Advice « Deluxe News – Shoes, Footwear and Fashion from online shoe store deluxe-boutique.co.uk

April 14, 2010

Shoes secure three key trends for S/S 2010

Filed under: Advice, Trends — Tags: Birkenstock, French Sole, Pretty Ballerinas — admin @ 7:24 pm

Spring is a tough season to dress for so concentrate on investing in shoes and accessories that are bang on trend instead…

The Leopard Print Ballet Flat from Pretty Ballerinas

Leopard print: from head to toe!

Here at Deluxe Boutique we love our leopard print pumps from Pretty Ballerinas. It’s a print that can lift outfits out of the ordinary and smacks of sophistication and just a touch of fun.

In 2008 Ralph Lauren brought us the leopard print trilby worn at a jaunty angle to top off his sophisticated black outfits. Last year Christopher Kane showed us how to breathe new life into the look by injecting red and orange tones into his leopard print scarves and sweaters. This year Alexander Wang hit the ground running with leopard print shoes to complement his sporty themed collection.

Style note: The leopard print ballerina flat looks fabulous teamed with chinos, and the pink contrast trim lets you work two trends in one with a flash of this season’s pastel tones.

: The Birkenstock Gizeh in Pearl Opal, New for 2010.

Grey is the new black!

In every shade from delicate dove to edgy gunmetal, grey is the new black for Spring 2010. Leave behind the dark days of Autumn/Winter and indulge yourself in a timeless alternative to black.

Think ‘classic with a twist’ and introduce interesting materials and finishes to stay on-trend. The catwalks saw suede, wool, metallic, jersey and embellished greys so we were incredibly excited to unpack the new Pearl Opal styles from Birkenstock – classic Madrid and Gizeh sandals with a shot of metallic grey/blue to help you put your finest fashion foot forward!

Style note: Grey on grey is a key look for Spring/Summer 2010 but it can result in outfits that are ‘dull’ or lacking in definition. Work the full shade and texture options – a bold metallic grey sandal is perfect in combination with the latest grey marl jerseys.

Sock it to ‘em!

Chloe Sevigny with flat orthopaedic sandals

Okay so the last time you wore pumps with ankle socks was primary school, but you can’t avoid the fact that socks

and flats are enjoying a stint in the fashion spotlight. Appearing on catwalks with sandals, on

Chloe Sevigny with flat orthopaedic sandals, and on the lovely Alexa Chung teamed with a classic ballerina in black, it looks like we are going to have to embrace our worst fears and rock the socks!

Style note: Ruffled ankle socks and ballet pumps will make you look like you are rehearsing for the lead in Alice in Wonderland so keep it edgy with sparkly or sheer socks. To capture Chloe’s festival style raid your fella’s sock drawer and pull on your favourite Birkenstock sandals – perfect with this season’s floaty florals.

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April 10, 2010

French Sole and Pretty Ballerinas essential elements of Times Fashion’s 7 Ways to Wear Series

Filed under: Advice, Trends — Tags: French Sole, Pretty Ballerinas — admin @ 5:46 pm

As big fans of the ballet flat we were over the moon to discover that both French Sole and Pretty Ballerinas ballet flats play a vital role in working two classic pieces. Times Online’s 7 Ways to Wear series focused on the White Shirt and the Breton Top where leopard print ballet flats finished off a chinos and classic breton combination perfectly. The timeless black ballet pump from French Sole looked amazing with the simplest of white shirts, leggings and a statement necklace. We’re off to try the looks for ourselves!

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April 8, 2010

How to wear shoes – tips on the right shoe style for your body shape.

Filed under: Advice — Tags: Birkenstock, Ewe Boots, Pretty Ballerinas, shoes, Terra Plana — admin @ 7:00 am

In a recent blog post we looked at how to choose shoes to suit your size of feet, but that’s really only half the story! Shoes, sandals or boots, whatever you choose to dress your feet in, it can impact on your body shape.

Here’s the lowdown on the pitfalls to avoid:

Ballet flats – comfortable and versatile, ballet flats are a classic style. Worn well they can complement a day or evening look but there are rules:

If you have short, chunky legs they should only be worn with a hemline that finishes above the knee
Make the most of your legs by wearing the same colour tights as shoes to elongate the leg. There is a ‘grey’ area here as certain fashion camps decree that ballet pumps should only ever be worn without socks or tights, but we disagree if the look is well thought out
Narrow and cropped trousers look great with ballet flats, wider trouser silhouettes are harder to carry off with pumps as they generally require a heavier shoe or sandal
A slight point to the toe or feature provides a twist on a classic look. Ballet flats are everywhere so you need to find unique features to stay fashion forward – studs are big for summer 2010
Remember that ballet flats are delicate in style so are best suited to narrower and lighter frames

Sandals – a must have for every summer wardrobe sandals are incredibly versatile. Here’s how to select sandals that are perfect for you:

Calf-length hemlines and flat sandals can look frumpy so only run with that combination if you have the height or leg length to carry it well. Instead choose slim Capri trousers and a slight wedge
Delicate strappy sandals are best suited to delicate frames. Think proportions – small-scale requires small-scale, large-scale requires large-scale. That applies to heel shape, strap width, features and embellishments
Wider trouser silhouettes look great with chunky, flat styles. Think European classics like Birkenstocks to wear with loose linen trousers
If you are exposing your feet, a manicure and nail polish is essential -whatever your shape
For longer feet create a horizontal line across the foot, for smaller feet create a mid line from toe to ankle for an illusion of length

Boots – whilst we struggle to free ourselves of the winter weather and temperatures boots still have a place. Here are some basic rules to remember when investing:

High-heeled boots elongate the leg if your hemline is below or on the knee, but can look less than sophisticated with a higher hemline.
Think about the length of your boot and the line you are creating. Petite ladies suit shorter boot lengths as calf or knee lengths can cut across legs and make them appear shorter.
You can extend your leg length by wearing boots that are the same colour as your outfit. Contrasting colours are great if you have a narrower frame and the height to carry it off.
Slouchy or rolled down styles look best on medium to large builds, as they tend to swamp small or petite frames.

Gumbies Ewe Boots in a shorter length are ideal for petite body shapes, drawing the eye down the leg and lengthening it.

Birkenstocks are ideal in combination with loose trousers to capture a European look.

Wear Pretty Ballerinas with a Capri trousers or narrow cigarette pants for a slice of Audrey Hepburn’s style.

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March 29, 2010

Shoe perfection – dress big feet smaller and small feet bigger

Filed under: Advice — Tags: Birkenstock, Pretty Ballerinas, Terra Plana — admin @ 5:57 am

Let’s face it there are always one or two body parts that we’d love to change, fortunately Trinny and Susannah, Aunty Gok and even Mylene Klass are full of bright ideas and good advice to help us out – minimisers to reduce cleavage, push-ups to increase cleavage, low-waisted dresses to lengthen short torsos and high-waisted trousers to extend short legs…

But what can we do if we don’t really appreciate the size of our feet?

The answer is plenty! In this post we round up the best advice for making your large feet look really neat.

Tips for larger feet:

Heels make your feet look smaller, and we don’t mean stilettos – chunky or wedge heels are just the ticket, and much easier to wear!

For more casual flat styles choose ones that show some sole around the upper as this has the effect of shortening the shoe.

Rounded or squared off toes are ideal for disguising foot length, so avoid those winkle-pickers! Ballet flats are a rounded toe classic; browse our French Sole and Pretty Ballerinas for ideas.

Remember larger scale ladies can afford larger scale accessories and that includes on shoes – buckles, bows and horizontal features will help broaden the foot and take the eye away, creating more balanced proportions. But remember to keep it tasteful! Our Birkenstock Papillio Tabora in white is a great style for a double horizontal hit!

Choose darker shades and tones but don’t just stick to black, try rich deep reds, purples and subtle greys too. We recommend Pretty ballerinas in black & grey which make the most of this classy colour palette.

Avoid strappy sandals that expose large portions of your foot. Instead opt for more closed in sandals with chunkier horizontal straps. The Birkenstock Madrid is perfect as it creates a mid line across the foot that compliments longer feet.

And if you are still struggling for ideas take a lead from the following larger-footed style icons:

Jackie Kennedy
Uma Thurman
Kate Winslet
Michelle Obama
Nicole Kidman

Tips for smaller feet
Many people will tell you that smaller feet are a blessing but it can be very difficult to find styles that look classy and grown up in smaller sizes. Here’s our advice:

Avoid extra high heels. Whilst you may gain height, the proportions of extra high heels (including platforms) foreshorten the foot and will only make petite feet look smaller. Opt instead for a more classic heel height and a slightly heavier shape such as a cone heel or wedge.

Create a mid line running from toe to ankle. This will draw the eye along the foot creating an illusion of length. The Birkenstock Gizeh is a perfect example of how to create a mid line and make the most of exposed toes.

Choose close fitting slim styles to create length and finish off with a slight point at the toes. French sole have some fantastic styles for summer 2010, which incorporate a slight point and slim lines.

Small-scale embellishments and accessories suit small-scale feet. For example anything with large buckles is likely to swamp your foot and make it look over dressed. Subtle buckles from Birkenstock and stylish bows from Pretty Ballerinas are much more flattering.

Enjoy colour. Whilst larger feet are better in subtle colours and darker tones, with smaller feet you can really play around. Red, green and reflective silver tones are perfect for petite feet, and patterns such as leopard are currently really on trend so make the most of it!

Avoid pretty pinks and girlish features unless you are consciously working the Barbie look – sophisticated grown-up touches are the way forward. Think studs instead of sequins, snakeskin instead of feathers!

And if you still need inspiration, take a lead from these celebrities with petite-feet:
Eva Longoria
Kylie Minogue
Christina Aguilera
Jennifer Aniston
Mary Kate Olsen

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