Coffee Break – Lola Flats

41 Comments

1. I’m on a shoe shopping hiatus (minus the need for a new pair of snow boots) but I really love this color.

2. These are so pretty and would match the large number of purple sweaters I own, but are rather pricey for something that won’t get everyday wear. Still pretty enough to stalk them and hope for a clearance with a coupon code and free shipping.

3. Anyone have any good office art recommendations? Or recommended ways to spruce up a windowless, cheerless office?

   I’m all ears. :)

   1. pieces of fabric or wallpaper underneath glass on the top of your desk or file cabinets

      wall art/wall decals

      plants (real or silk)

      coordinated/patterned/colorful desk accessories, note pads, file folders, “magazine/journal” holders

      interesting bookends, chatchekes (?sp) on shelves or as bookends and something that moves on your desk (thinking a newton’s cradle)

      there was a thread on this a few weeks ago …

   2. I have photos I’ve taken on travels in cheap frames. I can swap them out easily from time to time when I get bored. I also have a couple of bamboo (they love my dark office), wall decals (I am sure there is some female no-no against this, but I do not care) and a bulletin board of postcards and my calendar.

   3. ETSY [dot] com!

4. I love the look and especially the color of these flats! But I have a hard time finding flats I can wear because of my bunions. I need a wide box, usually solved by buying a wide width. But they have to be sufficiently structured so I don’t walk out of them. Has anyone else with similar issues found a flat that works for them? Also the same question but for boots.

   1. Check out barkingdogshoes blog
      http://www.barkingdogshoes.com/
      She writes about bunions a lot and the shoes she’s showing today would work.

      I can’t wear regular ballet flats, either, due to lack of support. Sadly, because I’d be all over the flats Kat is featuring if it weren’t a problem. I wear Ecco Bouillon styles (have about 5 different versions, for real) and Cole Haan air wedge-style near flats.

      1. Try the Geox flats. They have great support and are the only flats I can wear pain free all day.

      2. Thanks! I checked out that site and have actually ordered the Flower shoes she is showing today and another brand recommended for my type of feet. Fingers crossed that at least one pair works.

5. Q regarding makeup artists… Due to family travel restrictions, I’m having a two-location ceremony, across the country. While it’s easy to choose vendors in the location near me, for the other location, I am doing everything long-distance, and there’s not a lot of vendors at this location. My future MIL’s long-time hairdresser has suggested makeup artist A. Makeup artist A has an uninformative website, but is friendly and prompt in her correspondence. However, her entire portfolio, including the wedding she did last weekend, are all of African-American brides. They look great, with deeper skin tones that can be really flattered by stronger makeup colors than I, caucasian, would wear personally. This is really giving me pause as I’m having a hard time imagining what kind of “look” she would do for me, as well as her expertise in doing it, much as I imagine African-American brides are when encountering makeup artists who apparently have no experience with African American brides. The colors are just not the same, right? Am I being paranoid / unreasonable / ridiculous? No chance of doing a trial.

   1. no not at all – but i think these are reasonable concerns that can be discussed with the make up artist. i think the best place to start would be to have an honest conversation with the make up artist and see where it leads.

   2. I might be in the minority, but I prefer to do my own makeup. Could you go get a few lessons from someone that you trust and then do your own makeup that day? That’s what I did for my wedding and it worked out much better than the few times that I have had my makeup professionally done.

      1. I agree with this suggestion. My sister did this and it worked out well for her. She does not wear makeup normally (she works in IT) and felt better having a more minimalist look on her wedding day. She just went to Sephora, told them what she wanted, and they picked out products that flattered her but weren’t really overpowering. I know the times I’ve had my makeup professionally done, I always thought it was too much. I tend to wear more makeup than my sister and know she would not have been happy.

         1. What does the fact she works in IT have to do with her not wearing make-up?

            1. Maybe because it’s not a client-facing position? If I didn’t have to interact with clients on a daily basis, I would wear makeup far less often.

            2. All the IT people I know wear jeans and spend a good part of the day crawling around on the floor checking cables.

   3. Could you send someone you know with similar skin tones to you (like your MIL or one of her friends) to do a trial? I also agree with anon that it’s reasonable to raise this with the makeup artist and see what she says.

      Perhaps an easier option is to find an established salon or makeup store chain with locations both where you live and where your MIL lives (I’ve had good luck with Aveda salons, but MAC, Blue Mercury, and similar places are possibilities) where you know they’ll be able to do your makeup exactly the same in both places. That way you won’t have to worry about a trial.

      1. I like the suggestion of having a local friend or family member with a similar complexion do a trial for you.

         I also second the local page on the knot. I’d ask if anyone has used artist A specifically and if they could suggestion anyone else.

   4. If there’s a particular makeup line you like, you might call the counter in that city and ask if any of the sales associates do makeup styling on the side. For instance if it were me, I’d go to a Trish McEvoy counter anywhere, in any store, and ask (not a plug for Trish, but that’s the line I use.)

      1. Good idea. The woman doing my makeup for my wedding used to work at a cosmetics counter.

   5. Not paranoid. Get a sense of her experience and ask for a portfolio of people with pale skin. Ask for actual photos.

      As a datapoint, my MIL (who is South Asian) insisted on booking the make-up artist for me (very pale, Irish-heritage, redhead) in her hometown. The woman was South Asian and did basically exclusively South Asian brides. I was so nervous, argued about the choice with the MIL, spoke directly with the make-up artist about my concerns, was reassured everything would be fine by both artist and MIL … and got HORRIBLE make-up the day of. I looked yellow and sallow. The woman just couldn’t handle my coloring and style, despite her best intentions.

      1. Similar experience. I am South Asian myself but my husband’s family is from a different region where the people have a different skin tone and the conventional makeup style calls for bright, strong reds and an unnatural affinity for glitter. I wish I had done my own makeup because I look clownish in my photos and refuse to look at them. Can’t blame my MIL though because she didn’t know any makeup artists herself and I just picked the first recommendation I got. Anyhoo, moral of the story is that even with limited variation in skin tones, the makeup artist couldn’t get it right. Either ask for photos of brides who have your coloring and style or splurge for a few makeup lessons on your own.

   6. For what it’s worth, I did not have a trial with my makeup artist before my wedding. My one regret about that day is that I didn’t wash the makeup off and re-do it myself. Since I wear very little makeup day-to-day, it was wayyy too much for me. Alas.

   7. This may be overly paranoid, but I would be really hesitant about booking a makeup artist without any possibility for a trial. I got married in NYC, and did three trials for a makeup artist (and I am honestly the most low-maintenance person ever, never wear makeup, and did not stress even remotely about any of my other vendors). Two of the three were absolutely horrible, even without the possibility for inexperience with your skin tone that you describe. Makeup artists are just so variable, and it is so hard for them to give you the look you want when the only one-on-one experience is day-of. I would personally suggest either learning to do your makeup yourself (very possible), or have a friend with similar skin tone do a trial.

   8. You can also go to the Knot wedding page for that location and ask the locals.

      1. Ditto. This is how I found many of the vendors for my wedding, which was 2.5 hrs away from my location. They are usually very helpful!

         I did, however, travel and have a makeup and hair trial beforehand!

   9. Maybe you could go to Sephora and buy your own foundation, concealer, blush, and whatever else you’re nervous about her getting wrong. I had a pro do my makeup, but we still went shopping together before the big day for the foundation she would use. That way you will get an expert to apply the makeup, but be safe that she gets the colors right.

      1. Not unreasonable at all to want to ensure the make-up artist can do beautiful work with your skintone. I got married last year and as a dark skinned black girl, I insisted upon a makeup artist that had worked with someone of my skintone before. You want to have no worries about make-up on your wedding day.

6. Threadjack:

   Any advice for internal interviews? Would wearing a full suit in a business casual enviornment be too much? I’ve only been at this firm for 3 months but was just told I am interviewing for an unknown position.

   1. I wore a full suit to an internal interview, where all they wanted was to “make sure.” I wanted to convey that I didn’t think I was a shoe-in (even though I was told I was), and show respect to my colleagues who took the time out of their days to interview someone they already knew. I got the job within an hour, so I’m all for the full suit regardless of the internal/external interview.

   2. Wear a suit! I think not wearing one would convey that you think you are a shoe in.

   3. Yes, wear a suit. I had to interview a co-worker for an internal position and she wore a skirt and cardigan. I, and the other dept. manager interviewing her, both wore suits as though it was an external candidate coming in for an interview. She didn’t get the job. (Note, she also treated the interview in general as a casual discussion because she thought she was getting the job and didn’t seem prepared.)

   4. Thanks for the suggestions! The problem is that I didn’t apply for anything and have no clue what this is for. The most they told me was that it would be an “internal informational interview.” Informational, as in they want to know more about me?

7. long time lurker – first time poster …
   Love the flats- isn’t geox supposed to be a brand that ‘breathes’?
   Whatever that means!
   Threadjack- recommendations for banks in the boston area? trying to decide betw TD Bank North and Peoples. Would prefer not to go with something like BoA. Have a 2nd acct with a credit union where I live now in the Deep South, will keep that, but need another account with slightly more geographic flexibility. T – I – A!

   1. TD has great hours. Open on the weekends and till 8 or later on Thursday and Friday.

   2. Check out ING as well. They don’t have branches (online only), but you can use any ATM in a store for free. Also their customer service is absolutely fantastic. Actual people pick up the phone when you call them. They are my primary bank, now I kicked BoA to the curb…

   3. Geox breathes, which means tiny holes that supposedly prevent sweating. I found my feet were cold though. Some reviewers complained about them not being waterproof but I didn’t have that problem.

   4. I have a pair of Geox casual shoes and find them very breathable and comfortable. They’re three-season shoes, though — definitely not for winter.

8. These are great flats! The support in the Geox shoes makes a huge difference for me (who had previously sworn off flats because of the lack of arch support). Love the color and the detailing!

9. I bought a pair of Geox shoes in Italy almost three years ago now and I LOVE THEM. In fact, they were the same style as this but in a bronze metallic color. I wear them all them time….they match so much of what I own…and they look dressy but are FLATS! This was the same price I paid then which seemed pricey at the time but not since I have worn them so much. I didn’t know Geox was available in the States. As to the purple look, maybe they would go with more than you think…..and “go with” these days can also mean they completely contrast or stand out on their own!

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