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.

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.

 

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.

How to use Sheer to look sexy

Sheer is a very fine fabric, usually see through and light in weight.

We all own several clothes and accessories in sheer but sometimes fail to style it right. 

So today I am going to talk about various ways to wear your sheer's without being shoddy. 

Formal Look 

• A crisp black or white shirt is perfect for a formal look. If your work permits you can wear a solid colour with little bit of contrast on the collar or the pocket area. 
• Don't forget to have a comfortable well fitted inner to go with your shirt. Often an ill fitted inner would roll up exposing the stomach and back at your work meetings making it rather awkward for you to cover up. 
• Most sheer fabrics give a foul smell when there is sweating. Wearing the shirt for more then 8-10 hours at a stretch for work will give out an foul smell. Make sure to use a 24 hour deodorant protection for your underarms. 
• Remember an impressive appearance is half battle won.

Living it up

• A sheer dress is most commonly available right from a fashion street to a high street mall. This will be the easiest thing for you to buy on your next shopping trip and remember you need not burn a hole in your pocket for the sheer dress. 
• If you are buying something that you can sport on a beach then go for bright colours and lots of prints. Do not splurge on this dress because the only other place you will be able to wear it is an Hawaiian themed party. Go for a long dress like a maxi. They are comfortable on the beach and don't fly easily when windy. 
• For a party - A dress with the shoulder in sheer looks very elegant. Again be careful to wear the right type of inner wear with this. Go for a strapless inner wear in order to avoid a fashion faux. Another option is to wear a dress with a sheered uneven hemline. You can wear this with a belt if your dress is in a solid colour
• Sheer and Glitter go very well. So if you are up to look like a shiny diva pick up a sheer with glitter
• A peek-a-boo of sheer near the waistline if you have one which you can flaunt, will definitely make heads turn

For not so thin

• Don't worry if you have a heavier upper body, sheer will works for you too. Go for prints on your sheer top this will divide the attention of the onlooker and the flab will go unnoticed. 
• If you are wearing a solid sheer top go for a dark shade like black, dark blue, maroon, bottle green etc. Team it with a neon or bright coloured bottom like mustard, sky blue, mint green etc. 

Traditional Indian Wear and The New Indian Wear (Gowns)

• If you are a modern age bride and want a fusion to spill over your garments then a sheer blouse with Indian embroidery is for you. A sheer back looks absolutely sexy and will play a cute camouflage with your skin. 
• Gown which has made a quick entry into Indian weddings can be made with a lot of sheer. A flowy dress for a cocktail or a gown for a reception can use sheer beautifully. 

For your toes

• The same principles that apply to your clothes hold true for your shoes. 
• A sheer with glitter heel is so desirable. This can be your accessory with an LBD. It will instantly lift up your fashion quotient. 
• A peek a boo of sheer and other materials in a single colour look very fashionable. 

So I say cheer with your sheer's. 

Recycle / Up cycle shoe box - DIY

Do something for the environment       

You may use a shoe box for various purposes, please find them listed below 

1.  For storage purpose - 

Pen/pencil/crayon box, magazine rack, office supplies storage, tool box, CD storage, photo album or lose photos

2.   For gifting purpose - A gift box or present box

Paste a gift wrapper around the shoe box and turn the box into a wonderful gift box for your loved ones. 

3. Toy box

Puppet theatre box, make a robot out of the box, doll-house, preschool art and crafts, school science projects, Guitar, piggy-bank 

4.  Love pets - Make a pet house 

Put a thin layer of cushioning inside and make it bedding if your pet is tiny in size. You may use the box to transport the pet too

5. Aid in transportation

Tiffin box transport, water bottle transport

6. Wall shelves

Paint the box and turn them into beautiful wall shelves, you may also use it as a drawer separator

7. Tissue box

Carefully cut the plastic on the top of the box and make it into a tissue holder.

8.  Flower pot holder

Tips On What To Wear With Your New Red Shoes

Tips On What To Wear With Your New Red Shoes

Fairy tales often use shoes as a symbol representing an escape from a boring routine life, and we couldn’t agree more. Most of us have a shoe collection that goes way beyond what we need. But unfortunately we all end up with pairs that never get worn simply because we don’t know what to wear with them. Bright and offbeat colors like Red, Orange, Green, Purple play the culprit here.

An impulsive buy at your favourite shoe store, and you land up with Red heels. Come home and you realize that you’re not sure what outfit you can wear that will make those hot little numbers stand out without looking flashy. No worries, i will give you some quick tips on how to sport your pretty red heels without looking like red riding hood.

Some pointers to follow with red heels:

·         Go for grey or black when they're going to the office with you. Yes, it's possible to wear red shoes to the office and look more like a professional than a tart. Although red will go with some colors, you'll want to stay subdued here by making the shoes the only really colorful part of your outfit. Pair a black jacket and black skirt/trouser with a subdued black or white top and the red shoes will stand out without drawing unwelcome attention. Add red lipstick and a red handbag to head to happy hour drinks after work. (Note that grey works as well as black does with red shoes.)

·         Get flirty and fun with a pink/white number. If you're going for a more fun, romantic kind of look then you'll want to stick with the pink/white category of clothes. A frilly white top with a pink and white skirt or a dress dominantly in white with hints of pink, will look cute but those red shoes will give it that sense of sexy that you're trying to hint at.

·         Everyone has an LBD (Little Black Dress) which perfectly complements red heels. You can add a red belt to your dress and be ready to gloom. LBD’s can come in various styles like halter neck, boat nech, three fourth sleeve, flary, fitted etc. Pick the one which is made for your body type.

·         Red is the color of wedding for most people in India. You can team your red heels with gold and black Indian wear. It is not necessary to have glittering heels with your Indian attire unless the style police in your community finds you sloppy on account of a non flashy shoe.  If the outfit already has too much work, go for a more subtle heel (read without diamonds).

·         Dark jeans. If you're going to wear jeans or a jean skirt with red shoes then you want to make sure that they're of the dark blue variety. Most women just don't look right trying to pull off light colored denim with red shoes. As long as you've got dark jeans, almost any top should work with the shoes. If you want to draw attention primarily to the shoes, though, stick with a simple top. A white T-shirt, dark jeans and red high heels tells the world that you're a versatile gal with a sexy streak inside.

Lastly, have fun with what's in your closet and don't be afraid to be bold!

The DIY guide for making your own shaded heels

• Own an old pair of plain black heels? If yes, its make over time. Bring them out and clean them thoroughly with a soft brush or damp cloth, depending on the material of your shoe.                    
• If no, go out and buy a pair. Best part is you need not spend a bomb on this; so pick up that pair you saw at a road side stall, just make sure it fits well and doesn’t look weird on wearing. (It doesn’t take time for the round toe shape to turn into a square one and then an unidentified shape). If you are not strict on budget then I would suggest to get better quality of heels.
• Insert tissues or old newspaper in them. Make sure you fill in a way to avoid large gaps on the edges. Cover the heels with masking tape. 
• You will need to buy 2 bottles of spray paints. Select a shade (i.e. Lime in this picture) and get a light and a dark shade of it. Suitable color would be blue, nude, green and lavender. 
• Spray the lighter shade first. Let it dry out for few hours. Kobe Spray Paint is easily available online. You can even check out other brands for Spray Paints at your nearest Stationary Stores. 
• Spray the other darker shade and let it dry out for another few hours. 
•  Clean the sole & remove the tape from heels. Your Shaded Heels are ready to wear. Voila! Here is your very own creation!!