Shoe Lexicon – Part 1
These days the fashion magazines, blogs, and catalogues are littered with terms that are so alien, so unfamiliar, we simply don’t know what we’re buying anymore. Which is why I’ve put together a shoe lexicon that will serve as your guide when shopping for new shoes.
Peep Toe. As you probably can tell, a peep toe is a style of shoe that shows off a little bit of your toes. Typically, peep toes have a small crescent-shaped opening at the tip of the vamp of the shoe, big enough for your big toe and the one next to it to “peep” through. Although these days, some shoes just have a tiny teardrop-shaped hole big enough to shoe your big toe. Because of its playful design, many consider it the easygoing cousin of the pumps.
Tips When Wearing Peep Toes:
Get a pedicure. Granted that it only shows two of your toes or even less, the fact remains that it shows. So best to get a good pedicure when wearing peep toes. This can also be a great chance to show off your awesome nail color.
Brogues. Brogue shoes are a style of shoes that was extremely popular fashion among men. Also called wing tips, they are low heeled shoes that are ornately decorated with perforations, holes and different kinds of leathers. Just think back to what mob boys would wear for shoes and you typically have an idea what brogues are. However, fashion mavericks like Marlene Dietrich wore brogues that helped it transcend from a men’s shoe to a masculine-inspired fashion for women.
Tips When Wearing Brogue Shoes:
Balance it out. Because brogues are very manly, balance the look out by wearing a very girly A line skirt and a tank top. Don’t forget to add in accessories like a charm bracelet or silver bangle bracelets to complete the look.
Kitten Heels. There are many speculations on how the kitten heels came to be known as kitten heels. My favorite theory thus far is that it earned its moniker because as compared to the killer high heels models wear when they sashay down the catwalk, the modest height of these particular shoes’ heels are just kittens. I don’t know if the theory is true or not, but it’s a rather cute explanation though. However, kitten heels have slowly made their way to the catwalks middle of this year.
Tips When Wearing Kitten Heels:
Show Off Your Shoes. Maybe it’s its 1950s origins that make me want to favor dresses with this style of shoes, but generally wear something that will show them off is a good rule to follow. Bodycon skirts paired with a flowy top and kitten heels is a number one recommendation.