Manolo says, the Manolo arose late this morning, the consequence of Daylight Saving Time and perhaps, possibly, staying out very late drinking many bottles of wine and tumblers of bourbon with his friends.
In any event, here is something pretty and perfect for your spring cocktail parties: the flowery Jardin from Stuart Weitzman.
And now the Manolo must go put some ice on his head and crack open the new bottle of aspirin.
Manolo says, what is one of the hottest and most surprising trends of this season?
The studded ballet flat!
The Memphis Ballet from Be + D.
The Dotsalot by Stuart Weitzman
One of these too cute flats, paired with the skinny jeans, and the right attitude (think: vulnerable tough girl out on the town, fresh from yoga with the chai latte, kick-starting her 1946 Indian motorcycle) and you will rock.
Manolo says, winter, winter go away, bring the Manolo the fine spring day!
So that he may see these shoes on the feets of his friends.
The Kayla from Elizabeth and James in bright multi-snake yellow-yellow-yellow.
The Lacross from Stuart Weitzman in sea patent aniline blue-blue-blue.
The Estelle Wedge from the Dolce and the Gabbana in kelly-esque, sorta-MG-racing greeny-greeny-green.
And now, this is the time on the Shoe Blogs when the Manolo dances!
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
This year, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to get my legs in better shape by St. Valentines day, so I can wear some stunning heels when I go out with my boyfriend, just in case, he, you know…pops the question, or something. Can you suggest a pair of red shoes for me to wear on the big day, something I can use as motivation to stick with it.
Emily
Manolo says, needless to say, the Manolo approves of using the promised acquisition of beautiful shoes as the carrot to spur oneself to greater accomplishment. Of the course, if one were really serious about the resolutions, one would also use the stick to enforce compliance with the new regime.
Imagine how much more motivated you would be if you swore to all your friends that if you did not meet your goals you would appear in public, at the fancy restaurant for the Dia de San Valentino Festival of Amour, in the bright orange Crocs.
For the Manolo the shame of having to wear plastic dork shoes on his feets that would certainly keep him on the Stairmaster.
As for the beautiful red shoes, the Manolo recommends the Festivity from Stuart Weitzman as being the suitable, and suitably named reward for your efforts.
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
Now that fall is here, my ballet flats seem too flimsy for the season. I’ve been looking for something more substantial, but I’m having difficulty finding a shoe I like. The problem is that I do a fair bit of walking in the city, so I need something comfortable, but I’m a girly-girl, and everything I’ve looked at thus far isn’t feminine enough. Please help.
Jeannie
Manolo says, one of the most difficult tasks for the Manolo in his role of Doctor of Shoeology is finding the walking shoes that are at once comfortable and durable, and yet do not look like something designed by the Bulgarian peasant committee.
Recommend beautiful fancy ball shoes which will make you feel as if you are gliding through the evening on the fairy wings? Right away, says the Manolo!
Comfortable autumnal shoes that do not make your inner Audrey Hepburn recoil in horror? Ayyyyyy! Not so easy!
Look here is the Pleatolo from Stuart Weitzman, the low-heeled wedge, that is halfway between the loafer and the elevated ballet slipper. It is the dainty pleating that makes the Manolo smile. It is available in the multitude of colors and finishes, of which the Manolo’s favorite is the Cranberry Glove Patent.
Manolo says, above are two similar tall boots from Stuart Weitzman, the Lacemeup and the Buttonup. The Manolo likes both, very much, indeed they are both super fantastic.
And now here is the interesting psycho-stylistic question: Which do you find sexier, the buttons or the laces?
Although, as with all matters of sexiosity, personal taste will undoubtedly figure in your answer, the Manolo has decided, after much deliberation, that he finds laces to be inherently more sexier than the buttons.
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,
What is your take on the over-the-knee boot that featured prominently in the Fall 2009 Ready-To-Wear collections? I particularly love the ones I saw from Louis Vuitton, but clearly do not have the bills required for such luxury spending. In your opinion, is this a look worth investing in, or do you think it will disappear in a couple seasons, leaving me with a large hole in my wallet and a pair of boots I cannot take out into public?
Lulu
Manolo says, unless you are the Spanish grandee, French Musketeer, English privateer, or leggy under-30-year-old model it best to steer your ship clear of the historical drama signified by the over-the-knee boot.They are so difficult to carry off well without the plumed hat and cape and/or the banging body. And it so easy to go wrong with them and end up looking like the extra on the set of the all-midget remake of “The King’s Strumpet.”
But, yes, this year marks the return of the over-the-knee boot, and if you must invest in this trend the Manolo would tell you to wait until later in the fall to see just how popular the look has become. Very popular, it will persist for the year or two. Not so popular, doomed by Spring.
Here is the 5050 flat Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots, perfect for wearing with the black tights.
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,In late August I’m attending an outdoor wedding in upstate New York. I’ve settled on a summery sort of wrap dress in a light blue color. What would you recommend in the way of footwear?
Rachel
Manolo says, the few years back the Manolo attended the late summer wedding in the Catskills. It was the wonderful celebration of love and family and friends.
Unfortunately, the weather was unseasonably hot and humid, and so even though the ceremony proceeded flawlessly, it was nonetheless difficult for the Manolo to fully enjoy the festivities, what with the quantities of sweat running off his brow and puddling up in his shoes.
And this is the problem with even the best planned of outdoor weddings. There are things which even the most attentive of bridezillas cannot control: packs of barking dogs, clouds of blood-thirsty mosquitoes, lightening strikes that set off car alarms, small aircraft towing banners advertising malt liquor, and freakishly muggy weather that leaves the guests wilted and spent, and causes the caterer to run out of cold beer before the first dance.
Look, here are the marvelous Stoneybrook from Stuart Weitzman, the low-heeled strappy sandal that will keep you cool during even the hottest of ceremonies.
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,This next week is graduating from the 8th grade graduation at a very exclusive private school, paid for in large part by my ex-husband, who will naturally be there at the graduation with his new bride, a woman 18-years his junior. As much as I would like to avoid the social awkwardness, I know that my son needs me to be there. Please suggest something to make me feel confident.
Eve
Manolo says, outside of fantastical nightmares in which you are forced to take the final exam in quantum physics (“But, I majored in English!”) while wearing nothing but your bunny slippers, encountering the ex and his cheerleader-cum-bride is the most intensely awkward and uncomfortable situation imaginable.
On the one of the hands you wish to crawl under the floorboards and die. On the other of the hands, you wish to cause someone else to die and stash the corpses under the floorboards. And yet, on the third of the hands, you know that you must put aside your desire to drive your mini-van over his new sports car, with lout and bimbo trapped inside, so that your son can fully enjoy his big day without incident.
Thus, the only proper way to conduct oneself is to be aloof and above it all, and what better way to be above it all than with the Platswoon from Stuart Weitzman? The Manolo likes this patent camel finish for the spring time event.
Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back at your desking working…working for the weekend. Indeed, everybody is working for the weekend, everybody wants the little romance, and everybody need the second chance.
And you know, it is still as true today as it was in 1981.
Only now, the weekends you are working for are very different.
Instead of spending most of the Saturday afternoon teasing up your hair with Aquanet, and encasing yourself in the red nauguahyde mini-dress, in preparation for what Loverboy refered to as “the show, Baby let´s go!”, now you get up early, put on your mom jeans and sweatshirt and go to the garden shop, where you argue with your husaband about the necessity of buying the industrial-sized jug of Round-up. (Gary wants to, quote, “take off and nuke the site from orbit.” While you take the more live-and-let-live attitude towards the crabgrass.)
Ayyyy! Once, you pretended you were the second coming of Laura Brannigan, now your highest aspiration is ecologically sound lawn care!
Sigh.
Still, it has always been thus, no? One day, we are young and defiant and full glamourous dreams involving unusually large hair, and the next (if we are lucky) we are living the mostly comfortable life of the middle-aged person.
Of the course, this does not mean that we should roll over and play dead, does it? You deserve to live the little, get out of the comfort zone briefly. There are worse things then possibly looking foolish, no?
Look at your divorced friend Cindy. Everyone was making fun of her for wearing the cowboy boots with the short black dress, and yet, here is the postcard from her, talking about how she and Andy (you remember him?) went to dinner last week with Mel Gibson out in Malibu!
You know what you need right now? Red shoes. Red shoes with the peep toes, and you need to make Gary take you dancing this weekend. Let him poison the whole neighborhood, for all you care, as long as you get your disco adventure!
Look, here is the Max from Stuart Weitzman! And it is on the sale!
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,In late March, I’ll be attending a wedding in Northern Virginia, at very upmarket horse farm (think dressage and fox hunting). Supposedly, all of Washington’s society will be there. What do you recommend I wear?
Penny
Manolo says, ayyyy! The Manolo’s friend is cavorting with the horsey set! With their hacking jackets, and riding crops, and miscellaneous bits of incomprehensible leather tack, all of it imbued with the deep scent of ripe horse flesh and unpleasant social snobbery.
Of the course, for the Manolo, the mere whiff of horse sends the Manolo, Proust-like, back to his gypsy childhood, and to bad memories of Beto and La Bruja, those disreputable horses who pulled the family caravan about the Spanish countryside.
Like congressmen, they were obstinate and stupid, given to bad tempers, unwilling to do hard work , and overly fond of rich fodder, and they forever cured the Manolo of considering horses glamorous, much as close contact with the congressmen cures the residents of Washington of their illusions.
Speaking of Washington, at the moment everyone is taking their cue from the new First Lady, and thus the Camelot-era-ish low pump has returned. Look, here is Candidate from Stuart Weitzman, the classic, kitten-heeled pump.
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo,Like many folks I’ll be going to Washington, D.C. next week for the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, I’ve even managed to get invited to a couple of the balls. I’ve picked out a suitable gown—a midnight blue satin gown and heirloom brooch that belonged to my grandmother. What do you suggest in the way of shoes?
Terri
Manolo says, Ayyyy! Everyone who is anyone (of the non-Republican persuasion) is getting dressed up in their finery and heading to Washington of the D.C. to dance the celebratory dance of the new presidency!
Of the course, while the common peoples will be dancing in the streets and their homes, the more fortunate, and better-connected persons, will be attending one or more of the fancy balls.
In such places, one may mingle with the shakers and the movers and the big wheels, and with the doddering senators and the rascally representatives, all done up in their gala suits, and three sheets to the breeze intoxicated on domestic champagne, hotel ballroom surf-and-turf, and elective power.
All of this so that you may catch the briefest semi-obstructed glimpse of the new president and his wife dancing during those three minutes when he visited your particular ball.
Look, here is Stuart Weitzman Riccimid in the black peau de soie with exactly the correct amount of classical decoration.
