Coffee Break: Clive Platform Loafers

82 Comments

1. Kat, I say nay. They are not flattering nor feminine, and unless you are dressing up as a pseudo male, this does nothing to advance us as WOMEN; i.e., clotheing that benefits us and our femininity. These look clunky and overly testosteronic. I think there is nothing wrong for those of us here in the HIVE who go for that, but as for me, NYET!

2. I really like Oxford-style shoes! But those platforms look kind of weird and tacky.

   1. Yeah, I have Clarks that are a wedge with a little bit of a sole, but nothing like this platform.

      1. Yes, these are like what the junior high boys wore in Syosset. They were always trying to look taller and more Manley, but just couldn’t quite ever pull it off?. PTOOEY!

3. Yea loafers, nay THESE loafers. Looks like what the goth kids in high school wore.

   1. +1

   2. I’m a nay for sure and i don’t get how these are loafers. Loafers=slip on, Oxford=lace-up. These are differentiating words for shoe styles so calling something an Oxford loafer seems like calling something short-sleeved-long-sleeved.

      1. I was going to say the same; they’re brogues, not loafers.

4. These peaked in 1998.

   1. Definitely a Clueless / Delia’s vibe here.

   2. Yes! These have serious 90s vibes.

   3. Like most of today’s “trendy” fashion. I also dislike them.

   4. I think Cher had these in her automated closet in Clueless.

5. Any tall ladies have experience with the MM Lafluer suiting? I’m especially interested in the packable suiting. I’m headed out to a hot, humid, Middle Eastern location where Ill need a suit maybe 1-2x a month and would like something Tall Friendly but isn’t going to need to be dry cleaned every time I wear it.

   Any other suggestions are welcome!

   1. Banana Republic washable wool suiting comes in tall sizes!

6. Personally I love this style of shoe, but I’m also ready for trousers to come back. It’s been such a long time since I’ve worn anything other than cropped ankle pants. Can somebody please remind me what style of shoes look good with a more traditional trouser?

   1. Pointed toe, IMHO. But you have to get the hem just right so that they graze the top of your foot — with ankle pants, I love that I don’t have to worry about whether they’re hemmed for flats or heels.

   2. Yep, I agree that pointed toe shoes look best with trousers. There is a whole post on You Look Fab about perfect pant length. I feel it’s especially important with boot cut, flare, wide leg pants.

      That’s why I only wear skinny jeans any more because they work with flats or a heel without alterations.

   3. Almond-toe shoes also work. Getting trouser length right can be a pain, but I’ve never stopped wearing them to work. I just really, really don’t like how I look in ankle pants.

   4. When peep toes were in style (and acceptable footwear at my office) I thought they looked great with trousers. I don’t know if I’d go full sandal though.

7. As much as I would like to wear flat shoes, I just cannot with the oxfords without feeling like I’m in costume as Diane Keaton.

8. For those of you who have had sinus surgery, I understand that recovery is . . . a bit of a process. Like maybe you feel better in 3-4 months (and even then you may still get sinus infections? True? True-ish? It is a crapshoot and totally varies?

   I have been so sick (or sick-ish — I couldn’t have taken off 9 months of work but still feel rotten even though I’m no danger to others) for so long. No antibiotic has helped. Balloon sinuplasty didn’t help — still totally gunky and breathing is hard. Drowning in phlegm and mucus. But if this is a hard recovery and may not improve things, I will just be so sad and depressed. I want it to end.

   I am otherwise healthy and per bloodwork, not immunocompromised or anything else that might explain things.

   1. It helped me a lot, but, not a quick fix, recovery wasn’t awesome, and I am a year out and getting sinus headaches again. I still do the steroid rinse twice a day. I think some of it might be allergies we can’t get under control, though.

      The first six to eight weeks I had so much pressure when I bent over or was face-down that I couldn’t do yoga or barre or anything else. I had crusting that was awful and took over a month to get out- the first attempt at the ENT two weeks out ended up with me yelling at the doctor because it hurt and he wouldn’t stop and him yelling at me because he thought I just wasn’t manning up, essentially (he did not say that.) Honestly, the fastest way I got the stuff to clear was that I cried for a very long time every day for about four weeks- lost a person close to me. Wouldn’t recommend it.

      I’m now on steroid rinse twice a day (which helps so much- if you aren’t doing rinses plus Pulmicort, do that) and vancomycin for infections every other month or so.

   2. I needed a full week in bed after sinus surgery but was fine after that. Then I still got occasional sinus infections until I started taking zyrtec nightly and flonase daily, year-round, per my doctor’s rec.

9. Are the shoes $148, or does someone pay you $148 to wear them?

   1. hahahahaha

10. I’d skip anything with a platform for an oxford or loafer. The most modern look for an oxford would be some of the sneaker hybrids or a traditional oxford that’s in an unusual color. Pair with a straight leg or ankle pant.

    1. I love oxfords and I agree on the usual color. My dream is to find a perfectly fitting brogued oxford and a get a pair in several colors, especially in dove grey, royal blue, and blood red.

       1. Check out Tomboy Toes! Menswear inspired shoes for small feet, and there’s a lovely gray option.

          1. Welp there goes my next paycheck.

       2. I’ve also been ogling Office of Angela Scott.

       3. Second the Office of Angela Scott. For EU based folks, NavyBoot also has some gorgeous oxfords. I also have a pair of pointed toe double monkstraps from them that I looooove.

11. What was your favorite activity to do as a child, and why? Do you still do it now?

    Me: Reading for pleasure I took way too long of a hiatus from 25-39 or so and now read 50+ a year. Other love: swimming. Don’t do it now because it takes too long to get a good workout and I hate shampooing my hair that regularly.

    1. You are me! I never took a hiatus from reading, but I did from swimming. Now I’m back at it; most other forms of movement hurt.

       My only regret is that they are both solitary occupations, and I really do need to get out and be around people more.

    2. Reading, which I still do obsessively. I was also a competitive equestrian and while I don’t miss the pressure of performing, I do miss horses.

    3. For me, reading. I have been a big reader my whole life. There was a brief period, after returning from Hurricane Katrina and my marriage falling apart, where I lost my ability to concentrate on reading. But then, I got a Kindle and started reading while I exercise and now I’m hooked again. I also knitted and did other needlework as a kid. I still knit some, mainly for friends’ babies, and sometimes prayer shawls, but I have to remind myself to do it, especially when I don’t have a deadline. Now, my biggest hobby is probably exercise.

    4. Reading for me too. I stopped reading for pleasure in college and didn’t resume until my late 20s but now read a lot. I’m somewhat unusual I think in that I didn’t want to do any official extracurricular activities in preschool or elementary and my parents didn’t make me. In high school, I ran track (very very badly) and did mock trial and debate team (less badly, but I was by no means a superstar).

    5. Riding, reading, and swimming. I don’t swim much any more (though some), read a lot less than I used to (but still more than a lot of people), and actually ride a lot more than I did as a kid since I have the money (and horse) to do that now. Part of the reason I read and swim less is the riding is taking up more of my limited free time (oh, to have the free time I had as a kid again).

    6. Riding horses, dancing and reading. I still kind of do all of those things, although I don’t ride competitively any more (no time). I quit ballet at 11 but took it up again three years ago. I read like crazy as a kid and teen, then did a literature undergrad which I loved, and then completely lost the ability to read for pleasure in law school. I’m trying to get back into it, especially on vacation.

    7. Reading. I still love to get lost in a good book. Summers were spent at the local pool. I would ride my bike there and spend the day with my friends.

    8. Reading and riding my bicycle. Would spend 10 hours a day reading if I could. Rode my bike to work today. Love love love.

12. Wise hive HELPPP! I have just been told I will be making an appearance on a TV show (not a news interview) and although I am confident about my subject matter, I am not at all confident about looking like the kick-ass expert they think I am… (yeah I am working on self image and impostor syndrome but it a slooowww process). So tell me everything you can: it will be a walk and talk conversation with a tall man… which is what my nightmares are made of as a VERY curvy petite. What do I wear?

    PS: the comments on this thread are HILARIOUS!

    1. Wear solids, preferably in a bright or jewel tone color.

       No flippy parts that can get carried by the wind or move in a funny way while you’re walking.

       Wear fabric with some heft to it – you don’t want VPL or VBL on tv.

       Pick an outfit that looks ok if you slouch a bit…because you’re only human. If the outfit only looks perfect when you’re standing up straight and sucking in your tummy, chances are it won’t look so perfect while you’re walking and thinking about what to say.

    2. Walk at a normal pace for you; it’s his job to match your stride. Focus on the camera; you can tilt your shoulders towards him, but there’s no need to look up at him.

    3. spring for a blowout! if you won’t get makeup done professionally make sure you have enough eyebrow and blush on.

13. My best friend and her boyfriend just bought a house and I want to get her/them a housewarming present. We live in different states, so alcohol is out. Any ideas? Budget would be ~$50, they’re late 20s. I don’t know her boyfriend well..

    1. If you know your friend’s style, a wreath would be great. I would love anyone forever who got me a fresh boxwood wreath.

    2. Gift card to Target, Lowes, Home Depot or maybe Williams Sonoma. Or if you want to get a tangible gift maybe a nice set of kitchen towels or warm, fuzzy blanket for the couch.

14. I am descending into a place of overwhelm at home… what advice do you have for managing your households? Mine is out of control even with a cleaning service biweekly. As in I feel like I am constantly the manager of stuff and picking up.

    Do you tend to a room each day? Do you always grocery shop a certain day of the week? Laundry another day? Etc?

    1. I live in a small apartment with just my husband and no kids, so my cleaning/managing needs are somewhat minimal. We have cleaners biweekly, and I basically do something around the house for 10 minutes a day. So I’ll clean the kitchen, or vacuum, or clean the tub/shower/toilet, or dust, or whatever it is that seems like the most high value item that day. My husband also does something related to the house every day and the tasks he prefers to do are slightly different (taking out the trash/recycling, picking up supplies we are out of).

       I think the real key is getting in the habit of not leaving stuff out. I was always messy until I moved in with my husband. He never leaves belongings out, so I felt pressured to be neater in that way. He helped me realized that in my prior life I never organized my apartment around the way I use it.

       Examples:
       – I undress in the bathroom every night and take a bath before bed, so I used to leave my clothes everywhere. I moved a laundry hamper into the bathroom, and keep my pajamas on a hook in the bathroom, so they are always in their “place.
       – I kept leaving my purses all over our hallway table, so I got a decorative basket to drop my purses into which sits under the table.
       – I like to reuse water glasses, so we got a little shelf for the kitchen where I can leave my water glasses, rather than leaving them around the apartment.
       – My husband and I never put our bathroom products away, so we got a decorative lazy susan that they all stand on now. It makes things look much more organized and it is easier to access the products.

       I spent a few months noticing what was being left around the house and coming up with solutions for it. Now our apartment is in good shape most of the time.

    2. Setting up routines definitely helps. What are your biggest pain points? Do you need better systems that are easy for others to maintain, so you’re not constantly having to pick up? (Which I completely hear you about — I have had several not-so-nice meltdowns about how I don’t want to be the keeper of all the stuff in the house.)

       For your specific questions:
       – Instead of focusing on a room every day, I’ve found it useful to focus on a singular task. Ex: Vacuuming happens on Wednesday. Sheets and towels get washed on Saturdays.
       – I do laundry almost every day. I have a washer that determines water level based on the load size, so I don’t feel bad about doing smaller loads, which are easier to fold and put away than a mountain of clothes.
       – We grocery shop on Sundays, or, if we can’t to the store, one of us places an online order for pickup after work on Monday. Have tried many other approaches and this one seems to work best for meal planning and prepping.

    3. In my house, the kitchen is the area that gets the messiest. The dishes get done and counters wiped every evening. I have small recycling in that gets emptied into the larger bin in the garage. Mail is also processed daily, but other than that there’s really not much stuff that needs to be handled. I don’t have kids so that makes it easier.

       I change out of my work clothes first then when I get home. Dirty clothes go in the basket. Shoes go in the closet. Everything has a place.

       Trash comes once a week so the kitchen trash and trash from other rooms in the house is gathered on Wednesday nights.

       I’m lucky that I’m able to work from home, so one day a week I’ll run the vacuum and clean the kitchen floors in between meetings.

       Laundry gets done once a week.

       Bathrooms get cleaned on an as needed basis.

    4. Why are you the manager? Do you live alone? If not, discuss and make your spouse/partner/housemates pull their weight.

       1. My husband is a C-suite executive and I only work part time. We have 3 kids (3, 5, 9) and there are toys and craft projects everyyyywhere.

          1. We have one table where my kids can do crafts and they must be cleaned up nightly. By the kids. Although honestly if you’re only working part time with three little kids then yeah. You’re the manager of stuff and constantly picking up. That’s how it goes.

          2. You’re going to be the manager, but the kids, especially the 5 and 9 year old, are old enough to help pick up.

             Also, this may be a little drastic, but we recently rearranged our house. We created a play room. DS can leave projects set up as he sees fit, and I don’t bother him about it. Any toys that he brings into the living areas have to be cleaned up nightly. Also in the reorganization, we moved our office to what was an unused formal dining room. Now, all mail and paperwork go directly to the office without a 3-week pit-stop at the kitchen table. Finally, in moving the toys to the play room, I reclaimed a space to be adult-friendly. I can retreat there and read or have a glass of wine with my husband or call my mom even if the rest of the house is driving me nuts.

    5. De clutter and get rid of stuff. It really does help make maintaining home easier.

       1. I’ve played the minimalism game a couple times to help get rid of things.

          https://www.theminimalists.com/game/

    6. We don’t necessarily stick to this, but my ideal housekeeping routine is to do laundry and dishes daily. Then rotate tasks/rooms. Monday–deep clean the kitchen. Tuesday–bathrooms. Wednesday–dust. Thursday–floors. Friday–nothing/pizza and movie night. Weekend–yard work, grocery shopping/errands, catch up on cleaning, cooking projects, and get clothes ready for week (I tend to leave them draped over a chair).

    7. I have a chore of the day (well, except when I have hellish weeks like lately and then it all gets done in a big blitz on Sunday morning, but we’ll ignore that for a hot minute). Clean the floors on Monday, grocery shopping on Tuesday, etc. Like Ma Ingalls, if she wanted to carve out time for Netflix. I’ve been trying to adopt the technique other commenters have mentioned of never going anywhere in the house empty-handed – there’s probably something that needs to go wherever you’re going. And not letting it pile up is honestly probably more important. I saw a tweet recently that was something like “It only takes one load of unfolded laundry for your life to go completely off the rails.”

    8. -Two Roombas, one in the main space and one in our bedroom (the most used areas of the house) that run every day.
       -Cordless vacuum (Shark IonFlex) so that I can do a slightly deeper clean on area rugs very, very easily while I’m drinking coffee in the morning.
       -Certain chores are things I try to do every day (empty/fill dishwasher, sort mail, run a load of laundry, wipe down shower while I’m in it, make bed) and then each day has a “focused” room or task for that day (e.g. Monday is master bedroom, Friday is sheet changing and guest bedroom cleaning, Saturday is for bathrooms and Sunday is for kitchen/living room as they’re more time consuming). Everything is calendared in my planner, down to when the air purifiers and HVAC filters are changed. I don’t hit everything on the calendar perfectly each week, but the benefit is that by having things on a specific day, you’re going to cycle back around to that day soon enough. I used to fall into a trap of cleaning the bathroom then not doing it for three weeks – now I’m going to at least do something to deep clean once a week and then lighter cleaning twice more in the week.
       -Ruthlessly declutter. I sell things on eBay, Facebook marketplace, etc. and donate things that aren’t worth the effort to sell at least once a month.
       -Everything has a place. The entry console has baskets for everything that tends to clutter surfaces but are needed as we’re leaving the house (keys, sunglasses, sunblock, hats).
       -Meal plan on Sunday mornings, grocery shop and prep Sunday afternoons for Sunday PM-Thursday AM; repeat on Thursday for Thursday PM-Sunday AM. Use Paprika or similar to keep a running list of easy, quick options. Keep a list of staples in your phone so you don’t have to inventory before shopping (milk, juice, half and half, etc.)

       I’m not perfect by any means (my house is not company ready right now!) but these things make it seem a lot more manageable. The next thing I really need to get a hold on is actually folding and putting laundry away. One thing we’re doing that seems to help is dedicating 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon to fold and put away all of our laundry together.

15. I have a work trip coming up in the fall to London. I’ll be there for about 2 weeks. I’m trying to decide if I should extend the trip by a few days to spend some free time in London. I’ve never been there before. What do you think? Is it worth it to pay for a hotel for a few days to see London? What are some good things to do there?

    1. Of course! It’s one of the leading cities of the world. When you are tired of London you are tired of life. Museums, history, shopping, afternoon tea, food, pubs. Honestly everything.

    2. Seeing London is always worth it, IMO. It has some of everything, so whatever you like in a vacation, you can probably find it there.

       My personal favorite is the Tower of London, and I got a real kick out of seeing Platform 9 3/4 in King’s Cross Station. But I suggest flipping through a guidebook to see what grabs you, because there is so very much more to see than you can see in a few days.

    3. Absolutely! Once you start looking into a London trip, you’ll struggle to narrow down your desires into a few days’ worth of exploring.

    4. I was a student in London and after decades in the US have just spent a marvellous unexpected and unplanned week in London based in South Kensington and I still love it. Kew Gardens. National Gallery. V & A Museum. Some of the smaller art museums. Theatre – go to a matinee if you are are going solo. Bookships.

    5. How many days do you think I should stay? Maybe 3?

       1. At least. I’ve only been to London once, only had 3 and a half days, and was determined to see as much as possible, so I managed to visit: Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the National Gallery, Tower of London, Tate Modern, British Museum, Churchill War Rooms, Parliament, Museum of London, and the Imperial War museum. In retrospect, I have no idea what I was thinking. I basically couldn’t walk at the end of it (thankfully I had a long train ride to Edinburgh to recover). Don’t be as ambitious as I was. But it really depends on your interests. I loved the British Museum, Churchhill War Rooms were far cooler than anticipated, I wish I had visited the Victoria and Albert museum instead of the Imperial War Museum, and the Tate is 2 hours of my life I can never get back (I removed all modern art museums from travel plans going forward). I’d pick one or two main things a day.

          1. Oh, and I managed to squeeze in a trip to find the replica blue police box, because Doctor Who.

16. Sorry, posted this too late in the a.m. thread:
    —–
    We did almost exactly that trip last fall, just with slightly younger kids. It will be a great weekend.
    Couldn’t be happier with the La Quinta in Somerville, at Assembly Row–I stay there often for business and recommend it widely. It’s not fancy, but it’s very clean and quiet and includes a nice hot breakfast and parking (what would those cost you elsewhere?). Ask about AAA/CAA or corporate (Partners Health Care?) rates. Assembly Row has a LOT of shops and restaurants–it’s high-end outlets (Off 5th, Ann Taylor Loft, etc.). There’s also a Trader Joe’s and there will be a fridge/micro in your La Quinta room, if you want a casual meal. There is also a Red Line T stop there–super convenient to the “central” attractions.
    For activities, we had a blast at the Tea Party Museum. The Aquarium was very nice. A Freedom Trail walking tour (through the official source) was excellent, and we wrapped that up at Faneuil Hall–tons of food stands and kitschy shopping, plus a Uniqlo. The Boston Public Market was a nice surprise find. We did the hop-on, hop-off bus which included wax museum and some sort of statehouse museum admissions that each turned out to be fun hour-visit places. Unless you’re REALLY into seeing Harvard for itself, I would probably stay in Boston proper, since you won’t be there long.
    Good luck and have fun!

17. Does anyone make their own kombucha? Trying to decide if it’s “smart lady who saves money and reduces her environmental impact” … or if it’s crazy hippie lady with a smelling machine à la Harold & Maude.

    1. I don’t make my own kombucha, but go for it if you’re interested! I do make my own yogurt and generally love learning about food, so the kombucha sounds like a fun experiment.

       1. I say this with the caveat that if you try it and aren’t into it, that’s ok and there are lots of other ways to save money and reduce your impact.

          1. I don’t know if this is an option everywhere but i know that in Oakland, one stall fills growlers of kombucha.

    2. A little bit of both, probably :) Go for it!

    3. Kombucha isn’t my thing, but fermentation is a cool process to learn about. I make sauerkraut, sourdough bread and yogurt and have made lots of beer in the past. If it’s weird, I don’t want to be normal :-)

18. For those interested in oxford shoes…I’m currently wearing black oxfords (Mr Evans Wingtip) from The Office of Angela Scott. They are pricey, but well made, and I wear them all the time so it’s a worthwhile investment. Styles range from conservative to funky, and I get compliments frequently.

    1. Oh wow I love The Office if Angela Scott!!! Thank you for sharing!

       If I could only afford! :)

19. These are oxfords, not loafers.

    1. Thank you. They are indeed.

20. I’ve been looking for cool Oxfords (something stylish not a heel) for a long long time. Agree with all that this not quite what I could (or want to) swing st work. ?

    I wanted to share this *amazing* pair of Clarks’s platform sandals I got this summer – insanely comfortable (even with bunion).
    https://www.zappos.com/p/clarks-annadel-eirwyn-sand/product/8816408/color/621?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla_g&utm_campaign=772943740&utm_term=pla-__iv_p_1_g_47487283584_c_185085606606_n_g_d_m_v__l__t__r_1o1_x_pla_y_15872_f_online_o_40204659_z_US_i_en_j_18283950120_s__e__h_9003814_ii__vi__&utm_content=40204659&zap_placement=1o1

    Would so love something stylish and comfy for fall!!

21. I don’t get the comment that these would look best with ankle pants. To me, ankle pants take ballet flats or more “dainty” shoes. A clunkier/heavier shoe like this is for full length trousers, not anything cropped or tight fitting.

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