Tagged: Brogues
Rogue Brogues..
I’ve never been a smoker – I have an issue with burning money to ruin my health..give me a strong glass of red instead and I’ll down it in one revelling in the knowledge it’s allegedly good for my heart. It’s pretty much the same with high heels..why spend a small fortune on objects of torture that look better on the page than on my feet?
Which begs the question, why heels? – and if they’re so fabulous, why don’t men wear them too? Are we women trying to prove we’re a more advanced gender because we can?…or is the joke really on us…
And then there was Heelgate at Cannes this year (which happened after the festival organisers had announced it had made efforts to address the gender imbalance between male and female directors) where women were turned away from the red carpet for wearing flats. Of course, that there was ever a heel code was swiftly denied. But they can’t deny it happened...(At the next A-lister-red-carpet-celebrity-fest I’d love to see parades of women in Docs and men in stilettos all proudly strutting their stuff) (What’s the chance of that?)
The truth, as it generally does, comes down to choice – if heels rock your world, pray indulge and gorge on the many wonderous designs available. If flats are your thing, then all these from Rogues may well float your boat.
They’re designed by Katie Harland, who wanted a shoe that was both functional and full of character. She describes them as ‘A love child from the colour and comfort of trainers and the craft and credentials of brogues.’
They’re simply built from 3 pieces of leather with a choice of neon laces.
There’s a slight platform sole in white, a low cut on the ankle and a narrower fit at the toe.
They hit that magical sweet spot of being cross-seasonal, wear with anything for any event…including running for a bus.
The only shoes I now possess are those I can dance in. On that basis…who’s hidden my credit card?
Laters, Kate x
Penelope Chilvers x
Penelope Chilvers is an independent shoe shop based in Notting Hill offering some seriously lovely kicks to swoon over..
Founded in 2005 from the front room of her house, Penelope Chilvers, the driving force and Designer, passionately supports dying crafts and traditional methods for manufacturing in the twenty first Century. She believes this is the beating heart of the Brand and what keeps it authentic..
Her shoes are always impeccably crafted – she endeavours to source each and every component in a design which is then crafted by hand..the result is the addition of that intrinsic quality that’s impossible to fake: Love.
Each shoe is designed to walk into your life. And stay there.
Quietly rocking inspiration.
Me likey..
Laters, Kate x
Lust and Function
Shock, horror…
In my last post I dared to criticise the high citadel of Celine and shamefully suggested that beauty should come before comfort.
But that’s just spin. In fact I criticised spending lots of money on orthopedic shoes when they can be bought cheaper elsewhere. Comfort is actually the third word of the holy trinity after beauty and desirability – admittedly, it’s the most neglected of the three…but perhaps it’s strength comes with age…or maybe it is something else. There is a Blog I love to read called The ManRepeller, the basis of this Blog is that the esteemable writer, Leandra Medine, realised the clothes she wore, despite the fact the she loved them, repelled the majority of men. I thoroughly recommend a good, long trawl through her posts because not only does she write brilliantly, she is a kindred spirit. I have also taken the liberty of pasting Leandra’s own definition of what Manrepelling is exactly as no-one explains it better than her:
WHAT IS A MAN REPELLER?
man·re·pell·er1 [mahn-ree-peller]
2009-10; < repellius (ptp. of repellia to eliminate male attention), equiv. to L repel– (s. of repellix) unattractive, celibate, paris fashion week, M.C. Hammer + -repel –ler1
Photo by Bridget Fleming, suit by DVF, Leadra Medine, The Manrepeller.
No! not that one! That’s the female insipid watered down version of the Brogue that shoe designers think they have to offer because of a perceived vision of clownlikeness clownlyness clownishness (is that really a word?) that exists in their minds only – they too have become obsessed with size zero and forget that chunk can be good.
Be still my beating heart – those are they!..and see how easy they are to wear..
No! No! No! Not like that…not the geeky school girl look – I’m far to old for that..
Or the vintage ration book look with a short skirt…
Katherine Hepburn. That’s more like it. A winning combination of cut and flow with the whisper of silk and the confidence of a classic.
Twiggy too
Long wide trousers, or loose, casual three quarter lengths
Socks can strangely work
Or not
Layering is great
Smart is good. And wear them with skirts. Longer skirts.
And dresses..lovely dresses
For me, the longer length is easier the way to go, but if you’re still picking spots then she rocks this.
As does she
Where can I get a manly brogue I hear you say. Look no further than Grenson – a British brand with quality to match..
And my ultimate favs and firmly on the wish list, The Rose. Sigh:
If the Grenson price is a sticking point (The rose comes in at £265.00)…swallow your pride, embrace your blushes and buy a pair from your nearest, dearest’s men’s department – clunky, classic and cool – come take a comfortable walk back to reality. You’ll thank me.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 