Double Post! The Shoe Review and Fa(t)shion Friday!

The Shoe: Fioni Barbie Shoes, Sz. 10
The Store: Payless
The Price: $18 USD



These shoes are a staple of my "interesting items" wardrobe - you know, those items you wear out specifically as a point of conversation. Although I cant wear them all the time, I love them for a good night out.

Pros: Unique color, Grippy Heels, Pointed toe doesn't pinch.
Unlike most heels, what I love love love about these, is the heel/pad of the foot is made of a grippy rubbery material, so you don't accidentally slip on slick surfaces. You have NO IDEA how wonderful this is, and honestly, I dont know why more heels dont use this. The color is what truly grabbed me though. Lets face it, I have probably 10 pairs of black heels for every occasion, but I love these more than all of those combined, simply because they're so different from every thing else I have. The toe of these heels, although pointed, isn't so narrow that it pinches your toes. Happy toes = happy feet.

Cons: Heel Height/Width.
I can't be the only person out there that has trouble walking in heels, otherwise I don't think they'd make thick heels, or kitten heels. These are probably the thinnest heels I'd wear without worrying they're going to snap off. (Okay, I still worry, but that's besides the point).

The Verdict:
If these shoes had been more expensive, I probably wouldn't have bought them, simply because I have a hard time walking in them. I love the color though, so, for this time atleast, I couldn't pass them up.

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The Clothes: Floral Wrap Dress, Sz. 2X
The Store: Fashion Bug (USA)
The Price: $20 USD



Pros: Hides imperfections, modest length, two ways to wear it.
When I first bought this dress, I was a little apprehensive, because I'd never owned a *real* wrap dress, and I was worried something might happen and my dress would accidentally come undone, and I'd flash someone (or some other nonsense). None of this has ever happened, and honestly, now I know its kind of silly of me to have thought this. I like that this dress hits just below the knee on me, and makes for a nice, modest Easter/family gathering type dress. Its quick to slip on and go, and the all over floral pattern works wonders to hide any little lumps and bumps. I found two ways to wear it - as shown in the first picture, tied to the side, or after I lost a little weight, I found I could tie it all the way around my waist to define it a bit more.

Cons: Low cut when worn as shown.
My one real gripe with this dress is, being bigger busted, my bras come up rather high on the chest, making v-neck, and low cut things hard to wear. As was expected, this didn't come up high enough to cover the top of my bra, and I ended up having to pin it in the middle, to keep it from gaping and showing my bra.

The Verdict:
This dress is getting a bit too big on me, which sadly means I'll probably have to get rid of it soon, but given the chance, I'd buy it again (especially if I could find it in a size smaller this time around). I love it for when I want to quick slip on something nice looking to go out, or for a day when I just feel like wearing a cute, springy outfit.

The Shoe Review: Mossimo Gold Heels

The Shoe: Mossimo Gold Heels, Sz, 11
The Store: Goodwill
The Price: $6 USD



In my travels, I've found that Brand name stores (such as Target) will donate BRAND NEW, unsold items to thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army. It could be because its a style that just didn't sell well, or in this case sizes that didn't sell (usually larger like Sz. 10-11, or smaller, Sz. 5-6). With shoes - in North America, there are two standards of sizing, which vary about a half size from each other. Much like with clothes, if they don't have your size, you may want to try the next size up or down from what you normally wear, because it may end up fitting you anyway.

Pros: Comfortable, Flattering style.
I'm not going to lie, when I bought these, it was for looks alone, but i soon found out they were more than just a pretty shoe. The patten on the top creates a bit of an optical illusion, and even though they are a size 11, with a low heel...they dont make my feet look like I'm wearing clown shoes. Thats a pretty big plus for me since, lets face it, I have huge, wide feet. The pad of the shoe is also wider (no squished toes!) and slightly padded for a more comfortable walking experience.

Cons: Not true to size, thin heel.
These shoes aren't true to size, and if you ordered them offline by number alone, you might end up with something you didnt want. However, size is just a number and if you read measurements this shouldn't be a problem. My one real gripe with this pretty shoe is that the heels don't feel particularly sturdy - in higher-end shoes, heels are often reinforced with a small metal rod that is securely attached to the rest of the shoe. However, this is not a high-end brand, and I get the feeling this heel couldn't take a lot of abuse. Not that you should abuse your heels anyway...

The Verdict:
For $6, I'd buy them again. I love the way they looks, and I'm willing to forgive the fact that they're not-so-sturdy.

Buy similar style online at Target.com (available in Silver, White, Brown, and Black)

The Shoe Review: Lower East Side Kimberly Pumps

Okay, so by no fault of my own, blogger was having issues yesterday, and wouldn't let me post. I had everything ready for you guys,and made sure to do my post extra early before I had to leave.....aaaaand blogger ate my post. Poof, gone. So here is my second attempt at this post, and it better work this time *shakefist*



The Shoe: Lower East Side Kimberly Pumps, Black, Sz. 9W
The Store: Payless
The Price: $20 CAD

Pros: Comfortable heel, Straight and wide-width, Common colors.
As previously mentioned, I suck at trying to walk in heels, one because I am just too unsteady, but also because the height tends to hurt my feet. These pumps are a wonderful marriage between wearing heels, and still being able to walk without breaking my ankle. The round toe leaves plenty of space which means no squashed toes, and miraculously, it comes in wide-widths too! The color selection is limited to Brown and Black, but as far as leather shoes go, they are the staples of a wardrobe.

Cons: Wide-width, certain colors not always available.
When I first got these pumps (9W black) I immediately wore them the next day, and after discovering I could wear them for an entire day without my feet killing me, I immediately went back to get a pair in brown. How surprised I was to learn that they dont carry wide width for the brown shoes (which makes no sense at all to me). In fact, Payless is a bit weird - in store they sell these heels in both brown and black, and wide widths (even sizes only, I believe), but they dont even offer brown as an option at all on their website. Usually its the opposite for most sites (carrying a larger selection online).

The Verdict:
I love these shoes, I'd recommend them to anyone, and even though they didnt have wide-width sizes in brown, I bought them anyway in a half size up.

Buy Online or In-store at Payless

The Shoe Review: American Eagle Sweetpea Canvas Wedges

The Shoe: American Eagle Sweetpea Canvas Wedge, White Sz. 9W
The Store: Payless
The Price: $14 USD



This week's reviews are all about rehashes. Favorite store had the most amazing fitting shoe or dress, but sold out before you could buy it? Never fear! Stores often use the same design, but update the pattern each season to match whatever the trend happens to be in style at the time. This is especially handy if you found something that fits amazingly, or, if you happened to have loved that article so much you wore it out and now need a replacement.

Pros: Versatile with many outfits, Available in wide-width, Mid-height wedge.
These are probably my favorite summer shoes, simply because they go with almost everything. Last summer's (or maybe the summer before that?)'s version had a kind of bow on the top, this summer has a little flower. Aside from those differences, let me assure you, they are the exact same shoe, same fit and all. The Sweetpea Wedge is available in 5 colors, and wide- and regular-width. Its 3.5" wedge heel with slight platform is neither so high, nor so heavy that it makes the wedge feel "clunky", and is a great choice for girls like myself who like heels, but are a bit unsteady in them.

Cons: ?
Honestly, I sat here for a good while and I couldnt think of anything I don't like about these wedges. I can't sing it's praises enough. The peep toe opening doesn't squash your toes, the sling back doesn't rub your heel raw. And there's enough cute colors to satisfy almost every taste.

The Verdict:
If the shoe fits, but it in every color. Or so a wise woman once said. I may have to pick up another pair of these simply because my other wedges are starting to wear out. I think I may want to pick up the berry color ones as well!!

Buy Online or In-store at Payless

The Shoe Review: Aldo Gold Twist Flats

The Shoe: Aldo "Twist" flat in Gold, Sz 9
The Store: Value Village
The Price: $8 CAD

Pros: Cheap price, Gorgeous shoe, Good brand.
Buying from a thrift store occasionally yields incredible results - and this was one of those times. The regular retail of these shoes is around $50-70, and finding these in fantastic condition for $8 is a steal. These particular ones stood out like a beacon of light beckoning me to them, and after seeing the size, I immediately put them in my cart (I should have tried them on, but thats a different story). The shoe itself, although it has a cloth-type upper, is very solidly constructed, with a thick sole, and tiny kitten heel.

Cons: Narrow pointed toe, D'orsay style.
Being as I didn't try these on before I bought them, I didnt have a chance to find out that the pad of this shoe is a bit on the narrow side, which caused my toes to be squished like sardines. Also, the fact that these are flats with a D'orsay style (side cut out) is not a plus to me. I like the style just fine, but living in the land of the frozen North, you tend to want shoes that cover your feet well, lest you get snow in your shoe!!

The Verdict:
Although these are very pretty flats, I made a snap decision to buy them, and think I will be weeding them out of my closet soon. I know I'll end up repeating this a few times, but always try things on!! (I let shoes be my exception usually since the size range doesn't vary dramatically).

The Shoe Review

The Shoe: Riding Boots, Size 9.5W
The Store: Fashion Bug
The Price: $15 USD

>> DISCLAIMER <<
If you, or anyone reading this with you, goes in to a laughing fit when hearing the words "long" "wide" and "shaft" said in the same sentence, you should probably stop reading now.

Moving along now...
Simply put - I LOVE these boots. They are honestly one of the best purchases I've ever made. I've been in the market for calf high boots for as long as I can remember, but because I have Amazonian calves, I couldn't ever find boots that fit unless they laced up (and even then, the tongues are often too slim and you end up seeing flesh on either side!). Oh, sure, if I wanted to pay $300 or so, I could easily find boots that would fit me in the calf-region, but lets just say I have better things to spend my money on. So, not too long ago I was surfing on Fashion Bug's website, and I saw these beauties - I knew immediately that I had to have them!

Pro's: Wide and normal shaft sizes.
The elastic shaft on these boots hugs the legs tightly, but they're made to be worn with skinny jeans or leggings, so if you're wearing them with bare legs they are going to feel loose. The boots have adjustable straps on the calf and ankle that aren't just for show - they can actually be tightened or loosened to suit your needs.

Cons: Fake Leather?
This could go either way - I knew for the price I wasn't getting real leather boots, and even though it looks just fine, I would have liked the shaft to be sturdier feeling. That being said, these boots are Vegan-friendly, which is a plus, so take the non-leather construction as you will. That was truly the only downside.

The Verdict:
Buy, Buy, BUY. Things like this are going to go quick, but luckily Fashion Bug carries around four styles very similar to this boot (no longer online, can still be found in limited selection in-store). If you cant find these particular ones, don't despair! Start checking other stores this time of year, and keep your ears peeled for sales. Or if you have the patience and don't have the need just yet...wait for next year's end of season sale.

Happy shopping!

The Planning Stage

Last night I was mulling over the format for my blog, and I think I came up with something that will work out very well in the grand spectrum of things. Things are going to go a little like this:

Makeup Mondays - Reviews of new products I've tried, recommendations for older products I love, and a picture or two of it actually being worn.

The Shoe Review (Wednesdays) - Because who doesn't love shoes? Its kind of a safety net for women after a day of frustrating (clothing) shopping, because the size variance in shoes is pretty small compared to clothing.

Fa(t)shion Fridays - This is going to be a personal favorite - I'll let you know the brand, size, how it fits (loose, tight, true to size), where I found the item, and for how much.

Cheers!,