December 30th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

New Years Eve!

This is a tough one, as there are so many options for New Years (some would argue, none of them good.)  Many have found New Years to be a notoriously bad night, as the pressure to have a good time has never been higher, the partiers have never been drunker, and it’s outright impossible to hail a cab.  So always remember, New Years is just another night out, not some epic extravaganza.  If it turns out that way, great.  If it doesn’t, who cares?  The most important thing is that you love your shoes.

The New Years Gala: If there’s one word to describe this night, it’s fabulous.  You’ll wear a gown and dance all night in a sea of jewels, up-do’s and tuxedos.  Both caviar and lobster will be served and someone will make a big show of proposing to his girlfriend who will will either say yes or run out crying.  Regardless, the band will play on and you’ll take another turn on the floor.  Like your gown and the evening, your shoes should be fancy and fab.

The New Years House Party: This is going to be nothing but wild.  Replace the cheap beer in solo cups with cheap champagne right out of the bottle and there’s your night.  The sweaty dancing bodies will be packed tight, someone will inevitably convince everyone else that it’s OK to smoke inside, and you will see at least three people take a tumble down the stairs.  Ah, to be young.  You can literally wear whatever you want– it’s the nature of the night.  I would recommend something with a little more sparkle than your go-to house party outfit, paired with shoes that say, “I’m a lot of fun!” (They should not be too fragile, as there’s nothing like an out of control party to ruin your favorite new shoes–no suede!)

The New Years Dinner Party: This is much more civilized than the house party.  There are a select number of guests and they’ll all wear suits and dresses and bring a hostess gift.  Like any dinner party, the whole evening is meant to be intimate and lovely.  But this is New Years Eve after all, so don’t be surprised if the gathering devolves into something more raucous a few hours in–you’ll blame it on the champagne.  Feel free to wear heels of any height, as you’ll be sitting for most of the night and comfort won’t be an issue.  Like the setting, the shoes should be lovely.

The New Years Street Party: Watching the ball drop and partying with strangers is a once in a lifetime experience, i.e. you’ll have a blast and walk away saying, “Awesome, but once was enough. Never again.”  The most important thing is to stay warm.  It would be a shame for the weather to ruin your time.  Luckily you can still look cute while doing so.

The Shoes (From top to bottom):

The Something Bleu ‘Cloud’, The Madden Girl ‘Century‘, The Something Bleu ‘Cafe’, The Koolaburra ‘Erika’

December 28th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I bought a pair of vintage combat boots around this time last year.  Upon spotting them, I thought they were cool and edgy and they gave me a bit of nostalgia for the last time they were in style.  (I rocked them in the fourth grade.)  So, quite pleased with myself, I skipped home to show them to my roommates.  I didn’t even much like having roommates, but I will always treasure this ritual of ours.  Fine, it was just my ritual– no one else liked showing off her new purchases.  One of the guys once showed us a new DVD though, and I made sure to give it a lot of praise.

Anyway, I was used to the unveiling of my new finds being met with oohs and ahs.  The combat boots however, were met with an uncomfortable silence and a cough for comedic effect to cut the palpable awkwardness of the uncomfortable silence.  I was shocked!  These boots were so cool.  I tried to explain to my roommate how I would wear them and what I loved about them, but it was in vein.  They refused to agree with my taste.  I forged on though, and wore them out of the apartment in front of my closest friends, only to be met with ridicule.  To be fair, my closest friends are allowed to ridicule me and I them, which is why now I can say to them, “Ha ha, look who’s wearing them now!”

There you have it–they are in fact a trend. So as not to give myself too much credit, I will admit that although mine were vintage, I picked them up at Urban Outfitters.  They’re great for balancing an ultra feminine look, they flatter the legs in skinny jeans, and they exude an air of bad ass no matter what you pair them with.  They’re all around winners and I think, due to their versatility and undeniable chic factor, that they’re here to stay.

The J. Shoes ‘Meadow’ from Barefoot Tess:

The J. Shoes ‘Meadow’ Combat Boot have the added detail of the ribbon laces for a feminine contrast.  Love ‘em.

December 22nd, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

When it comes to winter boots, they’re not all that hard to find if all you want is warm feet.  However, this past weekend, in the midst of that record breaking blizzard, it occured to me that warmth is important, but dryness is key.  When blizzard conditions hit, you don’t just want something fleecy and cozy– you want something made to shield you from the elements.

It’s not as if I was out in the driveway for hours shoveling the car out or had to traipse through the field into town to stock up on provisions.  I was just hanging out in my house reading and drinking tea.  But still, I know of other people that had to do those things and it seemed like they’d be better off had they been wearing the Sorel Caribou.  It’s warm.  It’s waterproof, and until I saw these, I felt like no winter boots were cute.  These make me WANT to shovel the walk!

December 21st, 2009 by barefoottess

Everyone and her sister has a blog about fashion, style, clothes, and the like.  Tons of them are bad, lots of them are good, but this one is the most creative I’ve ever seen: The Uniform Project

The Idea

“Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade’s boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.”

-Blogger Sheena Matheiken

December 17th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Christmas Eve Dinner at the Club with Your In-laws.

This could go two completely different ways:

1.     Upon arrival, your mother-in-law grimaces straight at you.  She never did think you were good enough, and to rub it in she gives you a sort-of compliment about your new haircut: “Oh, your hair is…different.” Your husband is of no help at all, mostly because he hates disappointing his doting mother and a little because he’s too busy riling up the kids in the lobby right before they’re about to sit down to a long meal.  Of course it will be your job to calm them down and keep them quiet-typical. Your father-in-law spends the evening burping and dozing off at the table and no one likes the food much because like the evening, it’s bland and boring.

2.     Upon arrival, your mother-in-law gives you a warm squeeze and whispers that she loves your new hair.  She hasn’t a daughter, so she just loves cooing over you.  Your husband and his father embrace in a man-hug-back-slap and talk about the drive up, while the kids, dressed pristinely in dresses you found on sale at Saks (go you), play silently with their new dolls.  Over dinner, your father-in-law regales everyone with ribald stories from his college days, you give your mother-in-law a scarf she absolutely adores, and everyone marvels that the ham is especially good this year.  Additionally, you’ll see your own parents on Christmas day, so what could be better?

In terms of what to wear, the club is on the conservative side, but it is a celebration after all. To match the ‘celebration in a stuffy place’ atmosphere, you can’t go wrong with a festive dress paired with classic flats.  And what’s more classic than black patent leather? Nothing. It’s the best.

The Shoes: The Poetic Licence ‘Garden Delight’

December 15th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

You want their looks– start with the feet and work your way up!

Nicole Kidman

The Corso Como ‘Syracuse’

Katie Holmes

The Maloles ‘Zoe Luxe Hair’

Renee Zellweger

The Soft Style ‘Cecelia’

Kelly Osbourne

The All Black ‘Bloom’

Lady Gaga

The Barefoot Tess ‘Spice’

Jessica Biel

The Madden Girl ‘Tandum’

If you order by tomorrow, you’ll receive by Christmas Eve!

December 9th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Your Parent’s Holiday Party: Your mom really wants you to come and your dad will say something encouraging like, “Mom really wants you to come.” So you’ll make the trip home and expect your parents dorky college friends and stuffy work friends and friends of the family. Make no mistake. This does not, by any means, give you free reign call it in on your holiday party look. You have no idea who could be at this party. You might find it uncool to drink hot mulled cider and break into numbered groups to sing “The 12 Days of Christmas” around the piano, but anyone could be here—someone with a great job connection, your high school nemesis whose parents just moved into the neighborhood, a boy you used to have no interest in turned hot, successful man with a scruffy beard and an M.D.

In terms of your look, this is your parents’ house after all, so you don’t have to get decked. Strive for casual elegance. Try a graceful silk blouse under a blazer, paired with dark skinny jeans and a structured boot. This look is clean and current and beautifully feminine with a slight yet sexy masculine influence. Get ready to order a letterhead that starts with “Dr. and Mrs.”

Hot Party Tip: Watch out! Hot mulled cider is stronger than you think. If you find that suddenly your singing ability is much improved from what it’s been your entire life, it’s time to put down your mug and hand over the ‘Five Golden Rings’ part to your Aunt and Uncle.

(The Shoe: The Corso Como ‘San Jose’ ($219))

December 8th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Your Neighbor’s Hanukkah Pot Luck: The first hour of this little get-together has the power to deceive you– it’s going to start out tame with the consumption of latkes and small talk about what you’re doing for the holidays, and maybe what you’re doing with your life.  But don’t be fooled.  By hour two everyone will be marveling at how much wine has been consumed by such a small group.  Pretty soon you’ll be flirting with the eligible bachelors, the menorah candles will have burned down completely, and the early-evening social gathering will have transitioned into a rollicking late-night soiree with additional mystery crashers from the building and dancing on the coffee table.

As a result of the ‘two parties in one’ nature of the evening, you’ll need something fun and flirty that can transition from Act I to Act II. No jeans. Try a sassy mini and tights paired with a plain tee to tone it down.  The ideal shoes, in keeping with the outfit and the evening, would have two contrasting elements one tame and one wild.

(The Shoe: The FS/NY ‘Adorn’ (Black leather studded with crystals), $239)

December 7th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Last weekend officially kicked off Holiday Party Season.   And what does holiday party season require of you?  Why, holiday party shoes of course! Each day this week, I’ll feature a different type of holiday party and corresponding festive shoe.

The Office Christmas Party: Your bosses will be here, so you can’t look too out of control, but the cute guy from the cubicle across from yours will also be in attendance, so you’ve got to look as hot as professionally possible. If the party is after work, shed your cardigan post-office hours to reveal a sexy dress.  Then, change from your work shoes to a pair of sassy heals.  Everyone will see you in a whole new light.

Hot Party Tip: You are among your colleagues and higher-ups after all.  It can be socially stressful, so to avoid disaster, try to alternate cocktails with water.  You do want them to see you in a whole new light – you don’t want that light to be “the girl who tripped on the dance floor, bumped into a cater waiter, and spilled red wine on the CEO’s trophy wife.”

Enjoy!

(The Shoe: The Madeline ‘Georgi’ ($69))

December 4th, 2009 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Friday is here and we’re checking out celeb style like usual.  This week though, there’s a twist.  All of these photos were taken at the airport and all of these fashionistas are wearing black boots.  See which black boot each celeb has picked as her wardrobe staple.  You know how meticulously we pick out our travel outfits, so they must love these boots!

Rihanna

The J. Shoes ‘Bridle’

Heidi Montag

The Delman ‘Aden’

Ashlee Simpson

The Manitobah ‘Buffalo Dancer’

Ashley Greene

The Delman ‘Darcy’

Kate Hudson

The All Black ‘Long’