Friends with benefits

It is quite true that women dress for other women. “I wore these because I knew they’d make you smile,” said my dear friend Miss Lovely when she turned up for lunch on Thursday in a pair of marvelous glitter ankle boots (above). With their smart Cuban heels and zips up both sides, they are a neat take on the Giuseppe Zanotti glitter bootees below – but without the $895 price tag. 

In fact these are “Ambush” ankleboots from the a/w 2011 collection by Topshop, and a perfect pre-Christmas pick-me-up on a wintery afternoon in London’s West End.

Lovely is the owner of vintage fashion website Lovely’s Vintage Emporium, so an eye for beautiful clothes and canny shopping sense come with the territory. She describes the website as a “modern, trends-led, magazine-like approach to vintage.” And she currently has a section called Christmas Gifts that curates a really clever selection of jewellery, accessories, and vintage fashion pieces from the 1930s onwards. LVE ships internationally, so if you need suggestions for truly original gift ideas, check it out (I have my eye on the 1970s Yves Saint Laurent bottle green t-bar heels...) 
lovelysvintageemporium.com

Cat people

Leopard print boots are having a moment right now. Among the crowds enjoying the autumn sunshine in Ploschad Revolutsiy last Saturday afternoon was a pretty girl (above) darting about taking photographs of other pretty girls. I got her to stand still long enough to shoot her cute lace-up leopard-print bootees, though she scooted off before I found out where they're from.

Shortly after on Kamergersky Pereulok another pretty girl was toting an outsize  violin case and a slouchy pair of leopard boots, this time in knee-high ponyskin.

Back in the Shoeblog studio (a small patch of white wall next to the Vogue picture department), here's Katya Z and her lovely leopard-print ponyskin kitten-heel ankle boots from TopShop.

Katya again, above, in leopard-print lace-ups from Sam Edelman.

These featured in last week's post about brogues, but they deserve a second look: Elena B's fab leopard lace-ups from Atillio Giusti Leombruni.

Pride of place goes to Masha S and her amazing black suede and leopard-pattern fur wedge bootees from Ash (an Italian company with a very rock 'n' roll boots selection, take a look here.) 

Of course, the more fashion-forward (read 'older') among us have been hip to the joys of the leopard-print boot for some time. This one's from the archives: ponyskin desert boots by Emma Hope. Shoehorn has had them for years, and every time he wears them they are, ahem, a roaring success.

The Vogue brogue brigade

From Yves Saint Laurent and Le Smoking, to Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone (on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan) fashion always gets a kick out of a pretty girl dressed as an even prettier boy. 

Images thanks to Style.com

 The autumn/winter 2011 take on the trend saw classic men's brogues on the catwalk at Dolce & Gabbana, above, and embraced in the offices of Vogue (below).

Atillio Giusti Leombruni is a family-run shoe company (founded in 1958 in Montegranaro in Le Marche – the area that's home to 90% of the Italian shoe industry, footwear fact fans.) AGL makes beautiful flat shoes and boots for men and women, like the iridiscent metallic oxfords Anna M is wearing here.

"Being beautiful and sophisticated does not depend on a 12-cm heel," according to Vera, one of the three Giusti sisters. Elena B is another fan of AGL and their wonderful leopard-print ponyskin lace-ups.

From Le Marche to Le Marais: Elena P sports a touch of Paris beatnik cool in Pierre Hardy leather derbys (above).

 I have been searching without success for the perfect pair of desert boots for months now. These might just be it: Olga B's prisitine dove grey suedes, from Carlo Pazolini.

 I also love Natasha L's tan leather quarter-brogues. Lightly love-worn, totally timeless – and they're from Topshop. 

Image thanks to Style.com

The menswear influence was also evident at Celine (above).
Compare the silhouette and detailing on the catwalk with these shots of the Rolling Stones from the sixties (below). White polo-neck sweater, Brian Jones style? Check. High jacket lapels and neat little shirt collars like Bill and Charlie? Check. Natty ankle slit on the trousers á la Keith Richards in '66? Check.

Images thanks to mysixtieslove.blogspot.com

And we all love the Stones' Chelsea boots. 

Ekaterina M (above) in black patent that Mick would be jealous of. Another fashion hit from Atilio Giusti Leombruni.

Margarita (above) rocks these truly classic brown calf Chelsea boots from Massimo Dutti.

The side zips mean they are not truly Chelsea boots, while the wingtip detailing is what is technically known as blind brogue. Which makes then a bit of a mongrel, but I love them. Shoeblogger in the world's most comfortable black leather ankle boots, from Nero Giardini.

Scouting for Stylistas

 Following last week's post, further evidence of the winsome appeal of the beige ankle sock. On Kamergersky Pereulok at lunchtime I spotted this twentysomething girl taking the look back to its school-daze roots. Those evocative Girl-Guide sandals are actually perfectly cool "Wonda" tan leather gold buckle and studded wooden wedges from Topshop (as seen in the shop window below). 

It's the fact that these particular beige ankle socks are ribbed and slightly loose that give them a nostalgic charm for those of us whose gymslip memories are from pre-lycra days (ahem). But something else that recommends this look is its practicality: should the temperature drop, socks will also keep your toes nice and toasty, plus what better way to nonchalantly sidestep being caught on a sunny day non-pedi-ready?! Top of the class!