Shoewawa

Jubilee Style: Best of British on a budget

2012-05-16T16:05:24Z

As the Diamond Jubilee approaches, things are taking an interesting turn in the fashion world. Focus has shifted a little from Kate Middleton and the younger Royals, while the Queen is taking her rightful place as fashion muse. Britannia is cool again, and regal symbols, heritage patterns and all kinds of home-grown fare are being celebrated and cherished by our favourite designers and brands. It's hard not to feel inspired! But how can you get in on the patriotic action if you can't afford a crown of your own?

Happily, one thing us Brits still excel at is thrift, and there are plenty of easy ways to get a bit of Jubilee style in your wardrobe without breaking the bank. All it takes is some attention to your colour scheme and some carefully-chosen motifs, perhaps a few subtle floral accents and you'll fit right in at any Jubilee party.

Step one is picking out plenty of red, white and blue accents, and making sure all three key colours are somewhere in your outfit. Keep your footwear simple, and you can add embellishments elsewhere: Matalan's range of summer wedges and casual flats have the Union Jack shades covered, so you can go to town accessorising for a great British summer look (don't forget your wellies!) Pictured above are a few of our wallet-friendly faves:

Colour block spot wedge: £18
Tick Strip Upper court wedge: £16
Red patent ballet flats: £6
Nautical stripe floral ballet bow: £10

To finish off the look, add a Union Jack Shopper (this one is just £3.99) and you're good to go!

Post brought to you in association with Matalan

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Shoewawa Loves: Hunter studded wellies

2012-05-16T14:57:06Z

If you can't beat the wet weather, you can at least show it who's boss by dressing stylishly even in a downpour. Hunter, as ever, are the experts in rainy day style, and they've surpassed themselves with these stunning, studded black and gold wellingtons that are new in at Net-a-Porter. The rubber boots are made from one gorgeously smooth piece of rubber, and the bronzey gold of the studs sits beautifully around the legs.

Priced at £155, these are the sort of wellies that will have you doing a rain dance on the sunniest days - just for an excuse to wear them. They look beautiful from every angle, and have something of the Vivienne Westwood pirate boot about them. What better choice for anyone wanting to glam it up at a festival later on in the season? In fact, I'm not even going to any festivals and these gorgeous specimens are making me want to re-think that decision.

Avengers style: behold the Iron Man Dunks!

2012-05-16T10:36:35Z

Loved The Avengers? These incredible Iron Man Nike Dunks are some of the best custom trainers we've seen all year, but of course you'd expect nothing less from the legendary Stark Industries, who have probably filled them full of rocket fuel and all manner of other powerful and awe-inspiring things.

The trainers were actually customised by artist J'Field Yeo of MorethanArttoWear.com, who also made an awesome Captain America shoe a year ago. The Iron Man creations are even more wearable and stylish in their own right, and we love the way the colour scheme mirror's the superhero's iconic body armour.

Like the Back to the Future Shoes these trainers are a huge amount of fun and are sure to be worth a small fortune in years to come (they are approximately £470 to order new from the site - with batteries included!). The LED lights at the front and back of the trainers - which mirror Iron Man's rectangular eyes are particularly impressive, and we'd love to see them worn. But who would be worthy to wear Iron Man's shoes?

Top Tights: M&S London skyline mock-stockings

2012-05-16T10:28:29Z

When Henry Holland kicked off the 'mock stocking' trend a few years ago, we all thought he'd gone a bit crazy. Fast forward a year or two and the look is everywhere - including at high street haven M&S, who have done something fantastically creative with them for 2012. Behold the London Skyline tights!

Priced at £9.50 from the chain's uber trendy Limited Collection range, the tights are almost too cute for us to resist in a season to celebrate all-things British. What we love best about them is how this patriotic note is achieved so subtly: seen from a distance, the shapes at the top of the 'stockings' look fairly abstract, but if anyone does happen to get up close enough, they'll be able to recognise the iconic silhouettes of St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and even Battersea Power Station! That's quite a lot of detail for one pair of tights.

Check out the full range of Limited Collection tights here, including a fabulous crown-print pattern and several variants on the Union Jack. Cool Britannia rules the high street!

New at Topshop: Latitude platform sandals

2012-05-15T17:04:17Z

Topshop have captured the sport luxe look perfectly with eye-catching platform sandals: a designer-led style with a great mix of colours and textures.You'll love this shoe if you like to flash a bit of neon without going for the all-out neon raver look, and it's sure to be a big hitter this summer - just watch out for your tan lines behind all those slender straps and that lovely diamond cut-out detailing!

New in store and online this week, the sandals are £85 here and are also available in a black and blue mix. The latter has a very different look and feel about it, thanks in the most part to a metallic panel on the platform: we think these are the more summery far, and would look amazing worn with some equally bright nail polish.

This look is deceptively easy to wear, thanks to the built-up front panel which acts a bit like a giant strap. There's also easy off-on action due to the velcro fastening, cleverly concealed at the back of the shoe.

Trainer Tuesday: Nike Sportswear Blazer hi tops

2012-05-15T14:51:57Z

There are a lot of pumped-up, very strongly coloured trainers around at the moment that can look a bit garish if over-done. An alternative is on offer thanks to Nike's current sportswear range, where you'll find more pared-down, retro-inspired pieces like this one: an all leather two-tone shoe with a simplicity to it that we really like. There's no superfluous fluff here: just good old-fashioned design knowhow.

Available in two colourways with clashing shades that somehow work well together, you can find the style in pink mix as above, or in a neon green with aquamarine swoosh. Less is definitely more in the design, which does away with all unnecessary features in favour of clean lines and a classic cut that harks back to the earliest styles put on sale by Nike.

If you're as taken with this style as we are, head over to Farfetch where you can pick up a pair in either colourway for £89.95

Pick of the best All Weather shoes

2012-05-15T11:38:01Z

The weather...who knows what it's going to do next? this weekend much of the UK was bathed by sunshine, but now it seems it's business as usual with dull skies and a downpour every couple of hours. What on earth are we supposed to be wearing in this constantly changing, meteorological hell? Should you 'splash out' on brand new waterproof items or struggle on with what's left of your winter gear, refusing to replace it so late in the year whether it's falling to bits or not?

Our grand wardrobe plans for spring may have been completely blown out of the water, but as far as footwear is concerned, you need not despair. Plenty of shoe styles work well all year around, as long as you're prepared to shelve the sandals for now. Here are a few of our favourite all-weather shoes and boots you can buy now to avoid the pain of pulling on your winter footwear in May.

High and Dry

Perhaps the designers were on to something when they introduced the flatform style for 2012? One clear advantage to high-soled footwear is that it keeps your feet dry, along with the fabric of your clothing and the uppers of your shoes. So whether you want to go for creepers, trainers or even sandals, a platform or flatform style is a great choice when rain is on the cards. Check out these super-high Underground Creepers at Office, for example! This style from ASOS may be more to most tastes while still being high enough to keep you dry.

DM (and DM-alike) boots

There are some great DM-style boots out there at the moment, and most materials used to make the iconic British boots are wonderfully waterproof as well as being totally on trend. You can wear these boots all year around, either with shorts and bare-legged skirt outfits, or with your jeans or warmer clothes in winter. Check out the DM site for all the latest styles: you'll pick them up new from around £90.

If you don't want to spend the full amount on a pair of boots at this time of year you might want to check out Daniel Footwear's Cartina patent boot which is available online for just £39: it looks very much like a shiny DM, but without the usual price-tag.

Plastic Fantastic

The Vivienne Westwood/Melissa collaboration could have been made for the English 'summer', as could the new Ted Baker range of plastic footwear. There is also the Mel range for those looking for fashion forward PVC shoes. Each collection has its own signature scent locked into the material, and they're a great addition to eclectic outfits.

Have a pair or two of these in your wardrobe and you'll be able to wear all your favourite summer outfits without having to ruin them with wintery looking waterproof shoes or wellies. These styles are particularly great for days when it's warm but wet.

Swit-swoo! Christian Louboutin Loubi Zeppa appliquéd wedges

2012-05-15T08:38:36Z

If you've visited the Louboutin exhibition at London's Design Museum in the past couple of weeks, you'll certainly recognise the theme of these eye-catching shoes, which mirrors the sign welcoming visitors to the epic footwear display. Featuring fun, circus-style lettering on their soles, the sandals will add va-va-voom to any summer outfit.

The best thing about wedges as far as fashion designers are concerned is their endlessly customisable appeal: like blank canvasses to be worn on the feet, they offer maximum possibility for creativity. It comes as no surprise to us that Monsieur Louboutin should rise to that challenge, and he's done so here with aplomb.

What we love best about the appliqued lettering and motifs used here is how tactile and generous they are: the silky fabric used to make them is of tremendous quality and reminds us of the stickers we used to collect in our scrapbooks as schoolkids. They add a playful and colourful note to the style, and will draw a million admiring glances. Net-a-Porter is currently selling them for £625 if you just can't resist...

Whose Shoes? Bright and bold colour block

2012-05-14T17:30:26Z

When we spotted this certain someone wearing these colour pop wedges with her pastel snakeskin jeans and neon pedicure, we couldn't help but run it as a Shoewawa Whose Shoes. Featuring clashing shades of pink and red as well as contrasting textures of glossed leather and matte suede, the heels are sleek and streamlined in shape. Whoever is wearing these beauties certainly wants to make a style statement. We'll give you a clue; she was recently spotted sporting an equally colourful pair of shoes...can you guess who it is yet?

It was the bold and beautiful Cheryl ~~Cole~~.

We've hunted down the shoes and they're a pair of Christian Louboutin leather and suede wedge sandals called Djaldos 120 and you can get your hands on them HERE for £475. Chezza matched her Christian Louboutin heels with an Alexander Wang colour blockvest, Current/Elliott pastel leopard print jeans and a Boy. by Band of Outsiders blazer. We love the bright look and think the shoes complete her outfit perfectly.

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Djaldos 120 leather and suede wedge sandals £475 >>

Shopping Gallery: SS12's Wonderful Wedges

2012-05-14T16:00:11Z

Without fail, wedges are a seasoned regular when Spring / Summer comes around. So we weren't too surprised to see them on the agenda again for SS12. But we were, however, pleasantly surprised to see that this season, SS12 wedges bring with them a brand new and fresh take on the structured Summer shape.

As well as being super attention grabbing and screaming look-at-me, this season's wedges channel the hottest trends in all their glory. Whether it's Spring / Summer 2012's new love affair with print from totally tropicals to abstract artistics, the hot new neon fashion fluoro or global travelling Aztecs, this season's wedges have it all. Who'd have thought we could encapsulate an entire season's trends in one style of footwear? There's no doubt about it, wedges are stepping into the style spotlight this Spring / Summer 2012.

Want to see what we mean? We've trawled the web to bring you a covetable selection of wedges that wonder to add to you SS12 wardrobe shopping list. Check them out in the gallery above and click through to buy if any take your fancy.

Hello, sunshine! Cute sandals for spring

2012-05-11T15:42:55Z

Dare we say it? Dare we actually mention the news that broke today? Of course we can! That news is that it didn't rain in much of the UK today; making it the first dry day for many weeks. And to celebrate, we're all wearing sandals today. It feels quite freeing to have finally shed those heavy boots and socks...Now it really is time for a pedicure and a return to glorious open-toed shoes!

While the prospect of spring has become more of a real one, we've also been scouring our favourite haunts for suitable footwear here at Shoewawa HQ today, and a style that's gone straight to the top of the list is this light pink flower sandal (£35) at River Island. They're fun, summery and have a smattering of Miu Miu about it that we can't help but fall in love with. The centre of each 'flower' is full of sparkling diamante studs.

Are you stepping into your sandals yet, or does it feel a little too much like tempting fate?

Charlotte Olympia heart high heels

2012-05-11T13:39:42Z

We've mentioned before that we have a bit of a weakness for hearts on shoes, and Charlotte Olympia is absolutely killing us with temptation with these gorgeous 'Valentine' heel shoes. Based around one of her most instantly recognisable styles, the shoe is covered in applique suede love hearts in several different pinky-red shades.

The designer, who has recently been experimenting with wedges, has now turned her attention to bridalwear, and we think these are an absolutely wonderful choice for the quirky off-beat bride. However, we don't think these amazing shoes should only be worn at weddings - they'd look incredible worn with a black or red prom dress and anyone who wants to enjoy the shoe porn should really feel free to buy them. That is, as long as you can justify spending £990 on a pair of shoes. Get them here if you can!

Shoewawa Preview: Russell & Bromley AW/2012

2012-05-11T11:40:45Z

Like your shoes glittery? Love your brogues? If the answer to either of these questions is 'yes', then you're sure to love what Russell & Bromley have in store for autumn winter 2012. There's a really strong theme running throughout the collection (which includes stunning pieces from Stuart Weitzman, too), featuring lots of rich dark reds, statement studs, gold accents and shimmery glitter. We want it in our lives right now - just imagine how perfect it will look once the leaves begin to fall!

Shoewawa Preview: Kurt Geiger Autumn/Winter 2012

2012-05-10T15:52:28Z

Kurt Geiger's shoes seem to get more adventurous and impressive every season, and as we move into autumn and winter it's going to be higher heels, bigger platforms and more glitz and glamour than ever before. The coveted high street brand, whose current summer collection is awash with glitter has gone crazy for sparkly embellishments for A/W 2012, and you can get a good idea in our gallery what it's all about.

Spiked heels, brogue detailing, leopard print and plenty of studs feature heavily in the range, which has a definite 70s/80s punk element to it. This tendency was underlined by the decision to display many of the products on old-fashioned televisions, while the rest sat on high-shine mirror surfaces as though they'd come straight out of a discotheque.

Click on the image above to see more from Kurt Geiger's exciting autumn/winter collection!

Whose Shoes: McQ

2012-05-10T09:06:07Z

It's Thursday morning, which means it's time to play 'guess the owner' on today's pair of celebrity shoes. Can you guess who wore these stunning McQ heels to a premiere here in London last night? Whoever it is certainly has a style we want to covet!

The jet black pumps, which are decorated with a brogue imprint and a rugged razor-edge tread, are by McQ: Alexander McQueen's more youthful, edgy spin-off label. We'll let on that their wearer is certainly young - and has already undertaken some very edgy roles in her time on the big screen. The shoes, with their heavy ankle clasps and sky high heels have more than a hint of bondage about them, and frankly we wonder what our starlet's mother would think of her wearing such adult-themed footwear!

Hopefully, she'd agree that they are some seriously kick-ass shoes...

But who is she? Do you think you can guess?

Scroll on to reveal the answer!

It's Chloe Moretz, whose remarkably hot footwear choices have impressed us before (remember the Rupert Sanderson flame sandals she wore at Critics' Choice?) The 15-year-old actress looked all grown up at last night's Dark Shadows premiere, and the shoes were just the start. check out the rest of her amazing look at our sister site Catwalk Queen!