Friday, March 11, 2011

Wounded Knee and the High Heel Dilemma

I'm a shoe girl, and specifically I am a high heel girl.  Here's the rub, so to speak.  With gorgeous platforms and heels the perfect accessory to spring outfits, what do I do?  I was feeling pretty forlorn this weekend trying to be fashionable and fifty with my favorite fashion solution unavailable.

I was in an auto accident in November from which my knee is STILL recovering.  Yep, we don't heal quickly after fifty. 

Thirty years ago I would have toughed it out, worn my heels and have some discomfort at the end of the day which a nice glass of wine would magically mend.  Toughing it out isn't an option.  My gorgeous platforms aren't going to make it out of the closet unless I lie on my bed with them on, to look pretty, and then take them off to walk back in the closet!

Okay, I confess to wearing platform heels for two hours recently for a speech.  Paid for that for two days but the speech went well.

With my style guru Susan at my side, we went on a mission this week to find the perfect flats for business, for travel and for fun.  Here's what my solution is for spring:  ballet flats that are feminine and yet corporate, in  metallics, textures and jewels on the toes.  For fun, try the traditional driving moc but in fun colors.  Here's what I found:  Calvin Klein, Jessica Simpson, Sam Edelman, Antonio Melani.  I would love Manolos but do wear shoes hard with the travel so go for quantity over high end except for the shoes I can treat gently.  Which of course are heels. 

For me, shoes and jewelry make all the difference and I stick to the basics for wardrobe.  For Armani on a budget, Tahari and Ann Taylor are my basics.  The older I get, I find the accessories are where I follow trends.  I stick to the silhouettes that suit me...the twenties, forties and seventies but in a current lines.  For spring, I'm going jazzy flats and wide forties style slacks in beach colors...I feel feminine and current!  Understated elegance with pops of fun restored my fashion mojo this week.