Tuesday 23 June 2015

Sandals

Closet Content Analysis: Summer Shoes

Nice Choices: Sandals - Light and Airy



Tory Burch Sandals purchased in Scottsdale. Photo Source: Brian Davis
Last month Brian Davis sent me a photo of a new pair of Tory Burch sandals that he bought in Scottsdale, Arizona. He's my go-to guy when it comes to any questions I have about ballet flats or Tory Burch. These are close to what I am looking for but a tad too heavy of a cross strap on the instep. I may have to buy online since I don't know where to go for Tory Burch anywhere near to where I am in France. I'm off to Bordeaux for an appointment at the immigration office this week and will do some shopping while there.

I love shopping, but not necessarily online. For those who are tactile and love to touch and view from a variety of angles and enjoy the experience of trying on before buying, online shopping just doesn't cut it. Call me old school, chastise me for not being "with it", and admonish my old fashioned ways but shopping is not shopping unless you are physically in a retail space surrounded by options that are able to be touched and tried on. How else will you learn the feel of silk . . . of good quality linen . . . of crisp cotton? I suppose you can put your faith in the marketing descriptors but until you feel it and see how it sits or drapes upon your body, you just don't know. If anything, online shopping is delusional - a potential buyer views articles of clothing on one-dimensional figures and the imagination plays its part with skewed results. So this post is supposed to be about sandals . . . I digressed.

We all have our favourite and least favourite pairs of sandals - bien sur. 


Photo by JoyD taken in the Ste. Foy La Grande market
No Thanks: While in the Saturday market in Ste. Foy La Grande in Gironde, I took some photos of what sandals are being wornI am not a fan of sandals that rise up to the ankle. When you have legs that are thick, as hers appear, this particular look is not the best choice. She would have been much better off with an open instep with a crisscross of two or three straps just above the toes. The proportion that you see accentuates the heaviness and that's not what sandals are about.

Photo by JoyD.
Nice and Need: These are a friend's feet under a table at a restaurant in Langon (Gironde), France. The photo was taken about three years ago but these are exactly the sandals I want. The straps are not as thick as the Tory Burch pair and lightness is what I like in a summer sandal. I'm sure I will find something in Galleries Lafayette or one of the shoe shops in Bordeaux.


Sandals that have served me well. Photo by JoyD.
Note-Worthy: These specimens are showing the wear and tear of too many marvellous summers here in the south-west of France. The beige pair on the top rung made their way to the trash bin last summer. The pair that you see below are the pair I bought to replace them. They felt fine for the first month or two but now the leather straps have stretched so that they feel sloppy. 


Photo by JoyD.










2 comments:

  1. Hope you have a great time shopping in Bordeaux as well as success at the immigration office.

    Although a large portion of shopping now days is done online, I'm like you. I prefer to see the item in person, try it on to ensure the correct fit and leave feeling happy and with the goods in hand. I think the anticipation of receiving a package is great but if it's not 100% what you expected the anticipation quickly leads to sadness and the hassle of return shipping. YUCK!

    I never really had an interest in sandals till 2008 when gladiator sandals were the "in thing" in women's fashion. I saw a picture of a guy wearing a pair of women's Nine West gladiator sandals and before long I had the same pair. They had 2 buckles and came up to my ankle bone giving them that "caged" feeling on my foot. I really liked them but felt a bit self conscious wearing them. Not cuz they were women's sandals but because I had ugly man toes. In 2014
    I revisited the thought of buying sandals. By now I was 100% Tory Burch crazy so naturally I bought myself one of Tory's classic sandals. The Tory Burch Millers. But I still had the same problem, ugly man toes. During a visit to the hair salon my stylist and I were talking about my sandals and toes. She suggested getting a pedicure at the salon. I did and now I'm hooked on pedicures. Pedicure have often been viewed as only for women but I know for a fact lots of us guys are taking advantage of this service. Now having more presentable toes also lead to having several more pairs of cute Tory sandals. The TB Moores in the first picture have a very unisex feel to them compared to my Milers which are much more feminine.

    Thanks for sharing this post. I hope you find the perfect pair of flats sandals on your trip to Bordeaux.

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    Replies
    1. As always whenever you comment, I see another idea for a post! The gladiator-type sandal has never been a favourite of mine yet I have seen women who can wear them well. Irrespective of who they are made for, I think the gladiator sandal looks great on your feet, which essentially proves my point about proportion and weight. I'll be using your photo and your story about gladiator sandals in my next post. Thanks, as always.

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