tight tweeds and secret needs

Henrietta Rose Samuels specializes in handmade, kimono-print shoes that are utterly stunning and to-die-for. The materials are predominantly vintage Japanese-kimono prints that burst with color, with their own unique designs, and in a wide range of shoe styles imaginable. One thing awesome about the Hetty Rose label is its unique peep toe in pumps– a circular hole (although I’ve seen heart-shaped ones) in the middle of the toe-covering, giving it its ever-charming twist. The beautiful thing about kimono-prints are the histories and the stories they embody, throwing you back into another world, and into another culture, smelling of ancient times and of long ago. Here are some of my favorites:

Everybody, meet. .

Amalie

Mami

Yuki

AND

Anais

And on the subject of gorgeous customized shoes, I’ve discovered yet another local gem. Rabbiteur’s hand-painted shoes with swinging little tassles and ribbon bows are absolutely delectable. Gloss-finished, most of the shoes are about 3.5″ high, a good height for those days you’re intending to walk alot in.

Oh, can I have them?

The bold Soiree. . described as Black and white on shimmery gold faux-leather heels. And a cute little ribbon at its heel. Great with dinner parties and little black dresses.

The delectable Swing, in all its monochromatic glory.

And the very daring, loud and statement-screaming Fashion Foot Fetish.

Oh, my retifism has just worsened ten-fold.

Last night, I was miffed because of this pair of boots from ASOS.

Isn’t it stunning? Well, technically it’s a shoe-boot. Anyhows, it was lust at first sight. And £10!? That’s around 27 SGD here. A measly amount. I needed to have it. And so I entered this, together with this pair of cutout socks. The black with the white piping is too adorable, purr-fect for matching with my Dirty Nun Dress.

But as I factored in shipping. . I thought it would be obscene to pay SGD 75 for freight charges alone! Even Sock Dreams and some other Ebay store I adore are way cheaper. Plus I’d so many shoes earmarked on the shelves here, to be smuggled home one day.

And eventually, all I did was order the socks (too irresistible) and add in a gorgeous green beret.

Today, though, I went to ClubMarc. I’ve never been inside, although I did read about them in the papers a few months back. It was a rare day where I read the local papers. Normally, it’s simply BBC and The Guardian, because clicking in the morning and night is easier than flipping real ink-stained sheets.

The service was impeccable– normally, I get pretty good service, but the staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive. So I picked out some pieces of clothing, and saw a pair of black booties that really looked like my Topshop ones.

I was a tad excited because the store’s having a Marathon Sale of sorts, meaning everything’s at a 50% discount. And the quality of the stuff in the shop are good.

And then I saw this beige pair. I was sold. Hooked. I bit the bait. Hook, line and sinker.

The funny thing was the sizing of the boots. I’m normally a 37 (Continental) and a US5/6. But this one was cut so much so the largest was a nine, and I could only fit into an eight. Meaning it was made for bound feet a-la ancient China wherein the aristocratic had the females bind their feet as a sign of dimunitiveness and exquisiteness?

The platform front makes this pair one of the most comfortable boots I have ever tried on.

And apparently, they only came in yesterday, and are the first pair of boots that ClubMarc is retailing. I must be a lucky girl then to get these and have my size.

So, when I went home, I took some brief shots. .

This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I’ve been craving beige sneaker-like booties since I was 15 and extremely poor. And these days with the proliferation of wider ranges in the market and some income, some of my dreams come true. The heels of this pair are about four inches, but it sure as hell feels way lower because it’s uber-comfortable.

And I realized that I’ve acquired four pairs of boots since the beginning of this year. Which is a tad strange for tropical weather; and because flats are more common here. The beige ones at the bottom was one of my first pairs (well, the first pair has been discarded because it spoilt), from Mango, and I absolutely adore it for it’s side lace-up system. The black studded ones give me the rockaholic feel. All I lament is that my ankles are too small to look normal in calf-boots.

And then I’ve always thought I’ve only got about 30 pairs of shoes, of which most are in my Shoe Candyland, of which looking at it always makes me feel like Charlie in Willy Wonka’s factory.

Today, upon counting the pairs on the floor (because there is no space), I realize there are close to thirty pairs of heels on the floor alone. I rest my case.

Anyhows, the ASOS clearance is still on. For those in Europe, go grab them!

P.S. ClubMarc I love thee!

One-and-a-half hours of sleep is really bad for you. At 525am, I stumbled out of bed groggily before groping in the dark to print my report, get dressed and leave for school. Because my blisters from yesterday are really bad, I ended up with this pair of shoes with chunky ankle straps. I realize I barely have any more slip-ons left. Note to self: more school shoes, please.

Top: Nichii

shoes: VNC

dress: secondhand

ring: Mango

belt: my Aunt’s

shades: Mango

necklace: Sportsgirl (@ Perth)

This is one of my favorite pairs of shoes, even if everyone calls it the S&M Shoes. They’re not high enough, for starters. I dig the metal rivets at the side, although straps are always a tad hard to remove, and therefore are not conducive for shopping sessions. However, they’re great for nice dinners and beyond.

top/dress: Nichii
jacket: gift from a friend
flower: Sportsgirl (at Perth)
shoes: VNC

top: Mango
skirt: Chaos
shoes: Pazzion
cuff: Mango

I can still fondly remember the day my shoe wardrobe arrived. It’s actually a bookshelf with glass doors, but because my shoes were crowding the store room downstairs, the folks suddenly decidedto get me a shoe wardrobe as a gift. I was gobsmacked, because we normally pay for all our own stuff, but was happy all the same.

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