The Chambray Miss: Monday Round-Up

Have you ever started getting ready for work and put together the perfect outfit and then think to yourself, "if only I had a pair of (insert type of shoe here), this outfit would be on fleek"? Have you ever actually used the phrase "on fleek" in a real sentence? Me either, until this post. I'm not even sure if I used it correctly but I'm going to leave it because it makes me feel trendy and cool and all the kids are doing it. Anyway, there are several pairs of shoes that every working (or not working) woman should have in her collection to make sure she's prepared for every outfit for every occasion. Today, the lovely Aemilia Madden from PopSugar posted an extremely helpful article that lined up all of the staples and put them in a glamorous slideshow for our enjoyment. But the shoes featured are shoes we would really only see in our dreams rather than in our closets because some cost more than an entire paycheck. You know, not all of us can be Carrie Bradshaw as much as we would like to hope that's where the road is headed (Mr. Big, if you're reading this watch the Sex & The City movie, specifically the part where Chris Noth surprises SJP with her dream closet in her dream apartment and keep that in mind for our future home).

But here's the issue when it comes to shoes. There's a saying "Buy cheap, buy twice", and this should be a constant thought when buying shoes, because it is absolutely true. There is no way you can buy a cheap pair of pumps from Charlotte Russe and have them last longer than a couple of nights. They fall apart, and then what do you have to do? Buy another pair. But there is a way to buy shoes that aren't going to fall apart after one wear while staying within a reasonable budget. Keep in mind, I truly believe your maximum price for shoes should be higher than your maximum price for clothes simply because (and I've said this before) you wear your shoes everywhere, on every surface, and they get put to the test when you wear them. Sometimes you have to spend a little more to get a quality you need, but you don't have to break the bank. So here is my modified version (right) of the PopSugar slideshow (left) with a maximum budget of $150 so we can look like Carrie Bradshaw without spending like Carrie Bradshaw.

Black Ankle Boots

Left: Gianvito Rossi ($995), Right: Nine West ($89.95)

Nude Heels

Left: Sergio Rossi ($595), Right: BCBGeneration $88.95

Polished Sandals

Left: Proenza Schouler ($795), Right: Splendid ($147.95)

Sophistcated Kitten Heels

Left: Jimmy Choo ($595), Right: Kenneth Cole New York ($149.95)

Patent Leather Loafers

Left: Nicholas Kirkwood ($300, originally $595), Right: Aldo ($60)

Below: Jeffrey Campbell ($148) [and my personal favorite]

Tall Boots

Left: Stuart Weitzman ($655), Right: Ivanka Trump ($112, On Sale!)

Printed Pumps

Left: Giuseppe Zanotti ($499), Right: Louise Et Cie ($117.95)

Comfortable Commuting Shoes

Above: Nike "Free Flyknit 4.0" Running Shoe ($120)

I think this is a completely reasonable price for a pair of sneakers, especially for commuting purposes. I'm also a HUGE Nike advocate, so maybe I'm a little biased on this one.

Stowable Flats