like butter

my new favorite shoe brand? butter. i have just discovered them on endless.com and they might now be my new go to brand for show-stopping colors in classic shapes, in other words, my go to shoe for a bad (or REALLY GOOD) day. now i just have to start saving up...

simply lovely

so, the little purple jacket that i put in the last post has been haunting me and i decided to take a look at the rest of the simply vera vera wang line for this season. bc i do not have a kohls in the city i cannot see the collection in person and sometimes forget to check it out online. however, i am super glad that i remembered bc it is still chic and well done and now has me lusting after a few pieces (seen below) particularly the orange ruffle sleeve sweater bc i haven't seen anything like it anywhere else and that black wool wrap jacket bc it is just timeless.

The winners

Well, it's too late for you to protest now, because I've already taken them out of the box and worn them outside, but the boot winners are ...

The Corso Como Rhonda.

They are almost perfect. In a universe ruled by me, the shaft could be a nudge higher and the heel could be a tad chunkier, but they fit like they were made for me and I love the color and the asymmetrical top and, really, everything. And trust me, I tried on just about every other pair in existence for Fall 2010.

I hesitated a long time over the Lucky Brands, but ultimately, upon trying them on for the third time, came to the conclusion that 17" shaft or no, they were simply too bulky and wide. From some angles they looked great and from others (for instance, my own vantage point looking down) it was as if my leg was swimming in a sea of leather. Wearing them, I felt like I could jump into a barn and start shoveling manure. They'd be great boots for a long country walk followed by a frolic through the sheep pasture. Which, while it sounds amazing, isn't exactly my current lifestyle.

This long, protracted(, and ultimately pretty silly) boot hunt made me realize that there are two kinds of riding boots in the world: equestrienne and rugged. The ones I wound up with were, surprisingly, the former; surprising because all along it was the rugged that appealed to me. But it's all good. I'll wear these into the ground for the next several years. And then ...

... dark brown or black, what do you think?
(Just kidding, husband!!)

The quest continues

I guess the vague half-formulated mental look I am going for is as follows, though I realize it's a little all over the map (zip, no zip, slouchy, no slouch):

Most of these images are from the Madewell site, and yes, they do have boots for sale but they're $300 and look short.
Instead, going to see if I can try these on after work. And I haven't given up on the Lucky Brand ones. Maybe my zipper requirement is what's been throwing me off.

Please weigh in

Okay guys, pardon the awful phone pictures. I'll spare you the boot hunt details to which M. and C. have been privvy, probably to to their chagrin (entering week #6!).

Option #1: Franco Sarto Panko. They zip up, but just barely (see that cuff? My leg is bulging out over it). I'm not sure they can get stretched because there's a decorative buckle that snaps (again just barely) over the zipper. However, I do like them. They are not quite as tall in the shaft as Option #2....and I'm worried I couldn't get them stretched to wear over jeans because of the snap. They definitely won't fit over jeans as is. But, if they could be stretched, they'd be super elegant and tough at the same time ... That zipper goes on the outer shaft, not inner, in case you're wondering.

Option #2: Lucky Brand Andria. These don't have a zipper, which was my requirement for spending three digits on a pair of long-sought riding boots. However, they pulled on and off easily, to my surprise and delight. They are also surprisingly tall (I'd give 'em a solid 17" inch shaft estimate, which is very VERY hard to find--trust me--I've been looking). The toe is rounder than the Franco Sartos, which is more of an almond shape. Question is, without a zipper, are they too bulky in the ankle to wear with dresses? Or is that okay and Frye-like?

Please ignore my outfit, especially my hideously unflattering jeans, which I have now traded in at Gap for a 30% off pair of their delightfully cut 1969 Curvys.

Update: here's another photo of the Lucky Brands. See? Bulky. But comfy! You can tell which way I'm leaning which is why I need you people to honestly tell me if I'll look like a clodhopper in them.

very bunny

would it weird you out if i had these on? maybe. 

would they make me laugh? mostly. 

worth the $16 investment? definitely. 

urbanoutfitters.com

Drool

These literally stopped me in my tracks in a store window on my way into work this morning.

I have been adamant that I didn't want to invest in over-the-knee boots (I worry that they're too trendy and will look dated) when in six years I haven't even found a pair of riding boots that suits me. But these ... are definitely worth trying on. And, potentially, saving up for.

Yes, I know my recent posts have been very acquisitive-minded. I'm only this greedy around fall fashion, I swear.

I'll be wearing ribbons in my ... shoes ... this summaaaaaaaaah

I saw these sneakers in this month's J. Crew catalog. Don't need new sneakers but thought this was a cute idea. So I ordered ivory ribbon shoelaces from eBay for $3.49 including shipping and I'll string them into my black Converse. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Speaking of J. Crew, I really hate to love on it because I'm not a J. Crew girl (so I tell myself, when really I probably am a J. Crew girl, I just hate to be so ... predictable). But I love the styling in their catalogs. It's like Lucky magazine. I come away with 20 outfit ideas from stuff already in my closet, just from looking at the unexpected way they mix colors and textures.

(Bonus points for anyone who gets the reference in this post's title.)

Internal battle

Me: Vintage leather creamy brogues on Etsy for only $39! Holy cow, think how many outfits I could make with these!

Other Me: NO. MORE. SHOES.

Me: Come on, these are CLASSIC. You'll wear them for the rest of your life!

Other Me: You just got cognac brogues for your birthday. And you have black and white ones from eBay from the other year.

Me: YEAH, AND you wear those all the time and get compliments every single time! Plus, they're falling apart!

Other Me: So maybe you should wait and get some new black and white ones that you can actually wear in the fall and winter. Are you really going to wear cream-colored brogues in November?

Me: Maybe not....but they'd look SO PRETTY with ALLLL my dresses. Please? Please?

Other Me: Laura. You do not need three pairs of brogues. This is getting out of hand. Put the theoretical $39 in your mental Frye boot fund, and forget about these.

Me: ... (Sniffle) ... I'm trying. I'm trying.

Update:

Other Other Me: Plus, they kind of look like nursing shoes. I'm just sayin'.