I have a fashion comfort zone of ballet flats and dresses from the 1950s (or at least ones that appear to be from that era). Even after I chopped all my hair off about a year ago my style didn't really change that much--if anything the more boyish crop was a nice excuse to wear more feminine pieces because then everything was about "juxtapositioning." However, when Stuart Weitzman approached me and asked if I'd like a pair of shoes from their spring/summer line I couldn't resist these quite out of character gladiator sandals. They wonderfully look like nothing else in my wardrobe and push my style from safe and comfortable into something a little more edgy. I usually feel out of place in edgy looks and I blame my face--either the round cheeks or my inability to apply a proper smoky eye--but in something tough or more "hardcore" I feel like a porcelain doll wrapped in leather--they just don't suit each other. This outfit however felt really comfortable and really me. Maybe it was the favorite dress that has been in my wardrobe for years or the way the sandals reminded me of the knee socks I used to wear, but whatever the reason despite this look not being saccharine I didn't feel like I was playing dress-up.
CONVERSATION