December 31st, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Let’s face it, New Years Eve is a stressful night.  People make all sorts of crazy plans, an open bar costs $100, and public drunkenness starts at 8pm.  One thing that shouldn’t stress you out is your outfit.  On New Years more than any other night, it’s easy to forget that we’re all out to have fun.  So whether you’re attending a black tie gala or playing Taboo with your friends, you can look great.

Here are some suggestions that range the casual-to-dressy spectrum.

BarefootTess.com All Black for Barefoot Tess Quilted Flat, comes in…
$99 - barefoottess.com
Quilted shoes »

Samanta Viv Pump at Barefoottess.com
$199 - barefoottess.com
Samanta pumps »

Jessica Bennett Neo Wedge at Barefoottess.com
$139 - barefoottess.com

December 29th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

There are a million options for New Years Eve festivities (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. Vases will be broken.  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: Though also in a house, this is much more civilized than the house party.  There are a select number of guests and they’ll all wear ties and dresses and bring a hostess gift.  Like any dinner party with soft jazz playing in the background, 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 cocktails followed by wine followed by champagne followed by liqueur.  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 in your novelty 2011 glasses and walk away saying, “Awesome, but once was enough. Never again.”  The most important thing (besides making a cherished lifelong memory) 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. WEAR A SCARF. Hot tip: Once you’re in the crowd, there’s no getting out to go to the bathroom, or rather, maybe you can get out, but don’t expect to get back and and find your friends.

December 27th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I’ll never say who my favorite Kardashian is, but I will say I love Kim. Her style is Glam and very LA (though I’ve never walked past Dash in SoHo and not seen a long line.) Everyone emulates her fabulous look.

BFT ‘Slouch’ ($159)

Delman ‘Janis’ ($299)

Ciao Bella ‘Whitlow’ ($99)

December 25th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

So we’ve all got the day off because it’s Christmas. And when I say ALL, I mean ALL. Literally everyone’s off and therefore, all of the stores are closed. The thing is, hardly anyone is spending the entire day with their family unless they’re all cooped up in a remote cabin, and depending on what that family is like, I’m not really jealous.  Maybe they’re playing board games all day and really enjoying each other’s company, and then I sort of with I were them.  In any case, we’ve all got a bunch of free time on this Christmas day, which to many of us (concentrated most highly on New York City’s Upper West Side) this is just another Saturday.

I don’t know about you guys, but when I have some leisure time on my hands, I like to go shopping.  There are really only two options for shopping today. 1. Mill around Walgreens and Select CVS’s across the country (Thanks Huff Post) and 2. Shop online.  This may or may not satisfy the same urges, but at BFT we’re offering 25% off the entire site and free shipping on all of it, so I think we’re probably hitting the mark.

Other things to do today:

1. Eat at a Chinese Restaurant (I’d do this if every restaurant were open)

2. Go to the Movies (See a triple feature–it’s so fun)

3. Shop at Walgreen’s (They’ve actually got some pretty nifty stuff)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December 22nd, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Oof, holiday shopping.  It’s fun at first and then you realize you’ve just been trying on stuff for yourself and it’s getting late.  Like I said in the last Gift Guide post, of course the best gifts are those super thoughtful ones, like when you track down the original concert tee from your first date or have some special food flown in from across the world and when it arrives, it’s still hot. We can’t put forth that kind of effort for everyone though, and to be honest, not everyone wants/appreciates that kind of gift.  The trick to gift giving is figuring out what people like most and givin’ it to ‘em.

Then there’s a second layer of trickiness. My sister loves shoes, this I know.  What I don’t know is what kind of shoes will appeal to her.  I think I know, but we have totally opposite styles and when it comes down to it, I’m sometimes picking out stuff I like more than she does.  That’s where the gift card comes in.  The girl wants shoes.  Who am I to stand between her the gift of shoes?

This week, you’ll score extra points gifting gift cards because they’re discounted, so your sister is going to get to spend more than you did. And THAT’S what Christmas is all about. (Hanukkah too)

December 21st, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Holiday partying at the office is tricky. You want to look festive, but you can’t just wear a cocktail dress to work.  You’re excited that everything you’re eating isn’t coming from the same vending machine and you want to show it with your outfit. 

Your bosses will be here, so you can’t look too party-sexy, but that new junior associate who doesn’t wear a ring will also be in attendance, so you’ve got to look as hot as professionally possible. The great thing about an LBD is that you can wear it with a blazer and sophisticated pumps during the day and sexy party shoes sans blazer at night.  Add some jewels, a brooch or a statement necklace, and you’ll be the talk of the party.

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 and take advantage of the passed hors d’oeuvres.  You do want to be the talk of the party – you don’t want that talk to be,    ” You know, the girl who flirted with the CEO and made out with a cater waiter.”

The Shoes: Poetic Licence ‘Dazzling’ Heel, $69

December 16th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Combining an urban, chic appeal with a playful quality, Dulce brings a fresh approach to the shoe scene. Its originality is fueled by supple leather and a focus on functionality. The vibrancy and heritage of Brazilian culture inspires the overall aesthetic, which creates a rich, rustic look.
Designer Dulce DeHaven has a balanced, ying-yang approach to creating her line. She focuses on keeping it easy to use, paying close attention to form and function while dialed into the design details. She brings a global influence to the table, with unique choices of materials and colors.
DeHaven’s background in architecture influences the utilitarian design of each style. She compares her design approach to the science of planning buildings, beginning with the essence of the interior construction and leading up to the final aesthetic.
From Hollywood to New York to Rio, fashionistas around the globe are getting hip to Dulce.

And seriously, the second you touch them, you need to own them– they feel that good.

Check them out at Barefoot Tess!

December 16th, 2010 by admin

The holiday season is packed with all sorts of parties, everything from cramming into your friend’s tiny walk-up, listening to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas,” and eating the bad cookies someone made even though you’re not hungry to your office’s once-a-year awkward drinking event, where you’ll listen to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” and eat the bad cookies someone made even though you’re not hungry.  Aren’t the holidays great?

For the next week, I’ll be posting on everything holiday party, including what to expect at each kind of party and what to wear.  Let me know! What kind of parties are you wondering about? I’ll feature them!

That starts tomorrow. Today I have  party tips, which believe it or not, I think are more important than dressing well. OK, maybe equal to.  Fine, almost as important as.

1. Never arrive empty handed. A bottle of wine, cookies, a quiche–just bring something.

2. If it’s a house party, don’t arrive exactly on time. Give your hostess at least a 15-minute grace period. She’s never going to be ready at the start time and you’re just going to stress her out.

3.Don’t linger under the mistletoe– it looks desperate. Instead, linger near it so you can swoop in when the person under it is the one you’re after.

4. Once in a while, you’ll go to a party where the host and hostess insist you take your shoes off.  This is completely inappropriate on their part. They’re literally saying, “Come over and prepare to have your outfit ruined.” What’s the point of going, I ask you?! If you know this is going to be the case, bring some slippers and incorporate them into your look. You’ll a) look cuter than the other guests and b) not be cold.

Try these!

Available at Barefoot Tess.

Enjoy the parties!

December 7th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

When in comes to celebs (movie stars, rock stars, world leaders) women are always dating and marrying men shorter than them.  Tall = Beautiful, and these men got the memo.  Also, short men are very much into dating all women– it’s a thing.  Additionally, and completely unrelated to celebrities, studies show that marriages where the taller spouse is the wife are way up.  It’s always nice to have a celebrity gossip and a sociology study in the same post, no?

Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Jerry ‘Turtle’ Ferrera

Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman (They’re divorced now, but they were a beautiful couple)

Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupree

Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart

Salman Rushdie and Padma Lakshmi (They also divorced– clearly, because she’s too hot for him.)

Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy

TomKat

December 6th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

The holidays mean all sorts of gifts.  Some are easy and you please yourself thinking of how thoughtful you were inscribing that heartfelt note inside that first edition cookbook or finding that flea market tea cup that will make your sister laugh and cry at the same time. Plus we all take comfort in knowing the super and the mailman just want cash. Some are not easy though. A hostess gift for your boyfriend’s mother, whom you’ve never met. Something for your really rich friend. Ugh, something for your boss, your secretary, your gyno’s nurse (she’s so nice.)

I think when you can give a thoughtful gift, that’s amazing and so appreciated by the person who receives it, but you can’t possibly know everyone that well.  So then you have to think, “What would this person like that she wouldn’t buy for herself?” Sometimes you hardly know the person. Then you have to think, “What would everyone like because it’s awesome?” I thought of something! Slippers!  Of course you don’t want to buy someone gross or cheap-looking ones, but really nice slippers? I think everyone appreciates really nice slippers, you know, the ones that are as stylish and attractive as real shoes, but way more cozy and comfortable.  There’s also some built-in security in these, because no one wears them out of the house, so you have a little more leeway when it comes to the gift receiver’s personal style. Additionally, slippers come in all price-ranges and varying degrees of sophistication. You can  get bunny slippers for your tween cousin and cashmere slippers for your snobby mother-in-law and everyone’s happy. And they have warm feet.

Here are some suggestions from Barefoot Tess.