August 17th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Don’t worry, you still have a few good carefree weeks.  But the fact of the matter is Fall is coming.  This is a good thing– it means scarves and boots and chunky knits, but it also means we have to say goodbye to some of our favorite things.  Good pieces transition into autumn, but some things are just meant to be stuffed into the plastic bin labeled, “summer stuff,” only to see the light of day when you take that Christmas holiday to the Caribbean, or worse, next summer.

Here’s the question on everyone’s mind: what about my rompers?  You might have had to deal with this in the instance of one romper last year, but this year you have tons and you’re positive you love them and you hope they can stick around.  The good news is they can.  It depends on the romper of course. No terry cloth allowed in the fall.  No white linen.  But many rompers, with the right shoes and accessories will do just fine sticking around until it’s too cold for bear legs, and even then, you can add some tights.

August 10th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

August 2nd, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Camping is tricky because it’s the weekend trip that makes it easiest to say, “You’re supposed to look kind of bad.”  But stop that right now.  That is never the case.  I usually find that any combination of camping and hiking make for a miserable time, especially when the camping includes setting up one’s own tent or the hiking includes even a slight incline.  So that’s why I refuse to camp or hike at all costs.  I have done it before though, and though I find it to the absolute worst, I think the outfits can be quite adorable in that sporty kind of way.  So grab that food-crusted mess kit, stuff it in your too-heavy backpack next to the biodegradable toilet paper and the quick-dry towel, and have fun!  I wouldn’t, but you’re choosing to go, so you must be into it.

Style Disclaimer: Usually I’m all about the accessories, but even I know there’s a time and a place.  So leave your flashy necklaces at home, lest they attract a bear…or make other people roll their eyes at you.

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

It’s a sad time, as our girl Lindsey has joined the ranks of Paris Hilton, Khloe KaRdashian, and Martha Stewart, in jail.  Everybody makes mistakes, and we love our misguided celebs, so I’m not judging.  I’m just wondering, what kind of shoes do they wear with the orange jump suit?  It’s a tough color, and no-doubt a tough cut, but perhaps with the right shoes and maybe a brooch and a cute coiffure, it’s possible to look cute.

Try these, ladies!

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

It’s not enough anymore to be told, “we’re going to the beach,” and know what you’re going to wear, because every beach has it’s own distinct feel.  Show up on the glamorous French Riviera in your preppy Cape Cod suit and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb, mostly because you’re not topless, but also because you’ve got the wrong style all together.  Of course if you’re going to your grandparents dorky lake beach for old people you have the right to wear a bikini as opposed to a full support one-piece, but in general, the beach dictates the beachwear. (In a fun way!)

And of course no matter which beach you choose, Barefoot Tess has the sandals!

July 9th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Don’t worry, all of the Russian spies have been detained and they’re going home.  As it turns out though, they were all pretty cool people and their American friends and neighbors are really going to miss them.  Some were known for throwing great dinner parties, another couple for their beautiful garden, and of course Anna Chapman for her tabloid exploits.  (She’s very glamorous and very sexy.)

It seems they could have led long healthy lives here in the suburbs, complete with bake sales, book clubs, and secret meetings in high-rise parking lots.  They weren’t bothering anyone or obtaining any classified information anyway.  They blew it though because they were bad at being spies, ever forgetting the rules.  One in particular probably did them in in the end: they didn’t have the right shoes.  I know some forgot to change their names (woops!) and one wrote all of his passwords on a piece of paper and left it next to his computer (that could happen to anyone who can’t memorize) But I bet in the end it was the shoes that did them in. If you want to be a spy, you’ve got to have the right shoes.

July 2nd, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

When assembling an Independence Day outfit, it’s easy to get carried away.  Everyone is always temped to dress entirely in red, white and blue, but unless you own a sailor dress, it’s tough to make that work.  And be forewarned that if you do wear your sailor dress, you’re going to see yourself coming and going.  Rather than throwing some flag-colored clothes together into a look that is probably going to end up more kitschy than cool, try dressing in a classically American style.  It’s a more sophisticated hat’s off to our great nation, and you’ll be the best dressed girl at the party.  It works in any setting and sparklers make the perfect accessory!

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

It’s the weekend and you’re headed to the lake house!  Just because you’ll be hanging around all weekend, playing board games and lying out on a raft, doesn’t mean you won’t want to look adorable all the time.  You can pack light and still maintain the fabulous factor with a few simple tricks.

1. Bring one pair of beautiful sandals that match everything.
2. Let your clothes double as bathing suit cover-ups.
3. As far as outerwear goes, bring one piece that you can throw on over all of your outfits, something cute that will compliment all of your looks.
4. Pick one look that you can stick with the whole weekend.  This way, your clothes will be mix-and-matchable and you have some freedom while you’re getting dressed.
5. Don’t skimp on accessories.  Bringing some that match everything is a great idea, but just remember regardless of where you are, the accessories make the outfit.

May 18th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I  love heels.  I  adore really chic sandals and sleek boots and a nice feminine espadrille with a sundress.  But sometimes, it’s just time to wear sneakers.  Often, I’m against the sneaker because, despite the comfort factor, it seems less useful and attractive than a staple patent leather flat.  But let’s be serious: there’s a time to look nice and a time to forget about that and just have fun!  And that’s where the sneaker comes in. The sneaker is the funnest shoe!

Here are the Top Ten Sneaker-Requiring Activities of Spring.  I’d abandon my peep-toe wedges in a hot second for this kind of fun.

10. The Wave: You thought skateboarding was cool?  Try Street Surfing!  By virtue of its name, it’s already hardcore and bad-ass. (Based on personal experience, it’s also easier than a skateboard to master.)

9. Soccer in the Park:  The worse you and your friends are at soccer, the more fun you’ll have.  You’ll be really dramatic about falling and you won’t even realize you’re getting a great workout because you’ll be too concentrated on blocking your friend’s shot.  It’s also the kind of game that (hot young man) strangers will ask to join, and then you’ll make new friends.  (But not if they’re creepy.  If they’re creepy, run away.)

8. Red Rover:  What’s more exhilarating than running full speed at your friends’ linked hands?  As I child, the only time I ran faster  than when I heard “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Laura come over” was when I heard the Good Humor man’s bell.  I was chubby.

7. A Hike through the Woods: Not to be confused with a walk through the woods, the hike includes building a fort, having a picnic, and maybe fashioning a make-shift raft to get to the other side of the river.  If you’re not muddy when you get home, you weren’t doing it right.

6.  Laser Tag:  The hardest thing about this activity is finding a place that still has laser tag.  Once you’ve found it though, you’ll have the time of your life.  There’s nothing like wearing a heavy blinking vest and running around with a plastic gun trying to kill your friends.

5. Rock Climbing: Doing this attached to a harness and ropes is enjoyable, but the real fun starts when you find a big rock in nature that you’re just free to climb.  The only thing better than this is when you can jump off of it into the water.

4. Paint Balling: The gun is so heavy it’s hurting your hands, your dodging though obstacles and ducking behind debris to save your life, and those bullets really hurt when they hit you.  It’s magic.

3. Man Hunt: Also known as “Hid-and-go-seek Tag in the Dark” there’s more running for you life involved.  This is even better though, because it’s free and you can get the whole neighborhood to play.

2. Caving: not everyone is fortunate to live near a cave, but if you are, or you happen to happen upon one, exploring it would be a new level of fun.  A little scary, a little dangerous, a big adventure.  A lot of vacation destinations have caves, and I also recently learned that Inwood Hill Park, at the northern tip of Manhattan has a little system of caves just waiting to be explored.  Don’t go at night unless you bring a torch.

1. Climbing a Tree: One of the greatest joys in life period.

Tell me!  What are your favorite sneaker-requiring activities?

Don’t think I would send you out into the wilderness without the proper footwear!

May 17th, 2010 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Prom culture is vastly varied by region, but for the most part, the girls skip afternoon classes for an up-do and last-minute tan. People ride in stretch Hummers, motel rooms get trashed, the PTA wants to ban fun, and there’s a lot of alcohol-induced vomiting and virginity loss. Oh, and there’s also that party.

The expectations for this night are always impossibly high.  Of course, you’ve only been talking about it since Homecoming. It’s best to go with the flow and have fun, as opposed to hoping every detail goes as planned–that’s never going to happen.  There is one thing you can guarantee and count on and take comfort in: an amazing outfit.  This means the perfect prom shoes.  Don’t worry–we’ve got you covered.

The Prom Shoe Gallery

Get them all and more from Barefoot Tess!

And for your sake, I hope your prom is just like this: