Know the 'Drille

Spring and summer footwear is clearly a theme here at LGC. Since I plan on staying on theme (for the moment, at least), lets talk about one of my favorite warm weather sightings: the espadrille. Seeing braided jute rope soles puts joy in my heart, but I try to keep the dollars down because I have a tendency to beat the hell out of them. Trust me, you can find on-trend at every price. Check it out:

Thoughts? The ones on the left are here, and the ones on the right are here. Did you guess right? Which one would you buy?

The espadrille has graduated beyond the simple flat sole and canvas upper. While the traditional style continues to be a fashion mainstay, there is so much more to choose from. I managed to narrow the ridiculous amounts of choices down to six, but I really could have gone crazy here...and no one wants that, right?

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Banana Republic checks so many boxes with the Noemie Espadrille (#1): it's a mix of bootie, wedge, sandal and suede that reads very city chic. Plus the color is a great neutral. But really, BR? You call it seaweed? I can't think of a less attractive term for that green.

I love height without straining my poor feet, and I bet I could wear Tory Burch's slides (#2) all day without complaining. The perforated leather is a beautiful ivory with a more subtle nod to Tory's signature double T logo.

Soludos' traditional espadrilles are close to perfection, but I adore their "smoking sipper" (#3) with its signature vamp. This style comes in a ton of variations, and I can't resist the combination of chambray and white embroidery.

Moving away from neutral ground, Steve Madden's perforated faux leather Choppur (#4) comes in a number of colors, and I was drawn to this bright coral. I had a chance to try them on and they're incredibly comfortable, plus the top of the vamp hits exactly the right spot on my arch.

For something feminine, floral and still fun, Gucci's espadrille (#5) is lovely, if a bit pricey. Knowing how hard I am on shoes, this is a no-go for me, but I still drool when I see them.

Want something that's more like regular wedge heel without looking like office attire (but you can still get away with them in the office)? Sam Edelman's Harmony espadrille (#6) has a leather vamp and ankle strap and gets the height going at 3 1/2".

I'm actually wearing a pair of espadrille wedges RIGHT NOW. They're an old pair from the Calypso x Target collabo in a washed blue and green. Yay for warm weather!

Baby Steps

It's been almost a year. Shame on me. I'd love to say I was busy, and I was, but that's no excuse. Rather than moping around and making excuses, lets get right back into it!

The "ugly" sandal has been a fashion statement for approximately two years now. However, I've been bucking this trend due to a deep seated, long-standing dislike of said sandals. In high school, the norm was this look:

Birkenstock Arizona sandals with socks was good for both guys and girls. I went to a small, liberal private school with no dress code. But, as teens will, there was an unwritten dress code: you were in the Birk'nSock group or the Doc Martins group (black, of course). Me? I was in neither, and by the time I graduated I couldn't wait to get the heck outta that place. I still don't own a pair of shoes from either company, but as the weather changes I find myself drawn to a variation of the Birk (and last fall I was dying for these). My Havaianas could use a swap out for days when rubber flip flops aren't going to make the cut, and I love a comfortable sandal in the sweltering heat of summer. With prices ranging from ridiculously reasonable (check out 6pm.com or Nordstrom Rack) to stratospheric (Givenchy) there is a lot to choose from out there! Here are some of my top picks:

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The Ugly Sandal - I'm just going to go with the moniker - comes in a variety of styles, but I find that the most common are the X Vamp (#1), the Flip Flop (#2) the Dr. Scholl (#3) and the 2 Strap (#4), all of which correspond to different core Birkenstock styles (Almere, Gizeh, Madrid and Arizona, respectively). My number one pick is the Paz two-strap from Loeffler Randall. The mix of white calf hair and gold pebbled leather straps elevates the cork footbed, and I love the white rubber sole.

Are you into the Ugly Sandal? Or is it to much (to little?) for you?

What's Your Sign?

The best response I ever heard to that question: "I'm a STOP sign". Bad pickup lines aside, the stars have always fascinated me, and so has the Western zodiac. Yeah, the Eastern zodiac too, but one thing at a time, please! I love all sorts of symbolism, and I especially like it when luxury designers get on the symbolic bandwagon.

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Clockwise from 1: Charlotte Olympia's Cosmic collection features both Eastern and Western zodiac symbols. If you're not a shoe person, first seek therapy, then check out the Cosmic collection Pandora bags. You all know already that I love Asha's zodiac pendant (and it WILL be mine). Asha's zodiac collection extends to rings, bracelets and smaller mother-of-pearl charms. They are all subtle, stunning and wearable. Want to wear your zodiac love without looking like a teenager? Carolina Herrera's archival zodiac print is beautifully detailed against a deep blue background. Every zodiac sign has an associated constellation, and if you love the stars like I do, this gorgeous pendant from Ella Poe is right up your alley. The pendant features diamonds set in the pattern of the zodiac constellations. The back of the pendant is engraved with each star sign and set with a ruby for Fire signs, sapphire for Water signs, emerald for Earth signs and diamond for Air signs. Need to corral your crap on a bedside table? John Derian's decoupage Zodiac tray makes a sizable vide poche or a lovely birthday gift. Finally, your handbag isn't complete without a gorgeous compact. Estee Lauder's compact is filled with the company's light-diffusing Lucidity pressed powder to make powdering your nose a celestial experience!