Going Cuban

I went shopping at the weekend (believe it or not that's actually quite rare for me).

Cuban heels are the new thing aren't they? and it's taking my eyes time to adjust. I don't know if the style is a tip of the hat to the Queen's love of a block heel or a reaction to the laughably high hooker shoes that have been fashionable in recent years. There is certainly no doubt that they are much more comfortable then spike heels of any height because they spread weight more evenly and don't tip you forward. I'm just not sure about them. I like them on Audrey Hepburn- and the Queen. But Audrey looks good in everything and the Queen is the Queen.

I'm sure it'll be like footless tights (leggings) and I'll have 5 pairs in 2 months and wonder what I was thinking of but at the moment they just remind me of the bad shoes in the first season of Sex and the City.



Carla square toe court in navy blue, black and red (remember how much I love red shoes from Hobbs).

A woman's right to shoes

I've been asked quite a few times to play those games where you take pictures of your shoes but lots of my beloved shoes are actually in storage so the very high, car to bar or very flat but pastel suede coloured shoes will have to wait for another time.

This winter I am mostly wearing:



Marc Jacobs sale bargain flats- they look like Marc has been watching the scene with the Pearly Kings and Queen's in My Fair Lady to me and I love them- the point on a flat shoe is very flattering.



These riding boots are from Zara and have been my staple over the winter, leather keeps your legs lovely and warm and they go with everything. I think Zara shoes are very good value because you get actual leather shoes rather than the plastic you get for the same price point in lots of shops.



These Prada grey flats were a sale bargain this year (from lovely Liberty). I think grey is very flattering and have grey skinny jeans and grey opaques so these seemed like they'd work with lots of my outfits- that's my excuse anyway (justify, justify).



These petrol blue court shoes (they have a heel of about an inch) are from the Rupert Sanderson sample sale last summer. For some reason I'm obsessed with petrol blue this year the way I was with chartreuse green before (I have very sadly shrunk my favourite green shirt and cannot find a replacement- I really should dry clean things that say to). These are very comfortable and add a flash of colour to most outfits- I especially like them with a red dress I bought in Jaegar to keep toasty warm in.



In the less delicate category are these faux cowboy boot type ankle numbers from Accessorize. I saw them when I was having a general look around, they do have some hidden gems- they are made of very nice soft leather and were 70% off!



Finally these ankle boots are, believe it or not, from Marks and Spencers. They are very high (there's a built in platform) but bizarrely very comfortable and again they go with the grey obsession. They were in the sale too (there is a theme emerging here isn't there, buy shoes in the sale and you will be able to buy more shoes!).

My shoe story

I first saw these Marc Jacobs shoes in an October several years ago- and instantly fell in love with them. They were and are a beautiful, classic shape and the perfect red- which is normally enough for me. Red shoes give you a skip in your step and a bit of magic in your day.

These shoes are not only red though- they have stars- and an added air of Wonderwoman.

I finally bought my favourite shoes at Christmas ready to wear them to parties where they were adored. I have looked after them and still wear them often now. They never ever fail to make me feel better or give me extra kapow when I need it. They are my super shoes.

This is my shoe story. You can tell Selfridges all about your favourite shoes here- and there is a possibility of winning some Jimmy Choos! You can read more shoe tales here. I especially liked Holly Springett's story- and her stunning vintage finds too, of course.

Jazz shoes

jazz shoes from labour of love.

Never too busy for shoes

Dear Blog, I am so sorry you have been neglected, it's been so busy. Have some pretty shoes while I turn my attention to updating you. They are from Kitty Cooper and are all made in the East End of London. They seem to have achingly hip ethical credentials without sacrificing any of the beauty of their shoes. You can read all about the vintage fabric they use and their policies here- it's impressive reading.

the red shoes

I had a beautiful pair of red shoes once. They were a perfect true red- the colour of routemaster buses, post boxes and Hollywood lips. They had a very low kitten heel so that from the front they looked almost flat- but the heel was enough to tip you forward and be flattering. At the front they came to a point and were extremely low cut so that you could see the beginning of my toes. There were two little bars of leather that made a kind of short T above the toe cleavage.

The red shoes became very comfortable in the end but initially they and my feet had to learn a way to get along with each other. When it rained sometimes they turned my feet a bright shade of pink. To start with I didn’t have rubber soles put on them because I love the clip of leather soles on London pavements- eventually I did and they were quieter but the heels still made a satisfying sound. They were bought in an LK Bennet sale for less than half price- they didn’t really look like they were from LK Bennett- which isn’t meant to disparaging, they just weren’t one of their standard styles or colours or heights and I suspect that is why they were in the sale.

When I bought them I was certainly pleased but they weren’t a pair of shoes I had longed for and I didn’t look at them endlessly in their box as I have been known to do with some new shoes. I started wearing them almost immediately and unusually for me didn’t keep them for special occasions but wore them whenever I wanted- which ended up being virtually all the time. A really good pair of red shoes can have an amazing impact on the way an outfit looks, they can make something classic look a bit quirky and something plain look interesting and the wearer becomes blessed with an Amelie type quality. Most importantly looking down at your feet and seeing a really joyful red looking back at you gives you a spring in your step and the confidence that follows.

The red shoes and I went all over town and memorably they came to Paris where they passed the pavement test (how many men and women look down admiringly at your feet) with even more flying colours than they did at home. They were resoled many times and polished to keep their lipstick sheen; they got wet; they got mud on them from walking through the park; I even think they got salt from snow on them and I worried that I wouldn’t get the white marks out, but I did.

Then one day the leather started splitting where your foot bends and for the first time they had lost some of their cherry zest and I knew that the cobbler wouldn’t be able to do anything more for them. I didn’t wear them again but they did stay in my room for quite a long time, just neatly by some drawers because they still looked so interesting. They were an accidental purchase but I have never been able to find their like since- it was truly like they had a little personality of their own. They found me and we had adventures and now they are gone but I still remember them- even though they were just shoes. I was getting dressed this morning, putting on some red tights and I thought how fine my red shoes would have looked today and I just smiled. We had fun.

Picture of the red shoes from 'The Red Shoes'from Verdoux blog via Around the Edges blog.

Dorothy's shoes from Scene stealers here.

Flat out

I have alluded to the fact that I spend a great deal of my time striding around London like one Jane Austen's heroines before (heroine in the sense that I too am ruddy of complexion after walking from the south bank to the city and also in the sense that it's because I am too poor to have the carriage/ taxi all the time).

Now while I'm a heel lover- and wearer- sense and flats shoes have to prevail a lot of the time or I wouldn't be reaching any of my destinations very quickly.

I am also a lover of all shoes and think there is no less art in a flat shoe- in fact a flattering flat shoe is something I will always pay for. I can talk myself out of bright pink stilettos- don't need 'em (well much)- but perfect, low cut, dainty flats- gotta have 'em. I need them. I might NEVER see their like again.

For some time I have been wearing Jigsaw flats from last winter that are so perfect I did what I always say I will do and never do do- I bought two pairs. Sadly both have now seen better days on account of our temperate climate forcing near constant wear and my marching about probably putting them through multiple marathons- they have done extremely well but I can't keep asking them to go on or they will be lost forever and I want to keep them as they really are perfect and as comfortable as slippers.

So the quest for more has begun. In earnest. Rupert Sanderson has some delectable brogues which I can't copy to show you but are here and are lovely, dainty yet fashionable. I need them. In all the colourways. I can't really have them- though they do have very good sales at his shop.

For now, until the sales, I have bought some pleather flats that are hurting my feet and am begging the cobbler to perform magic on the Jigsaw shoes. Why didn't I buy 3 pairs? 4 pairs?

The Rose Reward Scheme

Last night I put into action a reward scheme for myself.

For example, action: go to the dentist, reward: go to Liberty sale afterwards.

I am basically copying my Mother’s model from my childhood. If I went to the dentist and was a good girl we could go to the nice shop that sold old fashioned cream tea afterwards. (Unfortunately when my Mother stopped taking me to the dentist I stopped going quite so much).

The dentist was good but I need a root canal- which costs more than the Marc Jacobs shoes I was going to reward myself with (above). So action: don’t go to the dentist, reward: get large dentist bill when I have to go.

Nevertheless the trip was worth it because I can report Liberty now have the entire By Redo scent and candle range for sale- and that I want some Bal D'Afrique please. Perhaps after the root canal eh?

Grey days: Saturday 9th of August

It has been raining and grey all day in London and I’ve had a wonderful time. If you just accept the soggy flip flop shod feet and frizz to the hair there is really nothing so bad about a warm, grey, drizzly day in the best city of all the rainy day cities.

So I hopped on the 22 up to Piccadily and in a wildly extravagant and possibly slight crazy move I bought these:



From here

Then I went to see this which is compelling… the muted colours and grey skies in the windows were perfect for today. I rather fell in love with Hammershoi’s work. I agree with Michael Palin, who it appears stole a march on lots of us and has been a Hammershoi fan for many years, when he says he can’t understand why Hammershoi’s work isn’t better known or more admired.




His painting is very photographic, he captures light beautifully and his work is very quiet, as far from ostentatious or showy as it could possibly be. It’s true that his style reminded me of Whistler, who the catalogue tells us was one of Hammershio’s heroes.

The exhibition made me think again how gifted and artistic Scandinavian people have always been and how much more we have in common with them than the neighbours we look to on our Southern and Western shores.

I ended my day visiting two bookshops, both lovely treasures but in different ways.
First a hop and a skip over the road to Hatchard’s where I bought this:



Then on to Holborn to Lamb’s Conduit Street and Persephone Books.



I bought this but wanted virtually everything. Lamb’s Conduit Street is one of those hidden wonder streets, it’s pedestrianised which is always agreeable (I am not an anti car fascist, I love cars but find concentrating on the road and not walking into it when I see something arresting in a window tricky!) it also has some nice individual shops that are fun to potter in.

It is very easy to get lost in this part of London, or at least it is for me. Still I don’t seem to learn so having bought a book I wandered off with purpose and apparently not much sense of direction and got fairly lost, but not in alarming way- I always vaguely knew where I was… just not exactly where I was. Still I found my way and sometimes the best way isn't the quickest way. As Jack Johnson says getting lost is not a waste of time. I eventually hopped back on a bus and home to a warm bath looking forward to reading my new book.

Rupert Sanderson grey court shoe picture courtesy of Rupert Sanderson's website, as above

Hammershoi picture courtesy of the Royal Acadmey website, as above

Special edition Virago 84 Charing Cross Road picture courtesy of: http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/assets/images/EAN/Large/9781844085248.jpg

Persephone books picture courtesy of their website, as above.