OCT
2010
22

Manolo the Columnist: Cole Haan Air Clair Short Boot

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

Dear Manolo,

I am looking for cute walking shoes that I can wear on my commute to work and they’ll still be appropriate for work. I am sick and tired of ruining my cute (nonwalkable) shoes on the stairs, escalators, and uneven sidewalks in Washington, DC. What do you suggested?

Rosia

Manolo says, it is the eternal question: On the one of the hands, “OMG, those four-inch stiletto-heeled patent-leather peep-toes are AMAZING!!! I will look like the trillion dollars in them.”

On the other of the hands, the next morning, “Ayyyy! I am late for the bus, I must run!”

On the third of the hands, “Owwwww! I have fallen and broken my leg, and worse, the heel has broken off of my fancy shoe!”

On the fourth of the hands, “These orthopedic shoes which look like they were made by the medieval goatherds, are remarkably comfortable on my feet.”

On the fifth of the hands, “That cute boy in accounting, just said I reminded him of his Aunty Muriel.”

On the sixth of the hands, “Sigh, perhaps I should get some nude knee stockings to wear with my new tweed, mid-calf old-lady skirt and twin set.”

Look here is the Cole Haan Air Clair Short Boot, the comfortable shoe that would look good on the way to, and in, the office.

Cole Haan Air Clair Short Boot

MAY
2010
21

Manolo the Columnist: Vineyard Air Sandals from Cole Haan

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

Dear Manolo,

I’m looking for a pair of sandals that would be suitable to wear to work in an office, but also comfortable enough to wear to and from the bus stop, which is several blocks from my apartment. Please help.

Marta

Manolo says, on the one of the hands, the Manolo appreciates the new democratic informality of the American workplace which encourages the employees to dress in the more practical manner.

And yet, on the other of the hands, freed from the commonsense guidelines of the previous generations, some have taken the notion of sartorial liberty too far, wearing to the office the sort of clothing ordinarily favored by carnival workers and oilfield roustabouts.

For the examples: Wearing the smart and attractive sandals at the place of the work?

Not just acceptable, but perhaps appropriate and welcome.

Wearing, the muscle shirt that reveals your homemade juggalo tattoo?

Not so good.

Deciding to no longer wear the pantyhose?

Acceptable by the new standards of our modern age.

Wearing the mini-tiny-micro skirt that allows the regional district manager to see your hidden balance sheets?

Ayyyyy!

Here is the Cole Haan Air Vineyard, the handsome sandal that incorporates the special comfort-making technology. The Manolo is partial to the deep red patent leather, but it is also available in four other handsome colors.

Vineyard Air Sandals from Cole Haan

Nike Cole Haan Verona For the Monday

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back at your desk doing that thing that you do to earn your panem cotidianum. Unfortunately, the computer on your desk is not pulling its own weight in this relationship. Indeed, it is actively hindering you, by making weird clicking noises, flickering its screen menacingly, and frequently crashing. (If it were the strange cat acting this way, you would throw the stones at it.)

And, although you have tried everything in your bag of techo-tricks, to include repeatedly pushing the On button, jiggling the power cord, shouting imprecations, and banging the console with both fists, nothing has worked.

Which means you must now call the IT guys.

And as you dial the phone you whisper the short prayer. “Nice Greg. Nice Greg. Nice Greg. Nice Greg.”

And when the voice on the other end of the line answers, “Information Technology” you realize that it is neither Nice Greg, nor Creepy Greg but someone much worse. It is Angry Anna, the recent hire who replaced Pranav, who went back to India to get married and never returned. (You remember him because he loved the movie Spaceballs so intensely that he showed up to three Holloween parties in the row dressed in the remarkably realistic Darth Helmet costume.)

Anyway, you are not happy to hear the voice of Angry Anna, because from the moment she was hired it was evident that she came with the elaborate routine of shoulder shrugs, eye rolls, theatrical sighs, and muttered asides pre-installed. And every interaction with her over the past two months has been like the trip to the particularly stern dentist, one who is always shaking his head and tsk-tsking loudly and saying strange things under his breath.

And so you explain the problem to Angry Anna.

“Um, my computer is like not working and stuff,” said with the sharply rising inflection, which is not what you intended to say, and certainly not how, but Angry Anna has flustered you.

There is the heavy sigh on the other end, followed by the lengthy silence, and then, finally,

“Alright,” heavy sigh,”I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

And five minutes later she stomps into your workspace, her black hair all askew, and her eye makeup five shades too dark and three layers too heavy, muttering like the street person.

She taps the few keys sharply, and then bends down under your desk and fiddles with the back of your machine. When she emerges you are expecting that she will give you the usual withering look of disdain, but instead she says something completely unexpected.

“Are those the Nike Cole Haan Veronas?”

“Yes,” you answer, shocked that Angry Anna has made reference to your shoes, rather than disparaged your technical abilities.

“I have a pair of those,” and here she launches into the spirited, mostly one-sided conversation about how she was wearing her Nike Cole Haan Veronas two weeks ago when she met this really great guy who, like her, was “into LARPing the H.P. Lovecraft universe”, and how they totally hit it off over the technical discussion of how best to build the Elder Ones costume using foam inserts and denim. And now this is her new boyfriend, and it’s all because of these shoes.

“Yes.” You reply, realizing you have now bonded with Angry Anna the IT nut.

Verona Nike Air, by Cole Haan

OCT
2009
20

Cole Haan Air Rochelle Boots For the Tuesday

Rochelle Tall Boot from Cole Haan   Manolo Likes!  Click!Air Rochelle Tall Boots from Cole Haan   Manolo Likes!  Click!

Manolo says, just in time for the early winter, here is the reasonably-priced tall boot from Cole Haan, something that the working girl could invest in and enjoy for many seasons to come.

AUG
2009
10

Cole Haan For the Monday

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back at your desk, wondering where the Summer went. Yes, it is still roasting hot outside, but this morning, your youngest child reminded you that school was starting in the mere days. Yes, she may have reminded you of this in the context of her lamenting having not read the single book on her summer reading list, but still, the threat was implicit, your halcyon days of fun-in-the-sun-09 are at the end.

It is sad. You spend all winter waiting for the summer to arrive, and then it is gone in the flash. What to do to squeeze the final bit of lemonade out of the tail end of Summer?

In the word: Shoes.

Look, here are the Cole Haan Air Capri Buckle Thong.

Cole Haan Air Capri Buckle Thong   Manolo Likes!  Click!Cole Haan Capri Buckle Thong    Manolo Likes!  Click!Cole Haan Air Capri Buckle Thong    Manolo Likes!  Click!

Handsome, summery, practical, shoes on the sale!! Nearly 40% off of the usual price!

Boots on the Sale

Manolo says, perhaps it is because it is fall here in the upside down part of the world, but the Manolo has been thinking about the boots these past few weeks.

Happily for many of the Manolo’s internet friends, it is spring in the northern hemisphere, which means that many of the most handsome and wonderful boots are deeply discounted in the price.

What is that you say, “But Manolo, the summer is coming and the boots, they are hot on my feets when it is hot outside!”

To which the Manolo replies, trust the Manolo, the cold, it will return quickly enough so as to make buying the boots now seem the wise decision later.

Here are three deeply discounted boots that would work well in almost any super fantastic girl’s wardrobe.

Sierra Tall Boot by Cole Haan    Manolo Likes!  Click!
Above is the Sierra Air Tall Boot from Cole Haan, the classically stylish boot with the modern Nike technology that reputedly makes them super comfortable for the working and walking girl. Mira! They are 46% off of the usual price, the savings of more than $230 American dollars!

Danya by Taryn Rose    Manolo Likes!  Click!
Here is the Danya from Taryn Rose, the handsomely practical, everyday sort of boot that can be worn almost anytime of the year. It is on the sale, 35% off of the regular price, the savings of almost $200 of the American dollars.

Ava from Michael Kors
Finally, here from Micheal Kors is the super sexy, super sleek, Ava, the boot which is on sale for more than 50% off of the regular price, the savings of nearly $470 of the American dollars!

DEC
2008
12

Manolo the Columnist

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

Dear Manolo,

My boyfriend and I are going to Italy in March and I’m incredibly excited. I’ll want to look as good as possible while sightseeing, because 1) I’m in Italy! And 2) I don’t want to look like a tourist, and be easy pickings for the thieves. I’m going for dark colored trousers, a khaki trench, and some nice accessories. Of course, I’ll need good looking shoes that I can wear all day. Please help.

Marie

Manolo says, Ayyyy! To be going to Italy during the spring time, when the air is fresh, the flowers are blooming, and when the footpads, cutpurses, and pickpockets of Rome greet the new season with hopeful enthusiasm, because the tourist, one of nature’s wonders, has returned to his seasonal grazing grounds, bringing with him the bounty of cameras, loose cash, and unsecured personal belongings.

Of the course, as any competent thief knows, it is almost impossible for any tourist to look like the native without first buying the local wardrobe, getting the local haircut, and adopting the local hand gestures, however distasteful they may be.

The best solution thus is to buy the new shoes in Italy, but until you do so, try these Cole Haan Penny Air Loafers in the pinot noir color. Not Italian, but omfortable and stylish, nonetheless.

Cole Haan Penny Air Loafer    Manolo Likes!   Click!

MAR
2008
07

Manolo the Columnist

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

Dear Manolo,

Last fall, after eight years as a stay at home mom, I finally went back to work as a college teacher. As I look in my closet, I realize that I have nothing to wear on my feet when the weather gets warm except a pair of old Tevas. Please help me find something comfortable and confident that’s not too expensive.

Cathy.

Manolo says, Ayyyy! The shock of the returning-to-work mother! One minute you are in your kitchen wearing the sweatshirt covered with peanut butter and squeezable yoghurt, and the next you are standing before your class having just threatened the disruptive student with the “mother of all time outs, young man!”

But fear not, your experience as the parent will be useful, for after all, explaining to your three year old why the sky is blue is only slightly less difficult than getting the hulking All-American nose tackle to understand the three stages of the Hegelian dialectical process.

Of the course, first you need the shoes suitable to your new and intimidating station as the professor of useful knowledge. Shoes that say, “pay attention to me, for I am bringing you information that will enrich your life.”

Here is the Gloria, the sand-colored patent leather slingback from Cole Haan, the perfect combination of comfort and style.

Cole Haan Gloria Slingback    Manolo Likes!  Click!

JAN
2008
25

Manolo the Columnist

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


Dear Manolo,

In March I’ll be accompanying my husband on a business trip to Australia. After three days of work in Sydney, we’ll then be free to do our own thing. What would you recommend for lots of walking and sightseeing?

Jennie

Manolo says, ayyyy! The Manolo loves Australia! Or perhaps, more correctly, the Manolo loves the idea of Australia, as sadly the Manolo has never himself made the trip to the land of the antipodean marsupials, where kangaroos and Crocodile Dundees roam the land in impressive herds.

Yes, the national fashion stereotype is of the rustic “swagman”, or “jackaroo”, in the khaki shorts, dirty singlet, and cork hat, the giant can of Fosters in his hand, and work boots upon his feets.

But the Manolo would suggest, to the contrary, that any nation that has produced the celebrities Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrmann, and Dame Edna Everage clearly has much to offer in the way of the super fantastic.

As for his friend, the Manolo recommends to her the Cole Haan Air Gabi Boat Shoe in the color called Cranberry Satin. It is the pretty little reinterpretation of the classic that would be prefect for the casual sort travelling that she proposes.

Cole Haan Air Gabi Boat Shoe    Manolo Likes!  Click!

NOV
2007
16

Manolo the Columnist

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

Dear Manolo,

I’m going to have Thanksgiving dinner with my boyfriend at his ancestral home. In attendance will be his elderly mother and his teenaged daughters, whom I will be meeting for the first time. What would you recommend?

Olivia

Manolo says, congratulations to the Manolo’s friend who has just passed the Going-Home-to-Meet-the-Family test! This man likes you!

And now it is time for the more difficult challenge, winning the approval from the family. Your boyfriend’s mother will be relatively easy to please. Dress modestly and praise her turkey, her son, and her house, not necessarily in that order.

As for meeting the daughters, such new relationships are always fraught with emotions, this is to say nothing of the natural contempt teenagers feel for anyone over the age of twenty-five.

However, the most important advice not to attempt to dress younger than your age. Nothing is more mockable than the middle-aged “hottie” wearing the mini-dress and belly-shirt, talking about how much she loves Zac Efron.

Much better is the expensive but stylish skirt, blouse, and jacket worn with super fantastic knee-high boots, boots that even the most jaded teenager cannot but admire, like these beautiful Oriana boots from Cole Haan.

Oriana by Cole Haan   Manolo Likes! Click!

SEP
2007
21

Manolo the Columnist

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

Dear Manolo,

I recently totaled my car (not my fault, I swear) and because I can’t get a new one for some time, I must now walk 20 blocks to and from the bus stop to get to my office. I can’t abide flip-flops and I think sneakers look silly with business attire. What do you suggest?

Alexis

Manolo says, the Manolo’s friend is so lucky. Many people pay hundreds of dollars each month to sign up at the health club so they can walk on the treadmill, when all they really need to do is crash their cars and walk to the bus.

Even better, at the end of six months, the Alexis will be healthier, happier, and have more money in the bank with which to buy beautiful shoes, than either the commuting couch potatoes in their motor-boxes, or the health club hamsters on their exercise wheels.

Of the course, if one wishes to engage in this practical fitness regimen, one needs the appropriate shoes. The Manolo has been impressed by the recent joining together of the Nike and the Cole-Haan to produce the business shoes with the athletic shoe insides, feetwear which are prefect for the working girl who walks.

Here is the Cole-Haan Air Genie Ballet, wear it in good health.

Cole-Haan Air Genie  Manolo Likes!  Click!

JAN
2007
24

Cole Haan for the Big Calf Girl

Nydia by Cole Haan    Manolo Likes!  Click!

Manolo says, one of the most common questions the Manolo receives from his internet friends has to do with the boots for the super fantastic girls with the muscular calves, who lament that they cannot find the tall boots to fit their physique.

To which the Manolo now says, et voila! Behold the Nydia from the Cole Haan, the very handsome and classical boot with the stretchy material in the calves.

Last night the Manolo was dining at the home of friends of long standing when the talk turned, as it invariably does with the Manolo, to the shoes. The charming and beautiful young woman of the household, who had been the Olympian athlete, mentioned her love of the Cole Haan, thus reminding the Manolo of these simple and attractive boots.