Bill Cunningham at the Times once again confirms what we here at Miss Meghan have been trumpeting for a few years now — the time for the shoe is NOW.
Check out this wonderful multimedia montage below — and keep a close eye on the women who deploy one of my favorite Stiletto Strategies(C) — keeping a pair of flats in your bag and swapping out. Me-ow!
It’s all about the shoe Groundswell On the Street with Bill Cunningham.
People, I am still recovering from the hotness. Not only were there about 500 people there, there were vegan cupcakes. Hello?
Carson Kressley, Roshumba, Jess Zaino, Pam Pekerman, and Steve Kemble all agree with Kathryn that frugal is the new black.
Music was fierce, the drinks were flowing — it was an actual fun fashion party, with a real goody bag full of STUFF instead of gift certificates — which is so hard to pull off these days! I heart Febreze.
Check out Jess Zaino’s video here. Now, it may look like I don’t do budget from this video, but I DO!
ps. in Right Fit pants I am a size 5 TALL — how bout that? I haven’t been a size 5 since I was 11. I love it.
pps. check my big hair out below, photo courtesy of Frolabulicious.
Me-ow!
Had a chance to chat with Yeojin yesterday about her fave shoes at Expose. As you know, Yeojin’s designs are elegant and flowing so it’s no surprise who her fave shoe designer of the moment is.
Nicholas Kirkwood shoe image courtesy shopjake.com (a great place to find amazing shoes!)
Check me out chatting on PLUM TV about my Stiletto Strategies.
Here’s the abbreviated version:
Put ‘em on!
Pad ‘em up!
Walk ‘em out!
Welcome to my new video channel, Shoe are you? (R) on Kyte. All my videos are here and I will be updating frequently, so check back and let me know what you think! xo Miss Meg
Read my latest comments on what Obama, Michelle, John and Cindy’s shoes say about them in the AP article today:
John and Cindy McCain, and Barack and Michelle Obama are doing their best to put their best foot forward every day on the campaign trail. But are they doing it in the right shoes? By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, AP Fashion Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - John and Cindy McCain, and Barack and Michelle Obamaare doing their best to put their best foot forward every day on the campaign trail. But are they doing it in the right shoes?
The shoe may not make the man, but it is an important part of his appearance, which is an important part of his image, which can influence voters. So we asked shoe expert (and shoe fanatic) Meghan Cleary as well as Details magazine fashion director Michael Macko to evaluate the footwear styles of the Obamas and McCains.
_Barack Obama has been seen out and about in four basic styles: polished black wing-tips, broken-in brown lace-ups, sneakers and flip-flops, Cleary says. He makes an effort to choose the right footwear for the right occasion.
“He knows when he needs to respect the pomp and circumstance _ and for that he has the wing-tips _ but a vacation is appropriate for flip-flops.”
John McCain wears $520 Salvatore Ferragamo loafers that are brown with a metal buckle, Cleary, of MissMeghan.com, is bothered by the slip-on silhouette, which says to her that “he wants to get up and go.”
_Michelle Obama has a hint of Midwestern sensibility, coordinating her accessories and her clothes, Cleary says, noting one recent outfit that paired a melon-colored cardigan with color-blocked ballet flats that featured maroon, melon and brown.
She’ll alternate between flats and stilettos. “She’s also cognizant of the occasion. And, she likes shiny and metallic.”
She also has a very personal style, Macko says. “It doesn’t look like someone is putting her look together for her.”
Michelle Obama knows fashion but she wears it in a practical way _ just look at the hidden wedge on her ballet flats or the patent leather riding boots she wore to an event in Iowa early this year, Cleary says. “Patent leather is repellent to rain and snow. This was Des Moines in January. She could just wipe them off and look great, no polish.”
_Cindy McCain’s nude-colored pumps that have been a staple on seemingly every stop says she’s a smart and savvy shopper (and packer) since she can wear them with outfits in almost any color. But the heels aren’t completely basic, says Cleary, noting their usually quite high. “The heel is solid, not a stiletto. The choice tells me she wants to be on stable ground. … She’s always in heels. It must be the former beauty queen in her.” ”She’s very classic _ dare I say conservative? _ with a hint of a stiletto girl,” Cleary says.
Read the full article here.
Pinching pennies doesn’t have to pinch your toes!
With high gas prices tightening back-to-school budgets, even feet are feeling the effects of frugality. Almost half of respondents to a recent Deloitte survey say they’ll spend less on shoes this year.
“Conserving on shoe spending is kind of tricky because a lot of [kids] go through crazy growth spurts,” says shoe expert Meghan Cleary, of MissMeghan.com. “Know you’re in a challenging spot to begin with, so cut yourself some slack.”
Cleary advises setting up a yearlong budget for all of your kids’ footwear needs, including shoes for day-to-day wear, sneakers for P.E. class, heels or dress shoes for school dances and winter boots.
Be wary of cheaply-made shoes that’ll fall apart after a few skips under a jump rope. “You always want to look for value and sometimes value costs more,” Cleary says. “It’s not always about the cheapest pair possible.”
Instead, make an investment in one all-purpose shoe that can be worn everyday that’s more expensive, and shop “cheap” for shoes kids will wear less often. Cleary suggests leather ballet flats for girls—nude colors are big this year—and sneakers for boys.
“Online shopping is a great way to get a bargain,” Cleary advises. She recommends alloy.com for teen girls (most shoes and boots are between $30 -$50) and endless.com (AMZN) for boys and girls of all ages (most shoes are between $25 and $70).
However, if your tots’ toes aren’t too pinched, hang on to shoes from last year. Protecting kids’ shoes from the elements will help them last longer, and upkeep on their existing footwear is less expensive than a shopping spree.
“Salt is the number one killer for shoes,” warns Cleary. To protect against winter salt and year-round dirt, she suggests polishing shoes with Kimberly Clark Shine To Go (KMB) shoe polisher ($7.99 at drugstore.com) or Kiwi polish ($6.49 at acehardware.com), which is just for leather. Both polishes can be purchased inexpensively at drug stores such as CVS (CVS) or Walgreens (WAG).
If you do end up purchasing a lower quality shoe, Cleary recommends adding Dr. Scholl’s (SGP) in-soles for extra arch support ($11.99 at drugstore.com). That way you can potentially cross-off podiatry visits from your back-to-school budget, too!
My piece on Omelle is up on JCREPORT. As usual, JC is the first to cover this brand. I got a sneak peek of the styles at WSA and was blown away. Keep your eye on this line in the coming months.
“Omelle: Fresh Luxury For The Footwear Obsessed
August 4th, 2008 - Los Angeles
Omelle
Los Angeles-based designers Cherise Angelle and Nicole LaFave have put their collective visions together to birth a line of shoes that is sculptural, fresh and inspired. Angelle is a former luxury product placement specialist and LaFave a graphic designer (who was a top finalist at the BATA-sponsored 2007 International Shoe Design Competition), making them a footwear dream team.
Their debut at WSA featured a palette of saturated neutral colors, encompassing a spectrum from white to nude, grey, lavender and black—all crafted in rich, supple leathers. Made in Italy, their earthy wooden geometric heels are made from original designs that also include contrasting details like gold plating. This juxtaposition between soft and hard elements offers an intriguing new look at what luxury footwear can be.
Their line also includes soft, gently pointed-toe ballet flats, gladiators with velcro fastenings and hexagonal one-inch heels, towering stiletto sandals with cone heels and circular cutout patterns. Though directional, these designs are also extremely wearable and will serve as a perfect complement to the chunky jewelry and bold accessories for Spring ‘09. Of course, they’re also ideal staples for daily fashion rotation.”
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