Lauren Conrad and Kylie Minogue

Wooden heels are hot hot hot this spring.

These aren’t a match to the above pic, but sometimes you  just go with what you love.

And I love Michael Kors!

This pair from Sergio Rossi is sure to turn some heads and look great with almost anything!

Fyi, this pair from Theory would rock with jeans.

And the aboe by Theory are 40% off, so its only $177 (via Bluefly)

I just discovered FitFlop and have to get a pair!

I always liked flip flops and find them comfy. So glad they have all kinds of different styles to choose from.

I keep a couple of pairs in the car in case my feet ever need a break from heels. It happens. It’s not like I have entourage and can get someone to carry me around like Mariah!

And in my usual Mizz Tissa style I’m shopping and sharing my online favorites. Since I don’t have Mariah’s closet or wallet, I can’t possibly afford to buy everything I like (and my tastes change, so its a good thing) but here’s a few I found this week that I consider my current favorites.

The satin Stuart Weitzman ‘Glohotbi’ is a great looking sandal with a 4½” heel with and ½” platform, and typically retails for $335 (40% off at time of this post, so $200 at the moment). An excellent deal for a great looking pair of heels.

Gucci’s ’Britt’ is a strappy sandal worth noting, with a satin upper, rhinestone ornament, side buckle, and a 3½” satin covered stiletto heel. They’re about $625, but 2o% off currently. Something about these make me think of Cinderella.

This pair from Jimmy Choo are unforgettable! The ‘Serena’  is a 4 inch heel and an instant classic which you’ll wear again and again, which is fortunate as they’re about $900 (20% off at time of this post). These ones would go under glass in a revolving pedestal. I wouldn’t hide a pair of heels as lovely as this in the closet! Sigh… Someday…

I know how it is. I’ve been on the same quest for that perfect pair of shoes for a while, and although I have yet to find the perfect pair of heels, every so often I find something like the Christian Louboutin ‘Noeudette’ . These will definitely spice up that little summer dress and add some sizzle. They have a 3½” heel with goldtone metal tip and come complete with the signature red sole.

Could this be the perfect summer sandal? Christian Louboutin ‘Noeudette’ in Hot Pink. For me, it says ‘Let’s Salsa’!

Also available in lime green!

When I’m shopping, I guess I do things backwards compared to a lot of women. I pick the shoes, then the dress. I’ve found this just works for me better. Probably because when I picked the dress or clothes first, I usually had a little trouble finding a pair of heels to go with it. But since I started with the shoes first, no problemo!

Now for the summer dress, and I have just the thing, a few times over. Check this Norman Kamali babydoll green bubble dress! The bustier style bodice with v-neck and crisscross backstraps is just the thing when you’re sitting on the patio people watching!

 How about this beautiful off the shoulder silk ruffle dress? I love the flowing look of this one.

Or there’s a dark pink floral jersey dress I adore from David Meister. Perfect for going out almost anywhere.

There’s one other dress that I really liked. It looks so summery (if that’s even a word) and colorful. The small pic doesn’t show it off so well, but borrowing from the description… “Watercolor-hued orchids bloom on the subtly striped halter dress”. If I could only pick one, this might be it. So far, its my summer dress pick!

I don’t know about you, but I know that I’ll be making  like the A-listers and treating myself to this season’s most flattering dress. Unlike the typical LBD, the maxi dress is perfect for hiding all of those lumps and bumps. Perfect, just what I like!

I’ll be in good company too, with my maxi dress. Serial offenders of the maxi-dress wearing brigade include Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton and Nicole Ritchie.

A style similar to Mischa’s dress is available from Firetrap at Oli.

Traditionally, the maxi dress tends to be floral. However, with tribal and ethnic being a key trend this season, you can get away with this too. Oli comes through for us again with this gorgeous tribal bandeau maxi, courtesy of Miss Sixty.

The maxi dress breaks the usual dress rules of distinction; it falls into the categories of beach as well as dressy. You can make a maxi dress look daytime or evening based on the accessories/shoes that you team it with.

If you want to go for the daytime look, then maxi dresses look gorgeous with gladiators. For an evening look, try teaming yours with a simple pair of wedges for understated glam. I love this pair of gladiators, found at Heels.com. The harsh studding would work great against the delicate patterns of a maxi. And the Valentine Bronze wedges would not only look great with your maxi, but the neautral shade makes them versatile enough to look gorgeous with jeans too!

A common misconception of the maxi is that if you’re short, you can’t wear a maxi dress. Let me tell you, this is wrong! True, if you’re short, you have to be a little craftier, but you can still get away with a maxi. I’ll let you in on a little secret: the trick is to go for small prints as big prints tend to drown the figure.  Alternatively, an all over colour looks great on tall and short girls alike. Blake Lively and Eva Longoria sit on either end of the height spectrum but look equally stunning in their red and orange hues.

But what to wear with such a cute summer dress? Not to worry as I have the perfect solution – this calls for a strappy sandal!

 The Rafe New York cognac studded leather ‘Rihanna’ sandals provide a certain trendy sophistication.

 
Or a pair of these tan woven leather ‘Johnsen’ sandals are an option…

But how about these Stuart Weitzman platform sandals? The gold laminated leather ‘Platzoom’ sandals look amazing!

Black and white leather is one of the hottest trends of the season, and an open-toe platform sandal is definitely one of the best ways to sport the look. Drew Barrymore did just that last week as she headed to the “Inside Grey Gardens” panel discussion last week to promote the premiere on HBO. She arrived in a beautiful one-shoulder seafoam green dress and a pair of show-stopping Giuseppe Zanotti laceup sandals, a pair of sassy – but classy – platforms that boast a 5” heel and a glossy patent leather finish:

These are the perfect yin and yang-inspired pair for any Spring or summer soiree.  You can sport them with a draping gown a la Ms. Barrymore, or wear them with a tight-fitting minidress or wide-leg capris to add a masculine touch.

Be sure to pair these with either a hot white clutch or oversized patent leather wallet for the complete ensemble.

This isn’t the first time Drew Barrymore has turned to Giuseppe Zanotti for some support on the red carpet.  The 34-year-old actress is reveling in her Old Hollywood style with Giuseppe Zanotti cutout sandals and pumps to round out her sophisticated and chic look. For her recent appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Ms. Barrymore decked herself out in a figure-flattering black dress with giant, billowing sleeves, and finished it up with a pair of very-chic black and tan colored Giuseppe Zanotti pumps.

Giuseppe Zanotti has become the ‘celebrity shoe maker of choice’ according to supermodel Natalia Vodianova, who interviewed with handbag.com earlier this year. The designer has been in the limelight since the 1980s, but has most recently become a crowd favorite when celebs started to wear the designer’s shoes for awards parties and other red carpet events.

The black and white platforms Drew Barrymore wore for the “Grey Gardens” event are a more trendy and edgy look for the starlet who’s been slowly turning to more classic Hollywood-inspired ensembles this season. Still, she managed to pull it off as a balancing piece for the bold, green dress she picked for the evening. Grey Gardens is an HBO film that premiered on April 18, 2009 and stars Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the lead characters.  

All of these are fairly affordable at around $100. And it’s like your way of helping the economy. I know I try to contribute when I can! My closet will back me up on that. You might notice these are all platform heels, my new obsession for the season. Time to stock up on nail polish too! If you haven’t tried Opi, its really good.

This first pair is called Teema and its from Fergie’s new line of shoes. Not only will if give you a lift in height and confidence, I think they’re just cool.

Next we have a hot sandal from Guess called Karoke of all things. While they don’t actually sing, they look good just the same.  They actually look kinda comfortable too. I liked the heel on this one.

Here’s a strappy sandal from Bronx that would look great with jeans. They all would, but a strappy brown sandal is a must have. It features crisscrossing straps up to the adjustable ankle strap and suede covered midsole.

And these last ones are called from Angel from BCBGirls look like you could wear all day and go out in the evening with them too. They have a glossy black snakeskin upper and will make anything you wear with it look great.

Not because of the flowers blooming and all that, which is nice, but it’s also a symbol of a change in the footwear seasons too.

Although its still a few weeks away before we’re in official “sandal weather” for some, the time to start shopping for sandals is definitely here. A few possibilities you might like to see.

The ‘Rayna Heel’ by Marciano has elasticized straps at the open-toe and at the ankle, and bronze studs on the T-strap, with a petite ¼ inch platform, and a 4 ¼ inch stiletto heel. About US$220 or £150

You’ve probably seen this next style on the red carpet worn by lots of celebs within the last year. The ‘Martiny Heel’ by Steve Madden features a leather upper with an open-toe, cut-outs all along the sides, a heel counter zip, and a 4 inch stiletto heel. They retail for about US$120 or £85, but can you put a price on feeling like a fashionista?

If a platform sole is more your thing (or you could use an extra inch or two like me) you’ll probably like the ‘Minsy’ by BCBGirls. It’s decorated with jewels encrusting a black satin upper with an open-toe, t-strap, and has an ankle strap. The 1/2 inch platform and 4 ¼ inch stiletto heel sell for about US$99 or £70.




 

This would be my short list of literally hundreds of shoes I fell in love with, and this list has been trimmed many times. Now is the most difficult task of all – to pick just 2 pairs. Why only 2? That’s all for now, and I need some flats too!

For example, I was at the mall the other day and saw the coolest boots (of course, they were sexy) that I have ever seen! The were knee-high, black patent leather with a super-shiny, silver stiletto heel. For added interest, they had two bright silver zippers- one on the inner calf, one on the outer. My immediate thought was that if your pants were too tight and you were unable to cross your leg onto your knee to put them on or take them off, the second zipper would save the day. The store manager told me that they would be a great footwear accessory to anyone wishing to be Catwoman for Halloween! Wow, what a concept- a perfect excuse to buy the coolest boots on the planet- one that could be taken up a notch since my 10-year-old son will be Batman for this festive holiday, and my husband is planning to be the less-intimidating (and nearly effortless, but still festive) Bruce Wayne. Finally, a great excuse to buy these incredibly sexy boots (reasonably priced, too!) and wear them–and if the need ever came up again, I would have them.

On my ride home, I started thinking about the shoes and boots that I have in my closet and those that have been put away for being “out of the current trends” or simply lack of use. Black, platform, knee-high boots with a thick, chunky heel came to mind. “I could be Gene Simmons of KISS!” Not this year (due to my newly acquired patent-leather boots), but definitely in the future. After all, Gene Simmons and his reality show “Family Jewels” is quite popular, and KISS simply must be planning their next farewell tour. Yup, Gene Simmons in the future is definitely a must-do!

Thinking back to my Halloweens of yesteryear, a vivid memory of dressing up as a hooker comes to mind. I had two male companions for a party one year, and I had these great purple velvet thigh-highs with a stiletto heel, which I bought just for the occasion (not so reasonably priced, but I was young). One of the guys I was with was a prison guard at the time, so he wore his uniform to the party- which looked like a police ensemble. The other guy wore boxers and a white, wife-beater-styled tank top. His arms were in front of him and his hands were bonded in handcuffs. A hooker, the trick, and an arresting officer was our theme for the evening.

 So I got home from my trip to the mall and started thinking about different Halloween costume ideas that I could one day utilize-based upon sexy shoes and boots. So of course, I hit my fave shoe website (Mizztissa.com) and started poking around. I found lots of fabulously, sexy shoes and boots that I could find “excuses” to wear via the magic of Halloween. My personal favorite? I could be a Greek or Roman Goddess with the option for use at future Toga Parties with the “Chic Ultra Strappy Sandal” (see picture), ideally in black.