My Personal Style: the showstopper shoe

Style

Elements of My Style: The Showstopper Shoe. a series on personal style by www.PencilShavingsStudio.com

This post is part of a series discussing how to define personal style. In these posts, I’m also defining the elements of my own personal style. Join along and chime in below!

I’m excited to share one of my favorite elements of my personal style, the show stopper shoe.  What’s a show stopper? It’s that one item that makes you stop in your tracks – it’s what brings down the house! And I think nothing is a better style show stopper than a really marvelous pair of shoes.

The other day I was remembering these ridiculously garish silver glitter Mary Janes (that look similar to these) I used to wear in high school. I bought them at this store in the mall called Gadzooks, probably best known for being somewhat cheap/trendy/crazy, having an actual Volkswagen beetle in their store as display, and for selling teeny tiny string bikinis. In other words, it’s kind of a Christmas miracle that my mother even let me enter the store considering the size of those swimsuits.

But! They had those shoes. Those silvery glittery delights that made me feel just like a Broadway star. Catch that part? The feeling part is the key here — they made me feel something. And so I wore them with absolutely everything until they were worn down into the ground practically. I loved them and they defined my style.

While the design of the shoes I prefer now have changed, the central core has not. I want my shoes to make me feel something – they’re expressing something about me, and making me feel a certain way about myself. I want shoes that are out of the ordinary – that can make even the plainest tshirt and jeans into something really different.

Miu-Miu-Heel-Jewels personal-style-showstopper-miu-mius

These Miu Mius here are, of course, flat out amazing (at their price point, they better be!) but don’t be afraid to shop around on eBay and other consignment shops for good finds, especially for designer shoes. I refuse to pay full price for these – that’s a poor use of funds. While I’d be reticent to buy designer handbags on eBay, it’s much more rare/difficult to knock off a designer shoe. Go to a department store or outlet like Neiman’s Last Call to figure out what size you are in the designer that you like. Then when you find a deal on sites like eBay, the Outnet, or even Gilt (TONS of good steals lately on brands including Miu Miu), you can buy without concern. I am *always* a size 39 in Prada or Miu Miu so when I’ve found KILLER deals on eBay ($30 for driving loafers? Yup!), I’ve clicked ‘Buy’ with confidence because I know they’ll work.

My checklist for awesome shoes probably includes a few of the following:

  • colorful
  • shiny/sparkly
  • flats
  • heels
  • wedges
  • could be dressed up or down
  • unusual
  • doesn’t have to be expensive, but shouldn’t look cheap
  • has to be comfy

Don’t be afraid

Here are a few of my favorite show stopper shoes:

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with love,
Rachel

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