Shoegasm

I have spent the past few weeks writing about relationships which has been quite invigorating. However, I returned from my recent trip to New York with several shoe stories. I am returning to my roots, or at least the roots of this blog!

Shoes. The universal language for almost all women. No other garment incites as much conversation as footwear. Well, perhaps handbags. Three year waiting lists exist at the Hermes store for the much coveted Birkin bag, despite its five-digit price tag. Proven by the success of Sephora and other cosmetic emporiums, makeup is also an obsession for many of us. The promise of beauty without regard to losing five pounds is quite alluring!

New York, to me, is the shoe capital of the U.S. Perhaps because I spent my formative footwear years in the Big Apple or maybe because of the shoe obsession of Carrie et al. Maybe because New Yorkers are so fashion-aware and stylish. The influence of Seventh Avenue, the proliferation of the world's best department stores. Saks, Bloomie's, Bergdorf's, Barney's, Bendels. Boutiques. 57th Street. Madison Avenue. No other city offers such a candy store of retail! New York has a plethora of small shoe boutiques offering fifty percent off. While I didn't find any shoes to pique my interest or inspire me to let go of my cash, I enjoyed window shopping!

As strolled through Manhattan in my gold Tory Burch Reva flats, I photographed creative shoe store signs and bold shoe styles in the Top Shop, a rather disappointing transplant from across the pond. I was thrilled to notice most working women wearing stylish flats and not the clunky running shoes worn on the streets in the 1980s. Even as a commuter, I always changed into adorable Joan and David ballet flats. A girl must always look her best!

I noticed very few women in stilettos. Meeting a high school crush for lunch, I had decided to wear taupe patent heels because they looked best with my brown linen pencil skirt and black top. I traipsed through the village in my pumps. Since I spent my twenties promenading through Manhattan in Charles Jourdan, this was not a problem until I changed my shoes later in the day! Ouch!

Watching Mad Men and other period pieces, I occasionally wish I had been of age in an era where women wore hats, gloves, stockings, and heels. I am not so sure about those rather stifling undergarments. But there is something to be said for looking stylish and ladylike!

A fashion aficionado, I spent an afternoon at The Costume Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a personal favorite. The current special exhibition, which runs through August 9th, is The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion. Focusing on the period from 1947 through 1997, this exhibit studies the influence of high fashion on changing ideals of beauty. Renowned models of each era are seen in fashion photographs by such luminaries as Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Scavullo, and Patrick Demarchalier as well as vintage covers of Vogue and Glamour.

The post-war period through the 1950s is known as the Golden Age of Haute Couture. Wasp-waisted, well-coiffed models such as Suzy Parker and Sunny Harnett glamorized Dior's New Look. The exhibit featured these models in magazines as well as scenarios of mannequins in the style of the day.

The Youthquake of the 1960s brought gangly, long-legged models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, dressed in mod styles by Rudi Gernreich, Pierre Cardin, and Paco Rabanne. The Rolling Stones played in the background while a film clip from "Blowout" ran on continuous loop.

The 70's paid paean to Studio 54, Halston, and the upscale bohemian fashions of Yves St. Laurent. This was also the high point for American Sportswear and models such as Lisa Taylor and Jerry Hall as well as Cheryl Tiegs and her all-American peers
seen in Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers.

1980's were the era of the Supermodel Trilogy of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington, all featured in George Michael's "Freedom 90" video, along with Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz. The minimalist fashions of Donna Karan were featured alongside Prada and Helmut Lang. The exhibit ends with the 90's radical chic, Kate Moss, and grunge heroin chic.

I left the museum before an impending thunderstorm hit Manhattan. On the Fifth Avenue southbound bus, I sat next to a woman about my age and her 10 year old daughter. My seatmate asked me about my shoes which began a fifteen minute conversation about the quasi-addictive qualities of Louboutin's and our shared plan to moonlight in retail to acquire the discount! I mentioned to my new friend that I wrote a shoe blog and passed her my card. Shoes are the ice-breaker between women, a shared obsession, and so much more!