Three years later...

Hello Lovers! (Bonus point if you get the reference!)

Time flies.  I was in graduate school when I began this blog and published my first post.  I actually drafted a second post soon after my first post, dedicated to a pair of gorgeous Charlotte Olympia Priscilla Glitter Platform Pump in red that I had scored online during a sale.  Unfortunately, that post never saw the light of day because I ended up returning them as they were too big and didn't fit my lifestyle, even though I saw the exact same pair on the fabulous Christina Aguilera.  

Since then, I have purchased and returned many pairs of beautiful shoes for various reasons. So for my return, I will share three biggest lessons and tips I've learned over the past few years as I dabbled more seriously into designer shoes.

Note: lesson 1 and lesson 3 and the accompanying tips could also apply to sensibly priced shoes.  No discrimination here! :)

Lesson 1: DO NOT BUY SHOES THAT DON'T FIT

As OJ's attorney once said during trial: "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit."  The same principle applies to shoes.   If they don't fit you while you're trying them on at the shoe salon, they will not fit you when you go home.  So I repeat, PUT THEM DOWN AND SEND THEM BACK.  I know it SUCKS to part with a pair of shoes that seems perfect in every other way besides the fit, however, it is the absolute deal breaker.  Shoes that do not fit you properly will likely not be worn as there's nothing less appealing than a beautifully dressed woman limping around, doing the duck walk, because her feet hurt.  It's a lesson I've learned and a sentiment echoed by shoe collectors everywhere.

Tip: If you have narrow feet, try sizing down half a size from your normal shoe size when buying heels, or your heels may slide out when you walk as your feet are at a slant.  

If you have wide feet, try sizing up half a size up when buying flats if you plan on walking a lot in them as your feet will expand.  Of course if your regular size fits you just fine, go with your normal size as most leather will stretch over time.  

Lesson 2: BUY ACCORDINGLY

Be realistic about your lifestyle and your personal style.  Try not to buy into the hype of things just because someone else makes them look good.  It's something I've definitely been guilty of.  However, nothing guts me more than seeing a beautiful pair of shoes sitting in its box, unworn.  It is my opinion that beautiful things should be used and integrated into your life for maximum enjoyment.  If you never wear them, what's the point of having them? 

Tip: Before you take the plunge and splurge, think of what shoes you wish you had as you get dressed in the morning and whether the shoes you are about to purchase will fill that void.  This way it will force you to think about your lifestyle, your sense of style, and how/if the shoes you're lusting after will be a smart investment to your collection or just wasted money.

Lesson 3: STALK THE SALES

Generally speaking, unlike limited edition handbags, shoes are much less likely to sell out, making them more likely to go on sale.  Thus, if you plan strategically, you can often find your dream shoes at a discount!  I'm proud to say I purchased all my designer shoes on sale and saved more than I've spent!

Tip: This relates back to lesson 1.  Go to the store and try the shoes you want on first to make sure you know your size as every brand fits differently and each model fits differently, and the last thing you want is to end up with a pair of shoes that you love in the wrong size.  Once you figure out what size you are, stalk them until they go on sale! (Whether you do it online or in person is up to you).  Most shoes, unless they are classics, will end up on sale simply because the season has changed and new styles are coming out.

I know none of these are anything groundbreaking, but they are things I wish I had thought of when I started collecting designer shoes so hopefully it is of some use to someone.

Thanks for visiting!  Please feel free to provide any feedbacks in the comment and suggestions on what I should blog about next!  I am new at this and am learning how to format/design as I go, so please bear with me :)

Have an awesome day!

The Beginning

I've always enjoyed flipping through magazines; however, growing up in a relatively strict household, with my parents frowning upon most things that aren't going to enhance my academics, I've never subscribed to the typical teen girl magazines, such as Seventeen or Teen Vogue.  So I devoured the magazines whenever I had the chance- whether it be at a friend's house or in the grocery store.  I was always fascinated by the glossy pictures.  Let me back track- it may seem odd to some people, that if I was so in love with fashion, why didn't I just google the pictures?  It's probably a forgotten, if not foreign, concept to many- but I grew up in the dial-up era.  Meaning, my Internet time was limited because for every minute that I'm on the Internet is a minute that the phone line is not working.  Anyway, now that we got that out of the way, let's get back to the story.  I finally subscribed to my first magazine, Harper's Bazaar, when I was in college.  Since then, I've only fallen more love with fashion.

That brings me to my next point- the shoes.  Ahh, the shoes!  As a college student living in a laid back college town, I was working with a limited budget and a limited stage.  Like most of my peers, I purchased inexpensive fast-fashion clothing and shoes from stores like Forever 21 and Target.  It may sound cliche, but my love affair for shoes began when one summer, I watched all 6 seasons of Sex and the City in two weeks.  Maybe it's the idea of how a pair of beautiful shoes could make a woman feel powerful, even during her most vulnerable hours.  The way Carrie proudly strutted her stuff made her look invincible, even if all other aspects of her life may be falling apart.  However, given my modest student income, I couldn't afford any big ticket items, but I would always hover around the Ross shoe racks, and pace around the shoe section testing out various Steve Madden and Jessica Simpson heels.  The lack of occasions to wear heels prevented me from buying too many pairs of heels, but it never stopped me from dreaming about someday strutting down the sidewalk in my own Manolo's.

Fast forward to 2010.  I got my first real job.  As a "young professional" I figured I must dress the part. To start, I purchased my first pair of stilettos (that's NOT from Ross and over $30).  They were the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes on, and the most expensive shoes I had purchased up until that point.  Looking back, it was probably very unprofessional to wear to a job interview, but hey, I got the job, so who knows. Of course, once one starts making money, it's only natural that one starts spending money; and since then, I've been adding to my shoe collection.  Recently, my shoe acquisition hit a dramatic spike, which led to the birth of this shoe diary.