Tag Archives: Zara

aaaah, ah-ah-ah-ah, the Cities of Gold

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Today I’m feeling a little bit Aztec, a little bit Peruvian, slightly Inca, and basically inspired by all things south American (which also means I will be singing the theme tune to one of my favourite kids’ TV shows, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, ALL DAY). If you’re looking for some bright coloured printed or embroidered footwear, then this is definitely the season for you. Fancy a bit of a tribal print? You got it. Pom-poms? Check. Desert boots made out of carpet? Yep, I’ve got that covered too. (No, really, I have!)

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Penelope Chilvers Sunshine plimsoll, £109 (penelopechilvers.com) BUY ME HERE!

This trend first caught my eye when the Penelope Chilvers summer look book arrived on my desk a few months ago. I instantly fell in love with these printed plimsolls, and this shot, with its guacamole coloured background, is good enough to hang on your wall! This fabric reminds me of the early Nineties and incense burners, but in a totally good way!

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L.K. Bennett Bamboo slippers, £225 (lkbennett.com) BUY ME HERE!

These gorgeous pom-pom slippers are designed by the uber-stylish fashion director of Tank Magazine, Caroline Issa. Caroline often wears incredible heels (they must be incredible for a flat-lover like me to admire them!), so I was really pleased she included some flats in her collaboration with L.K. Bennett.

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DUO Bloom slippers, £80 (duoboots.com) BUY ME HERE!

DUO (the width fitting specialists, for those of you who struggle to find shoes that fit) has these lovely tassel slippers. The Aztec style fabric is also available on an ankle boot (here), which is worth considering in this freezing weather!

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Zara slipper, £29.99 (zara.com) BUY ME HERE!

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Aldo Lucyna flats, £45 (alsoshoes.com) BUY ME HERE!

And the list goes on. You’ll find this trend trickling into everything too, from jackets to handbags to skirts, but I wouldn’t advise wearing it head-to-toe. I think my favourite discovery must be these fabulous desert boots from Kiboots, made from upcycled rugs. And because they use recycled materials, every pair is different. They’re not yet stocked in the UK, but you can buy on their website and they’re hoping to be stocked over here soon.

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Kiboots Terry boots, €159.95 (kiboots.com) BUY SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO ME HERE!

sneaker peek at my favourite skate shoes and tennis pumps

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If there’s one thing I didn’t expect to see a lot of in Paris, it’s sneakers, but they were there on my feet, on the feet of the FROW and on the catwalk too. It seems that luxe trainers have moved on from high tops and on to a style more commonly associated with skateboarders and tennis players.

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me in Paris in my Jimmy Choo sneakers BUY THEM HERE!

These easy Jimmy Choo slip ons have a glitter finish so they look great either dressed down with jeans or dressed up with a leather mini skirt (as I wore them). They come in lots of different colours too, I’m rather fond of these white ones.

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Jimmy Choo Demi sneakers, £275 (jimmychoo.com)

On the catwalk, it wasn’t a massive surprise to see trainers at Comme des Garcons, but I managed to get such a good shot of them (because I was late and nearly missed the show so was standing with the photographers!), that I thought I’d share them with you.

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Comme des Garcons AW13 in Paris this week

Of course, you don’t need to spend a fortune to recreate this look as a plain tennis shoe is pretty easy to find without breaking the bank. I love Superga sneakers for their comfort and simplicity, and Zara is also pulling its weight with these lovely black raffia lace-ups.

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Superga 2750 Cotu Classic, £45 (superga.co.uk) BUY ME HERE!

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Zara raffia sneakers, £39.99 (zara.com) BUY ME HERE!

Then at Giambattista Valli, a quite unexpected loafer/skate shoe hybrid graced the catwalk. I loved the way they were styled with luxury skirts and evening dresses. This is my kind of occasion-wear!

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Giambattista Valli AW13 in Paris this week

The brand that a lot of these styles are paying homage to is skate shoe pioneer Vans, which hot label of the moment Kenzo has been collaborating with since last year. But for a cheaper alternative to the designer collection, just look at the Office website; it has over 100 different styles of Vans alone. This pair with its splatter print design are really cool.

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Vans, £54.00 at Office (office.co.uk) BUY ME HERE!

And if you liked those, you’ll love this collaboration between YMC and Liberty. I’ve always meant to get myself a pair of the Liberty x Nike trainers but now I’ve seen these, I think they’re going top of the wish list! They’re not available online just yet, but will be soon.

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YMC – Liberty canvas slip on, £80 (youmustcreate.com)

Paris Fashion Week: Wednesday

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It’s my last day in Paris! And I have to say I’m excited to get home and see Mr Brogue. I’m wearing my EnBrogue shoes from Office with a Paule Ka clutch and this fab oversized sweater I picked up from Zara on rue Saint Honore as I want to be comfortable on the Eurostar later. Just got back from Louis Vuitton, then Miu Miu, then home!

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Paris Fashion Week: Tuesday

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It’s been a two outfit day in Paris today. This morning was so warm and sunny, it was the perfect opportunity to wear my NW3 by Hobbs checked suit to Chanel. I’ve never worn the jacket and trousers together, but I think I got away with it without looking too much like a Bay City Rollers fan! I wore it with my trusty Ludwig Reiter boots, a Raoul belt and Coach bag.

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Then I changed for Hermes this evening (how posh!) into my Belle by Sigerson Morrison leopard print pumps, with Zara trousers and Fred Perry Breton top. One day left!

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Paris Fashion Week: Sunday

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It’s Sunday at Paris fashion week and I know I’m not the only one who has decided to dress down in trainers today. These are by Jimmy Choo and have a very subtle sparkly finish. I’ve teamed them with a plain leather skirt, Zara jumper and Sarah Baily clutch. Oh, and sunglasses – the weather has finally improved!

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high fashion hi tops

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OK, this post isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste. I’m not even sure it’s to mine. But the sheer volume of luxe hi tops out there has forced my hand and we’re going to discuss. By luxe, I mean either luxury brands turning their hand at making hi tops (something that has been going on for a few years now, particularly within menswear) or high street brands making luxurious looking trainers.

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Jimmy Choo Tokyo sneakers, £325, net-a-porter.com BUY ME HERE!

I am a big fan of hi tops. I own countless pairs of Converse, plus some Nike, Adidas and Puma, and I love wearing them when I am working on a shoot (comfort factor, anyone?). But when I got my hands on this Gerard Darel pair (below), an old sample from last season, initially I wasn’t sure. Gold trainers? Can I do that? Can a girl who loves the look of natural worn leather really do a metallic shoe?

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The answer, as you can see from this picture, is yes. Yes! Why the hell not? If you carefully team your luxe hi tops with a plain outfit, it’s really not that scary. Today I’m wearing some black pleather trousers from Zara (these are AMAZING, by the way, and are the best leather look I have found) and a black oversized Reiss shirt. Simple. The brand has carried this style through to summer 13 in different colourways (shown here), so you’ll be able to get your mitts on a pair soon. I love the black and tweed pair.

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Maison Martin Margiela, £390, shoescribe.com BUY ME HERE!

So what else is out there? We’ll start with some of the more expensive options. They will have you drooling, I’m afraid, but I reckon if you’re going to spend a lot of money on some designer shoes, it makes MUCH more sense to buy a comfortable pair of incredible trainers than some silly heels you can’t even walk in.

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Katie Grand Loves Hogan, £355, store.hogan.com BUY ME HERE!

Love is the word when we come to these green beauties, designed by Love Magazine’s editor-in-chief Katie Grand for Italian brand Hogan. They are achingly cool, especially when modelled by Edie Campbell in the brand’s campaign imagery. Have I talked you into it yet?

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Topshop sneakers (top), £65, topshop.com (BUY HERE!) and Zara sneakers (bottom), £69.99, zara.com (BUY HERE!)

As far as affordable luxe-style hi tops are concerned, good old Toppers has jumped on the bandwagon, as has Zara. These, our two most reliable high street stores for picking up on high end trends and translating them so the rest of us can afford them, have both gone for a spattering of leopard print. Leopard has become as easy-to-wear as a Breton stripe in the past few years, which is no bad thing in my book.

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Nike Dunk high tops, £65, store.nike.com (BUY ME HERE!)

Of course, the best value (and best functioning) trainers tend to come from sports brands, and Nike’s Dunk hi tops can also be found in interesting finishes. Keep an eye out for its regular Liberty collaborations if you’re fond of a floral print.

I’d love to know what you think. Would you step out in a pair of luxe hi tops? Or are they a step too far? I’ll leave you with my absolute favourite pick of the bunch from DSquared2. Because for me, when it comes to sporty footwear, you can’t do better than retro.

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DSquared, £198, reduced from £330, shoescribe.com (BUY ME HERE!)

tell me about it, stud

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En Brogue will be taking a short Christmas break, so I thought I do a festive post about studded pumps before I go and have my first sherry of the holidays. I was inspired by a gorgeous pair I spotted on a friend yesterday, and by my own trusty Zara pumps that I’ll be sporting on Christmas day of course!

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my Valentino inspired Zara studded pumps

They’re perfect for the party season (flat shoes are the best for dancing, naturally), and many similar styles have already been reduced in the sales. 

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Valentino Rockstud pumps, £393.07, farfetch.com BUY ME HERE!

Valentino started this trend with its Rockstud pumps, and now is the time to be looking for the real deal as prices start to reduce. I never buy designer at full price, but I’m always tempted when I see a bargain! These pointy ballet pumps also come in black, nude and hot pink, but I love these striking red ones, especially to wear over Christmas. They’re not in the sale yet, but I’ve got my eyes peeled…

 

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Zara pumps, £99.99, zara.com BUY ME HERE!

At £99.99, these rather showy studs from Zara are a little more pricey than my red ones were (£24.99 and no longer online, sadly) but that’s because you get a lot of bling for your buck (and they’re much cheaper than Valentino). Brilliant if you want to ditch the heels on New Year’s Eve but still have fantastic festive feet.

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KG Kurt Geiger Licorice pumps, £45 (reduced from £95), kurtgeiger.com BUY ME HERE!

Finally, this pair from Kurt Geiger were the inspiration for the post. And they’ve been reduced to £45 already! Love love love that monochrome dalmatian print and the studs are subtle enough so as not to overpower the shoe. They were still in store yesterday so hot-foot it to your nearest Kurt Geiger as these will sell out quick!

Anyway, hope you all have happy holidays partying smugly in your flat shoes while all around you hobble/apply plasters/are forced to dance bare foot. See you soon!

block party

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*holds hands up* OK, OK, this blog does veer towards the more masculine of shoe styles, I admit. So I reckon it’s about time I did a post on some fabulous feminine flats. Especially considering that some of the most frequent compliments I get on my own shoes are for the Office two-tone pumps in my profile picture (which are still available here, by the way, for £62).

I’ve looked for some similar styles in block colours, and as we’re fast approaching party season, have found what I think are some brilliant dancing shoes. Plus, as it turns out, you can pick up some super-chic shoes for not very much money at all, leaving more in your budget for cocktails!

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Melanie shoe, £30, topshop.com BUY ME!

I love this first pair from Topshop but they are so similar to my Office pointy pumps that I sadly can’t justify buying them, even though they come in at a cool £30. But as there is also a black and white colour option (here), perhaps there is a window of opportunity for a new purchase after all! I’d wear them with a sixties-style A-line skirt, grey tights and a chunky knit sweater by day, and a simple shift dress at night.

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Manika shoe, £32 reduced from £65, dune.co.uk BUY ME!

It’s only November but you can already start picking up some bargains in the early sales. These sophisticated lovelies from Dune would be perfect for the office if you have to dress smartly, but would also look great with skinny leather pants and a crisp white shirt for a party.

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Lingo shoe, £28, asos.com BUY ME!

A pink shoe is usually a little too feminine for me, but I really like these tricolour pumps from ASOS.com. I’m always fond of a mix of textures and these have a leather and suede effect (well, you didn’t expect it to be real leather at that price, did you?) which, along with the blocks of colour, adds extra interest to your feet. I think they’d look fab with a sequin T-shirt and jeans.

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Cowboy ballerina, £49.99, zara.com BUY ME!

These last pumps have been a huge favourite of fashion editors this season, and I can see why. They’re flamin’ lovely! They’d obviously look awesome teamed simply with blue jeans and a black sweater, but if you have an old favourite black dress lurking at the back of your wardrobe, these could give it a new lease of life. As I’m only 5’2″, my LBD falls just above the knee, but I reckon a bright pump like this would also suit a simple black jersey maxi on someone with a taller frame. Sometimes the most simple outfits are the best.

And that, folks, is about as feminine as I get. Remember, my choice of party shoe allows me to dance all night, run for the bus or even walk home if I miss it, so it’s worth bearing some flat shoes in mind next time you’re deciding what to wear for an evening out.

Leopard? Def.

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A few years ago, I would have been very unsure about wearing leopard print shoes (people will shout “Bet Lynch” and point at my feet!). That was before these Pretty Ballerinas pumps came into my life. I soon discovered, to my delight, that they literally went with everything. I dressed them up with a red fitted dress, and down with skinny jeans. I loved how the leopard print clashed with a Breton stripe. They looked brilliant with grey tights. I could go on.

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£169, prettyballerinas.com

Sadly – and unusually for me, given my enormous shoe collection which allows me to wear a different pair of shoes every day for a month – I actually wore my Pretty Ballerinas until they fell apart. That’s not to say they weren’t well made, more that they survived the battering of being worn in all weather conditions every week for two years. That’s not bad for a humble ballet pump. Their successors are these slipper style shoes from Office which, although I love the more masculine shape, don’t quite live up to the memory.

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similar styles at office.co.uk

If I was to buy one pair of leopard print shoes this season though, it would be these Chelsea boots from Zara. Zara has a bit of a reputation for making uncomfortable shoes but the good news is that this only applies to its heels. I’ve only ever had good experiences with Zara’s flat shoes and boots, so these feline fancies may well be my next stylish flat purchase.

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£79.99, zara.com