Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo says, meets Donatella McScreamy

Here for your Tuesday enjoyment are the incredibly, super fantastically, beautiful peep-toed pumps from the Elie Tahari.

Shoes so gorgeous that they may cause you to desire to strike your mother. (And here the Manolo notes that there are certain idiomatic English phrases that make absolutely no sense, but which sound marvelously evocative, no?)

Manolo says, like the Manolo, you may have heard about the uber-lux, uber-impractical AGA stove, well, so too has the Mr. Henry.

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Watching…

Listening to…

One of the more surprising and pleasurable thing about living in Argentina is the incredible number movies that are shown on the television here in Buenos Aires, dozens each night spread over several different cable channels. Most of these films are the usual Hollywood movies, both recent and classic, shown most often in the original English with the subtitles (although movies dubbed into Argentine Spanish are common enough).

However, also spread among the products of Hollywood are the goodly number of French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian films, and occasionally, you will see things that are totally unexpected, such as movies from Usbekistan or Hungary (when was the last time you thought of the words “Hungary” and “movies” without also thinking “Gabor”?) shown in their original langues with the Spanish subtitles.

In all, it is most amusing.

Manolo says, our friend Spirit Fingers challenges us to solve the Celebrity Headband Challenge!

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back in your office wrestling with the copy machine, and the fax machine, and your computer, and the mail machine, all of which are attempting to sabotage–with persistent paper jams and inexplicable malfunctions–your effort to complete one of the most important projects of your career. .

And now, the stapler on your desk (Swingline, 747 Classic in red) is looking funny at you, and you are wondering “What did I do to deserve this?” And so you call the tech support guys.

“Tech Support.”

Oh, gosh darn it, you got Creepy Greg, the one everybody is wary of, not Nice Greg, the one everyone trusts. But, what can you do? You are desperate and need help right now, and so you tell Creepy Greg about the problems, and he replies with something unexpected.

“You have to propitiate the God of Office Machines.”

“What?!?”

“Photocopicus, he demands an offering.”

“What?”

“Photocopicus, dammit! Photocopicus! He needs a sacrifice. Grab some paperclips and go to the storage closet in the copier room. We’ve got a small altar there. Bow your head, state your desires, and leave the paperclips as an offering.”

“What? Can you have the other Greg call me?”

“He’ll tell you the same thing, dammit. Just do it, alright? Just do it. Trust me it’ll work.” And then he hangs up.

And now you are certain that you are part of the elaborate practical joke, but you are desperate, very, very desperate. And so, even though you are the Methodist, you grab the box of paperclips from your desk drawer and you go to the copier room, and there, in the closet, just as Creepy Greg said, there is the tiny gilded bronze replica of the photocopier, the Canon 330d, with the words “Photocopicus, God of Office Machines” engraved on the base. Around the idol are scattered paper clips, erasers, rollerball pens, and elaborately-folded origami sticky notes, colored in fanciful ways with highlighters.

Following instructions, and feeling more than the little ridiculous, you bow your head and ask Photocopicus to aid you in the completion of your presentation. And then you leave six paperclips, hoping that it is the correct number.

Two hours later, after you have successfully finished your presentation without incident, the phone rings, and it is Nice Greg, the tech guy everyone likes.

“So, did it work?”

“Um, yes, I think so.”

“Good.” And then he hangs up, leaving you feeling like you’re living in the middle of the Charlie Kaufman movie.

You know what you need now to erase that feeling of unheimlichkeit? Shoes, good old dependable, concrete, wonderful, never-let-us-down shoes.

Look, here are the marvelously real, wonderfully pretty Sigerson Morrison suede skimmers.

Manolo says, over at the Manolo for the Home, Never teh Bride explores the world of the vintage cake carrier.

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

Our new CEO has an interest in yachting and all of my coworkers have started wearing boat shoes as a result, although I don’t know which ones are merely fashion and which ones are functional. Obviously, if I show up wearing a pair of non-functional boat shoes, I’m less likely to be picked for a weekend outing. What would you recommend?

Jen

Manolo says, the CEO with the interest in yachting? The Manolo immediately imagines Thurston Howell III, sprung to life, complete with the ascot, captain’s hat, and Locust Valley Lockjaw.

It is either that, or the Ted Turner model yachtsman, of the rich yahoo drunkenly micturating off the back of the boat.

In either case, the popular conception of the wealthy boater is not flattering, and yet, it is fondly regarded when compared to the current image of the corporate CEO, securely lodged upon his piles of golden loot.

And thus, while the Manolo understands the practical necessity of conforming to the corporate culture, he wonders if this desire to be with the crowd is fully justified. Would the reasonable CEO not respect the worker who was her own person, more interested in, say, polo than yachting?

The best practical boating shoe? The Sperry Topsider, the Authentic Original model in navy. That says it all, no?

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Manolo says, it is hard to believe but, on this very day four years ago the Manolo began his humble shoe blog.

At that time, there were hardly any other fashion blogs on the web, and now, four years later, there are dozens, and scores, and hundreds, and perhaps thousands of the fashion blogs, many of which are devoted entirely, or in part, to those most marvelous of accessories, the shoes.

And the Manolo is so happy to have played his small, tiny part in the development of the blogosphere, and likewise, so proud of his little corner of joyfulness and shoes.

Still, the Manolo is naturally much prouder of the wonderful and talented peoples who have elected to help the Manolo write the various blogs which compose the Manolosphere: Never teh Bride at the Manolo for the Brides and Manolo for the Home, Izzy Gallant at the Manolo for the Men, Spirit Fingers at Ayyyy!, Mr. Henry at the Manolo’s Food Blog, Raincoaster and Glinda at the Teeny Manolo, Plumcake and Francesca at the Manolo for the Big Girl, with Twistie writing on the weekends, and now blogging wonderfully in the Spanish language, Diable, Diablese, and Patri at the Manolo Moda blog.

The Manolo remains convinced that there is no group of bloggers anywhere who are as consistently entertaining, or as wonderfully funny, as these amazing peoples. That they have chosen to share their talent through the medium of the Manolo’s blogs is counted by the Manolo as being among the greatest honors of his life.

Of the course, the greatest of all the meager honors accumulated by the Manolo, are the affection, attention, and generosity of the readers who visit this space, and who, more than anything else, have made this blog the success that it is.

The Manolo cannot possibly repay this debt of kindness, he cannot possibly tell each of his readers how much this has meant to him. All he can do is say to them, and to you, thank you, the thousand times, thank you.

You are indeed most super fantastic!

Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s friends has asked the question regarding the image in this week’s Whose Shoes Wednesday.

Does anyone know what movie she was in wearing those shinny boots.

It was in the magnificent and magnificently erotic Mata Hari.

And now, through the miracle of the YouTube, the Manolo can show you two scenes from Mata Hari.

First, the scene with the shiny boots in action..

And now, the entire movie summed up in the single brief scene. Be certain to watch until the last final moment to see Garbo at her magnificent best.

Ayyy! You may keep your modern, salaciously bared, cinematic breasts and give the Manolo the pre-Hays Code Garbo clad head to toe in golden lamé.

And now, below the fold, the comparison and contrastison, with the most recent media appearance of the gold leggings.

(more…)

Manolo says, some ideas are so ridiculous that they should not merit our discussion.

.
“Mantyhose”or pantyhose for men have become a popular sheer garment from truck drivers to cowboys.

A self confessed male hosiery-wearer, Harisnya is so passionate about the issue he set up e-MANcipate, a website which he says aims to “accelerate the acceptance of male pantyhose as a regular clothing item”.

[...]

“Men have great legs and hosiery is a great way to show them. It’s quite practical in some ways. It prevents chafing, for example, when horse riding or cycling, but it’s also a good alternative to bulky underwear if you need some warmth,”News.com.au quoted Harisnya, as saying.

“Going to work on a cold autumn day in regular trousers with 20 denier hose underneath helps to avoid getting cold. Plus you won’t ever have to worry about loosing or matching your socks. It’s fun, but no joke,”he added.

The men’s pantyhose come with a “male comfort panel”that better fits a man’s shape, and sometimes offers a convenient fly opening.

Harisyna’s love of pantyhose is backed up by testimonials from truck drivers who swear by nylon hosiery for its circulation benefits and cowboys who don them under their Levi’s for warmth.

He believes that men’s pantyhose is an easy way to dress differently.

Naturally the Manolo never approves of dressing differently solely to be different. That way madness and the profusion of bad tattoos lie.

Also, at the moment when the majority of women have ceased to wear the pantyhose, why should men put them on?

Of the course, there has been at least one famous wearer of the mantyhose…

P.S. Hat tip to the Manolo’s internet friend Orrin Judd, who recently and kindly reviewed the Manolo’s short work, the Consolation of the Shoes.