Just my luck

I've had good and bad luck when it comes to shoes recently. I was thrilled to win a $100 voucher for shoes, thanks to the fabulous Imelda Matt. I finally chose a pair, a pretty good copy of the Dior Extreme Gladiators, only to discover that the postage and import tax from Australia was going to cost me a fortune. Amazingly, Imelda waved a magic wand and the kind people at Wittner offered to pay the postage! I was starting to believe in the shoe fairy, then I discovered I'd have to pay a money transfer fee of around 70%... so in the end I sadly declined my prize (it's up for grabs again if you live in Australia). I would like to say a huge thank you to Imelda Matt, who did everything possible to get shoes to me!

In the meantime I managed to order a pair of really similar shoes from ASOS. They had been sold out for weeks (thanks to the Sex and the City Movie...) but suddenly they had a pair in my size! A day I after I placed my order they emailed and apologised, the shoes weren't actually available after all, they blamed an admin error. I think that a friend of someone who works for ASOS is wearing my shoes. Grrrrrrrrr.

Anyway, after all that, I thought I well and truly deserved these little lovelies from Topshop!

How I wore: High leg gladiators

I wore my new high leg gladiators for the first time the other day. They seem to work quite well with neutral clothes, I think they need to be the star of the outfit! Although I love the look and I'm usually pretty brave, I was quite surprised at how self-conscious they made me feel. It wasn't helped by the way the straps kept twisting around my legs and sliding down my feet. It drove me crazy! The main problem was the leather wasn't fixed together, so I attacked them with superglue which seems to have done the trick.

I didn't really think my last gladiators post would be the final one and this probably won't be either!

The 3rd & final gladiators post*

Yes, I now have both feet firmly on the Gladiators bandwagon. This is my second pair, the ones I really wanted. They bear more than a passing resemblance to the D&G gladiators, but they were a fraction of the price from Schuh. I just wish it would stop raining here so I can wear them!

*Probably.

I won!

I won something!! Many thanks to the wonderful Imelda who picked my name out of a hat and is sending me a $100 voucher for Wittner Shoes. Now all I have to do is choose a pair and cross my fingers they make it to the UK all the way from Australia! Which do you think I should go for?

Beside the seaside

The weather has been fantastic in the UK this week, so Mr Brown and I jumped on a train today and headed to the coast with our cameras and the Polaroid. We went to an exceptionally tacky seaside town, full of rundown amusement arcades, kids and old people. We didn't care though, the sun was shining we took loads of photos and ate too much ice cream! I wore my new Topshop gladiator sandals, they're not the fierce half-way up the leg ones I'm planning to get, just a quick fix until I have some more cash... They were surprisingly comfy, not a single blister and given the amount of walking we did that's pretty much a miracle. Ooooh and check out the muscles on my man!

Gladiator Sandals

I know gladiator sandals have been around forever but this is the first year I've found myself really wanting some. My favourites have to be the high-leg ones from Topshop. I'm a little bit concerned about the possible tan lines, although in the UK that isn't so much of a worry. Mr Brown hates them and thinks they look like old people's shoes. What?

I also have to mention those brilliant red Wayfarers, I need some coloured frames!

Photos top Cochella and D&G at style.com.
Sandals left to right Oasis £30, Topshop £50, Aldo, £35.

Topshop Sale

It seems very unfair that Topshop chose the weekend before I get paid to start their sale. If I'd had some cash I'd have bought so much in the shop yesterday (what was I doing in there with no money?!) the online selection isn't quite as good but I'd definitely be tempted by these.

White Dr. Martens

I've been searching for a pair of boots like the Jonathan Kelsey ones from the Luella show but so far I've found nothing like them except some nasty white laced stripper boots on eBay. Yuk. So I've been thinking of getting some white DMs instead. They look brilliant on Agyness. I just wish I could find white ones with 14 holes and not just 8!

Fetish by Louboutin and Lynch

Christian Louboutin and filmmaker David Lynch have collaborated on a exhibition called Fetish, it showed a few months ago at Galerie du Passage in Paris (sorry, this is probably old news now). The shoes themselves are quite incredible creations, Louboutin wanted to experiment with the image of shoes as objects of pleasure, with no practicality whatsoever.

'Making these shoes is closer to my primary joy, my drawing, because they’re devoted to static pleasure; there’s no motion, they’re for the bed. Real-life shoes are less like your imagination.'

The images are incredibly strong and beautifully provocative, this is very definitely art.

Wouldn't you like to try those shoes, just to see?

Socks and shoes

I wore the yellow shoes with socks under jeans last year and when I saw the Anna Sui Spring 08 collection, I thought I might try wearing them with a skirt. Sadly, as I really don't have model legs, I just can't get away with it! I really like the idea though.