Of Spring Shoes

I popped into Marks and Spencer today to buy some tights, after a visit to the doctor to get the results of my second blood test. He confirmed that I have had glandular fever, but although it's nice to have a definite diagnosis, there is no treatment apart from rest, so he simply reiterated the need to take things gently over the Easter holiday. Luckily the weather in Oxford has been absolutely glorious over the past few days, and apparently it is set to remain this way for the rest of the week. I certainly hope so! The warm sunshine and blue skies are so cheering, and today I slipped into this outfit, which remains as good for seeing in the Spring this year as it was last!

When I was in M&S, my eye was drawn to the shoe department (well, if they will arrange the store so I am simply *forced* to walk past the shoes to get to the tights, it would really be rude to avoid paying them proper attention, wouldn't it?). Not least because it was looking particularly eye-catching this afternoon as the new season's stock had obviously just arrived. I have long been a fan of M&S shoes, finding that they tend to produce several tempting pairs each season, all reasonably priced and relatively long-lasting, and as such they are one of my go-to choices for every-day footwear. I didn't actually buy anything today, but I did have to exercise a certain amount of restraint (yes, I am capable of it sometimes ... just don't tell anyone that I might go back again tomorrow...). Three pairs in particular tested my resolve, but I contented myself (for now) with trying them all on and then replacing them carefully on the shelf.

The sudden outburst of sunny weather this week has reminded me that Spring really is just around the corner (I'm particularly looking forward to the clocks going forward this weekend), and I'm feeling a corresponding urge to inject some brightness into my wardrobe. These would certainly do that! The red suede positively popped off the shelf, and would be a marvelous way to add a bit of colourful fizz to any outfit:

(Autograph Suede Peep Toe Platform Shoes, £49)

I was also taken with the somewhat nautical feel of these heels, which look perfect for pairing with something cool and airy for a bit of relaxed chic:

(Peep Toe High Heel Platform Shoes, £25)

Finally, I couldn't resist slipping my toes into these cheeky platforms, which have a lovely 1950's vibe about them. I normally avoid slingbacks, finding that they have a tendency to sling themselves off, but I paraded around the top floor of M&S in fine style in these to take them for a test drive, and they clung to my heels like limpets. So, who knows, perhaps they could even persuade me to give the style another go. The neutral colours mean they would go with so many things, after all, although I also like the naughty little jolts of red on the soles.

(Limited Collection Peep Toe Flower Platform Shoes, £29.50)

I always think it's fun to update one's wardrobe with a new piece or two every season, and shoes are a good way to do so. I might just pop back into M&S tomorrow, anyway, just to *see* whether any of these look as pretty as they do in my memory (and as they do on the ever-tempting website). After all, if I'm going to be putting my feet up over the next few weeks, I might as well put them up in style!

In the meantime, I'm going to slip my feet into something rather less spectacular, and head out into my garden to make the most of the last of today's sunshine. For, as Sir W tells us in his 1601 essay 'Of Solitarinesse and Company',

'the Sun [is] not carrying his Lanthorne for himselfe but for the world'.

Of Kitty Cooper

I think anyone who has cast even a casual glance over my blog will have probably realised that I Like Shoes. A Lot. You can imagine my delight, therefore, when I made a new footwear discovery this morning. Thanks to the treasure trove that is Daily Candy, I have made the acquaintance of Kitty Cooper and her wonderfully glamourous shoes. Kitty Cooper graduated with a first-class degree from the Cordwainer's Institute (part of the London College of Fashion), and has since set up her own business designing stunning shoes which are produced in an eco-friendly way. Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of eco-friendly fashion, my heart always sinks just a little bit, as my imagination conjures up images of tired looking, tie-died t-shirts or dresses made from straw with a belt of chewed up string. Recently, however, I've been forced to think again, not least thanks to Livia Firth's blog for British Vogue recounting her experiences dressing for the red carpet (Livia is the wife of Colin Firth) using only ethically produced, eco-friendly fashion. As you can see from the stunning dress by Orsola de Castro that she wore to the Oscars the other weekend, Livia has shown that one certainly doesn't need to forego style when salving one's conscience:

To be honest, the fact that Kitty Cooper's shoes are produced from recycled materials (such as vintage curtains, buttons, and cottons salvaged from the 1910s through to the 1960s), is -- for me -- merely an added bonus compared to their sheer gorgeousness. Her collection is only fairly small, but some of the designs are available in more than one pattern or colour combination.

These, made from a 1960s cotton, are ridiculously sweet for a summer's day:

Chovey, £245

These just conjure up pictures of garden parties and summer fetes: what could be more fun than matching the strawberries you're about to pop in your mouth with a couple on your toes? Just be careful not to get stuck in the grass with those killer heels:

Ginnie, £269

If you want to make a statement, this shocking pink and green combo would be a good way to go about it...

Nanti, £255

... while if you can cope with the towering heels, the breezy blue of this 1950s pattern would be a refreshing look on a summer's day:

Didicoy, £325

I am more than a little in love with the beautiful floral print on these little stunners...

Luke, £280

... while the naughty nautical style of these makes me think they're something the girls at Crumpet & Skirt would wear...

Rich, £325

... and this amazing pair with their 1910 ribbons would really make sure you stood out from the crowd:

Rose Lee, £319

Sadly, my excitement has been tempered slightly by the rather hefty price tags attached to these beautiful creations, so I think they may have to remain in the lust-after category, rather than filling one of the empty spots in my summer shoe closet. Even if buying them would be helping save the planet (well, ok, not quite). Still, a girl can dream, even if (to quote Sir W in his 1601 essay 'Of Complements) my purse won't quite stretch to

'the lengthning of my joyes, not a foote'.

Of Seeing in the Spring

Well, the sunny weather has stayed with us over much of the fortnight (*ahem*) since I promised to get back to posting on here! Today was particularly balmy, and so I enjoyed trying out a new outfit to welcome in the Spring (it will probably be raining again tomorrow, but for today, it's definitely springtime). When my mum visited Oxford a couple of weeks ago, I was excited to find that as a treat she'd brought along a dress and cardigan that she'd picked up for me in one of my favourite shops: Boutique Eleven at the Heart of the Country Shopping Village, just ten minutes down the road from where I live in Staffordshire. A rather large number of the items in my wardrobe (no, we won't ask just how many items there are) come from this charming little shop. As they stock a range of really beautiful and unusual clothes, I seem to get complimented whenever I wear anything I've bought from there -- always a plus. I try to pop in whenever I'm at home, and the lovely lady who runs the shop knows me well enough by now to have an eye for exactly what I'm going to like, and because she usually only gets one of everything in each size, she's often kind enough to keep something back for me if she knows I'm coming up for a visit. Oh, the temptation... So this afternoon, I revelled in sitting in Duke Humfrey's with the sunshine streaming through the old windows and warming my skin in this little number from Sandwich:

It's actually slightly more fitted than it appears on the mannequin, and the streaks of cream and blue lighten up the different shades of brown to give it a real lift: I felt like I should be strolling along a beach in the sunshine eating an ice-cream while I wore it. When the occasional shadow did pass across my desk, I quickly whipped out this cardigan, also by Sandwich:

The photo really doesn't do it justice: in reality, the sludgy grey that appears in this picture is actually a delicious teal to match the stripes in the dress, and it's perfect for a bit of casual cover whenever I am forced to remember that it is still only March. The fact that the cardigan is actually a little bit longer than the dress it's going over also gives a slightly sexier edge to what can often be thought of as a rather boring item of clothing!

Sandwich has become a favourite label of mine since I started shopping at Boutique Eleven: their clothes are always fresh and pretty, and are a great choice for basics with a twist. I discarded my usual heels for once and teamed my new outfit with this cute little pair of flats from Marks and Spencer: I love the combination of camel and black, the patent is practical as well as stylish, and I've spoken before about the fact that I'm a sucker for anything with a bow on it. Sadly I could only find this tiny photo to show you:

I *still* haven't got a new camera sorted out, and, much as I've enjoyed embracing the retro chic of the disposable version (yes, I was pretty amazed to discover they still make them, too), I'm looking forward to getting my hands on something a little more up-to-date. Job for this week, perhaps...

I'll be sharing some more of my favourite fashions with you soon (including the leggings which may make me -- and I never thought I'd write this -- overcome my innate aversion to anything remotely resembling a pair of footless tights). I'm also going to be talking quite a lot about food and drink (never a bad thing, I feel), not to mention flagging up some favourite new websites and blogs and telling you about some recent film and theatre trips. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for more of this lovely sunshine -- I want the excuse to bring out some more of my Winter to Spring wardrobe. After all, to give you another weather-related quote from Sir W (this time from his 1600 essay 'Of Aduise'):

'from the Rayes of this sun proceed all blessings'.

Of A Lovely Weekend

My friend's party at the weekend was a lot of fun. We enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks at her house, where we were greeted by an unexpected guest, with whom, as you can see, I rather fell in love:

Doesn't he look real?! Unfortunately he was a bit to big for me to slip into my handbag and steal off with... We followed this with an excellent meal at Jaipur on the Cowley Road. This was a new discovery for me, and one I'm very pleased to have made. The staff were friendly, the ambiance warm and welcoming, and the food both delicious and beautifully presented:

They even brought my friend a little extra something when they found out it was her birthday:

I can particularly recommend the Mixed Starter and the Chicken Shaslick, while the spinach rice is also well worth trying. I've found out that they offer free home delivery on orders within six miles of the restaurant, so I think I'll be trying that out one evening when cooking seems like too much effort!

After the meal, we made our way down the Cowley Road to Cafe Coco. I'd been here for brunch and lunch before (both lovely. The full English breakfast is truly excellent, and is one of the few places I've found in Oxford where it includes black pudding, which gets it a definite thumbs up from me). I'd never tried it in the evening, however, so I was particularly pleased to be able to test out their cocktail range, especially as certain cocktails are only £3.95 between 10pm and closing (at 1am).

Cafe Coco is owned by the same people as one of my very favourite Oxford haunts, The Grand Cafe, which also offers cheap cocktails every evening, so I was pleased to find that the ones at Cafe Coco were just as good. It's a fun place with a lively atmosphere, not to mention some rather interesting pieces of art:

When I came to Cafe Coco for brunch with a friend last year, I was sitting in a chair facing away from the clown in the bath, when suddenly my friend went a little pale and told me to turn around. I did so, only to see a rush of ice cubes pour out of the little gold pipe above the clown, *into the bath*. Apparently it's where they keep their ice. I was quite happy to finish my cup of tea, but my friend had a slightly harder job enjoying his iced water after that ... he said he couldn't quite enjoy it after thinking of it swimming around next to a naked clown mannequin. Fair enough, I suppose, but the bizarre sculptures certainly add to the atmosphere!

Sunday dawned bright and (not so) early, and we indulged ourselves with a reviving meal at the wonderful Edamame -- another absolute favourite which will some day merit a post to itself. After I'd waved goodbye to my friends, I then went on a Mission. And this time, I succeeded: I have New Boots!

I was *very* happy to find these at Marks & Spencer, exceedingly well priced (I fell in love with a pair at Sassi the other day, but they were £300, and my love has limits...) and also extraordinarily comfortable. The heel is sturdy enough to stand a good chance against the cobbles, whilst also looking nice with a skirt. They may not be perfect, but they are certainly a welcome addition to my wardrobe.

I pottered round the shops a little more in the afternoon, and was pleased to find a great new dress for the end of term Christmas dinner and party at College, which is coming up in early December. I wanted something a bit different, and I think this dress from French Connection fits the bill:

It is a little more risque perhaps than my usual choices, with the sheer front and carefully placed sequins (!), but it's fun and frivolous and perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. And sometimes it's good to have a change. To tone it down a little, I'm going to pair it with black tights and a pair of black patent high heels like these...

... and look forward to dancing the night away. I'll make sure to tell you all about it!

For now, I'm off to get myself some lunch, and then I must stop thinking of frivolous matters for the time being and get back to the library. Or, as Sir W put it in his 1600 essay 'Of Fame':

'I will from henceforth follow Vertue silently in my study'.

Of Boots (2)

Regular readers may remember my despair earlier in the year when I had to purchase The Walking Boots in preparation for my trip to the chalet. Although I must admit that they did me proud as I wandered across the alpine slopes, I am still not overly fond of them. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a heels girl through and through, and The Walking Boots form something of an aberration in my wardrobe.

I was thrilled then, to be able to return today to my more usual boot shopping habits. All of my shoes seem to have died at once, worn down into despair by the Oxford cobbles and autumnal rain. My final pair of flats gave up the ghost a little while ago, and although, as I've said, I love my heels, I am also aware of the need for some rather less vertiginous footwear once in a while. I was therefore very pleased to buy a particularly cute pair of ballet pumps in Jones Bootmaker. I am a sucker for anything with a bow, so these fitted the bill nicely:

After this happy purchase, I continued my quest for The Perfect Boots. This is a long and arduous journey, as it seems to me that the knee length boot trends are not particularly inspiring this season. Sadly, I am yet to meet my ideal match, but I was successful in finding a new pair of, well, I suppose they come under the 'shoe-boot' category, to replace my pair from last winter which are now falling apart through over-use. I found them in the lovely Sassi Shoes on Oxford's High Street, a small shop with a relatively small, but extremely well chosen range of stock:

I often admire the shoes in their window displays, and so I was extremely happy when I tried these on and found them to be comfortable as well as attractive:

I think they'll look especially nice with a couple of cute little skirts I have in my wardrobe, and they'll be good for showing off some of my winter tights. The chunkier heel also appealed, as it's hopefully going to be rather more practical on the Oxford pavements than the spindly kind I favoured last year!

For now, The Perfect Boots might have eluded me, but I am very pleased with these latest -- essential! -- additions to my cupboard. At least I now have something that doesn't leak and which still has its complete heel to wear whilst tramping about searching for my ideal knee-highs.

As Sir W said in his 1600 essay 'Of Complements', and as indeed he might say again if only he could see me tripping about town in my new purchases (well, a girl can dream):

'happy shall I be to haue had the impression of your footesteps'.

Of Chocolate Shoes

As you may have gathered from my despair when I had to forego my usual heels for the dreaded pair of Walking Boots earlier in the summer, I am rather fond of shoes. I also rarely say no to a nice bit of chocolate. You can therefore imagine my delight when I discovered the following edible treats:

I think I may just have found my Perfect Chocolates! These stunning Chocolate Shoes are the creations of Bristol based company Clifton Cakes, but are also on sale in Liberty in London (another reason to visit a shop which is already a favourite of mine) and -- dangerously -- via mail order. You can also buy this super cute pair of small shoes, which, as their website suggests, would make a lovely gift:

Clifton Cakes also run chocolate tasting and making courses, which sound rather heavenly. I suspect I'd be rather better at the tasting, than the making, although perhaps when indulging my inner glutton I should remember Sir W's warning from his 1601 essay 'Of Knowledge':

'the body neuer sendeth the stomacke to tell vs, we haue eaten too much, but the soule feeles it too; when the stomache riseth against the meate, the conscience dooth against intemperaunce, and as the one feeles the meate, the other dooth the sinne of the surfetting.'

Although I think my conscience could pretty easily be beaten into submission by the sharp points of those chocolate stilettos..!

Of Combining Necessity and Frivolity

I read this article today, which claims that Heels are Out and Flats are In. Perhaps, perhaps, but although I like a pretty ballet pump as much as the next girl, I'm not sure that the trend for blockish, boyish loafers is one that I'll be following. I am, without a doubt, a heels girl, and wear them practically every day. Today, however, was an exception, for this was the day for breaking in The Walking Boots. I must admit that I've been putting this off ever since I bought them - wearing them at a secluded chalet I accept as a grim necessity, but wearing them around town is another thing entirely. But as we leave for France on Thursday evening, I realised that unless I want to spend next weekend hobbling around like an injured goat, the time, as they say, had come. As a consequence, I have spent today feeling rather as if I had a couple of car tyres strapped to my feet. I admit that The Boots coped admirably with the infamous cobbles around Radcliffe Square, and one might think that this would endear them to me, so often have I complained about the difficulties of crossing this little patch in my usual footwear. It did make me feel that I will no doubt be glad of them when skipping around the rocky mountaintops (can one skip in car tyres, I wonder?), but otherwise, all I felt was a perverse craving for my heels, despite their tempestuous relationship with the cobblestones. Call me masochistic if you will...

I felt so glum after a few hours clomping around like this that I decided to remind myself that I was still a girl by treating myself to a couple of feminine fripperies as far removed from The Boots as possible. I was given this beautiful bracelet by skirmishofwit as a birthday gift at the weekend...

... so how was I to resist when I slipped into Aspire and found these lovely earrings which will match it so well?

After cheering myself with this little purchase, I made my way to M&S to buy supplies for my evening meal, and while I was there I popped into the lingerie section where I picked up a delightful little set in pink and purple silk. I may have to confine my outer garb to The Boots and their ilk while I am at the chalet, following Sir W's advice here - taken from the 1600 essay 'Of Fantasticknesse':

'For Clothes, he that shunnes singularity (for from singularity comes eyther Disdaine, or Enuy), let his Attire be conformable to Custome, and change with Company.' 

But at least I can bask in the satisfaction of knowing that underneath, at least, frivolity reigns supreme!

Of Boots

I make no secret of the fact that I Love Shoes. I have a healthy collection of footwear (some people would say it is so healthy that it could do with being struck by a pandemic and shrinking to half the size. But they would be wrong. Or at least mean-spirited). Boots - both ankle and knee-length - form an important part of this section of my wardrobe. I generally get through at least a couple of pairs every winter, I wear them so much - with dresses, over jeans. Now, normally, buying a new pair of boots would be a joyous event for me. I love going through the different styles, trying to find something a bit different - this past year my favourite pair were some lovely high heeled black ruched leather ones with little buttons all down the side: rather Victoriana inspired. Sadly the Oxford cobbles (you can tell this city was built for men) have done their worst and I rather doubt that the boots will live to see another winter. 

Today, however, I had to buy boots of a rather different kind. In just over a week, I am going on a trip that will take me out of my comfort zone, going to stay for ten days in a chalet in the French Alps somewhere near Mont Blanc (there will be a lot more about this nearer the time!). As I have practically zilch in the way of Practical Clothing, this has entailed some major shopping. This afternoon, came The Walking Boots.

Not quite my usual look, but hopefully they'll stop me skidding down the mountain tracks... Although, according to the Rules of Alpine Life as gleaned from Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books (which I read avidly at a very impressionable age) a minor accident is actually to be encouraged, as it allows the handsome doctor who just happens to be hiking nearby at the time to rush over with some brandy and a supportive arm - from which it is but a short step to marriage, eleven children, and a dog.

Hmm, on second thoughts, perhaps I'll just carry my own hip-flask (filled with whisky, rather than brandy) to use in such an emergency, and send the doctor on his way...

And even if I do find my footwear at the chalet rather boring, I can always remember these words from Sir W, which come from the 1600 essay, 'Of Censuring':

'I hate the dulnesse of my owne feete, and my horses, when I trauel, and cherish the nimblenesse of my thoughtes, which can flie ouer the world in an afternoone.'