I was warned that if I went barefoot through the pandemic I'd never get into heels again, and it's true. White Keds with Lands End dresses. Amazon Essentials flats for dress occasions.
Interesting. The Purple wardrobe will be the best. (When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.)
I'm not by nature a Fashion Guy but I'm really enjoying these. And that little cameo of Manhattan in the '80s made me a little woozy with nostalgia. For guys the equivalent of sneakers with an Ann Taylor suit was yellow ties. They were less functional than the sneakers but every bit as much a uniform. I bought mine in a not-fancy men's store just off the 6th Avenue entrance of 30 Rock.
The year you moved to New York from Boston was the year I moved from New York to Boston. I was right out of college, was just getting used to wearing black and got written up at my New York job because although I had multiple pairs of appropriate shoes under my desk, I never changed out of my sneakers.
Having the slightly broken down feet of a sculptor ( and one who loves shoes) this is a topic close to my heart. I have fallen hard for Camper "Runner" shoes/sneakers. They come in leather and suede and fab colors. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many pairs I own.
The new Keds solution is Golden Goose. It’s the step that says I value comfort, and I haven’t totally given up on fashion just yet. Free resoling for life.
As an avid suspense movie watcher, I like to always wear shoes I can run for my life in. That’s why so many of us cringed at Bryce Howard’s shoes in Jurassic Park 2. Anyway thanks for writing about white Keds and such.
I recently went to an Olivia Rodrigo concert (by myself, without an accompanying a tweenager excuse; I like her!) It was February and cold. In the some things never change department, I was in an elevator with two beautiful young women who were all dressed up and very under dressed for the weather. I told them how lovely they looked. "Thanks," one replied. "We're going to freeze, though." But in the some things do change department: with their sparkly, cami-top mini dresses they were wearing sneakers -- as were all the other young women bedecked in their finest, often skimpy concert frillery. Smart girls, I thought, remembering that when I dressed up back in the day that included strappy heels providing neither support nor protection from the elements (or other feet.) But these young ladies should have fewer foot problems down the road. Good for them!
You and I have the same problem, what shoes to wear, it’s not like a don’t have a plentiful choice, so I end up going back to basics and Don my favourite sneakers, who would have thought, but my age and feet have caught up with me. Too bad if someone told me not to wear black, it has been a safe staple in my wardrobe, together with dark navy, besides it hides a lot of sins lol… Great read as usual
Manic pixies have been on my mind all week as well! I wrote a whole Substack about how much I hate Audrey Hepburn. She was the Ur-manic pixie dreamgirl. Then it became a term because of a crushed-out article about Zooey Deschanel. I interviewed Zooey. She was 32 and still tilted her toes inward, hid behind her hair and balled her hands up in the cuffs of her overlong sweatshirt. Also, she was really dumb.
My grand girls when they go to proms etc with their female friends (dates are so yesterday) seem to dress in a sort of uniform. Long wavy locks, very short sparkly dresses, fake fingernails, the same strappy heels. They get their pictures taken and promptly put on sneakers, mostly converse. Normally they are not remotely dolled up-messy nuns, plaid flannel pants, baggy jeans, or yoga tights and often crop tops. Never hosiery.
I was warned that if I went barefoot through the pandemic I'd never get into heels again, and it's true. White Keds with Lands End dresses. Amazon Essentials flats for dress occasions.
Interesting. The Purple wardrobe will be the best. (When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.)
I LOVE purple and red together. You are my kind of girl.
Back in the day, one of my ex-sister-in-laws did my colors. Turns out I'm a winter. Great advice that's served me well.
I'm not by nature a Fashion Guy but I'm really enjoying these. And that little cameo of Manhattan in the '80s made me a little woozy with nostalgia. For guys the equivalent of sneakers with an Ann Taylor suit was yellow ties. They were less functional than the sneakers but every bit as much a uniform. I bought mine in a not-fancy men's store just off the 6th Avenue entrance of 30 Rock.
I loved The New Look as well. I never knew that Coco Chanel was Nazi adjacent, did you??
Ben Mendelsohn was brill. So were Juliette Binoche and Maisie Williams!! Wish it didn't have to end. Now I am back into my crime shows.
The paint color on every wall in every room in that show was luscious and sublime. That set designer!
The year you moved to New York from Boston was the year I moved from New York to Boston. I was right out of college, was just getting used to wearing black and got written up at my New York job because although I had multiple pairs of appropriate shoes under my desk, I never changed out of my sneakers.
Having the slightly broken down feet of a sculptor ( and one who loves shoes) this is a topic close to my heart. I have fallen hard for Camper "Runner" shoes/sneakers. They come in leather and suede and fab colors. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many pairs I own.
The new Keds solution is Golden Goose. It’s the step that says I value comfort, and I haven’t totally given up on fashion just yet. Free resoling for life.
As an avid suspense movie watcher, I like to always wear shoes I can run for my life in. That’s why so many of us cringed at Bryce Howard’s shoes in Jurassic Park 2. Anyway thanks for writing about white Keds and such.
So YOU <3
😘
I recently went to an Olivia Rodrigo concert (by myself, without an accompanying a tweenager excuse; I like her!) It was February and cold. In the some things never change department, I was in an elevator with two beautiful young women who were all dressed up and very under dressed for the weather. I told them how lovely they looked. "Thanks," one replied. "We're going to freeze, though." But in the some things do change department: with their sparkly, cami-top mini dresses they were wearing sneakers -- as were all the other young women bedecked in their finest, often skimpy concert frillery. Smart girls, I thought, remembering that when I dressed up back in the day that included strappy heels providing neither support nor protection from the elements (or other feet.) But these young ladies should have fewer foot problems down the road. Good for them!
👍
Don’t worry, I understood! :)
You and I have the same problem, what shoes to wear, it’s not like a don’t have a plentiful choice, so I end up going back to basics and Don my favourite sneakers, who would have thought, but my age and feet have caught up with me. Too bad if someone told me not to wear black, it has been a safe staple in my wardrobe, together with dark navy, besides it hides a lot of sins lol… Great read as usual
Utterly charming. Great writing.
Yikes typo! Those were all supposed to be exclamation points. No question marks’
Thank you!!?🙏
Manic pixies have been on my mind all week as well! I wrote a whole Substack about how much I hate Audrey Hepburn. She was the Ur-manic pixie dreamgirl. Then it became a term because of a crushed-out article about Zooey Deschanel. I interviewed Zooey. She was 32 and still tilted her toes inward, hid behind her hair and balled her hands up in the cuffs of her overlong sweatshirt. Also, she was really dumb.
Dish dish dish!
My grand girls when they go to proms etc with their female friends (dates are so yesterday) seem to dress in a sort of uniform. Long wavy locks, very short sparkly dresses, fake fingernails, the same strappy heels. They get their pictures taken and promptly put on sneakers, mostly converse. Normally they are not remotely dolled up-messy nuns, plaid flannel pants, baggy jeans, or yoga tights and often crop tops. Never hosiery.