Hancock Bootie, $233.90, ...Read more]]> Good news, ladies: there’s a big shoe clearance sale going on at Nordstrom! Get your retro and vintage style shoes from top brands with incredible discounts! We already picked out five designs that are hot this season. They will rock your fall/winter wardrobe to the core! Check them out and the sale pronto!

Hancock Bootie, $233.90, Report Signature

Strappy and buckled booties are hot this fall for clothes that pay tribute to the swinging ’60s. They add severity to geometric one-piece dresses and a touch of rebellion to your style.

Peekaboo Pump, $35.90, Naughty Monkey

Prints are big this season, from polka dots to stars and of course, stripes. We love how pump has a bit of the burlesque vibe to it. Wear it with jeans or plain but architectural dresses for a sexy kick.

Miss You Boot, $79.90, Diba

Keeping your feet warm doesn’t have to be tasteless. This utilitarian boot is chic-ed up with its lace up style and faux shearling lining. The granny boot made wearable for every age and fashion taste!

Open Vamp Wedge Oxford, $86.90, All Black

Oxfords made fresh with an open vamp and a curvy, wedge heel! We see this with this season’s printed midi dresses and a nice leather clutch. It’s Parisienne chic all the way!

Lizzy Bootie, $99, Betsey Johnson

We might’ve featured the Lizzy Bootie more than once and can you blame us? The lace and raw edge ruffles of this peep toe lace up boots have a Tim Burton-esque feel that would certain put an edgy spin to your jeans or dress.

When you shop for already discounted shoes today until April 18 at Shoes, you will be able to slash off an additional 25% on your purchases. That means that you get more discounts! Well, talk about getting huge savings!

To avail of the ...Read more]]> Here’s a spring sale that you wouldn’t want to miss—Shoes‘s Extra 25% Off Sale!

When you shop for already discounted shoes today until April 18 at Shoes, you will be able to slash off an additional 25% on your purchases. That means that you get more discounts! Well, talk about getting huge savings!

To avail of the extra 25% discount, all you have to do is enter the promo code “25SALE” at checkout.

We’ve handpicked some of the discounted retro and vintage styles that are subject to Shoes’s Extra 25% discount sale. Take a look:

Boutique 9 Women’s Diedre, $122.55

NAUGHTY MONKEY Women’s Fiesta, $59.25

Boutique 9 Women’s Juvile, $141.55

Vince Camuto Women’s Audrey, $66.00

Jessica Simpson Women’s Glorie, $51.75

Shop for more discounted styles at Shoes. Remember that the 25% extra off is only until April 18, so please do your shopping by then.

For the March 22nd event, Katie donned a black & white Stella McCartney outfit. She tempered and added playfulness to her menswear style via a pair of fun polka dot pumps by Dolce & Gabbana. A Jennifer ...Read more]]> Katie Holmes went for the androgynous look at the premiere of The Decision at Lavo in New York City.

For the March 22nd event, Katie donned a black & white Stella McCartney outfit. She tempered and added playfulness to her menswear style via a pair of fun polka dot pumps by Dolce & Gabbana. A Jennifer Meyer Diamond Initial Necklace gave more glam to her red carpet look.

Do you love Katie Holmes’s style? If you’re a fan of the masculine look, then you’re probably digging her style. If not, then there are always her polka dot pumps to strike your feminine fancy. Polka dots are not only playful, but they’re also girly and ladylike. I think that’s why Katie donned the polka dot pumps—to soften the mannish look.

Katie’s polka dot pumps are from Dolce & Gabbana. I couldn’t find them online, but I found these Dolce & Gabbana polka dot flats instead.

Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Pump, $326.00 (Farfetch)

For polka dot heels alternatives, check these out:

Not Rated: Frilled Slingback – Navy, $49.99

Restricted: Ann Wedge – Black, $49.99

Not Rated: Frilled Slingback – Black, $49.99

Naughty Monkey: Dolled Up – Black, $69.99

You can shop for these polka dot heels at Heels.com.

Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie wore a gold dress from her own Winter Kate ...Read more]]> Christina Aguilera rang in the new year at TAO at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with her husand Jordan Bratman. Here she is with Nicole Richie, who counted down the last seconds to 2010 at LAVO at the Palazzo Hotel:

Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie wore a gold dress from her own Winter Kate collection. She accessorized it with YSL Tribtoo Pumps which we wrote about before.

Christina Aguilera on the other hand was in a beaded black dress from Moschino. On her feet were these gorgeous black and red Christian Louboutin Calypso Pumps with beaded toes:

Christian Louboutin Calypso Pumps

These 50s-inspired Louboutins are the perfect choice for Christina, who often prefers a rockabilly style to her outfits. And with her platinum blond hair and bright red lips, it’s no secret that Christina likes to emulate Marilyn Monroe, who was one of the biggest stars in the 50s and is considered to be one of the greatest actresses of all time.

Even though the pumps are 50s-inspired, we didn’t have a hard time looking for these beaded alternatives. Check out some of these similar styles to the Louboutins:

Vince Camuto Marla in Persian Red with studded platforms, $119.00 at Zappos.com

Naughty Monkey Delegate Lady Pump in Red with a black rhinestone ribbon, $72.99 at Heels.com

Giuseppe Zanotti E96268 in Rasso with glittery gold platforms, on sale from $595.00 to $291.00 at Zappos.com

Beaded and studded shoes are making a big comeback this 2010!

Naughty Monkey Sequin Bouquet in black, blue, and tan

Naughty Monkey T-Cup in green, yellow, blue, and pink

The whimsical floral prints on the Sequin Bouquets make them almost fit for a little girl, if not for the nearly 4″ ...Read more]]> Naughty Monkey came up with this precious line of pumps with chunky heels and in playful retro prints:

Naughty Monkey Sequin Bouquet in black, blue, and tan

Naughty Monkey T-Cup in green, yellow, blue, and pink

The whimsical floral prints on the Sequin Bouquets make them almost fit for a little girl, if not for the nearly 4″ heel.

The zigzag printed fabric on the T-Cups coupled with the curved stacked heel take you on a time warp right back to the 70s.

Now, some may argue that these shoes resemble old couches… :

1970s ad for couches

… but that’s the whole point. Grandma chic has never been so in vogue as the present time, and these “couch-print” pumps fall right into that trend.

When done right, retro prints can look really classy and put together instead of being costume-y. In fact, Italian fashion house Missoni practically built their entire empire on these wild retro prints, combined with crazy patterns, colorful florals, and abstract geometric prints on a variety of fabrics:

L to R: 60s Missoni dress from memphisvintage.com, Missoni Fall 2009 RTW, Missoni Pre-Fall 2010

Kate Moss for Missoni

Now, don’t the Naughty Monkey Sequin Bouquets and T-Cups look like they’d match the clothes at a Missoni fashion show instead of your grandmother’s couch?

The real Missoni pumps retail for at least 400 dollars. If you can afford it, then we’re not stopping you!

The Naughty Monkey pumps on the other hand, retail for just around 70 dollars.

Purchase Missoni and Naughty Monkey shoes through Zappos.com.

]]> http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/12/pumps-in-retro-prints-from-naughty-monkey/feed/ 0 http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/12/the-evolution-of-mary-janes-from-little-girls-footwear-to-womens-shoes/ http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/12/the-evolution-of-mary-janes-from-little-girls-footwear-to-womens-shoes/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:52:31 +0000 Erika http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/?p=381 When mary janes were first introduced in the early 1900s and came into popularity in the 1920s, they were solely the property of infants, toddlers, and young girls.

Little girl’s mary jane shoes

The flat sole and the rounded toe were perfect for little children’s feet and the single buckled strap helped keep the shoe in place. ...Read more]]> When mary janes were first introduced in the early 1900s and came into popularity in the 1920s, they were solely the property of infants, toddlers, and young girls.

Little girl’s mary jane shoes

The flat sole and the rounded toe were perfect for little children’s feet and the single buckled strap helped keep the shoe in place. Black patent leather was the material they were traditionally made out of but some styles, such as the one in the picture above, had bows and ribbons for decoration.

Mary janes looked adorable on children.

Of course, it didn’t take long before women started wondering if mary janes would look as good on them as well, so little by little, the grown-up version of the mary jane shoe started to evolve.

Vintage 1970s snake skin mary janes

Here we see a vintage pair from the 70s. This fashionable pair features laces instead of a buckle strap. The toe is also somewhat squared and the 2″-high heel, although square and stable, is already too high for any young child to wear.

Courtney Love as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Hole

The mary janes made a big comeback in the 90s when they were glamorized by grunge bands like Hole. Wearing mary janes with pale-hued baby doll dresses while belting out rock tunes on stage, Courtney Love was the embodiment of the Lolita fashion that was popular in the 90s. Grown women dressed in Lolita fashion by wearing petticoats,  stockings, blouses, and other “cute” clothes. Obviously the mary jane shoe, which was borrowed from the kids, played a crucial role in achieving this look.

Fast forward to present and we see the mary jane shoe undergo a major haute couture transformation.

Luxury brand shoe designers like Christian Louboutin have turned mary janes into not just exclusive for-women-only shoes, but also into highly sought after red carpet footwear:

L to R: Jennifer Connelly, Rachel McAdams, and Christina Ricci

The single buckle strap has doubled, tripled,  and even quadrupled, like on Christina Ricci’s shoes. The toe has become pointed and the heel is recklessly thin and dangerously high.

Channel your inner child and try some of these multi-strapped mary janes from Heels.com:

Plaid blue mary janes: Harajuku Lovers Airlie, $87.99

Two-strap mary janes: Corso Como Edan Maryjane, on sale at $107.99

Three-strap mary janes: BCBGirls Illinois Heel, on sale at $40.00

Off-white multi-color mary janes: Naughty Monkey 4 Square Pump, on sale at $55.99

]]> http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/12/the-evolution-of-mary-janes-from-little-girls-footwear-to-womens-shoes/feed/ 1 http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/11/dakota-fanning-in-vampy-dg-satin-and-suede-pumps-at-the-new-moon-premiere/ http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/2009/11/dakota-fanning-in-vampy-dg-satin-and-suede-pumps-at-the-new-moon-premiere/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:38:20 +0000 Erika http://www.retrovintageshoes.com/?p=279 It doesn’t seem like Dakota Fanning went through an awkward phase like most normal human beings. But then again, Dakota Fanning is far from normal and her very long resume on imdb.com shows just how extraordinary this actress is.

Dakota Fanning stepped out for the Los Angeles premiere of “New Moon” (the latest installment of the ...Read more]]> It doesn’t seem like Dakota Fanning went through an awkward phase like most normal human beings. But then again, Dakota Fanning is far from normal and her very long resume on imdb.com shows just how extraordinary this actress is.

Dakota Fanning stepped out for the Los Angeles premiere of “New Moon” (the latest installment of the Twilight saga) last November 16, 2009 at the Mann Village Theater in Westwood, California. All the other stars of the movie were dressed to the hilt but Dakota Fanning outshone everyone else in a Valentino strapless black dress and D&G satin and suede pumps.

Dakota Fanning at the Los Angeles premiere of “New Moon”

Some say that this look is too much for a 15-year old but you have to agree that it fits perfectly with the New Moon movie premiere. Her Dolce and Gabbana pumps are the perfect shade of blood red and its red satin cover combined with the black suede platform heel keeps everything within Twilight’s vampire theme.

Red shoes always add that unexpected burst of color and satin and suede can make any outfit look polished. The Delegate Lady Pump from Naughty Monkey looks like they could be on the dainty feet of a 1940s pin-up girl but when worn in the same way as Dakota, they look positively stylish and classy.

Naughty Monkey Delegate Lady Pump in red

Crinkled red satin and sultry black lace sprinkled with fine bead details? Very vampy. The rounded toe gives a demure contrast to this otherwise sexy shoe. And like Dakota’s D&G pumps, the Delegate Lady Pump also has a platform sole that disguises the real height of the shoe. The towering 4-inch stiletto heel may look dizzying from afar but you’re really teetering on only 3 or so inches. Hey, we’ll take whatever we can get.

Delegate Lady Pumps from Naughty Monkey are available on Heels.com.