Shoes: a celebration of pumps, sandals, slippers and more.

by newfashiontodayblog’s guest writer Malene Soe

 

 

Originally intended to protect your feet from the elements, rocky terrain and overexposure to the sun’s rays, the shoe has evolved from a necessity to a luxurious high heel. Linda O’Keefe, a journalist and fashion expert, takes readers on a journey of the evolutionary path of footwear in her book ‘Shoes’, by showing the transformation of the shoe. Rather than being simply a tool for protection, the humble shoe has become a passion, a hobby, a source of self-expression and sexual independence and can even be psychologically empowering, according to O’Keefe.

The book includes over a thousand pictures of women’s footwear, chronicling the very beginnings of shoe construction to the glorious and daring modern day designs we all love and adore today.

Readers can expect to learn about the origins of footwear and the importance of how the shoe originally had the goal of concealing the foot. Of course, no book covering the journey of the shoe would be complete without a section dedicated to the high heel phenomenon, including how and why the high heel has become such a symbol of female empowerment. The book also tackles shoes that were less prominent, including impractical ballroom slippers. These shoes are now more prominent to wear outside the ballroom and O’Keefe dedicates an entire chapter to the importance of these now fashionable shoes.

Furthermore, O’Keefe has an entire section dedicated to the pump (or court shoe). She classifies the pump as being the little black dress of shoes – a simple type of footwear that all women must have. However, O’Keefe does not only stick to the shoes that are dominating the catwalks. She also focuses on more sensible shoes, such as the historic boot and its journey from being a protective tool to a runway must-have item, and of course more left-field shoes - platforms, fetishes and shoes considered to be of a scandalous nature.

O’Keefe has a clear audience in mind when she presents the information in such a strategic, almost methodical manner. Over the course of her career, she has contributed to Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harpers Bazaar and GQ to name a few. Clearly her intent is to inform shoe lovers of the importance of footwear - its journey and transformation, role in female empowerment and of course, why shoes can give so much personal joy to us all.

This book is a must-have for passionate shoe lovers and individuals who strive to become the next big thing in footwear design. Not only does this book inform and teach readers about the historic importance of female shoes, but it is also a definitive reference book that explores the many different types of footwear for women – slippers, sandals, the naked foot – and extensively covers prominent shoe designers and makers.

Malene Soe primarily writes about fashion for online magazines, including a focus on casino garments, casino dress codes and appropriate attire for a night out at casinos worldwide. She works as an independent writer and stays active by also contributing her opinions on the newest films and literature.

Dogs in Vogue

"The next best thing to having the world at your feet is to have a dog at your heels"

Vogue 1930

As many of you know I love dogs and am a proud and happy owner of a little treasure called Oscar, my cocker spaniel. Another more than obvious fact is that I have a keen interest in fashion. That is why I was over the moon when I heard about a new book called "Dogs in Vogue: a century in canine chic" that will be released on 8 October 2009. And as the name suggests it is all about fashion, glamour and of course, dogs that made numerous fashion editorials even more beautiful. To celebrate such an important (at least, for me) event I decided to create yet another pets & co. post to share some of my most favourite photos from numerous Vogue editorials. A tiny warning: I am addicted to dogs (particularly, cockers, poodles and dobermans) AND beautiful photos, so the quantity may be overwhelming for some ;) I wonder if any of these made it to the book...

Vogue Paris 1990

Vogue Italy June 2008

Vogue US 2009

Vogue US September 2005

Vogue US October 2008

Vogue US May 2002

Vogue US March 1987

Vogue US June 2005

Vogue US July 2009

Vogue US February 2009

Vogue US April 1990

Vogue US 2008

Vogue US 2002

Vogue US 1992

Vogue UK March 1990

Vogue Paris September 2009

Vogue Nippon August 2009

Vogue Italy September 2005

Vogue Italy March 2008

Vogue Italy 2009

Vogue Greece February 2004

Vogue Spain December 2004

Vogue US September 2007

Vogue Italy 1991

Teen Vogue US September 2009

The Sartorialist.

I was really excited to hear that The Sartorialist will be published as a book! I've been following the blog for several years now. It was on the top of my list together with style.com. It will be so wonderful to finally have a book that will contain all the beautiful photos. As much as I enjoy browsing the web, I am quite old-fashioned and would rather hold a book than look at the screen of my laptop. Somehow touching glossy pages makes me feel calm, relaxed and allows me to absorb the information a lot better. Apart from being a style inspiration this book will also make a beautiful addition to my collection of fashion books.

Last night I pre-ordered my copy from amazon (and saved £9.00). I know I am going to get it sometime in September (if you are in the US it will be available for you from August, 12), but I don't care. I know it's coming and will be happy to wait and then savour every page and every beautiful image.

Make Up Your Mind by François Nars

Every woman can define her own style and simply be herself. I believe that truly modern make-up should enhance a woman's natural look without ever dominating or masking her own beauty and personality. I've always believed in keeping make up simple. But simple does not mean boring. Simple is for every woman who knows she can look both real and sexy at the same time.

François Nars

I've bought this book last Christmas, as a present to myself and I am so glad I did! It's a true make-up bible written for every girl and woman who want to know how to enhance her natural beauty and learn make-up secrets, tips and tricks. After reading Make Up Your Mind I felt like I had a session with a professional make-up artist and certainly gained more confidence and knowledge in this area.

The book is divided into several sections. First few cover the basic of skin care and make up and contains some basic rules you need to know before you begin. And then there are separate chapters on eyes and lips, neutral make up, shimmer, monochrome and suntan looks, pastels and colour.

The best thing about this book is that it includes 65 "before" and "after" photos of fashion models that come from different ethnic background and have different skin colours, eye shapes and facial structures, so you can always find somebody like yourself. Some of the names include Naomi, Eva, Adriana, Aoki, Fernanda Tavares, Natalia Semanova and Sophie Dalh. Their photos are taken in the same studio, with the same light and presented without airbrushing, so you can see what their faces and skin look like without make up.

Then there is a plastic template for every make up, which you can use to see what types of products were used for a certain look and how and where they were applied. I've included a look for Adriana Lima, so you can see what I mean.

Of course, all the products are by Nars, but you can easily check the colours and then buy your favourite brand instead.

In my opinion, this book is a real treasure to have and to keep. I bought mine from amazon for £16.00 (it was Christmas sale), however, it retails for about £27-35. If it sounds like too much money, you can also try ebay, google it or just wait for another sale.

In Vogue

Oh, something amazing happened yesterday. My dear S. in partnership with Santa C. got me a wonderful, wonderful book I wanted so much. I saw it some time ago while we were window shopping... It was there, in a window of an old book shop, so tempting, so beautiful. I stood there, sighed and said that this would be a nice book to own. We walked away, the dream vanished and I never really thought about the book then... But S. did. He remembered my words and he knew exactly how much it would mean to me to have it - a book about history of one of my favourite magazines.

Vogue has been a part of my life ever since I moved countries. I adored it. It was more than love, it was my obsession. Every month I'd buy Vogue UK and often Vogue US and also, whenever I had a chance I'd add Italian and Russian issues to my ever-growing collection of fashion history. Seven years later I suddenly realised that I am tired and the collection feels more like a burden rather than a treasure and actually, all I want from Vogue is beautiful photographs... And I got rid of everything. Every single magazine. I kept my favourite photos, so I could frame them one day, but the rest was gone. And my dear husband bought me a pair of Chloe shoes as a part of the deal. Nice, isn't it?

The only thing is that I still needed my beauty fix accompanied by some brain food, too. And this book filled the void. It chronicles Vogues 114-year history and is full of beautiful images, including those by Annie Leibovitz, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon and of my favourite models like Cindy, Linda and Natalia... Oh, I am just so happy...

In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine By Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Oliva