Oscar de la Renta

Everyone, let us take a moment to remember Oscar de la Renta.  He passed away on Monday at the age of 82, after five decades of making us all look good with his signature classic elegance.  He dressed socialites and starlets and First Ladies, and helped define American style as it came into its own in the 1960s and 1970s.

In his honor, today I give you a number of shoes that bear his name.

The Marla is just the sweetest little kitten heel you ever saw, isn’t it?  Only 1.75 inches high, this D’Orsay is perfectly formed with its pointed toe and glamorous bow.  It’s Audrey Hepburn all over!  Yours for $745 from Saks.

The Blairclo Slipper is a smoking flat in a lovely shade of royal blue velour.  Oh, and the toe?  Topped with a big crystal jaguar.  Like a boss.  The stacked heel is a half-inch tall and it’s trimmed in grosgrain.  Also available in black; your choice for $400 from Gilt.

I am a sucker for jacquard, so naturally I love the Dec.  This gold-on-gold floral print is so warm, and so subtle—from afar they look like plain gold pointed-toe heels.  Up close, though, they bloom.  The heel is four inches high, and be forewarned: they run big, so get at least a half-size smaller!  Find them at Net-A-Porter for $695.

Oh.  My.  God.  LOOK at these suede boots.  Look at the slender four-inch heel.  Look at the sexy pointed toe.  Look at the curved seaming around the ankle. Look at the bouquet of delicately cut and finished flowers at the top, and look at how it’s cut in a V to accent them.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful pair of boots!  If you agree, you can pick up a pair for $995 from Neiman Marcus.

Thank you, Oscar, for making us classy ladies.  We’ll miss you.

Sales this weekend:

Bakers: $20 off casual boots
Bus Stop Boutique: 4th Friday tonight from 5:30-8:30!  Take 15% off
Lord & Taylor: 25% off with savings pass or promo code FRIENDS
Macy's: 15% off with promo code STAR
Nine West: 30% off entire purchase
Payless: Up to 30% off, plus take 20% off everything with code ZZ20

Clear Shoes

Of all the trends out for spring, I find none more interesting (with more potential for disaster) than clear shoes.  There are so many ways clear shoes can look trashy, or cheap—but really beautiful?  I think I may have been misguided before, because look at what designers are putting out now:

The Tiger Lily by ABS by Allen Schwartz is aqua suede at the heel, aqua lace at the toe, and clear in between!  It’s so ladylike—there’s no mistaking these for stripper heels, for sure.  The four-inch heel is silver, and it also comes in black or a really nice berry color—your choice for $116 from Macy’s.

The Larisa by Penny Loves Kenny sort of reminds me of those watches where you can see the movement—it’s the classic oxford, but you can see inside!  The eyelets on the clear parts are a nice touch, but the punch detailing on the silver and the contrasting laces steal the show.  Also available in all black or a rather clown-shoe-looking yellow/blue/pink combo; find them at 6pm for $63.

SO glamorous!  The Metallic Leather Clear Vamp Pump by Oscar de la Renta is very much like a regular, beautiful dress sandal, what with the gold leather around the back and down the three-inch heel and the beaded rhinestone feature at the peep toe—but the lower part of the vamp is clear!  Love.  Yours for $695 from Bergdorf Goodman.

Sexy secretary, anybody?  The Potion-44 by Qupid is a cap-toe (trend alert!) pump in bright pink (or white, but the pink is cooler), with a 4.5-inch heel, ankle strap, and clear vamp.  Find them at DSW for $40.

There is a lot to love on the Crystal Cap Toe Clear Pump by Lanvin: the black and tan combo, the sturdy 4.75-inch heel and platform, the clear vamp, and the cap toe encrusted in sparkling crystals! Professional, fun, sexy, unexpected, classic… this shoe has it all.  Yours from Neiman Marcus for $1590.

The Ogen by Type Z is such a springy little flat, with yellow at the cap toe, around the foot, and down the back of the heel, and clear everywhere else!  Also available in red, blue, and pink; your choice for $59 on Zappos.

Clear shoes, I have misjudged you.  May the world learn from my mistake!