A Walk Down Memory Lane...Fashion Cares Edition

With Designer Jason Wu. Fashion Cares 2009

Last night was the ever-fabulous Fashion Cares, an event that raises money for Susan G. Komen/AIDS Research and brings out the most glamorous gals Atlanta has to offer. Here are some pictures from a few years ago...more to come on this year's event later this week!

Shoes for Thought

This email from Saks made me happy today (beyond the fact that the image of the girl in the obviously generic template has nothing to do with the product they chose for me). Details, details. Anywho, I'll take it! (Actually, I'll take all of these shoes, size 6.5, please.)

Trend-E!

Golden girls!

Stripes, camera, action!

Beyond spotting trends among my friends today (exhibit a, gold Tory Burch shoes; exhibit b, nautical stripes and gold accents), I went to a fun little shin dig put on by Bloomingdale's that celebrated the launch of Kate Spade's Current + Elliot collection. All in a day's work!

Kick Up Your Heels

Have you ever done something for the first time and wondered why you'd never done it before? I had that sort of experience last night at Jiao, which is a reflexology foot massage parlor (for lack of a better word, and I think that's actually the correct one) in Atlanta. I was quite impressed by their clever logo (footprint in the O) and their selection of tea and water upon entry. 

Foot massage felt great, caught up with a good friend and wondered many times during that hour why I had never done it before! 

I hereby declare foot massages a must for well-heeled fashionistas.

...in unrelated news, I found this image tonight and it made me laugh. One of my dear friends (who shall remain nameless) had the audacity to wear these...and it wasn't Halloween. Though, they'd be rocking if you were going as Heather Graham's character from Austin Powers. 

The owner of these babies shall remain nameless.

Nail It

Beyond having an affinity for shoes and being know to nail an interview or two, I posses some other talents...like picking nail polish colors. This past weekend I went to my usual place (having already decided I wanted red, forgoing my usual opaque neutral tone), zeroed in on a color that called my name and got it. No second guessing. No picking up another bottle. You see, usually half of my appointment time is spent picking the color. This time I nailed it...and it just so happens to be a brand new color, part of Essie's Braziliant Collection. I swear I have magic powers.

Too Too Hot via Essie

Freshly polished!

Work(Out) Stress

When you love working, it can seem far more stressful to step away than to put down your work, right? For me, I didn't have much balance when I was an NYC intern (that "freshman" 15 came after sophomore year, during a summer when I was around models, magazines and millions of bagel stands, oh my!). Anywho, while I still sometimes struggle to find the balance when the going gets crazy at work, what I do know is that I'm much more productive (and happier) when I work out! 

Read on for some of my favorite ways to break a sweat...

Dedication, people! Breaking a sweat before the sun breaks is one way to get your workout in every day!

1. RPM (a take on Spin): This hard-as-hell class replicates a road ride...way different than your typical pop-infused spin class. Hard and wonderful. Take it at Witzlib Fitness Studio

2. Pilates: I've been known to try every workout in the world, and I can't remember my core being as sore as the day after a hot (literally, 100 degrees!) Mat Pilates at Atlanta Hot Yoga

3. TRX: My friends at Witzlib Fitness Studio have a thing for three-letter classes, and this one puts you against your own weight. Using a suspension trainer and nifty moves, you'll get totally toned! 

4. Run: Ok, this isn't my favorite, but it is free. And sometimes I like the feeling of just getting up and going. And since I'm pre-tty good at making playlists, I know my tunes will help me through.

5. Pure Barre: If you've already got a killer bod and are looking for a way to keep it looking tight and right, this tucking, toning class is calling your name! Pure Barre

...I can't forget Boot Camp, as pictured. The fabulous BTB Boot Camp I attended at the FAP (Frankie Allen Park) no longer exists. I still miss it!

CBS Sunday Morning on Internships

CBS Sunday Morning is one of my favorite shows. They always cover interesting topics, are as timely as the New York Times Style Sections and constantly leave me curious as to how they knew exactly what I was thinking about that week. I'm talking more than news. They always seem to be one step ahead of the conversation. Anyhow, here's a piece on internships that hits the mark! 

From the Archives

Look what I found when I was going through my files! This is my final project from the one (amazing) graphic design class I took in college. Have a look, if you'd like. 

 Does the subject matter surprise you? Didn't think so!

Shoes Rhymes with Cruise

Which is why it's perfectly logical that I have an affinity for Suri Cruise. What a doll. Quite the fashionista, that Suri. While her feet were in the door before her inception, she definitely has the personality and poise to back it up (yes, I realize she's 5). 

Anyhow, this is one of my favorite Suri ensembles. Take a look, if you'd like!

Suri, circa 3 years old.

What I Wore

The first of many outfit posts, I hope. 

My assurance that these will get better. I need to get a decent camera and do some outfit planning. But, thought this one was worth sharing. I was inspired by an outfit I saw on A Cup of Jo last night (flowing yellow skirt that hit just below the knee and a chambre shirt). Since I had neither of these pieces, I had to get crafty. The good news is I was able to come up with a new outfit to wear. 

I'm good at neutrals. Remind me to branch out this season and add some color! Thank goodness for the carpet in this case.

What makes this outfit work for work? It's modest on bottom and at the neckline, which makes bare shoulders a go.

Easy Ensembles

My go-to trick for looking pulled together is so easy, I nearly jump for joy every time I think about it (see, it's true!). 

Yes, that's me...in my sheath dress!

A sheath dress is classic, chic and can be dressed up with tights, depending on the season.

Alice + Olivia Fall '11

Another favorite when I need to look polished but don't have a lot of time to plan an outfit is a monochromatic suit/shirt combo. Effortless!

Alice + Olivia Fall '11

Alice + Olivia Spring '11

Fashion Follower

Being a leader is lovely. But in fashion, it's also fun to be a follower. 

Here are some of the blogs I find most inspiring and, consequently, the ones I follow (in no particular order):

A Cup of Jo 

Cupcakes and Cashmere 

Slaves to Fashion 

The Man Repeller

Sea of Shoes

Mood Of The Moment

The Cut
New York Times Fashion & Style

The Sartorialist

Who What Wear

The Rear View

770/Behind The Line

Coco Perez 

Full House

Our Labor Of Love

The Littlest

Sweet Fine Day

Oh Happy Day 

You Are My Fave

Max Wanger

Young, Fabulous and Together

Gramercy 

And when I'm hungry...

Smitten Kitchen

And when I want to be healthy...

Skinny Peaches

Emily Fashion

One of the first questions I was asked in my interview for my current job is, "can you laugh at yourself?"

I'd like to think I can! Beyond interning, I wrote a column for The Red & Black in college that got a lot of what we'll call "feedback." (See exhibits a. and b. below.) If you're interested, take a look at how Emily Fashion came to be!

Does this editorial cartoon look familiar?

"Emily (Fashion)" by Allison Weiss & Sarah Colombo from Allison Weiss on Vimeo.

Let's Talk Shoes

Simple. Stunning. Sold! (A girl can dream...)

Office Space

A look at a couple of the office spaces I've interned in. Take a peek, if you'd like!

The original Cosmo office and fashion closet.

 

Isn't it funny that these delicate, oh-so-pretty shoes have mens' names in them. I've always smiled about that.

My cozy spot at Amy's. Below, her simply perfect office.

Cosmo's new digs at 300 57th Street.

A High-Heeled Walk Down Memory Lane

Having been in the working world for three years now, I sometimes forget the joys of being an intern. I don't think I realized then how much that experience meant. Take a trip down memory lane with me, if you'd like! Here are the five things I learned from being an (unpaid!) intern:

1. Interning is hard, but if you put in time, effort and are completely engaged it pays off big in the following ways: great letters of recommendation, a killer few lines on your resume, people who are willing to go to bat for you when your future-employer calls them and long-lasting relationships! 

2. Intern for someone who was an intern (as they are likely to remember their favorite mentor, and may take on that role for you)!

3. Ask questions...and not just from your intern supervisor! I stepped out of the accessories closet (which was my assigned role at Cosmo) and learned a lot, just by asking! From volunteering to help with fashion trend boards to asking how Market Editors pull together their FOB pages, those in-the-know will teach those willing to ask.

4. Internships aren't reserved for summertime! One of my best memories from college will always be the time I spent in Amy Flurry's office with her during the school year. My assignments were varied, I got quality one-on-one time with a pro and I got to leverage my learnings in the classroom.

5. Internships are the best networking tools! Having used Amy's advice to secure my Cosmo internship, I followed up, thanked her and let her know that if she ever needed an intern, I'd be her gal. Lucky for me, reaching out paid off and (as mentioned in learning four), I got ample and excellent experience. 

...Here is where I am going to establish that I have an affinity for exclamation points.

How I Got My First Shoe-In

Welcome to my blog, A Shoe-In. 


I do love shoes. Love wearing them. Love buying them. Loving looking at them. Love, love, love them. I also believe that there's no better feeling than helping someone else get their (well-dressed) foot in the door! After all, everyone has to start somewhere. 

I will always remember the people who helped me start my career in fashion. First, there was Amy Flurry. I heard her speak at a University of Georgia Magazine Club event (the one event I ever went to). A seasoned magazine writer, Amy mentioned that when looking for an internship, one should search Ed2010. Now, way back in 2006, 2010 seemed quite far away. But the forward-thinking folks at Ed2010 realized that budding magazine writers and editors (who would be on the masthead around the year 2010) wanted to find internships, and overworked editors needed interns. Brilliant. 

Since I had already decided that I would be spending the summer after my sophomore year in New York City, I used this piece of advice to my advantage. On this site, I found an entry for Cosmopolitan Magazine. Brooke Rosen Lucks, Accessories Editor, was looking for someone to man the accessories closet. At the time I applied (spring semester 2006), I was working at The Red & Black as a fashion columnist and moonlighting as a page designer. It was during my evening shift when the email from Ms. Rosen came through. She would see me for an interview! I'm sure I screamed (or something); Lyndsay Hoban may be able to verify.

I got a new outfit, went to New York City for the interview and that was that. Someone took a chance on me and I'll never forget it. 


Here are a few shots from that trip to New York...

In the cab and oh-so excited!

The NYC hustle and bustle, right after I left the Cosmo office on 57th.

My yet-to-be perfected photog skills.