″ black patent with tweed edging–for $30, I figured why not). When I tried them on, my husband remarked that they were “awfully tall,” and after initially thinking they would be a nice edition to my shoe collection, I began to wonder if they were not appropriate. So I guess my question is: is there a heel height cutoff, past which one should not go? I’m of average height (5’6″), and dress pretty conservatively at work (suits, pearls, the whole thing). I was planning on wearing these heels with pantsuits primarily to minimize the shiny tall heels aspect, but my husband’s comment has me wondering if they are too much for even the plainest black suit. Is there consensus on this? Does it matter on other factors (such as how tall you are to begin with)?

Above: Naturalizer Marleigh Shoe, now on sale for $30 at Naturalizer.com.

On this question, we really have no idea, so we thought we’d do a poll. For our $.02: anything over 3″ or 3.5″ seems a bit gauche to us — a bit along the lines of “are you practicing law or dancing on a table?” The big platforms that are frequently used to balance a 5″ or 6″ heel just seem unprofessional and almost teenagelike. We might make an exception if you’re either very short (under 5’2″ or so) and need higher heels to seem like you’re “sitting at the big kids table,” or if you’re very tall and want to totally own your height — that’s a power move, one meant to intimate the men and women around you (in a great passive aggressive way — we might save that kind of move for when you’re actually making a power play, though: supervising a new group of people, for example).

We have two big caveats for heels of ANY height, though:

you MUST be able to walk in them. If you can’t stride gracefully, it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing 1″ or 5″, people are going to judge you poorly.
if you’re wearing them with pants you must wear your hem at an appropriate length — in most cases it should brush the top part of your foot and almost entirely cover your shoe’s heel, with only about an inch or so of space between the bottom of your pants and the top of the floor.

But enough of our $.02 — what do readers think? Please weigh in with more thoughts in comments. Does it matter if you wear high heels with pants or a skirt? Where does a 5’6″ woman stand on the high heel continuum (if anyone beyond us acknowledges that)…

poll by twiigs.com

Further reading: How to Walk in High Heels [SheFinds]

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Reader Mail: How to Make Heels Comfy

by C February 17, 2009 Fashion

We love reader mail! We’ve gotten a lot of questions about shoes lately and thought we would have celebrate today as a shoe day. So we’ve got two posts coming your way: first, a question about how to make heels comfortable. Second, a question about how high is too high.

First, a reader wondered how to make heels more comfortable:

Love the blog! Can you do a post on making high heels comfy? I know a number of women at the office wear killer heels and swear by various inserts, etc. to make it happen. I don’t need to wear 6 inch stillettos or anything but I’m 5’1″ and a litigator so low heels are a no-go in court since I can barely see over the podium. If someone could enlighten me as to how to make long days in heels a little easier, I would greatly appreciate it!

For us it comes down to a) buying shoes that fit properly, and b) adding ball-of-foot cushions, primarily. We’re huge fans of Dr. Scholl’s line (link at left); we also like the Foot Petals line (available online at places like ShopManhattanite and Dillards). Other things to keep in mind include what kind of heel is on the shoe — you may want to get a plastic heel tip replaced with a rubber one.

If your shoe doesn’t fit properly, you can make it fit better through certain tips and techniques. We end up adding heel inserts to almost everything because we’re constantly sliding out of our shoes otherwise. Other people we know swear by the blister sticks (such as the Dr. Scholl’s one, at right) or the add-where-you-want comfort strips (also at right). One woman we knew used to swear by wearing white athletic socks and a new pair of heels around the house until she was comfortable in them; another advised us to wear the shoes with bare feet, and to go to town spritzing them with a bottle of perfume — something about the alcohol in the perfume helping to mold the leather to your feet. (We highly recommend just getting shoes that fit properly from the get-go, though — we end up sticking to a few brands that we know and like for our feet. Boring, yes, but it keeps us from crying.)

Something else that works for us: switching shoes on a daily basis. It lets the leather and the insole and everything else breathe, which keeps the shoes in better shape. Readers, what are your tips and tricks for making your heels comfortable?

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Splurge Tuesday’s TPS Report: Taryn Rose Women’s Charis Criss Cross Pump

by C February 17, 2009 Fashion

There was so much love for the purple Naturalizer pump that we couldn’t resist posting this lovely thing for our splurge of the week (although, mysteriously, the name of the color is “Maroon”). It’s by Taryn Rose, a line designed by an orthopedic surgeon and made in Italy — those who wear the line swear by its comfort. We love the flexible sole, the fashionable yet walkable 3.25″ heel, and we LOVE the criss cross straps. The big downside is the price: $495, making it definitely a splurge. (It also comes in black, however, which Endless has on sale at $295 right now (along with a lot of other Taryn Rose shoes, incidentally.) Taryn Rose Women’s Charis Criss Cross Pump