Retro & Vintage Shoes » Stuart Weitzman

Jessica Biel and a New Take on Oxford Shoes

Erika — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:11:10 +0000

Just when I thought that the oxford shoe was getting old already.

Jessica Biel was seen out and about with boyfriend Justin Timberlake last May 5, 2010, wearing a chic pair of oxfords with a very refreshing twist:

May 5, 2010 – Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake leaving a restaurant

I am liking this new take on the oxford shoe. Designers usually add something to something to make it look better, but for Jessica Biel’s oxford shoes, Stuart Weitzman completely removed the sides and made it look even more stylish.

Cutouts are one of the biggest trends in footwear for 2010 and I gotta admit, I usually find mixing latest fashion trends with retro/vintage shoe styles somewhat unsuccessful. But this cutout trend on the classic oxford looks great, especially when made in that light summery nude color that Jessica Biel is wearing.

Jessica Biel’s cutout oxford shoes are the Stuart Weitzman Manoman:

It’s quite slim and narrow, and looks skeletal in this top view picture:

I wish there were other colors available, but this bone butter calf is the only option. I imagine colors like tan, white, or even baby blue would look good on these Stuart Weitzman Manoman oxford shoes, any light color for the spring and summer season. I hope Stuart Weitzman comes out with more.

The Stuart Weitzman Manoman retail for $335.00 and you can purchase them at Zappos.com.

A Brief History of Lucite – From the 50s to the Latest Prada Lucite Shoes

Erika — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:34:33 +0000

Did you know that before lucite was associated with strippers, it was actually considered to be a very high class and a very expensive type of plastic? The transparent thermoplastic was developed in the 40s and was used in World War II as building material for submarine periscopes, windshields, and gunner turrets for bombers and fighter planes to name a few uses. (Wikipedia)

The war inspired a lot of fashion trends during that time (look up 40s military fashion and Christian Dior in the 40s) and it wasn’t long before the fashion industry picked up on lucite. Designers were soon churning out purses, jewelery, shoes, and other accessories made out of lucite and it became all the rage among women in the 1950s.

1950s actress and leading sex symbol Jayne Mansfield wearing lucite heels

The most expensive lucite purses in those days were made by Wilardy of New York and were even showcased in major department stores throughout the US (Henrietta Timmon’s “Lucite Purses – A Brief History and Buying Guide”):

1955 advertisement for a Wilardy Rhinestone Clutch, as used by English-American actress and director Ida Lupino in the 1954 film “Private Hell 36″

After the heyday of lucite in those years, it all kind of went downhill. There was a brief period in the 70s when the popularity of lucite spiked up again in the form of disco shoes, but it slowly became associated with strippers and became known as “hooker wear” from then on.

There is however a small group of people who know the true value of lucite and perpetuate the glamorous legacy that it started in the 50s. It looks like Miucca Prada is one of those people in the know, as she included elegant clear and smoky black-tinged lucite heels for her latest Spring 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection:

Lucite heels in the Prada Spring 2010 RTW fashion show

Lately, select shoe designers have also been coming out with really tasteful lucite shoes. See if any of these 3 lucite shoes are to your liking:

Stuart Weitzman Mam, $315.00

Onex Venus, $64.00

Two Lips Mel, $25.88

What do you think of the Prada lucite heels or lucite shoes in general? Will they catch on and restore their former glory or are they just a novelty to you?

Read more about Prada lucite heels in this blog post entitled “Lucite Heels from Prada: Chic or Cheap?” over at YourNextShoes.com.

You Know You’re a 90s Kid When: You Had Jelly Shoes

Erika — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:05:10 +0000

This post on jelly sandals on MyRomanSandals.com sure is a trip down memory lane. Although the styles featured there are roman sandal-inspired, the sandals are still very reminiscent of the jelly sandals of the 90s and guaranteed to make any kid who grew up in that decade feel nostalgic.

Do you remember the jelly sandal that were all the rave in the 90s (and even in the 80s)? I remember the popular girls in school wore them in different colors (none of them had the same color of course), and the most coveted ones were the glittery, sparkly kind.

Glittery clear jelly shoes

Now I don’t know if I can subject my feet to that torture again (I remember jelly sandals being uncomfortable to wear and made your feet sweat like crazy), but these new jelly sandal styles are making me rethink my position. Aside from the jelly roman sandals featured in the link at the beginning of this blog post, here are 4 more of the latest, newest jelly sandals and jelly shoes, inspired directly by the jellies of the 90s past:

Burberry Jelly, $125.00

Steven Jellys, $69.95

Stuart Weitzman Beadles, $198.00

Stuart Weitzman Pellets, $140.00

What about you, do you think you’d wear the jelly shoes of 2010? Or are they better left in the 90s where they belong?

Old-Fashioned Vintage Lace Shoes

Erika — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:37:07 +0000

Lace, sheer fabrics, and lingerie may be the newest, latest, and hottest trend for 2010, but lace still elicits old-fashioned delicateness and age-old elegance.

Intricate lacework

Lace-making originally involved fine materials such as silver and gold threads. Nowadays, anything from cotton to copper threads are used in the lacing process. But no matter what material is used – and no matter how old it gets or how new it is - the amazing thing about lace is its designs still remain timeless.

See here a pair of vintage lace pumps with sparkly lucite heels, circa 1950:

1950s vintage lace pumps

Lucite heels reveal a sparkly rhinestone-inlaid flower in each heel

Compare them with these new Aven ivory lace pumps from rsvp:

rsvp Aven

Even though there are about 60 years between these two lace pumps, the lace design remains relevant and retains it sophisticated style in each shoe. Here’s proof that lace is everlasting and its fragile grace and luxury will last through time.

Another amazing thing about lace is that it can be lolita pretty or alluring and sexy, depending on the color and the lacework.

Here are 3 lace shoes that are delicately pretty:

Stuart Weitzman Dippy

Hale Bob Women’s Rio

Coloriffics Women’s Anne

And 3 that are sexy vampy:

Carlos by Carlos Santana Privilege

Romantic Soles Pamela

DSQUARED2 S10A001001 48

Which side of lace are you on – the pretty or the sexy?

Mules: Footwear That Goes Back to the 1700s

Roselle — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:39:42 +0000

The mules I am pertaining to in this article do not concern animals. It refers to a type of footwear that has an open back (with no straps or covering on the heel area) but with a closed front. Mules can have heels, platforms, or wedges. Regardless of material and heel type or height, if the shoes are open at the back and closed at the front, it’s basically a pair of mules.

Mules are worn by women, kids, and even men today, and it comes in varied styles that go from casual to dressy:

Rockport Garden casual mules for women

Dressy mules from Stuart Weitzman

Casual mules for men from Naot Footwear

Dressy flat mules for kids from RAGG Kids

You’d be surprised to know that mules go all the way back to the 1700’s. It’s definitely more vintage than most footwear (though not as old as Roman sandals).

Back then, only men and women of class wore mules. Wearing it conveyed a status symbol by implying luxury. Laborers could not wear mules because it was hard to work in such a pair of shoes that would slip off easily. The rich displayed the privilege of not needing to work by showing off their backless shoes.

If you’re curious how 18th century mules looked like, refer to the photo below:

18th century mules for women

Today, people still wear mules more because it is easy to wear rather than for status symbol. Mules were quite hot back in the late 1990’s, but its popularity has simmered down.

This coming spring however, mules are making a comeback. Check out these spring shoes from YSL and Alexander Wang:

YSL Closed Toe Stilleto (Spring 2010)

Alexander Wang Trish Loafer Wedge (Spring 2010)

To stay in trend for spring, check out these ladies’ mules from Zappos.com:

CARLOS by Carlos Santana Funky

Corso Como Simple

Donald J. Pliner Filvi

You can also purchase these options for the special man in your life:

Born Will

Finn Comfort Weimar

How the Espadrille Blew the Fashion World Away in the 1960s

Erika — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:30:24 +0000

Espadrilles, how we love thee:

Stuart Weitzman Fez in lily nubuck, on sale at 60% off at Shoebuy.com

AK Anne Klein Mancini 2 in natural/ivory fabric, $88.95 on Shoebuy.com

Madeline Salli in surt, $46.95 on Shoebuy.com

Brigitte Bardot single-handedly popularized espadrilles when she was photographed wearing a pair while romping around St. Tropez in the 1960s. (She also put St. Tropez on the map but that’s a different story altogether). But what few people know is that espadrilles have been around even before Bardot, St. Tropez and waaay before the 60s.

Brigitte Bardot in St. Tropez

Espadrilles have been made in Catalonia, Spain as early as in the 14th century. Castañer was one of the manufacturers in the area that produced espadrilles for soldiers, workers and peasants. Although the company had been around since the 1920s, they were badly hit by the Civil War in 1936. New technology such as vulcanization made their espadrilles production even more obsolete and by the late 1950s, they were on the verge of closing down. Nobody wanted to wear espadrilles anymore and people at that time preferred the newer shoe styles to the outdated espadrilles.

In the mid-1960s, a designer came to the languishing Castañer company. He asked them to produce a pair of espadrilles with a high heel. No one ever put a heel on an espadrille before so making a high-heeled pair was completely unheard of. Nevertheless, Castañer produced the high-heeled espadrilles for the designer. That designer was Yves Saint Laurent.

From there, the espadrille was catapulted from a lowly peasant-class shoe to luxury high fashion footwear. Castañer is now the premier maker of espadrilles and is one of the most prestigious brand names in luxury and fashion.

Such is the power of a creative mind. Espadrilles are now considered a classic wardrobe staple and with the wide variety of designs available, you can go from casual cool to summer-ready to date-worthy in no time.