Shoe styles for Spring Summer 2015

Hola People !!

Its time to re-frame your shoe closet. Today I am going to discuss the ''pointy toe'' style which is going to run popular in the coming year. What can you expect from this style and things to consider before buying them.

1) The pointed toe / Court shoe / Pump

Whatever you call them, they are all over the place and there is more experimentation happening around them. Besides the plain closed pointy heels (read Classic), there is construction of an ankle strap design, use of transparent materials, D'orsays with pointy toe and sling-back closure. By this time most of you must be owning a couple of pairs of the pointy toes. However if you are considering buying a few more in different colours or styles then its not a bad idea.

Usually pointy toe shoe requires a bigger size then your normal open toe shoes. So make sure you try the shoes well before buying. Consider buying them in the evening as your feet swell up a little bit by evening. This will make sure the fit is comfortable at all times.

• The classic black or nude pointy shoe is a must have.
• A kitten heel pointy shoe will be ideal for work and official meetings.
• Pointy shoe combined with transparent material is quite cool for parties. 
• You may also consider buying accessorized pointy shoes for events which are out of the ordinary. 
• A ballerina with pointy toe is great for casual outings.
• Satin or Leather constructed pointy heels look dazzling. 
• Boot with a pointed toe looks dapper.

Shoes types to go with your dressing

A big question we face every time we face the mirror is which shoes will match the outfit, without pulling the look down? Very often we mistake coordinating the wrong shoe style and look in-stylish. 

A few golden rules to follow and you will avoid the fashion faux pas. Here are some simple yet amazing points :-

Wedge Heel:

• These shoes add height, but many find them easier to walk in, than stilettos. If you already know of a long day coming up, then make a wise choice and wear wedges. 
• Worldly and striking, wedges have a very urbane look to them.
• A wedge heel looks great with nearly any length skirt or dress.
• Wedges will add definition and shape to heavy ankles, making them appear thinner.
• Must have wedge heels in black and pastel shade in your wardrobe. 

Wear your wedge heel with:

• Maxi skirts
• Some jumpsuits
• Shorts
• Short skirts
• Bohemian styles
• Wrap dresses
• Wide or flared jeans or pants

Oxford shoes

Oxford shoes is a classic. The only problem is, a lot of women aren't sure what to wear with Oxfords. Below are few of the most popular and attractive combinations.

Oxford Shoes and Women's Jeans: In addition to being the most obvious choice, jeans are also the easiest thing to pair with flat Oxford shoes. Skinny jeans, cropped, rolled, and even straight leg jeans can handle the masculinity of a pair of Oxford shoes, and even benefit from being paired with them, since the dressiness of most Oxfords will help to elevate women's jeans out of that "too casual" range.

Women's Oxfords with Casual and Dress Pants: Dress pants and Oxford shoes are another no-brainer; and the combination is probably the first one most women think of when they're considering a pair of flat Oxfords. In fact, you can really make a pair of Oxfords stand head and shoulders above other flats by choosing the right pair of dressy or casual pants -- or even jumpsuits -- to wear with them.

Ankle Boots:

Ankle Boots with Long Skirts: Whether they're flat or heeled, ankle boots and long skirts or maxi skirts are classic combinations for fall. Whichever style you prefer, the key is to show no leg. If the skirt isn't long enough to cover the top of the ankle boot on its own, add a pair of tights. You can see this combination is many movies and it will be easy to recreate one of the looks. 

The Best Pants for Ankle Boots: They work with any kind of fitted and well hemmed bottoms. Avoid anything which is wide-legged.  Pants with straight legs or tight hemline are the ones that can be tucked well into ankle boots. Wide-legged pants tucked into short boots create a very unflattering balloon effect.

Ankle Boots with Leggings or Tights: Cropped leggings don't work well with ankle boots. Long leggings or tights, look great -- assuming of course, that leggings look good on you in the first place. If they don't, pairing them with ankle boots isn't going to make the situation any better.

Mixing Prints and Patterns

Mixing print is refreshing and scary at the same time. Some people carry it with such oomph and others look like moving festival. The moral of the story is patterns add interest to any outfit, and everyone, of any size, should have that in their style collection. A head-to-toe print is a bold choice, and mixing two different styles can really add to the impact. Lets discuss some do's and dont's on mixing prints while minimising mistakes.

To start with, take a little splash at a time. Just start pulling things out of your closet and try them on.

A favourite go-to print combo is stripes, floral and polka dots. You may also mix them in any proportion and still will look right. 

Mixing geometric styles, or putting a busy pattern with a graphic tee, also does the trick to start with. 

Using black and neutral colours as a basis is a great way to start mixing and matching patterns.

Make sure one colour repeats in every piece of the outfit (for example, if you have navy print on the top then match it with a bottom with hints of navy in it).

Combine loose prints with structured prints (like swirls with stripes or multi abstracts with checks).

Blend small designs with larger-scale ones (such as checks with bold flowers or large aztec with smaller dots).

Add a solid coloured jacket in the repeating colour to a head-to-toe printed outfit. This illusion never fails. It minimizes any discomfort you feel from the boldness of your attire. 

The trick is to choose patterns that are complementary without being too matchy-matchy. Make sure they do not clash as well.

A strong pattern should be mixed with a complementary fine print.

A combination of flowy and definite makes for a pretty printed picture. If you have a loose top then match it with a fitted skirt or pants and vice versa.

Cute little animal prints are a big hit this season. So mix and match some happy pet expression. 

That's all.. Now go and have some fun!!

Colour guide of matching trendy shoes with the outfit

Remember to match your shoe colours with your clothing colours. That’s important!  

Here are a few tips on which shoe colours go best with certain clothing colours.

• Black shoes: they match with nearly any outfit except solid pastels and some earth tones -- but even then, if black is repeated somewhere in the outfit, black shoes can be a dynamic choice. Always have comfortable black shoes in your wardrobe with can be used on formal as well as casual occasion. I have a pair of black court shoes which I wear to office as well as parties. (pic attached). You can shop this pair on Flipkart - Brand ''Claude Lorrain''. 
• Brown shoes: They match with shades of tan, brown, beige, orange, greens, and darker earth tones.
• Tan/Light Brown shoes: Match it with lighter earth tones, blue, beige, lighter tan or white.
• Cream/Taupe shoes: Match them with whites, light neutrals, and pastels.
• White shoes: light neutrals, bright's, and pastels. White shoes goes well with multi coloured or printed outfits too, giving the look a subtle effect.
• Silver shoes: Matches with pastels, as well as with white, black, blues and purples.
• Gray shoes: Matches with blacks, blues, greys, reds, as well as some yellows.
• Gold shoes: goes with greens, reds, browns, and they usually look good with black and white as well. They are a popular choice to wear for weddings and pre functions, so a comfortable heel is a good choice for long hours of standing and dancing. 

Even less common shoe colours are simple to match to your clothing.

• If a colour is present in your outfit, you can repeat it in your shoes. 
• If the shoe colour isn't in your outfit, you can rely on matching "values" (deep with deep, light with light, etc.)
• You can make an outfit work by using analogous colour schemes. This means using colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs. Eg - Green and Blue. Orange and lime yellow. Reds and Peach Pinks. Choose one colour to dominate, a second to support.

 

Monsoon Do's and Dont's/ Tips

Yeah, i know everyone is Mumbai is grinning about the lack of rain. So am I. However its best to utilise this time to do the last minute shopping and gearing up for the rains. Bonus is of course the sweet ''End of sale season''

1) Carry an extra plastic bag in your purse or office bag. It will be handy to carry the drenched umbrella.
2) Raincoats don't really help and are too time consuming to put on when there is sudden burst of rain. So make sure you have a good sturdy umbrella to accompany you.
3) Dark coloured pants/tops are the best to wear this season. They wont make you transparent while exposed to water and will prevent the stains from showing.
4) Keep an extra pair of clothing and neat shoes in your office. Its best if you can use two pairs of shoes, one for travelling and the other one for office.
5) Open wet hair look good only in movies. So make sure to neatly pin up or tie your hair during the monsoon. Rain really gets your hair to become frizzy so leaving them open will make you appear messy and mixed-up. Keep it neat and simple.
6) Make sure you wash your hair alternate days during monsoon. The rain water can make your scalp itchy, resulting in dandruff issues.
7) Carry a clean napkin in your bag to quickly wipe yourself dry after a drizzle.
8) With respect to clothes - don't wear over flowy dress or top, wind in particular isn't friendly with flowy clothes. Wear cotton trousers as they are easy to dry overnight. If you bottoms are longer then your height then make sure to trim the hem or you will end up with all the filth in your pants.
9) I personally feel that plastic footwear is for barbies. So would recommend using normal ballerina or small height wedges to walk safe in the rain. Only wear non-slip sole footwear to avoid a fall.

So this should get you all geared up for rain. On days off, let your hair down and get soiled in the rain. Cheers!!

Tips to keep your feet infection free during monsoons.

Mentioned below are a few tips that will help you keep your foot infection free in Monsoon.

• Camphor powder is an effective antiseptic. Mix it with talcum powder and apply before wearing shoes and after opening them.

• Rubbing onion juice between infected toes helps to cure infection faster.

• If you develop itching due to muddy water, wash feet in a mild solution of lime juice and vinegar to reduce the itch.

• If your wet feet have a tendency to cause odour, mix 5 ml of peppermint oil in a tub of lukewarm water with a handful of neem leaves and soak your feet for 10 minutes. Dry and spray talcum powder on it. This will help in reducing the perspiration plus relieve you from odour-causing bacteria.

• Sometimes during this season our nails become soft, brittle and start to clip. You can prevent this by adding a few drops of olive oil and lemon juice to a tablespoon of honey and apply this mixture to the nails before sleeping to treat brittle nails.

• At the end of a humid, rainy day, soak your feet in cold water and salt solution. Scrub, clean and wipe dry.

• Diabetics should take special care of their feet during monsoon as they are more prone to infections due to water retention. To avoid this, always have separate pairs of shoes for office and travelling; upon reaching the office wash your feet and dry them, if possible, sprinkle powder between the toes and slip into your dry pair of shoes.

Footwear Do's and Dont's for Monsoon

Mentioned below are a few tips that will help you in buying the right footwear for monsoon and keeping your feet happy and infection free this season.

Flip-flops made of rubber or materials from PVC are ideal for the rains, because they are washable, dry easily and easy-to-maintain footwear. They are available in a range of designs and colours and are suitable for both girls and guys.

Full Plastic Footwear is low-cost options for rainy season and are widely used in heavy rains. Nowadays they are available in varied styles generally looking like stylish leather shoes.

With a formal outfit, you can wear sandals with straps as they would be firm on your feet. Go for slip-resistant sandals and check that your wet feet don’t slip even inside the footwear.

Wear a sandal which has a back strap, this will avoid the dirty water to splash on your back while walking.

Open toes or closed shoes: Open toes or peep toes are available in waterproof material from PVC. They come in colors like red, pink, blue, silver and gold. Flat Ballerinas or closed shoes made from Lycra look great and survive monsoon.

Gum Boots: There is nothing better than rain boots and Gum Boots to protect your feet in heavy rains. This waterproof footwear is usually knee-high, water-proof and are mostly made from rubber or PVC. These boots protect the feet from mud, dirt and water during monsoon.

Avoid

• Avoid wearing heels in rainy season. But, if you just cannot resist wearing heels then go for slip-resistant sandals of heels not over 2 inches.

• Avoid wearing leather footwear as much as possible. Too much exposure to water will you’re your leather footwear.

Here are some tips while purchasing your footwear for monsoon:

• While purchasing plastic footwear, make sure that the pair doesn’t have any sharp edges as those could give you shoe bites.

• For this season, particularly, whether you are buying flat sandals or heels, look for footwear with good grip that hold feet in place and do not slip when the feet and shoes are wet.
• Don't throw away old, spare shoes that are still wearable. Get them treated before the rains begin as they will get you through these few months.

Don’t

• During monsoon do not wear sports or canvas shoes as they may attract the growth of bacteria.

• Don’t keep your shoes and sandals under the bed or inside the shoe rack when it is wet. This gives birth to bacteria’s. Let them dry in a cool place to keep away the bacteria’s from breeding in your shoes.