I will be attending my niece’s “formal” wedding soon. This is the first time since the pandemic. I have a nice dress to wear, but I don’t know what to do with the shoes.I gave up heels — I don’t need them for work and am sick of the pain — but sneakers just don’t cut it. What is a Flat Option? — Ruth Ann, Bloomfield, Connecticut
Yoko Ono married John Lennon in his apartment. Keira Knightley married her husband, musician James Righton, in an apartment. Jerry Hall married Rupert Murdoch in his apartment.OK, maybe that last example wasn’t the best considering they’re currently split, but the point is, these women , if they’re very public, one of the most important dress-up moments is when they can wear flats…the rest of their lives, we can wear them too.
There’s such a thing as formal flats — and like Christian Louboutin, red sole fame, and men who arguably think more of the shoe Tao than most of us, when I ask. (He then added: “51 is the new 15!”)
But what do they look like?
With so many possible choices, it’s probably best to start with what you don’t wear. Ever since Audrey Hepburn wore them in “Funny Face,” ballet flats—comfortable flat shoes rather than sneakers—can seem childish and cliché. (A little fashion cynicism is never a bad thing, but maybe not at a wedding.)
Strappy sandals and mules are breezy in the heat but require foot care. If you do expose your toes and heels on formal occasions, you need to make sure those toes and heels don’t resemble Disney-worthy evil stepmother fingers. Depending on the, that may mean it’s a simple closed toe and heel style, perhaps with a pointed toe and a streamlined profile rather than a rounded toe.
Then focus on color and decoration. If you don’t have an eye-catching heel, that’s how you up your flats game.
Louboutin suggests that the best strategy is to match your shoes against your skin rather than trying to match your shoes to your dress (in 2013 he said “nude” It has grown to include 8 different skin tones) Or choose a metallic like: Money When SilverWhichever you choose, it’s an economical option with the advantage of being able to work with a variety of outfits.
(In general, the better the material and construction, the longer and more comfortable the shoe will last, but the more expensive it will be. A cost-benefit analysis should be considered, but this is worth buying. It’s one of those items, a little splurge that pays off over time.)
You can play with embroidery and shimmery additions that transform basic flats into something special. dior couture shoes Appears in January.Designer Maria Grazia Chiuri treated her flats and near-flats like jewelry, encasing them in jet beads, effectively making them art objects in themselves. Please check glitter slippers Also ankle strap Style and Nine West’s Rhinestone numbers.
dance shoes.
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In a weekly open thread, Vanessa answers readers’ fashion-related questions. e-mail Also twitterThe question is edited and condensed.
