Manolo the Columnist
Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
0Dear Manolo
My husband and I are attending a wedding in Manhattan at the end of the month. I have a wonderful black dress, but now I’d like a shoe with some color, preferably a comfortable shoe for dancing the night away.
Sarah
Manolo says, the Manolo has long thought that the winter weddings in the big city are among the most elegant of the weddings.
During the summer, the brides feel the obligation to include the out of doors in the ceremony, and thus the guests are subjected to the wilting heat and the humidity and the barking dogs and the buzzing bees and the nasal ravages of the floating pollens.
This is to say nothing of the strong temptation felt by some peoples to wear the bright yellow, sleeveless summer dresses with the cheap plastic flip-flops at any opportunity.
In the winter, however, the guests must be decorously covered, and the weather limits the outdoorsy nature-romping to the sidewalk between the cab and the door.
It is the grown up affair, with the elegant ladies in the little black dresses and the distinguished gentlemen in the respectable suits, tripping the fantastic light in the banquet room.
Here is the Angel by the Charles David in the pewter, the shoe that will enliven your look with the hint of metallic color.
Comments
slownews 17 years ago
Ohh, Manolo, I live for your column! It’s not just the shoes, which make me fluttery, but your descriptions of the scene. Only you can paint a picture of how exactly one can revamp one’s attitude from horrified to effervescent with the right shoe. In these times, we must do whatever is necessary to make it through. Thank you. Thank you.
good peasant stock 17 years ago
A question asking for visual analysis. These shoes have the dainty ankle strap. On “What Not to Wear”, the style gurus are always saying ankle straps shorten the line of the leg. Do you agree? Can only the willowy six-footer teenage model pull off the ankle strap? What sayeth the wise one?
La BellaDonna 17 years ago
La BellaDonna, she assures the Good Peasant Stock (who is undoubtedly a relative! How delightful!) that for the dancing the night away, not to mention the transversing the icy sidewalks of the city, the merits of the ankle strap far outweigh the possibility of the shortening of the leg. Yes, it is true; the fashion mavens, they often screech that the ankle-strap, it shortens the leg, but there are the many factors to consider: it may lengthen the life during the night of the dancing! Plus, there is the limit to how much the leg it can be shortened, after all. A foot? Two feet? Will it make the leg seem a yard shorter? Unlikely. There is also the matter of the length of the skirt, the colour of the shoe with the ankle strap, and the hose worn with same. Yes, La BellaDonna, she advocates wearing the hose (or even The Tights) in the winter, as opposed to flashing the bumps of the goose. The black ankle strap worn with the black tights, it will not shorten the leg. The gold ankle strap, peeking out in flashes under the flying long skirt, it will not shorten the leg. The leg-coloured ankle-strap, it will not shorten the leg. La BellaDonna, who is sadly short of leg and long of torso, yet fond of the ankle strap shoe herself, suggests that you try the ankle strap shoe on with the proposed garment, and observe the overall effect. (La BellaDonna also notes that the fashion mavens who dispense the ukases do not always dress in the manner worth emulating, and that one’s own judgment, ultimately, is the best.)
Bon Mot 17 years ago
One could hardly express it better than LaBellaDonna, except to note that this particular ankle strap is (yes!) removable. Although how the shoes would then stay on the feets is something of the mystery.
Dance The Night Away 17 years ago
While the Angel is an elegant shoe the small heel can make one a bit wobbly when dancing, especially if one is a bit wobbly after a bit of celebrating. I dance quite often in little black dresses and my favorite dancing shoe is the delightfully retro rug-cutter from Aris Allen.
La Lopez 17 years ago
The What Not To Wear girls-they can take a running jump off a cliff.
I love ankle straps. I’ve a long torso and legs, but I really don’t see that the ankle straps shortens my legs that much. And the What Not To Wear girls dress without an ounce of creativity (although I found their basic dressing tips quite helpful).
pbird 17 years ago
The What Not To Wear girls are a guy and a girl. Not the Brit show.
La Petite Acadienne 17 years ago
If the ankle strap sits below the ankle bone, it does not shorten the leg. If it sits above the ankle bone, it can have that effect. This can be alleviated by wearing the ankle strap a tiny bit loose.