Desert Local News - Index

Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print and Virtual Edition April 17 2008 - Index

SHOP LOCAL
IN FASHION
The shoe show
By sharon mosley
This year the fashion talk is all
about color, and it is coming inloud
and clear through the season’s bold
shoes. electric hues, bold graphics,
pop art and architectural shapes are
all big trends saturating the shoe
market. You’ll definitely want at
least one pair of these new stylemakers.
“The explosion of color and
styles is like no other century before
us,” says michelle scobie of
shoemall.com, an online retailer.
“and women seem more ready than
ever for their footwear to take center
stage.”
But while these new expressive
shoes can make us drool at the cash
register, when it comes to accessorizing
an outfit with them, we can
walk right into trouble. Just what do
you wear with those peep-toe pumps
painted in a pop art print?
Celebrity fashion stylist, gina
Lamorte of Thestyledoctor.com,
has some advice on how to wear
spring’s dramatic new footwear:
- shoes with color make their
best pop when paired with this season’s
neutrals like beige, taupe and
gray.
- minimalism rules. a clean silhouette
lends itself best to this season’s
bold brights.
- a solid-colored shoe grounds
bold print dresses and skirts.
- White denim is the pant of
choice to complement the more saturated
neon shoe shades.
- as an accent to the season’s
feminine, layered chiffons and
floaty dresses, bold footwear styles
balance out the look.
- Color-blocked shoes that combine
two or more distinct colors are
best when worn monochromatically
and not too “matchy-matchy.”
- Choose a top in a color that’s
pulled out from one of the shades of
your shoes and pair with a neutral
bottom.
- Feel free to mix fun retro-inspired
patterns. Keep one color consistent
to hold the look together.
- play off the artistic feel of shoes
with your other accessories, maintaining
a whimsical, playful mood.
- update any suit instantly with
bold colored or printed patterned
shoes.
- Wear strong silhouettes like
gladiator sandals with african, indian
or eastern tribal looks.
- a biker jacket and femininely,
soft peasant blouse with skinny
jeans looks very updated paired with
gladiator sandals.
- architectural-inspired heels
31
with a handcrafted look, featuring
natural materials and colors like rich
caramel leathers and woods, work
well with earthy florals or the new
lighter denims.
- metallics are ideal for any special
evening; the perfect way to give
your gown the vintage goddess look
of elizabeth Taylor, like a peep-toe
pump in silver. now that’s the way
to twinkle your toes.
sharon mosley is a former fashion
editor of the arkansas gazette in
Little rock and executive director
of the Fashion editors and reporters
association.
© Copley News Service