Melissa Shoes for Rainy Summer Days

Many of you know how I feel about my Wonder Woman-esque Tretorn rain boots (which don't seem to be available in red anymore, but are 30% off in six other colors including a go-go-boot white at Shoes.com).


These boots make me love the rain. Bring it on, April! You don't scare me, puddles! These are comfortable and fun and so much better looking than bigger, clunkier, shinier wellies. I can't sport these in the summer months, however. There would be leg sweat. Material Girl is not a fan of leg sweat.

So what's a girl to do for footwear during a humid summer downpour? I don't want to drench my leather shoes, and I don't want to wear cheap rubber flip flops to work.

Well ever since I went boutiquing with my friends in Brooklyn in June and saw Melissa shoes I've been coveting them for those rainy, hot days. If you haven't heard of them, they're an Australian brand made of PVC that are purported to be comfortable, breathable, and smell like bubble gum. They come in an array of styles from flats to heels.

I really like the Melissa mary janes designed by Vivienne Westwood, but at $190 with overseas shipping charges they're just too expensive for giving-the-brand-a-try shoes. (I just saw a worn-a-few-times pair go for $93 on eBay.)



I was up late last weekend surfing for shoes and I found this shoe on the Melissa website.




These green + nude slingbacks are on sale for $79, a more reasonable try-the-brand shoe price. And they're a tad more delicate than the Westwood mary janes. They haven't arrived yet, but when they do I'm hoping for a lovely, steamy thunder storm.

Shoe Shopping at 6pm.com

It's been a slow month here at Material Girl HQ. I've got a few trips coming up this summer so I've been trying to chill on the shopping so I have a little dough left in my discretionary fund to enjoy some east and west coast sartorial spending.

But here's the thing about visiting New York--a girl needs comfy shoes. I can't walk around the city and enjoy browsing shops and street vendors if my feet hurt. My feet are not used to such...use. Here in the Midwest there's always a place to park. We drive everywhere. The most walking I do is around The Mall, but even then I usually plan my shopping outings for one end of The Mall or the other--more efficient, less walking. At the outdoor shopping center, I've been known to drive from Anthropologie to DSW which it not really that far, but I figure I gotta stop at my car to pop things in the trunk anyway...

Where was I...oh yeah--comfy shoes for walking around New York. I had recently purchased a pair of black pointy flats by Born that were on clearance at DSW. They were awesome on my right foot. The left foot, however--ouchy. The arch support in the right shoe somehow got all lumpy and it was quite unpleasant as I tried them out walking about my yard. I gave the bottoms a good diaper wipe cleaning (diaper wipes are good for many tasks--someone at Anthropologie once told me they use them to clean schmutz off of clothes) and I returned them.

But I kept thinking about them so I searched for them online and found them at 6pm.com, which is now owned by Zappos. 6pm.com doesn't have free shipping unless you spend $100, and their return policy is not nearly as liberal as Zappos' (you only have 30 days to return and you have to cover return shipping), but this allows 6pm.com to offer deep discounts. (I found that the 6pm site is not nearly as easy to browse as Zappos.)

I had originally purchased the Born flats in black, but 6pm also carried them in red, so I chose that option instead. I also found a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs platform sandals--because I need LA shoes too.

My Shopping Weekend: Vintage Florals for Spring, Cheap Accessories, More Shoes

Despite the fact that weather here insists on dropping below 60, it is indeed spring. And I indeed continue to work on my spring wardrobe. Here a bring you a few recent acquisitions.

First, I won an auction for a vintage Saks dress from a favorite eBay seller--because it's really adorable and because a like the ideas or florals for spring as recently seen on the runways. (Check out, for example, the odd shapes and crazy colors and patterns of Balenciaga.) The dress and jacket got (which fit me like a glove) are bold, but in a cute '60s shape. Both items have amazing rhinestone studded buttons, and the dress is finished with a blue velvet belt. The cropped jacket I'll wear on it's own over a t-shirt and jeans (once they get back from the dry cleaner. I'm sure these have been packed away in some old lady's basement in California for a couple decades.) The blond model below showcases all the item sold by the Timeless Vixen eBay store. They post new fantastic vintage dresses and suits every Friday and all auctions start at $24. And they often make a mint, many items going for upwards of $200. (This outfit set me back $118.)


I'm also thinking bold jewelry for spring. (But, then again, I'm always thinking bold jewelry.) Check out this necklace below--an eBay steal for $2.25. I can't wait to wear this.



My problem collecting clutches just won't go away. I got this red woven clutch (leather doesn't seem very springy to me) with a lucite handle for $9.99.



My loyal readers know I've been really loving all the yellow in the stores this season, but I often lament that I look like crap in yellow. I think it would be fine on my feet, however. I'd recently purchased a pair of uncomfortable yellow camper pumps from Zappos that I had to send back. I still had some Zappos gift certificate left over from my birthday, and in a total impulse purchase on Friday night I bought these super yellow pumps by Volatile. They arrived yesterday and I really love them. (They don't look quite as yellow in person as they do online.) Cheapy Jr. is not a fan of this shoe. When I test drove them yesterday he kept insisting I take them off--until I pointed out that they are the color of a DHL truck. Then they were good. (The boy loves delivery trucks. Me too.)

Saturday Shopping: DSW

My friend was in town from New York this weekend, so I got in a little shopping with her and another friend. One of our stops was DSW Shoe Warehouse. I got this really comfortable pair of Matisse pumps. I love the buckles and the contrast stitching. They're for sale on Zappos for $110. The DSW clearance price: $32. Plus this weekend their doing double Rewards points. Yay!

My Very First Pair of Keds--Should I Keep Them?

With the Clarks sandals I got from Zappos yesterday came the most darling pair of Keds. I've never owned a pair of Keds in my life--the basic white sneaker thing never did much for me. But I saw this pair on Mischa Barton in one of her Keds ads (you can find it in Lucky and Vogue) and I had to have them.


They are so very very cute for spring. This red wedge would be perfect with many of my skirts, casual dresses, shorts, and even my baggy Gap khakis. My mom and Cheapy both really like them. But they sorta squish my big toe a little. Should I send them back? Does canvas give at all? I have no Keds/canvas shoe experience (even my Chuck Taylors are leather). Guide me fellow shoppers.

When Did Clarks Get Cute?

It's no secret I love footwear. What I don't love, however, are cruel shoes. It just ruins one's day to walk around with aching tootsies. I do have some less-than-comfy shoes, shoes that make want to cry by the end of a wedding reception. Once in a while a girl's gotta endure some discomfort to look good. So I have my special-occasion shoes, my going-out-to-dinner shoes, my walking-from-the-car-to-a-chair-and-having-people-fetch-things-
for-me shoes.

And, darling or hot as these shoes may be, they're not practical for wearing to work, then daycare, then the grocery store on a daily.

The other day I was cruising around Zappos looking for a nice way to spend my $100 gift certificate. I was thinking spring. A bit of a heel. Brown. Comfy. Maybe a little '70s looking. I came upon a pair of Clarks that I really liked the look of. I was surprised.

Generally when I think of Clarks, I think of shoes that look like these:


You know, bad Velcro-ed old lady sensible sandals that I would not get caught dead in. What I found and purchased were these:


They are happy comfy and I like the look of them. I could wear them out as well as to the grocery store. I've perused Zappos for more, and there are other Clarks styles I like, some even better than the ones I bought:


Pewter with stitching on the heel and the daintiest of t-straps--I love these.


These are a hot red and the contrast stitching is a nice detail. I could definitely wear these to dinner. And you know, I currently have no mules in my shoe closet.


These cute almost-flats come in great colors like this turquoise. I love the twisted thing going on with the t-strap.

Who knew my feet could enjoy shoes this cute and still feel as good as in my boots? (For nothing but reviews of comfy shoes, visit Barking Dog Shoes.)

Zappos Shipping Update and Customer Reviews

I mentioned below my surprise at the Zappos free-but-not-overnight shipping. Soon after I wrote that post, however, I got an e-mail from my friends at Zappos telling me that they would indeed ship my shoes overnight.

Perhaps it's because I'm a good customer. Perhaps it's my close proximity to the UPS Worldport. Perhaps they read my blog.

Whatever the reason, the shoes were on my porch on my birthday! The Camper Helena pumps were really adorable. I loved the look of them; I loved the color; I loved the heel height. There was a comfort issue, however, and they are already back with my friends at Zappos, refunded. (I'll go back to the drawing board with my BD gift certificate, don't you worry, fellow shoppers.)

There is a lesson to be learned from this purchase (besides that Zappos does still indeed ship overnight for free): Always read the customer reviews. I did read them, but chose to ignore them--I wanted to try the shoes anyway. The reviewers were right, however. They did really cut into my foot where the leather dipped on the instep. I will live and learn and shoe shop again. But I'll remember to listen to my fellow shoe consumers.

Zappos No Free Next Day--What's Up?

My lovely mother-in-law gave me a $100 gift to Zappos for my upcoming birthday, so I just bought the yellow Camper Helena pumps I'd had my eye on.

I had a little surprise at checkout, however. Free shipping, but no free overnight shipping! I was excited about ordering my shoes today so they'd arrive at my door on Monday, which is the actual date of my birth. Now they'll show up on my porch while I'm on vacation. When did this no-more-free-overnight-shipping situation happen?

Endless still has free overnight--I wonder if that will last. (Piperlime has free shipping, but not free overnight shipping.)

Fellow shoppers, close-to-instant online shoe gratification may be becoming a thing of the past. Say it ain't so!

Great Prices at Shoefly, Trouble with 6pm.com

I've been trying to buy a pair of Jeffrey Campbell ankle boots from 6pm.com all day, and the site won't let me check out. I called the phone number listed on the site and simply got a recording saying to email them. (You are certainly no Zappos, 6pm.com.) I sent a message this afternoon and have yet to hear back. (Note that 6pm.com is the only place online I could find these particular boots in the size and color I want and that they are super on sale.) I'll post later on how this situations turns out, fellow shoppers.

In the meantime, I found another pair of Jeffrey Campbell boots. Or maybe they are shoes. They are sort of a book-shoe hybrid. And talk about super on sale! Shoefly.com is having a site-wide extra 40% off event (the discount is calculated when the item hits your shopping cart), so I bought these in the black suede: original price--$95; sale price--$39.60. If you choose to take advantage of this sale note that Shoefly charges for shipping and all sales are final for sale items. Let's they hope they fit!


An update to my last post: I decided to return the green kimono top I bought from Anthropologie that I mentioned below. It is indeed a bad green and it's bordering on costumey. I didn't work no matter what I tried on with it.

Searching for Things That May Not Exist

It's a snowy day here in the hometown of the Material Girl HQ, and dressing for cold snowy days annoys me. Every time it snows I look in my closet and remember that I have no appropriate footwear and nothing appropriate to wear other than jeans.

I ask you fellow shoppers. Do the following exist?

• Cute snow boots that work with non-skinny jeans. Yes, there are plenty of furry/fleece-y knee high snow boots out there. These are great if one is in Utah skiing or on some such wintery vaca. I merely want to walk to and from my car, keep my feet warm, and look moderately stylish doing it. Material Girl does not do skinny jeans. I possess too much T&A (that's tummy and ass) for them, so tucking jeans into snow boots is not an option. Here's what I want: I cute pair of shortish boots, perhaps a little faux fur, ankle-ish height, that won't look weird under my bootcut or flare Gap demin. I also want a little bit of a heel--a wedge would be nice. I perused Zappos, Piperlime and Endless this morning and I found only one pair that could possibly work, the Marisa boot by Maxine of Canada, but they seem to only exist in size 10. (If you wear a 10, and share my snow boot desires, the black suede version pictured is nicely on sale on Endless--snap them up.)
• Tights that don't give me a muffin top. That T&A I mentioned above? Let's just say the A is tad firmer than the T; the T is a little swishy here and there. And the top of tights--they're just too tight. I look at tights when they come out of the package and the elastic always seems more the appropriate size for my ankle than my midsection. I don't want to wear a soft jersey dress and make myself bulgy underneath. And why do they always stop north of the navel? I prefer to wear my skirts lower on the hips, and it's not attractive to have tights going six inches above the top of a skirt. I really love the look of tights, particularly with shorter skirts and boots. I love to wear skirts in winter but I hate chilly breezes whooshing up my bare legs. I ask you fellow shoppers: Can you give me a recommendation for tights that won't squeeze my tummy like Mr. Whipple on a roll of Charmin? I've got several months left of winter and I'm tired of choosing between jeans and goosebumpy gams.
  

P.S. Re: Zappos Price Protection

I just found out from my friends at Zappos that one can only take advantage of their 110% price guarantee once a month. However, being the awesome customer service friends that they are, let let me do it again this month since I was not aware of their policy. (They just seem to love me over at Zappos.)

Remember these gray boots that I coveted but could not have due to the strain they would put on my discretionary fund? They are currently $278 at Anthropologie (and taking into account their outrageous shipping cost and the fact that I'd pay tax, that purchase would have been out of the question). I found them on Zappos for $268.95 (already a better deal with the free shipping). Then I saw them on endless for $211.96. Zappos sold them to me for $200 and change, even deducting the $5 that endless gives with their negative-$5 overnight shipping deal. I'll get them Monday, fellow shoppers at which point I'll give you the scoop.

Get Your New Shoes Tomorrow

Zappos and Endless are both offering free overnight shipping. We can all enjoy a holiday shoe-gasm with very little waiting, fellow shoppers!

Another Love Letter to Zappos

Material Girl sits here writing wearing the shoes pictured at left by Oh...Deer! along with workout clothes. It's not the best look, but the shoes just arrived on my front porch and I need to try them out.

I've had my eye on these for a while but I wasn't sure if I over-100-dollars liked them. Yesterday morning I was reading my email as I ate my oatmeal and had a message saying ShoeBuy.com was having a 25% off everything "private sale" so I decided to see if they had these leopard print pony hair sling backs in stock in 8.5. They did! I put the shoes in my cart and they came to $67 and change.

I really wanted to buy them from Zappos instead. I hate the waiting when I buy shoes from other sites. But on Zappos they were on sale for $107.06. That's a big chunk of my discretionary fund, fellow shoppers. Then I remembered the Zappos 110% price guarantee, something which, up until now, I had never inquired about or taken advantage of. So I dialed up my friends at Zappos. They gave me the shoes for $63.50. They rock. I definitely 63-dollars-like these shoes. So if you see something on another shoes site (especially one that doesn't offer free one-day shipping), be sure to call Zappos and see if they can help you out. You'll have some money left over for...more shoes!

Addendum: I decided to return these shoes. They didn't look right with my only decent pair of jeans and there was a tad too much toe cleavage for my taste. I'm now on the lookout for other shoes/boots I can get from Zappos using the 110% guarantee. Woohoo!

Zappos, I Have Strayed and I'm Sorry

Recently I found a pair of boots I wanted on Zappos (other than the seven pairs currently in my Zappos shopping cart) but it was a tight week for the discretionary fund (just paid the Macy's bill), so I googled the boots (Rockport Pomfort--I have another pair of Rockport boots that are my favorite ones ever) to see if I could find them cheaper.

And, hurrah! I found them on onlineshoes.com. That day they were having a 15% off everything on the site sale or something like that, plus if you paid by PayPal you got $20 off orders over $100. Sold! Instead of paying $163.95 on Zappos, I paid $123.96. And can't we all use a spare $39.99?

This all went down on November 17th. Today is November 27th. That's 10 days. 10! I still have not gotten my new boots. If I would have purchased them from Zappos, I would have been enjoying them for nine days now, or I would have sent them back and gotten a refund a week ago. Instead, here I sit, bootless. Sigh.

(Okay, bootless is a little strong, I do have those other 20-ish pairs. But note that last week I gave away four pairs of boots along with two bags of clothes that don't fit me. I have some holes in my closet to fill. And I'm not happy with my currently black boot selection.)

So, I ask you fellow shoppers: Is it worth $39.99 for immediate gratification? I'm starting to think yet it is. I'm sorry Zappos. I'll try my best not to stray again. You are so so good to me, what with your free overnight shipping and free returns, and nice nice people on the phone who help with my shoe dilemmas (including last Christmas day when Cheapy was buying me a $100 Zappos gift certificate and accidentally purchased everything in my shopping cart, thus buying me $1,000 worth of shoes--a Christmas miracle!)

Shoes Glorious Shoes

While I was home on my lunch hour eating a salad and looking a eBay I heard the doorbell ring. "RING!" I knew it had to be my boyfriend the UPS man. And I knew what he was leaving on my porch after his ring-and-run: shoes in a big box from Zappos.

I ordered three pairs to possibly go with the dress I got for Donya's wedding (which I keep trying on and keep still liking a lot). I was going for something in a bronze shoe with a not-too-spiky heel. I got a pair of Charles David (the ones on the left), a pair of Faryl Robbin (the ones below), and a pair of Vaneli (the ones on the right). I loved them all on screen.

Bronze looks really great with the dress. The Charles David shoes really looked bad on. The braided detail was very thick and the t-strap effect did nothing in terms of giving me a long leg line. The Vaneli shoes looked great with the dress--I think they have the right feel and they are elegantly strappy. They are also terribly uncomfortable.

Then the Faryl Robin shoes--I love love love them. (They also come in silver!) I want to wear them to the grocery store. I want to put them on, put my feet up and just stare at them (as soon as I get a nice pedicure). However, they are gold. They're not a very brassy/shiny gold (they look less shiny in person), but they are gold none-the-less. Why aren't they bronze? They would be perfect if they were bronze! Can I wear a gold shoe with the dress with all it's bronze-y embellishments? What if I also wear gold jewelry and carry a gold clutch (there are a few vintage ones in my eBay watch list as I type).

Dress for Donya's Wedding: I Have a (Probably) Winner

The mailman dropped a big box of brown dresses from Nordstrom on my porch this morning so I did a little brown dress fashion show for Cheapy (who asked which one cost the least). This one at left by JS Boutique was the winner! (I will, however, still keep looking around just in case.) Note: I wasn't really wild about this one as I shopped online--I just sort of threw it in at the last minute since it wouldn't make a difference in the shipping cost--go figure!)

The Calvin Klein (which they sent me in black) was disapointing--
poorly made, all lumpy by the zipper. The strapless Cachet taffeta number was just really bad on. The Tadashi was nice, but too small for me (and the most expensive by a good hundred bucks). The Shelli Segal was sort of confusing. They showed it with the belt at the waist, but the holes for the buckle were way at the end of the belt so it was slung low, and it looked funky from the back (although the fabric was lovely and it had pockets. I love a dress with pockets.) The BCBG was nice, but pretty pedestrian in matte jersey ("like all the other dresses you have," said Cheapy). And there would be a potential visible panty line issue.

The JS dress is also matte jersey, but it's really heavy with good movement. And there's a built in support system for the girls so no special undergarments will be required. (It came in petite and regular and I ordered regular--I thought petite might hit me higher at the waist and I wanted some room at the top since I can, you know, fill out a dress.) I also like that it's embellished so I don't need to worry about jewelry aside from earrings. (It's sort of got a Grecian feel, so I was thinking maybe a smallish coppery bangle would be cool.) I did go back and forth with can-you-wear-sequins-
to-an-11:30 a.m.-wedding? thoughts, but I decided if you are actually in said wedding it would be okay.

I'm thinking in terms of footware now. The gold Kenzie shoes in my last post are not going to work (besides which the next half size up was still too small for me). I'll need something more bronze-y than gold or something pretty in brown, perhaps an lightly embellished brown sandal with a decent heel. I have a good dozen in my Zappos cart right now, so I'm mulling over shoes (as usual).

Check Out the Overnight Shipping Deal at Amazon's Shoe Store

Endless is paying you, the shoe consumer, $5 to have your shoes delivered overnight. (Zappos, have your heard about this?)

I have yet to browse and thoroughly check out the selection. After a click or two I can tell you they offer more than 400 styles of boots.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes

Remember these Vince Camuto beauties that were sold out everywhere in my color preference and size?

My friends at Zappos sent me a happy email today to inform me they had gotten a pair in just for me! So of course I bought then. I imagine they'll arrive tomorrow, so we'll see how they do in person once I see them and give them a test drive. If they don't pass, I'll simply take advantage of the free return policy and send them back before my husband even notices the new cardboard box.

Blame It on the Rain

In recent years I've been slightly obsessed with rain boots. After all, it's going to rain at some point, and I feel I should dress my feet appropriately for the occasion. My pedicured toes should not be subjected to cold, wet rain puddles. My leather boots should not get spots from the downpour dousing them.

So I've searched all over the place for rain boots. They're pretty easy to find--I've seen them everywhere from Delia's to the J. Crew catalog. I've found, however, that there are several common problems with rain boots. First, they can be really smelly. It's this weird bad rubber smell that is simply unwearable. Second, those big wellies types generally have pretty obnoxious patterns and are quite big and unwieldy so they're hard to style. And third, they're rubber so they can be kind of sweat-making on your feet and legs--and who wants to be dry on the outside and wet on the inside.

Happy to report I've found the perfect pair. They are aroma free, solid in color with a matte finish (unlike the super shiny versions your often see), and they have a nice lining that, even against bare skin, does not give you sweaty dogs. They are the Tretorn Plask boot, and they make me excited when there's precipitation in the forecast. If there's a slight chance of a light shower, I'm so wearing these. A little pricey (currently on sale for $116 on Zappos), but the most chic you're ever going to find in a rain boot and the most comfortable pair of footwear that I currently own. I could go on a five-mile hike in these babies and be happy (and stomp in puddles while I'm at it). Plus I got red ones and everyone says I look like Wonder Woman when I wear them. (They also come in green, brown and black in the knee-high style. I'm considering a bright yellow ankle boot version so I can stomp in puddles while wearing pants--the tall boots only work under skirts. I don't really own anything yellow. It's the one color I really cannot wear. I look fairly sick when I put on anything in that color family. But I think I could get away with it on my feet. I'm also interested in finding a mustardy yellow shoe, perhaps a sling-back wedge.)

eBags: (Almost) the Zappos of Handbags

Yesterday after a rather stressful drive home with a crying/yelling toddler in the back seat, I couldn't wait to slip into my sweats, grab a piece of Valrhona 85% dark, and plop onto the couch. So I walk into my closet-room and am greeted with the non-lovely smell of cat pee. The cat has, once again, peed on my gym bag. (It seems to be one of his favorite hobbies next to eating small creatures that can't outrun him and taking ridiculously long naps.)
The gym bag is in the trash; my gym clothes are in a too-small tote. I head to eBags. I really like this site. You can search by material, style, category, brand and price, and they carry handbags, athletic bags and luggage. Shipping is free if you spend over $50, and they pay return shipping.

I also like that, for most of the bags they carry, they offer photos from a number of angles, including an inside view. And--most important for me--they show it on a mannequin. It's really hard for me to visualize the size of a handbag if I don't see someone holding it, even if that someone is synthetic. They often show a model holding handbags on Zappos as well, but I really prefer bag shopping on eBags--I always seem to like their selection better and I think eBags has better prices.

It actually took me a whole hour to pick out a bag to order--they had a lot to choose from, and I couldn't decide. I really wanted the exact same one the cat stunk up, but they don't carry it anymore. But as long as I can fit a pair of knee-high boots in a gym bag, I'm cool. (The clothes I wear to the work always take up far more space in the bag than clothes I work out in--there's gotta be room for large footware, jackets, jeans, etc.)

I ended up ordering the fairly standard Nike model above, but I came close to shelling out 80 clams for the Nike Goddess of Victory Club Bag. Then I decided I'd drive my husband crazy walking around the house saying, "Honey, have you seen my Nike Goddess of Victory Club Bag? I seem to have misplaced my Nike Goddess of Victory Club Bag. I sure will kill the cat if he pees on my Nike Goddess of Victory Club Bag."