How I'm surviving the rain in NYC

Jeffrey Campbell Vee shoes. But you can't do too much walking in them or they rip. I wonder where one can get galoshes fixed. I'll have to investigate that.

Lacquer - Galoshes

How awesome are these galoshes? Apparently they are vintage Nicole Miller.


via Lacquer.

shoe stretcher inspiration

does anyone else get inspired by these?
all via ebay, and they link to source.
you're welcome.

like wow.

I bought a pair of shoes that need stretching. That's how great they are. They're kind of awesome, well, hopefully, once they're stretched. I thought of stretching it out myself and don't think it's worth it. some youtube videos look hard core. so... cobbler express for me!

sigerson morrison and shift dress

So here are boots that I hope will go with my soon to be made shift dresses.
I got these shoes at Loehmann's the other day (ok, like a month ago).
They're sigerson Morrison.
And as I've been writing, short boots are awesome.
However, they are difficult to pull off and cannot work with every outfit.
Like these, I can't tuck them under my boot cut pants because of all the leather above the actual shoe part of the boot.

I've decided that you've got to have ankle hugging pants - like leggings.

So... I want to make some (like a million in a million different colors) that look like this (yeah, if I post the picture enough, maybe I will finally make one):

they take shoe making classes in Japan too!

Wiksten posted about a Japanese store called cotton which has a blog.

Me being Japanese and all I was excited to see there was a blog to the clothing store.

Me trying to learn Japanese and all I've decided to read the blog even though that takes me like forever.

One of the posts was about a shoe making class.

Me writing on this blog and all about wanting to learn how to make shoes, I thought it was fate that this blog posted about making shoes.

Me spending so much time translating it and all I thought I'd give you a bit about what the post is all about: taking a shoe making class... and working hard on it.

Generic clothing brands

I don't mind generic groceries, but when it comes to my pants or shirts i don't know if I can trust them. Are they cut right? Are they made well? What have these stores got to lose if they make their own shirts? If their shirts don't sell, the brand names will and they stay in business either way.

A STORY OF MY GENERIC SHOE THAT GOT KILLED
I got Barney's brand loafers at a barneys co-op sale and the first time I wore it the heel broke off. Since I don't wear things I buy until months later (not always) I couldn't return them so I took them to a cobbler near my home. I will never trust cobblers because of him.

First of all he didn't have the shoes ready. When I went to pick them up I saw, in front of my eyes, just how he butchered them. He smeared dark brown shoe polish all over the leather that was purposefully made to look worn (it was the type that shows the scratches beautifully). Then, instead of matching the heel with the original design, he added a plastic one. Since the two were disparately different, he smeared shoe polish all over both the ugly shiny plastic heel and the original wooden heel. He killed my shoes. I have since appreciate what it means to have a good cobbler.


GENERIC GLOVES THAT MAKE UP FOR IT
On the other hand, I have had a good experience with gloves. I misplaced my gloves from last year making me have to get new ones. My go to glove is the generic glove at either bloomingdale's (can't find them online) or Lord and Taylor (clicking will take you there). A picture does not do the simple glove justice.
My grandfather in Japan has a pair that are kazillion years old and he looks so awesome when he wears them. They are so worn out, so subtly sophisticated.

Who would have thought that these house labels could produce gloves that are so classic.


Here they are being worn.


That's all for my generic brand story.

dreams to be a cobbler

SALES SALES SALES they say.

this time of year I find myself scouring for shoes on sale racks more than anything else.

For some reason I can't find what I want this year.
i have the image in my head, but i can't find it in the stores.
i know it exists. i've seen other people wear it around. where are you shoe?

this is when i wish i could just make my shoes. then i wouldn't waste all this time looking for "the ones".

it's so expensive to take classes though.

FOR EXAMPLE - PLACES TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE SHOES IN NEW YORK CITY

make workshop is something i found out from a friend.
they offer DIY classes for people who work and want to be crafty on their down time.
BUT
the class costs $575 +supplies.

and i don't see oxfords. i don't see closed toe shoes.

the examples of shoes link to magazine images.
what about what's really made at the workshop?

i'd rather buy my dream shoe for that price.

then... i wondered what FIT has to offer.
it's cheaper, but not by much.

as a resident it's $142 a credit x 3 credits = $426.
i imagine it's more serious than make workshop though.

but i think you have to be a student there because there are prerequisites.

here are the course descriptions to dream about.

i wish i could make mules & oxfords.
one day..... one day....

LD 133 — Footwear Design and Construction I
3 credits; 1 Lecture and 4 STUDIO hours per week
Co-requisite: LD 121
The basic concepts of footwear design are introduced and the history and types of footwear are discussed. Students develop skills for working with a last and learn patternmaking, sewing, construction, and finishing techniques for closed shoes.

LD 134 — Footwear Design and Construction II
3 credits; 1 Lecture and 4 STUDIO hours per week
Prerequisites: LD 111, LD 121 and LD 133
Students analyze last styles, leathers, and components in terms of functionality and design. They continue to develop patternmaking skills by designing and making mules and oxfords.

the twosome karl siegerson & miranda morrison of siegerson morrison graduated from FIT. I see their shoes everywhere.

there is only one store in NYC to buy the wooden form for the class. they have odd hours (like open only until 11am or somthing) and they are the only place to buy these molds that you NEED. they're mean and take advantage of their position. crazy right? a bird told me.

as for the dreamy part about being a cobbler......

when i think about being a cobbler i think of making shoes like these silver marc jacobs shoes from saks... that i'd make in black or navy.

yeah, i think i'd make most things in blue. we need more blue shoes in life.

I am liking the men's shoes

i like mens shoes and don't know what to do about it.

walk around like a clown?
(no i don't)

Last week United Bamboo had a sample sale.
<---------$70 (i know.)
Racked.com covered it.

OR they just re-posted (join the club!) what the choosy beggar posted.

Best search agent for finding boots

on racked.com i stumbled upon modista.com.

it shows you shoes and as you choose the shoe it shows you similar ones like it so that you ultimately find your dream shoe.

great idea right... well, yeah, in theory.

as i tried it i kept clicking one shoe leading me to another shoe, leading me BACK to the first shoe.

it was the worst.

it got me thinking about how complex it must be to create algorithms (right?) that search the way you want them to search and reflect your style.
i mean, it's difficult enough to choose words to describe style, how do you do it with numbers?

THEN...
i kept searching the internet for "mid-calf boots" because, just when you thought you had the complete collection of boots, they come out with another type that works so much better, well at least for this year.

I found myself at shopstyle.com, a website that i underestimated.

compared to the fiasco that was modista, shopstyle.com is soooo much better. how do they do it.
no really, they must link to select stores.

what did I find you ask?

inspirational ------------->
(meaning not affordable)
D.CO COPENHAGEN booties/mid-calf boots/boots from a website called farfetch.com. The shop they are from is called OLGA in paris. ugh. shipping costs would apply here too.



<-----------------------More affordable are these ALDO SAMMIE boots, which are cheaper on amazon.com than on the ALDO website (or their actual store, that's right i went).

i'm not 100% sure if they're cute because... they're the first that I actually like. one should not make rash boot decisions.

FRYE

So I have a pair of boots from a thrift store 3 years ago that look just like FRYE's paige short buckle boot -------->

now that i see MINE via digital image they look like crap.

(no wonder a lady at work asked me if they were from last year)

needless to say they did not cost me $237.95 like they are listed on amazon.

BUT mine look really used and I may need to replace sometime soon.

i think I remember seeing them in UrbanOutfitters last year for $175... should have got them then...

they look like a pair that should be barbour, or filson.com
you know, like one of those classic shoes... llbean maybe?

the rain boot

a few days a month it rains ALL DAY in the big apple.
if you wear flats they get drenched and ruined.
if you wear sneakers it's the same.

the only way NOT to ruin your shoes on a rain filled day is to wear rain boots.
luckily they're gorgeous!

<------ so i have a pair of nice Lady N Hunter boots, BUT if you look at me walking down the street my legs are not swimming in the shoes. They're actually quite tight around my calf (sigh). therefore, i have come to the conclusion that i must find short ones for the lady on the go go.

here are my finalists:
<------------the ARGYLL short boot that I can only find in men's so I need to try it on some time at a store before I venture to buy. i'm even thinking of ordering them from the England. $69.26 at Zappos.com


today i found a pair that i think are the ones: TRETORN----------->

they are lined
and they look canadian (not sure though)
they're cheaper than the short trendy argyll

i'm convincing myself just writing this.

$60 at REI.com

not shiny ones at amazon for $54.99, oh amazon, so reliable...

$59.95 minus $20 using paypal = 39.95 if you buy at shoebuy.com

Sudden lust for oxfords.

i really like this blog: a history of architecture
she has such subtle style.

if you click on that link it will take you to her post on finding the perfect oxfords.

SO that's what they're called.
well.
who doesn't have a quest for oxfords really?

it's like she read my mind (get out of my head)

i want blue ones like those---->
that image is from pikepine.com whose website doesn't seem to be up, but updates on my google reader still come up (strange).

UPDATE: the link it does work (perplexing)