Manolo the Columnist
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
My friend is getting married in November and she has selected for her bridesmaids a brown dress with a sage sash. I’d like to help her avoid the typical dyed satin slippers. What would you suggest?
Dani
Manolo says, November! Brown and sage! From this alone the Manolo can intuit not only the entire scheme of this wedding, from the decoration to the table centerpieces, but he can even tell you the menu at the reception, which will undoubtedly feature the roast acorn squash and the cranberry sauce.
There is the reason why most of the weddings are held in the spring, so as to avoid exactly this.
But, it is now almost October, too late to reschedule, too early to phone the bride with your fake illness, and so you must do what you can to minimize the damage.
Happily, if you act quickly and are persuasive, at the least your shoes can look stunning.
The Manolo would suggest something with the heel, something that would elevate you above the colorful fall leaves and gilded pine cones that will undoubtedly be strewn in the aisles.
Also, you will want to have the shoes that you can wear again. Thus the Manolo would recommend to his friend the Maxime from the BCBG Max Azria in the color called the black coffee.
As the special exclusive treat for the readers of the Manolo’s humble shoe blog, here is the picture sent by the Manolo’s internet friend of the autumnal dress for which the shoes above are intended.
Ah! The Manolo he is a clever one, to so quickly spot the “autumnal theme” of the wedding and its inherent dangers. The Annalucia hopes that all the bridesmaids are red of hair and ivory-white of skin, because she cannot imagine anyone else getting away with a color combination like the sage and the brown.
The shoe it is pretty, and certainly a complement to the dress, though the heel of three-and-one-half inches gives the Annalucia the shooting pains in the muscles of the calf, merely from thinking about it.
Aha! The Manolo, he is most perspicacious in his discerning of the very wedding theme! Surely there will also be a choir of acorn-gathering doormice to serenade the bride, who will coast up the aisle in her floor-skimming gown of burnt umber and autumnal orange, her arms encircling a woven basket of squashes and grain…
The shoes, they are most appropriate. Clearly they have been selected with the utmost sagacity, for the metallic trim will most surely match the gilded pinecones!
That is a beautiful shoe.
…here is the picture sent by the Manolo’s internet friend of the autumnal dress for which the shoes above are intended.
Is that the Manolo’s internet friend? And if so, is she in need of an escort?
I have a question for the delicious Manolo. I don’t seem to be smart enough to figure out how to submit it, though.
I’ve noticed that Manolo has helped unite other women with the shoes of their dreams. I had a pair of shoes that I bought in my early 20s. They lasted a few years, then broke. I’ve never been able to find another pair I liked as much. They were a square-heeled sandal with a blissful chaos of randomly criss-crossed straps, all in dark, chestnut brown leather.
Will I ever find anything as wonderful again?
Annalucia, don’t forget that all the bridesmaids must be as slim as a young willow tree as well, to wear this. Hopefully, they will be on the tall, long-legged side, too. Otherwise, the strapless top will make them look like a poorly stuffed sausage, while the straight, no frills silouette will make anyone under 5’9″ or so look like a brown stump. I won’t speak of the sash.
This is the perfect example of what happens to me all the time with catalog buying: it’s a lovely dress….on the model. I, alas, do not look like a model.
I think the dress is nice, and the shoes are the perfect match. She could do far, far worse as we all know.
Ah, but the Manolo is poking the fun at the lovely colors of the Autumn, which for some of us of the reddish of hair are much more flattering than the fuscias and the metallic pinks of the Spring. For the Deja, the dress of deep chocolate brown would indeed look far better than the gown of the popular grey or maroon. Now the style, however, not so much, unless the Deja were about 6″ taller and 10 lbs. lighter. The shoes the Manolo has chosen are, as always, a delightful confection.
The cry of the Manolo can be heard here
http://www.iiiiiiii.com/
I do so hate the typical dyed satin slippers. Hate, hate, hate.
I really don’t see a problem with a fall wedding or brown and sage together. I suppose fall weddings with faux dried leaves in vibrant reds, oranges and yellows could be a bit cliche, especially since I know a girl who plans that very theme for HER wedding…but still. Just try to think of it as an ode to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, where Robin weds whats-her-face. It was very pretty.
I am the friend! Many thanks for choosing the beautiful shoe by the BCBG. My maids, nay, matrons are indeed waif-like and will look fabulous in the strapless and tall heels. I’ll send a picture after november 4th.
merci
Kitty