Happy Monday! Or should I say Happy shoe Monday? Either way, this Jimmy Choo Quinze Bootie is poised to start your week in the right foot. Whether you’re attending a grand opening, a guest at a wedding or shopping for shoes (if you’re brave enough,) strut your stuff and show them what’s it’s all about in this stunning pair.
How would you rock this pair of stubbing bootie?
Loving Jimmy Choo,
Violaine Diogene
How incredibly adorable are these lime green costume pair of sneakers by Converse? I came across these while visiting the amazing Memory Journalists who captured the pictures in Sacramento. Oh, don’t worry, your groom can customize his pair as well. I’m truly giddy about personalizing a certain pair for a certain planner. Yours truly; Violaine 
Giddy about Converse,
Violaine Diogene
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If I could, I would wear heels day in, day out. I would wear them to bed (sometimes I do when it’s a new pair that needs to be broken into) I would run in them (if they were comfortable enough) I would even take showers in them! I’ve been in love and I mean in serious love with shoes since college and I don’t see this love affair going away anytime soon. So, from now on, I’m thinking every Monday, we’ll feature a stunning pair to start the week of.
While visiting one of my favorite spots, I came across these stunning little numbers on Net-a-Porter and I had to share.
Without a doubt, the shoes below are simply delicious and would compliment any gown your heart so desires. But personally my favorite is the white leather sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti.
The is features a four and a half inches brushed silver-tone heel with half inch floating platform. The sandals have a silver diamanté-embellished trim, silver-tone hardware, stud detailing, an open toe, cutout sides, ring detail, a buckle fastening at the side and ankle and a back zip fastening. Uhm, you can stop dreaming now.
Which one’s your favorite?
A shoe lover,
Violaine Diogene
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Well hello heels! May I introduce you to a new close friend of mine? Meet shoe-clips from Linden Lovebirds. These lovely little flower clips were design to add a burst of color, a little bit of sass, a little bit of elegant funk and perhaps a mini lift?
These little burst of colored clips are all handmade and custom in your colors. Think how cute these would be on your bride’s maid’s shoes and just think, they can use them over and over again. I vote you buy a few and surprise your girls with a paid in your next opportunity.
I, on the other hand, I’m getting the burned orange, and multi colored rose.
Thinking of my heels,
Violaine Diogene
Dear Posh Girl Vintage, I just wanted to say I love your stunning and delicious 1940s to 1970s dresses. Thank you for being a vintage clothing freak & collector since the, shall we say “tender” age of thirteen as it shows your dedication to provide quality clothing to those whom appreciate the ability to be unique.
After visiting your site on a regular basis, I can tell you that I love just about everything you have on the site, but the dresses below are my absolute favorites. I’m thinking the first two will be in my front door just in time for my birthday!
Inspired by the 1940s era,
Violaine Diogene
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Ok, so by now you know about my shoe fetish right? Right! Imagine my pleasant and crazy surprise when I heard about this amazing person by the name of Ann Roth who designs shoes and event better, she custom design shoes! Seriously though, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.
According to her website, Ann Roth found her way into shoe design after a serendipitous broken dance shoe led to her first creation.
After her first encounter with shoe-making came an extensive period of research and a dream of a certain blue toile espadrille. Roth learned how to make a last and a pattern and fashioned the shoe she had envisioned. Her unique sense of style, love affair with footwear and steadfast dedication turned into a desire to bring her creations to other women, and Ann Roth Shoes was born in the spring of 2006.
Inspired by the romance of a bygone era, each pair of Ann Roth Shoes evokes nostalgic elegance and charm. Characterized by classic silhouettes with modern details, the collection is now lovingly made in Spain by expert craftsmen who come from a long line of zapateros.
Roth’s designs continue to evolve, and with each new season she delights the senses with her wearable works of art. Ann Roth Shoes have been featured in Lucky Magazine, Footwear News and Daily Candy, among others. Most recently, Roth’s designs were part of history in the making, when a pair of her grey suede Garbos graced the stage on election night 2008.
Now, I’ve yet to have the pleasure of having my shoes design (that will soon change) but from the looks of what I see online and the rave reviews I’ve read and heard, this shoe designer will soon be a name whom brides, moms, and shoes divas will praise.
What do you think? Have you ever had your shoes design for you? If so, I would LOVE to see a picture and you can be featured on the blog….
In shoe heaven,
Violaine Diogene
While having a very in-depth conversation with my new favorite groom about custom tuxedos, it sparked that little light in my mind to write about tuxedo and here we are. While on one of my favorite sites (GQ) looking for formal wear, I came across this amazing articles about choosing and buying a tux. And you know, if I think you need to know about it, I must write about it.
Somewhere along the line, a tuxedo went from being the most majestic piece in a man’s wardrobe to something that he had to wear. As in, “Yeah, dude, I gotta wear a tux to this wedding next weekend.” You know what? Quit your carping. The fact is, you’ll never look better, more manly—more gentlemanly—than in a tuxedo said Will Welch for GQ.
According to GQ, when picking your tux, start with the basics.
The Basic: Such as the classic, timeless black tux, white shirt, black bow tie (yes, bow tie—they’re back in a big way). There’s nothing quirky or dangerous about this outfit, and that’s okay. Opting for a classic doesn’t make you a square; it makes you a gentleman.
Keep It Slim: At some point in the evening, you’re going to toss the jacket. Make sure you’re wearing a slim-fit shirt that won’t blouse out pirate-style by the time you’re leading “Livin’ on a Prayer” choruses.
Go Blue
A midnight blue tux strikes an alternative but still classic note. Generally, wear one with a white shirt and black tie. Unless you want to look all…Grammy Awards, in which case you can do like Brandon and go for a black formalwear shirt, open at the collar. Look for other versions by Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Neil Barrett, and D&G.
Know Your Lapels: Notch
When in doubt, go with a notch lapel. Less of a statement than a shawl or a peak, it essentially mimics a conventional suit jacket and looks right on just about anyone.
Rock the Velvet
Note: velvet jacket—not suit. Like a midnight blue tux, velvet adds flair to your formalwear. Black is your safest option, but if you’re not afraid to play it up, look for one in bottle green, burgundy, or navy. Just keep the rest of the outfit simple, from the pants to the shirt to the tie.
Know Your Lapels: Peak
The original tuxedo, which debuted in 1886 in Tuxedo Park, New York, featured a peak lapel. Wear with pride
Master the White Dinner Jacket. The white dinner jacket—worn always with black tux pants—is part Old Hollywood (Bogart), part rocker (André 3000). Although not exclusively for summer, it’s best worn from March to October—or whenever they’re serving mint juleps.
Know Your Lapels: Shawl Collar
It had its heyday in the ’50s, worn most famously by James Dean, but it has surged back into fashion of late. Just be sure to keep the collar on the slim side.
One Tux, Two Ways
The Clark Gables and Cary Grants of the world would scoff, but the long tie has—for better or worse—become part of the formalwear canon. Just make sure it syncs up with the width and material of your lapels. So, satin lapel, satin tie.
Did you know there was so much to buying a tux? I didn’t! But, that’s what I’m here for; to advise you on these little things in life. Below are some of the tux pictures from GQ and the model certainly looks handsome and more importantly confident in his tux which is most definitely what you want. Well, what do you think about this? Was this helpful information? You know how much I love to hear from you.
With my handsome grooms in mind,
Violaine Diogene
All photos by Paola Kudacki
A few weeks ago we discussed the Full Windsor Knot as part of our series The Art of the Knot. This week, we’re still discussing the Windsor Knot but instead of a Full Windsor Knot, this is the Half Windsor Knot! Yes, there is a difference between the two of them.
The Half Windsor Knot, is a modest version of the Windsor Knot. It’s a symmetrical and triangular tie knot that you can use with any dress shirt. It works best with somewhat wider neckties made from light to medium fabrics. You can use this particular knot for a formal rehearsal dinner if you were to wear a tie.
The instructions for tying a half-Windsor knot (way 1) are shown below courtesy of Totieatie.com. We assume that you are right-handed in the following instructions. The figures below are mirror images. They are what you will see if you stand in front of a mirror. If you would like to see a video instruction instead, please click here.
I hope these series are helping you and if they’re not you know you can just send me an email letting me know your thoughts.
With you in mind,
Violaine Diogene
1. At the beginning, the wide end of the tie should be on your right side and the other end should be on your left side.
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2. Cross the wide end over the other end. Now three regions are formed (Left, Right and Center).
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3. Bring the wide end underneath the narrow end from Left to Right.
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4. Bring the wide end over to the Center region.
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5. Bring the wide end under the knot to the Left region.
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6. Bring the wide end out of the shirt from Left to Right.
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7. Bring the wide end under the knot to the Center region.
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8. Bring the wide end down and pass the loop in front. Ensure that the knot is tightened.
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9. Use one hand to pull the narrow end down gently and use the other hand to move the knot up until it reaches the center of the collar.
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By now, I trust that you know my healthy love affair with shoes. Certainly one of my favorite things to write about is shoes. One of my favorite and dearest brides is taking a daring and fun approached to her wedding ensembles by wearing a pair of bold colored shoes (Brian Atwood Orange ribbons) with her bright white Vera Wang dress. And you guessed it; she prompted me to write about shoes.
I love the idea of wearing a pair of diva shoes in place of the traditional white shoes. No, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing white shoes if that’s what your darling little hears desire, but just think about the amazing contrast of pairing your amazing designer gown with a stunning pair of diva shoes.
Because of my love of shoes and because these shoes lack nothing at all, I’ve included just a few of my favorite pairs. I simple need to hit to lottery to afford each and every single pair in my collection below. To view each shoe’s designer, simply click on the shoe and a window will open with designer’s name.
What do you think? What color shoes are you wearing for your big day? Seriously, nothing pleases me more than to hear your thoughts on my posts.
In shoe bliss,
Violaine Diogene
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Today while trying to get my annual bargain at one of my very favorite stores in the world, (Saks Fifth Avenue) I ran into one of my grooms whom was also out shopping. He was in the men’s department in front of a mirror receiving what appeared to be a valuable lesson in tying a tie. And you guessed it, I had this “aha” moment and here I am writing a series on the different ways for a man to tie his tie but most importantly, I’m really about this for the ladies. If you’re a wife, the future wife or woman in a man’s life, you need to know how to tie his tie. This is one of the nicest and even the sexiest thing a woman can do for her man (in my humble opinion of course).
A few years ago, I learned how to tie a tie at A Macy’s in downtown Boston (I really wanted to impress my husband) and to my surprise, it was much more difficult than I ever imagined but once I learned, it was actually much easier than I had ever imagined. Now, I know this might sound odd, but the type of tie, color of the tie, and type of knot you use on a tie all can convey into a certain meaning. Try to keep up; Take the Windsor knot for example. The Windsor knot is a knot that exudes confidence and power due to its wide, triangular shape. Falsely named after the Duke of Windsor, the Windsor knot (also known as the full Windsor or double Windsor) is usually worn for formal occasions. This type of knot looks best worn with a shirt collar that is considerably cut-away.
I’ve included some very detailed instructions as well a video for you to learn this very important skill at your own pace. Next week, we’ll look into tying a different knot. I hope buy now it’s evident that I want to hear from you. I love to hear your thoughts on my post. I hope I’ve inspired you and challenged your minds in the past few months.
Always hoping to inspire you,
Violaine Diogene
Step 1: Lift up the collar of your shirt, put the tie around your neck so the wide end hangs down on the side of your dominant hand.
Step 2: Cross he wide end over the front of the thin end a few inches below your neck.
Step 3: Slip the wide end up through the back of the V-shape made by the two ends, pulling it out toward your non-dominant hand.
Step 4: Wrap the wide end around the knot and slip it up through the back of the V-shape made by the knot.
Step 5: Tuck the wide end into the front loop of the knot.
Step 6: Tug on the wide and thin ends gently from below the knot until the knot is tight.
Step 7: Hod the thin end with your non-dominant hand and slide the knot up to your neck with your hand.
Step 8: Flip your collar down and get going.
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