A Cut(out) Above

Is it a boot? Is it a sandal? How about both?

[This was what I wore for a Memorial Day barbecue. When it came time to play Rock Band, I was dressed for the part. Blake t-shirt with side ties (from Loehmann's), White by Development corduroy mini ($5 from a blowout sale), Maison Martin Margiela cutout sandal/bootie.]

Some people are drawn by Jimmy Choos, others love Louboutins, but I'm mesmerized by Martin Margiela. However, in order to own anything Margiela, I have to get very lucky; it is amusingly ironic that the brilliant designs are synonymous with the figures on the price tags--some shirts are missing a sleeve, while some pants are missing a leg. I lucked out last time at Loehmann's. I got lucky again this time at a sample sale, which I didn't plan to go to, but things worked out. This is the first sample sale I've been to at which current season merchandise were offered at sample sale pricing.

The minute I walked through the door, my eyes were trained on these shoes. Although it is now the most expensive pair of shoes I own (by a small margin, "thanks" to the recent sales tax hike), it is considerably less than the heart attack-inducing in-store price (which made be gasp when I found out afterwards), and probably has the best cost-per-wear value I could get. Before dropping serious cash on them, I thought about why I wanted these shoes so much, and whether those reasons were worthy of a splurge. Although boots look great with shorts, the summer heat makes boot-wearing a rather unpleasant experience. Conversely, open-toed shoes would break up the monotony of wearing boots all the time, but sandals do not translate that well for the winter. This is one pair of shoes that truly can be worn year round. The lovely fuschia color is perfect for the summer, but it also looks great with tights and the darker Fall/Winter pallette. It glams up a simple t-shirt and jeans outfit. I knew I made the right choice when I was able to wear the shoes in all these different ways, and when I wanted to wear them all the time. It is interesting to see how other people work with this style--Jane from Sea of Shoes has a pair in seafoam green, and they look amazing with the light, flowing fabrics.

[Top: Piko top with fluttery sleeves, Paper Denim & Cloth jeans, Maison Martin Margiela shoes. Bottom: Tally-Ho sweatercoat (bought it years ago from Ross for $13, and it's still alive and kicking. Lucky Number 13, indeed), Forever 21 tunic, Target tights, Maison Martin Margiela shoes.]

These shoes have proven to be icebreakers: on the first day I wore them out, 4 complete strangers asked me about them. I guess I should wear them next time when I have to go to a party where I don't know very many people.