Suede Fringe Sandals by Chelsea Crew

"Apache" by Chelsea Crews - $49.99

      

 
       Time to break out the peep-toes! I go through phases where I just need to buy myself anything for a bit of retail therapy. Whenever I'm in need, I drop by NYCK at 495 7th Ave., NYC. While the website is a little tough to navigate, I love the store. There is always a good sale selection. You can go in there with $20 and get a decent shoe. Literally. I get most of my summer shoes here because they're cheap, but fairly well made depending on your taste. Sometimes I just need something, anything new. Especially in the summer time, a bunch of anything wedges can make your outfits gain extra personality.

      Summer wedges are brilliant in that they look good with anything; dresses, jeans, pants, shorts, skirts. I find myself switching shoes more often in the cold season, so I just like to have random pairs to throw on. Truthfully, though, if ever I'm feeling down, this is a cheap way to make myself feel happy at lunch :) & any shoe that people stop me to compliment me on is an amazing shoe regardless of the price tag. Just make sure your shoe is made of leather and you're pretty good.  I sifted myself a bit of gold with these.

$1 Books, Games + CD's at @BookOffNY

         LOVE places like this. Book Off is a buy/sell/trade store for your books, DVDs, CDs and games. The only unfortunate thing about these locations is that there is no database. This means that when you go in, you've got to cross your fingers and search for your book by topic and author. Still, it's a fantastic place to visit and walk around. They have sections for $1 for CD's and books. DVDs are as low as $3. They also have used gaming systems!  

HOW TO: Upgrade Your Wardrobe

          "Start with the basics," they like to say. But they never quite explain what the basics are nor how much damage it'll actually do to your wallet. Your wardrobe speaks volumes about you. Some people care about the labels on the inside of their clothing, while some don't (and to each his own and for their individual reasons). But, if you've been caught up in the label-whore whirl-wind, my guess is your end goal is to have labels spilling out of your closets.  Yes, plural. 

      The real goal is to invest in pieces that will last you as long as possible. I have no intentions of downsizing my closet, just aim to upgrade everything in there. While labels, to some, are a fashion statement, they are also a testimony of quality. There reason "high-end" wear has extravagant prices if because whatever they are made out of is better quality. The fabric should last longer. Look better. Feel better. It should be made better. The craftsmanship should be impeccable. For all of this, you pay a price. At the same time, you are also paying for the right to expect it to last. All material things experience wear and tear, but please believe, as the red has begun to scrape very distastefully form the bottom of my Louboutins, your right to return shit and complain is justified.

Key in the world of fashion: 

Spend more, expect more. 

But where do you start?  What should you buy? and how much can you expect to spend? 

Keep reading, I'll show you how to do this, hun ;) 

Louis Vuitton's New Site

        So the above is what I want for Christmas. That's why I'm single. lol. JK but take a look at Louis Vuitton's website. They've been upgrading the site for a couple months (years?) now. Problem is, the site is built all flash --meaning everything moves & is like a video -- so it used to be super slow because that uses a ridiculous amount of space. It was also confusing to navigate. Customers could search within patterns but not between patterns.  The way they've set it up now is my absolute fav. The site shows you selections by the bag. I found the bag above by searching for a Neverful and then selecting green. This was the closest option. Thing is, I hadn't previously known they made this particular bag & had begun giving up on the revered LV. I'm back on board ;)

     My hope is that the public also ventures out of the typical monogram bag. Personally, I think the monogram allows people to be too bland. It's an easy way into the world of fashion. There's almost zero personality in a monogram bag choice. But... that's just my opinion. & Perhaps this is what Louis Vuitton has in mind, too --for their own reasons of course.  It would be a smart move figuring many of the other patterns are more expensive and it would greatly impact the company's revenue to increase the public's desire for these as well.

Bravo Louis Vuitton (& Mr. Jacobs)!