October 31st, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Like there’s any other way to do it.  It happens every year. Halloween sneaks up on us and we have these lofty ideas for costumes, but then we have like an hour to get all of the stuff together and the costume store is a madhouse and we want to look great, but we’re racing the clock and we don’t want to be late for that party because you-know-who is going to be there, which is just another reason we want to look great! Oh, the stress of it!

The answer to this dilemma is to build a costume from your own wardrobe, taking into account your own personal style and of course what’s flattering.  I’ll give you some suggestions and include the BFT shoes to match. Also, I’m not advocating that all Halloween costumes need to be sexy.  In fact, I usually think that topical/funny costumes are better…and get more attention if we’re keeping track.

If you have a black leotard: Black Swan! A witch! American Apparel Print Ad! Liza Minnelli! Zombie Ballerina!

Bloch ‘Arabian Ballerina,’ $119

If you have a flashy dress: Real Housewife of [fill in the blank]! Mob Wife! Miss America! Zombie Miss America!

Gwyneth ‘Quin,’ $129

If you have a plaid skirt: Catholic School Girl! Teen Mom! Nancy Drew! Zombie Teen Mom!

Bernardo ‘Boston,’ $169

If you have a white sheet: Ghost! Athena in a toga! Zombie Roman Citizen!

Dolce Vita ‘Dino,’ $79

The lesson here is anyone can be turned into a zombie and if you just have a little imagination, you can make a great costume out of your own clothes…but you might want to buy some fake blood.

October 27th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I’ve heard it a million times from girls and women: I can’t walk in heels.  Now here’s the thing– I know in some cases this is just another way to say, “under no circumstances do I feel comfortable wearing heels.” Maybe they’re not your thing.  If they’re not your thing and you just have no interest in them, go with it, sister.  But if you want them to be your thing, if you want to know how to walk in them and you think you just can’t, you’re wrong. You can.

So let’s say you see a fabulous pair of heels at Barefoot Tess and you think, “I wish I could wear those, but I can’t walk in heels.” Think again.  We have a great return policy, so that shouldn’t get in your way. Buy the heels if you want the heels!  They are the most glamorous footwear after all. Then, in the privacy of your own home or dorm room or bathroom, take them out of their box and slip them on. Now stand up. Now walk. Do you feel like you’re doing a bad job? Keep walking.  Do you feel like maybe you took too tall, too big, too gangly? You don’t. Keep walking. Now put on an outfit that you love with the shoes. Keep walking. Maybe your jerk brother or your stupid roommate make a wisecrack at you because you never wear heels.  Don’t listen. Keep walking. Your roommate is just jealous anyway.  Sooner or later, whether it takes an hour or a day or a month, you’re going to get the hang of it and you’ll be all the more fabulous for it.

This tiny piece of advice doesn’t even just apply to heels.  You can do whatever the hell you want. Have a little faith in yourself. Keep walking.

Corso Como ‘Del’ $159

October 10th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

There’s no disputing the fact that ankles and thighs and calves and butts all look better when we’re wearing a little heel or wedge.  Something about our muscles or the way we have to balance or whatever–who knows? But the fact is that a leg in heels looks better than a leg in flats. Notice Barbie’s legs are always in that position? OK, Barbie is a bad example because no woman’s body is shaped that way. Stop feeling bad about yourself. Back to heels.

The thing about heels is that they say, “I put some effort into this,” and sometimes we don’t want it to look like we tried too hard. We don’t want someone to ask, “Why did you wear heels to class? Look at that guy– he’s wearing sweatpants.”  We want people to look at our outfit and think, “Now, that’s masterfully put together and yet so casual and fitting for the occasion.”  This is where the hidden wedge comes in.  The hidden wedge gives our legs that beautiful shape, but it’s casual enough that we don’t look over dressed.  Of course, it always depends what we pair things with and literally every piece can be dressed up or down or used to dress something else up or down.  That’s between you and your wardrobe.  The point is, the hidden wedge gives us a little bit of power.  It adds a secret oomph to our look.  80%20 is known for the hidden wedge and their shoes happen to be fabulous.  Check them out– of course they’re available from Barefoot Tess.

September 23rd, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Dressing for work can be fun, but we all know it’s a pain sometimes.  If you have an office full of people that appreciate cool outfits, it’s easier to be inspired, but most people don’t have that luxury.  The thing we all have to remember though, is that if you like you’re outfit, you’re going to have a better day.  That sounds extreme, but it’s true.  If you feel good about the way you look, you give off a totally different vibe.  You’ll be more likely to get promotions and raises– it’s true.  Additionally, you’re likely not going straight to work and back home every day, and even when you do, you have to be out and about in the process of getting there.

Where you work presents another problem– you have to obey the dress code.  No matter what the dress code though, you can still look totally cute/great at work.  Check out some suggestions from Barefoot Tess. And remember that a beautiful pair of black pumps are never wrong!

September 21st, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Nobody likes traveling in the rain.  It makes your socks wet and your hair gets positively ruined, not to mention your day.  Then you get inside and you’re cold because you’re all wet and you dread leaving because you know it’s going to be impossible to get a cab and you’re in too bad of a mood to take the subway because you’ll have to deal with all of those people in the same kind of mood as you. And it’s so gloomy out!  I feel dejected just thinking about it.

What we tend to forget though is that if you can beat the system and stay dry, you’re going to have a better day.  I’m personally in the habit of leaving my apartment without checking the weather and getting caught in the rain with suede ballet flats and a nice blowout.  Then I have to buy a tiny $5 umbrella on the street, but it’s always too late and the umbrella gets blown inside out two blocks later.  Had I checked the weather, I’d be happily wellie-clad with a nice umbrella to match. There’s a lesson to be learned here.  Here are some cute ways to stay dry.

September 16th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Everyone has those days when she looks in her closet and thinks, “Ugh, I hate everything I own.”  So she dresses herself in something plain and unexciting and trudges out the door like she hasn’t much to live for that day.  And then the day itself is bad.  The subway leaves just as she gets onto the platform.  The salad place runs out of her favorite topping.  And then it starts to rain. You know she doesn’t have an umbrella.

You know what would have spiced that plain outfit right up?  A pair of patterned accent shoes.  They’re a little wild and you might think, “what am I going to wear those with?” Basic shoes are great, but accent shoes will save you outfit and your day.  Pair them with a basic outfit and they’ve made your look.

Check out some of BFT’s best accent shoes paired with basics.

May 1st, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

I woke up at 5am on Friday to see the royal procession and wedding. Fun, beautiful, a little stuffy for my taste.  I couldn’t help but notice the hat situation. So many women wear them– it’s so much less of a thing here. Here if you wore a hat to a wedding, you’d be one of the only ones, which had me wishing I lived in London…and I was invited to that wedding…and I was over the age of 40. (I didn’t see a lot of young women in hats.)

Once I started browsing hats, I realized there are plenty of appropriate situations for them. Here are some fab hats and the BFT shoes to match.

At the Races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, etc.)

At a typical Sunday brunch and subsequent flea market shopping.

At the Beach.

To a dinner party.

On a road trip.

To make your friends laugh at you.

April 11th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

We all love our sneakers. Some of us don’t wear them often, but a great pair of kicks can do a lot for an outfit. Complex cataloged Jerry Seinfeld’s sneakers in an endlessly entertaining slideshow. If you haven’t seen the show, you’ll still love the sneakers. If you have, then you know it’s the funniest show ever to air on television.

These pretzels are makin’ me thirsty.

For some cool sneakers of your own, visit Barefoot Tess!

March 29th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Across the board, the best dressers I know and women whose style I consistently admire the most are the ones who have a great sense of contrast.  They can mix and match pieces most people would never think of pairing.  They think of new ways to invent old pieces that may have fallen from Trendy’s good graces.  They save the things they know will come back or they’ll be able to reuse. And my god, they know their staples. Most of them are also excellent at raiding mom and grandma’s closets. Some of them are even good at raiding grandpa’s.

This contrast is more far-reaching than you think. Everybody knows the basic and common LA look of a nice bag and bag lady clothes. It’s not just pairing a striped cardigan with a patterned dress, although that’s a great look.  It’s also pairing your most prized and expensive piece with something from Forever21–BECAUSE IT WORKS BRILLIANTLY.  One of the most powerful and eye-catching ways to do it is pairing two different styles.  For instance, wear a frilly sundress with ripped tights and combat boots. Wear a stuffy tweed blazer with a tank, cutoffs, and heels. Wear a cocktail dress with a denim vest or jacket.

This is where the pointy-toed flats come in.  They are much more clean cut and conservative than a ballet flat.  Therefore, paired with your casual clothes, they look awesome. What’s more, you can wear them to work when you actually have to look conservative. Try wearing the Tess by Barefoot Tess ‘Bristol’ flat with skinny jeans and a leather jacket or cutoffs, maybe some flannel or a vintage tee. You won’t be disappointed. You will look cool.

March 10th, 2011 by The Barefoot Blogger: Laura Kleinbaum

Every season, you need a stand-by shoe: something comfortable, something practical, something adorable.  It has to match all of your clothes and it has to add something to your outfit, not just work with it.  After all, you’re going to be wearing these shoes all the time.  You don’t want people to get sick of looking at you.

Usually in the winter, we depend on a great pair of boots for this, but in the spring and fall it’s all about the flats. Listen, I’m not saying you shouldn’t own a million pairs of fabulous shoes.  Quite the opposite actually–you should own millions of fabulous shoes, so that every outfit has the perfect matching shoe.  Whether you can or can’t do this (maybe you’re not a shoe person) every outfit should have the perfect shoe.  With the staple flat, you’re all set for the season.

Check out some of the staple flats BFT has to offer.

Sometimes you’re in the mood for vanilla ice cream,
plain and safe. But often it’s the rocky road that you
really crave.  It’s a little busier, but it’s equally if not
more delicious. These flats are the rocky road, and
also an excellent accent piece.

The Accent Flat: an every day ballet flat on which
you can rely to punch up your look. It’s eye-catching.
It’s outfit-transforming. It’s trustworthy. You can trust
that these leather and metallic ballets will make even
your plainest combination of clothes a 10 on the outfit
rating scale.

Between the soft leather, the delicate open toe,
and the unique fold-over bow, these flats have
it all. They’re statement staples, so don’t hesitate
to get them in every color and wear them every
day with everything.

The snow is melting and sun dresses will soon be
relevant once again. Pair them with these femme
flower flats and look completely appropriate at
every garden party, high tea, and ladies luncheon
you attend. The mere thought of this is charming.