Debutante's Shoebox

Their is a bit of fashion controversy over animal prints - are they tacky or glamorous?  Wear too many prints and you run the risk of looking like a 1970s mobster’s mistress. But in small doses, animal prints can give a touch of timeless appeal. Besides, how could you beat a print that incorporates the most commonly worn neutrals.

Promiscuous Honor, $96

Unleash your wild side with a pair of killer oxfords such as these.  But don’t let the brand name scare you - Promiscuous behavior is not a necessary to wear these sexy prints.

I love couture shows. They are fantasy, theater, show! They are everything we dream we could wear if we had a ton of money, eccentric friends, and didn’t care what people thought of us.  And no one does couture like Monsieur Lagerfeld.

The Chanel Couture show for Spring 2009 was as whimsical as ever, until the unfortunate event. One of the models took a spill on the runway. Yes, the Chanel Couture runway.  Ouch! Undoubtedly it was an unbelievably embarrassing event for the young beauty. But if you’re going to take a spill in very high heels, perhaps you should go out with bang, in a one of a kind, extremely expensive designer garment.

Want to avoid a catastrophic spill the next time you walk down the catwalk? Be sure to read TheBeautyStop.com’s tips on how to wear really, really, high heels.

Photo: nymag.com

Bettye Muller Patent T Strap

I recently found a gorgeous pair of 1960s kitten heels - black patent leather with an adorable bow on the vamp.  I was so mesmerized by their cuteness that I chose to ignore the scratches and scuffs on the surface of this 40 year old shoe. But I knew that with the right tools, I could revive the shoes and bring them back to life and make them shine!

Patent leather is a shiny coating made of linseed oil on top of real leather. Usually, real patent leather will be more costly and if you sniff it, you will smell the leather through the coating.  Cheaper shoes will actually just be man made materials with a vinyl coating.Regardless of whether you bought your shoes at Bergdorfs or Payless, you should still care for your shiny shoes in the same manner in order to keep their luster.

1. Acetone nail polish remover.

You can use acetone nail polish remover to remove scuffs on patent leather. Dip a cotton swab into the acetone and carefully buff out the scuff. Wipe off excess with a paper towel.

2. Use mineral oil for day to day cleaning.

Squeeze a tiny bit of mineral oil onto a cotton cloth to clean away any dirt or minor scuffs. Professional silicone based products will have less grease, but in small amounts, mineral oil will do the trick.

3. Polish with professional products.

Household products are fine for day to day or emergency clean ups, but if you want your patent leather to last, invest in professional products. Esquire patent leather and pattina cleaner is a great product.  I have used it on patent leather purses, shoes and accessories. A little goes a long way.

Everyone in the world is now discussing our stylish new First Lady. Michelle Obama is not only part of a duo which has injected hope and optimism into the White House, she is also a style icon in the making.

While everyone is buzzing about her Isabela Toledo green-yellow suit she wore the inauguration ceremony, I was amazed by Mrs. Obama’s choice in shoes. Her bold, green Jimmy Choo pumps was a bit of a wink. It’s almost as if she were conveying, “There’s a new First Lady in town and she is FIERCE!”

Adding one bold piece is such a stylish way to pull an outfit together. Grab that black sweater dress and punch it up with these green beauties…

Claudia Ciuti “Tania” pump

Martinez Valero “Fanny” pump

Versace patent leather pump

I’ve been searching high and low for a pair of slippers that contained no animal heads, no kitschy prints, no flat rubber soles.  I wanted something with glamour. Little slippers that would make me feel like gliding across the house in something sexy and seductive. Something that would help channel Sofia Loren or Marlene Deitrich. I came up blank, so of course I went vintage.

Daniel Green is synonymous with glamorous slippers. Between the 1930s and 1950s, the Daniel Green company made satin, heeled slippers that gave stilettos made for dancing a run for their money.  These bedtime beauties came in dazzling, satin colors. They were often decorated with a lovely rosette at the vamp, and you certainly couldn’t be glamorous without a heel.  Unfortunately, I could not find a heeled slipper - if you know of a line, please let me know!

Until then, vintage Daniel Green has fulfilled my bedtime fashion fantasies.

available at GoAntiques.com

available at ProperVintageClothing.com

I love leopard print because it is the only way I can get the other neutral into my wardrobe - brown. I’m not a big fan of brown clothing, but I love brown handbags and shoes. The problem is that I can’t bring myself to buy a solid brown pair of shoes because they never get as much wear as my trusty black shoes.

And then I found these slingbacks…

Frye “Dara” Slingback

available at Nordstrom.com

They are perfect! Chunky, black AND brown, platform, leather, tough looking. Come on spring wardrobe! You have have met your dual neutral match.

And Fantastic Toe wants to buy these babies for you - or any other footwear babies you choose.  From now through 1/22/09, anyone who posts a picture to her collection, or joins Fantastic Toe, will be automatically entered to win a $150 Nordstrom gift card — what a great way to ring in 2009! Read more about the contest here.

Fashion and pop icon, Victoria Beckham, has said enough is enough. The woman brave enough to wear the infamous heelless boots has reached her shoe limit. Posh says she will need to stop buying so many designer shoes because she is running out of space.

“I just adore them but I’ve bought so many,” Beckham is quoted as saying of her huge shoe collection.

“And I only really wear them a few times. My shoe wardrobe can’t contain any more, so it’s becoming a bit of a joke. I think I need to draw the line somewhere and lose some shoes.”

Hey Posh, if you are planning on unloading them on Ebay, can you send me an email or a Tweet? Thanks doll!