diamonds falling from grace.

three years ago i was quite in tune with my inner bookworm judging from a little note i wrote about admiration. nevertheless, being the one-click addict that i am, my amazon shipments have lately included a couple of memoirs – literature i knew to steer clear of before.

judging from how i feel right now, i probably should have kept on avoiding them.

since i never really discuss books here, this may seem an odd way to start – although i am not promising any continuance – but here goes nothing.

i adore beth ditto. i love the gossip. one of my most memorable starstruck moments was when i met her, post-show and after complimenting her singing she gave me the warmest, squishiest hug in the world.

it might have been the single incident that promoted a feeling that i already somehow was connected to her, that despite my overall hesitation to indulge in autobiographical storytelling, that regardless of my understanding of the perilous nature of stories describing subjective facts, that now, here, somehow it would be different.

her memoir, coal to diamonds, started as a light read that i trudged through. the unfastidious language annoyed me throughout, but it was really the structure – or lack of – that became increasingly irritating towards the end. it would be kind to describe the narrative as stream-of-consciousness or circular. truthfully, it was just a messy turmoil with no shape and time-leaps that were nothing short of confusing.

i will try to avoid the potholes of creating a mental image of beth as simple, actually i refuse to believe it, but the memoir's insights offer very little substance with heights such as – and excuse me for paraphrasing – not all people who look like punks embrace the punk mentality or queer people do not all share the same political agenda. the more interesting, complex personal-is-political issues – riot grrl, fat-positive thinking – were merely touched upon and not explained to the uneducated reader.

perhaps a good editor could have pulled this one up from its sad state that was, quite honestly, a waste of paper and time. far better queer coming-of-age stories come from jeannette winterson and, for example, ivan e. coyote – but they happily call them semi-autobiographical.

you can imagine the dread i felt yesterday afternoon when i picked up grace coddington's memoir grace. compared to the ditto version, her's is at least double the length – comparable with their respective ages – and i was afraid i would not finish it. my time is more precious than that. this morning over my cup of coffee, i turned the last page.

it was clear from page one that this was an eloquently written and well-edited story. nevertheless, after a few more pages, i already knew why my literature of choice stays on the fiction side of things: made-up stories are so much more real and insightful than actual life lived and described...

grace was a collection of entertaining dinner party anecdotes suitable for a night with acquaintances; the stories revealed only the surface of their protagonist although providing insight into the world of fashion  editing. the amount of dispensable namedropping at times felt rather ridiculous, but otherwise the accounts of adventures with famous household names provided a peek into a life normally hidden from mere mortals.

perhaps i will stick to fiction from now on then.

constant.

i am of the faithful sort.

people who shop by visiting random stores or even the ones they frequent without a pattern baffle me a little. don't get me wrong, i like to wander and flaneuring is oftentimes fun, but i just do not make decisions when occupied by vagrant thoughts.

i like routine where it makes sense: my mornings are simple because all my underwear is exactly the same and i do not have to start fussing over outfits when i'm just starting to wake up. having to change my facial care pattern arouses anxiousness. the thought of trying out different perfumes quite honestly scares me.

'sense' here equals, of course, 'sense to me'.

i like novelty, but for me to venture off my beaten path requires research – for example a suggestion somewhere online that there is a spot that hosts things that might interest me and looking into it. beforehand. of course.

i should not, then, feel surprised that i seem to find my wardrobe originating from the same brands since years ago. even if collections and years pass, i return to certain stores and designers regularly. i may stray occasionally and find new favorites, but the lineage my closet hides is quite easily compartmentalized.

and, yeah, it somehow manages to surprise me. this has not been an intentional process. i seem to be more focused on discrepancies than constants to realize that some things stick.

one of them is prada in shoes. i realized when my latest pair arrived that in addition to converse chuck taylors, zara and marc jacobs heels, most of my shoeboxes are adorned by one of the recognizable logos of the italian fashion house whether the main line, linea rossa or miu miu.

it's funny because have not considered myself much of a fan of prada. moreover, i do not like most of their shoes at all. i actually find the majority of them pretentious and overdone. nevertheless, it only takes the one pair, the either properly ott one or the subtle and understated specimen of the collection.

i have been looking for a flat shoe with some oopmh for a couple of years now, and although basic brogues were the sensible thing to get, they have just left me cold. hence, i was thrilled to find my newest acquisition from the linea rossa line.

the perfect combination of 90's clumsy walking shoe, dr martens, the classic brogue, the over-the-top lacquered leather and, i kid you not, girly bows. light as air.

there is so much wrong with them that they are just amazing.

weekend freewheeling.

a beautiful fall day in the city. a bicycle. some shopping.

last weekend i took my new bike out for a proper spin. working in a pressing schedule and spending 14 hours at my desk tapping away more often that is humanly possible, there are perks: our office bikes arrived from pelago with their little blue bells and customized to our own personal needs.

light gliding through the foliage covered streets has never felt so invigorating.

i rolled by helsinki10, one of my favorite stores in town, and got something i had my eye on since the summer. luckily the sales people also remembered my object of fancy since i was stopped at a party a couple of weeks ago with the message:

"your sweater is still in the store and it is on sale. just so you know... come and get it."

little things that make you happy.

true blue.

last night was all about glam and glitter: elle finland organized their third annual style awards and a bubbly crowd of fashionistas gathered to mingle.

i went for the counterintuitive look for what i felt like: bright satin is not necessarily the best option when pizza seems to have dominated your life lately... nevertheless, i ended up loving the voluptuous look that is fairly unusual in my style portfolio.

my adorable companion, vesa, looked impeccable, as always.

dress by design by katri n, tights wolford, sandals miu miu, bracelets kalevala koru, h&m, some random jeweler and stuff. vesa's mask by gtie. pic courtesy of elle, click to see more guests.

the night was fun and filled with warmth; there were so many friends that quiet moments were nonexistent. as a highlight, i even stumbled into an acquaintance from 15 years ago only to find out that he was awarded accessory designer of the year for his work at nina ricci – it's amazing how old high school buddies succeed.

little, precious world.

sister act.

the lovers of monochrome and minimalism often tackle with the pitfalls of dressing as in costume. waiters or officers are a common reference. additionally, the clergy is also a surprisingly frequent connotation.

it was a beautiful sunday, a sumptuous brunch and my friend, a fellow virgo, celebrated his bday. although he is over a decade my junior, we happened to wear some scarily similar nunlike outfits. by accident, of course.

both wearing ann demeulemeester shirts, acsu's bottom probably givenchy, my leggings from american apparel and shoes camilla skovgaard.

viva la sisterhood!

greyscale.

my monochromatic style evolves in steps that makes the changes in the biological world look like a high-speed car chase.

in other words, i wear black, grey and white with the occasional crazeee input of olive green, brown or (yikes) red.

no color blocks, no colorful patters (unless you count camouflage and leopard which i wear perennially whether or not they're trendy), none of that crazy irrational color combining i used to master...

my office gear consists of an easily boring set of a collared shirt and jeans, but to keep it even slightly interesting, i try to select the best tops.

one of them hangs here.

blouse by maison martin margiela 1.

margiela hardly lets you down (although the image above might).

i love clothing that does not reveal itself on a hanger. a little mystery is always good for the soul – even the soul of a blouse.

the shirt is created from two front pieces that button down, a single side piece that hangs behind like a little cape and a back piece that folds over the cape-like side piece. sound complicated? yeah, it is.

here's what it looks like.

pants by cos. moose jorma's.

all soft and delicate folds in almost transparent and airy cotton that is cut meticulously to a structured finish.

paradoxical genius.

mm6 does opening ceremony.

one of my favorite stores in nyc, opening ceremony, has always brought to the forefront the most interesting new designers. many names that i consider household, like pamela love and alexander wang, were lifted to the public forum via the racks of oc. they know what they do, and therefore the store is always such a pleasure to visit.

however, their collaborations keep on adding up and rather than following the usual designer-going-high-street, they seem to do their lines just for the sake of creating a capsule collection that's, yes, limited, but most importantly interesting to their custormers.

obviously, not every collaboration has had me jumping for joy – for example the latest from rodarte felt just infantile when not fussy and deliberate.

but the news from maison margiela had me expecting something good, and i was not disappointed. the clever ideas behind margiela design thinking and the street wearability of oc are combined perfectly. and they created the coolest gif-animation series featuring hannelore knuts to promote it, too.

the boots and leather bag are amazing, and i would not mind the grey v-neck button down or one of the jackets...

the entire line is available online both at the mm6 store (click on the link and you can watch their video, too) and at opening ceremony.

oh, danny boy.

it is not once that i hear friends with children complain about the troubles associate with finding clothes for their kids. the usual pastels divided into girls' and boys' feel unpleasant for parents who would never express their own gender stereotypically. there are options for classic style, but prices are often mindblowingly high, and sometimes dressing kids in miniature adult wear does not feel proper either. online stores provide some help for those parents who have the time and money to browse.

if you've got good credit, tiia vanhatapio bebes is an adorable collection for small babies and marimekko still continues in the spirit of the 70's in offering cute separates that are partly unisex. although the latter are not incredibly expensive, they are way above high street pricing and quite honestly do not stand out quality or stylewise from the crowd – for some of my style-savvy friends, that is.

daniel palillo and his humorous take on design comes to aid. he has released a line of kid clothing for aw11 which pleases the eye of even those urban parents who have found daniel's clothing a little too much for themselves. most of the collection is simple and functional, all of it cleverly playful, and the simple black, white and red selection follows the aesthetic familiar from daniel's signature style.

the line is still looking for retailers, but i can just about see a bunch of little palillo humans running around my neighborhood.

if you've got kids, would you dress them in these?

witty luxe.

viral visibility has caught on brands that formerly relied on taking over glossies with their multipage campaigns. the degree of airbrushing has since only exceeded what anyone believed possible and the pouts still adorn the pages, but the whimsical humor a clip of video can portray has appeared in places i hardly suspected.

first there was hermès with their successful fingerskate flick.



and now chanel is showing a sense of humor about their beauty line.


Animating Chanel on Nowness.com.

reputable and respectable fashion houses marketing via the power of smile is definitely something new, and i, for one, do not mind a little chuckle associated with the buck aimed at buying prestige.

what do you think: can high fashion take itself lightly without losing credibility?

blimey.

i was aware that it was gone. i even talked about it a couple of days ago with a friend. the feeling of being hit hard.

i mean that for the longest time i have not wanted something instantly when i lay my eyes on it.

i have grown pickier by the day, and have internalized the fact that i have very few needs. although i have found things attractive, wearable and sometimes quite exquisite, they have not created the feeling of desire. not enough to have me going all clickety-click through checkout.

i have been looking for a medium sized black bag for over a year. i have considered the ps1 repeatedly, but for some reason or another have left it at the store. i really like it, but feel unsure whether the structured shape would look too stiff in combo with my bare style.

this time things are different. this is pure lust.

i want.

alexander wang kirsten satchel. pics from here.

isn't it just perfect? and so me?

bemired.

today i learned that swedish hasbeens will hook up with h&m to produce a line of their signature clogs. i had to read it twice to believe the news.

i have celebrated the branding of swedish hasbeens since the beginning, and although i find their shoes clumsy-looking, i own a bag and have always appreciated their knack in creating a fully solid brand image and story with an actual basis in reality. that is, they have given body to their marketing jargon with their commitment to ethical local production that celebrates the history of swedish craftmanship. i never considered them a design forward company, but a nostalgia driven provider of handmade quality wrapped in a package that appeals to the current tastes of urban fashionistas. and they did well – so far, that is.

as my readers should know, i have nothing against h&m, per se, although i rarely buy anything from there; it comes more down to cutting down consumption than a boycott of any kind. i am fully aware of the ethical dilemmas of the fashion industry. it isn't news to me that consumer prices are full of air – although i truly wish gina tricot doesn't add too much to theirs for the sake of paying minimally humane wages. blah blah blah.

my point is not that there's something wrong about creating accessible goods by lowering the price, because this is a brand specific rant.

pic courtesy of h&m.

i only see one loser here: swedish hasbeens. was it that they realized that the hipster community stranded them for the next brand or trend, flimsy as they tend to be? did they calculate that providing products for the ethically inclined consumer base was not enough to meet their growth expectancy? were we just not buying enough of their shoes?

i find it sad because they destroyed their credibility as a local and sustainable brand by forming the wrong kind of alliance. h&m appeals to the masses and helps create press thus promoting sales, but at what cost?

was it really worth selling their beautifully branded soul...

what do you think?

***
edit: it has become apparent that swedish hasbeens have suffered from their collaboration in ways that was unexpected: h&m has (most probably) accidentally revealed that the eco-brand blatantly lies on their website: on 9 feb 2011 the page still says:

They are still handmade with respect for people and the environment in the same small Swedish factory since the 1970's. Our production methods and material are kind to nature and people. Happy toffels make happy people.

h&m's press office told bloggers inquiring about the clogs that they are made in the same factory in romania as original swedish hasbeens. what an inconvenient truth.

staple.

for someone who practically lives in jeans and tees – be they morbidly black and artfully deconstructed but still, ultimately, just jeans and tees – there is a need for something simple to dress outfits up. or, to be quite honest, the need is based on my desire for things to be simple and, thus, a need of my own creation.

as most style issues are, i guess.

a sharp jacket is a self-evident solution, but i find most blazers dull and boring even when they have something quirky going on cut or detail-wise. nevertheless, for some reason during these past few years my go-to piece has been a simple, no-fuss, short blazer with short sleeves.

i purchased it on a whim from h&m and i think it was on sale. i have worn the bargain piece everywhere to smarten casual outfits up or to cover something too dressy for the occasion, like a tiia vanhatapio mamie dress. the short length exposes layers underneath and does not overwhelm or over-construct the look; the look is never your basic office coverall but the jacket provides a frame for the shoulders and bust.

the only problem with my chosen one being the short sleeves has kept me looking for a long-sleeve alternative. i have tried on numerous garments and always found them lacking in some respect: no buttons in front, no collar or the wrong collar, too loose in the back or in the sleeves... you can imagine.

finally for xmas, my sweetie solved the issue and got me a beautiful black alexander wang blazer with super long sleeves and the perfect cut above the midriff. i have worn it everywhere ever since and it has definitely proven to fill a gap i had in my wardrobe.

soon i'll probably have some shots of me wearing it, too. i just seem to avoid the camera these days...

have you got an unlikely staple in your wardrobe?

green franchise.

my friend opened a boutique in turku exactly one week ago. that is, the official opening was last wednesday, but i visited already the friday before.

his and his friend's franchise greendress turku follows the same concept of ethical dressing as the original greendress – vintage, eco-friendly fashion, last season designer gems – albeit theirs does not include a juice bar that has been an amazing addition to the location in helsinki.



what they do have are rare gems for men and individual pieces from local designers that you'll find nowhere else. jaakko's passion for menswear shows in the store and in the selection of designers – tom rebl and andrew mackenzie, to name a couple.



the space itself holds a very dear place in my heart: i spent many a day during high school in the exact same spot, gossiping away with a dear old friend who had her store there for years in the 90's. moreover, i also remember meeting jaakko there several times during those golden years of adolescence.

thus, it felt like home sitting in the corner, chatting.

stripey top by t by alexander wang, jeans by nudie, booties by prada, jorma-irmeli trying to escape.

if you're anywhere near turku, go visit and support!

collaboration for fall.

i first encountered the designs of ida sjöstedt via her collaboration with monki in spring 2009. her lacy details felt attractive combined with minimalistic and edgy base designs – there was an appealing contrast in the introduction of girly with utilitarian forms.

her own collections form the gear of an urban flower girl, someone who loves frills, lace and nature. as you might gather, i am not exactly her target audience, but i do find some pieces wearable.

why am i bringing her up then? she returns with a collaboration with another swedish high-street brand, jc.

a capsule collection of 5 dresses and a pair of leggings continues with the already familiar style of adding a girly accent to a basic, but edgy form. my favorite dress from the collection repeats the theme of my grey sweatshirt: lace on shoulders and a slinky simple base.

you can see the entire collection here, and it will hit the stores tomorrow. tonight i shall dj at the launch party and, perhaps, get myself a velvety dress for the season.

the collection sounds like this to me:



do you fancy the frilly look?

appeasing arch.

when it comes to instantly getting ready for an evening event, a girl cannot do without some tips: fix face only subtly to avoid the heavy look of layered make-up, add heels and jewelry to perk up an office look,... you know the drill.

although i am no stranger to running from the office to a party, it is not part of my regular routine; that is, i usually have time to pop by at home before heading out. nonetheless, i have several friends who move from daily chores to cocktail parties regularly with such grace that i can only admire their stamina and glow.

a while back stella listed her five quick tips for perking up your look for a more official rendez-vous, and although i still lack a highlighter pen from my make-up stack (how is this possible, may i ask...), i agree with them.

for stella and for yers truly, heels are essential when in need of a quick sartorial pick-me-up. but getting down to actual business we really need to consider what kind of heels are in need.

the thing is, a girl cannot do without a pair of pumps stored at the office. they are for days when you were running around and didn't feel like teetering in the morning, but have somewhere to go later on. or for days when you just thought the day would be a boring old office day and something amazing comes up unexpectedly. they also need to be a pair that you do not miss on a daily basis because they are, after all, at work.

my cool and collected friends who are used to hopping in and out of taxis running from one party to another all suggest to have a basic black pair of heels at work. to start with, that is – they have several pairs... and cocktail dresses... but the point being: you won't miss them when they're not available and they go with anything. simple.

nah, can't do. i find basic black heels an utter bore. i also hardly find them appropriate for everything. actually, to be more exact, i find black pairs that are trying to be basic utterly boring and those "almost basic" pumps often hard to combine with anything because what turns them away from "basic" and towards "almost" is usually subtle enough to limit their potential. make sense? no?

well what do i know, right?

it may be a question of schools of dress-up sensibilities: for some people the most basic items are the reliable pieces appropriate for anything, for others the most trustworthy gems of their wardrobe are wacky and tricky.

guess which school i belong to?

let me introduce you to my savior shoes: my choice is black, but anything but basic. the thing is, i often wear the simplest outfits to work and in order to lift them up to socializing level i need more than a subtle oomph.

pumps by zara.

the curvy heel works wonders. it is low enough to feel comfortable after a full hectic day, but high enough to achieve the minimum angle i go for in shoes.

have i told you about my fixation with angles in shoes? don't get me started...

moreover, it's sculptural, interesting but not bulky or offensively pretentious. it adds a certain jenesaispas to any boring tee and jeans combo i may have walked out the door in but fits equally well with my avantgarde ninja looks i sometimes feel like sporting.



the shoe is delicate enough to go with dresses, but because of the wedge, there's some bulkiness to it. the thin leather bow adds a girly touch while the crumpled side adds edge. the point is a classic almond shape.

how freakin' perfect, right? and even after several years of wear and impromptu walks through the woods, the suede looks impeccable.

what kind of pair do you – or would you – keep at work for events that require a subtle lift?

shhhh...

i'll let you in on a secret.

this popped into my inbox last night:



maison martin margiela is opening their online store october 1st. you will find items from all collections, including mm6.

sign up for a sneak peek and free delivery until the official opening here.

my black gem – a bday present from my little sis – is already on its way home...

makia online.

this is the way finnish traditional imagery should be exploited. greatness!



and the clothes are more than ok, too. go shop!

convenient classics.

almost two years ago i wrote about a self-imposed dilemma that keeps me from buying designer knockoffs.

items that can be considered iconic (bitchslap for using the word in vain, again!) or representative of a trend, i cannot purchase as "inspired" copies no matter how much i desire them nor however beautiful the copies were themselves. my dilemma with the classics is rather unnecessary and sometimes tragic, but nevertheless true.

to my detriment, the problem has shown no vanishing potential during the past two years: trying on designer inspired gear makes me feel icky and i end up leaving them at the store. hence, i am still stuck with either living without or buying the originals - if i can afford them.

luckily following very randomly whatever goes on in fashion means that i am blissfully ignorant of many striking garments that appear on runways and glossies, and thus, i do not feel their limiting power. that is, i can happily buy clothes that i find interesting and fabulous even if they were inspired by some designer's collection – as long as i am unaware of it.

i know it sounds pathetic, but what can you do, right?

nevertheless, i have some originals that i would not trade for the world. for example, as far as knockoffs go, the yearly appearance of the pirate boot copy shows no signs of evanescence; a long slouchy boot with straps is a regular in the collections of high street brands. some look okay and i wouldn't mind a unicolor pair (black, naturally...), but needless to explain, i cannot bring myself to buy one from anywhere else than dame westwood herself.

luckily i've had these for years and can wait a few more in order to find myself a completely black pair...

these originals are an investment (sic!) if not for monetary value, but for their lasting appeal. for me the balmy soft pair greets fall like no other and there isn't a more appropriate boot for kicking fallen foliage in the park.

boots by vivienne westwood, jeans by drkshdw, bag by marc by marc jacobs, scarf by johanna kahra. photo by vesa peräkylä.

where's your fashion stumbling block?

biting deep.

well, i have a brief contribution to a discussion of late about it-bags/ it-shoes, bags vs. shoes, etc.

disclaimer: this is not directed at or inspired by the above linked blog posts alone, but more of a follow-up on what i have gathered from reading a lot of fashion/style blogs late this summer and their comments sections and other discussions.

what i love about fashion talk is to share the passion. it helps to have like-minded individuals to talk with. sometimes it's great to disagree or just debate for debate's sake. but sharing the joy and analysis – telling people about the great things i found, wondering about the inner workings of the industry, explaining how i interpret my own style in reference to others – is what keeps me going.

as you might have noted, my love for fashion is not about fretting whether i've got the look of the season, whether i seem to have ignored to update myself for the current demands of the trend police or whether i can wear something i think is hideous just because it is fashion. i know that for some it seems to be and i find the sort of trend anxiety exhausting. following lists that editors comprise is not original and not an interesting topic of conversation to me.

nevertheless, i also realize that my knowledge about the history of fashion that is the result of years of keen interest does not mean that i am somehow above those who follow trends, have better reasons for wearing certain designers or have the right to claim ownership of certain looks.

naturally, i recognize also in myself the conceited thought that just because i know (or care?) more, i am somehow more entitled to what i know about, but also think it's extremely important to understand that the reasoning comes down to our neverending vanity. and not the sensible kind of vain.

i find it a tragic simplification about personal style to hear that a single recognizable item could make or break a look. style is more than a sum of its parts; a great bag or a pair of shoes does not a dazzling lady make, nor does it bring her down. that is, an it-bag (or it-shoes or cousin it) does not lift one's look above blase, but is not a sign of a dimwit either.

i cannot help but recognize fashion talk that is about credibility and credibility only. it's a form of competitiveness and because there isn't a combative cell in my body, i have to admit to finding it troubling because ultimately it is a discourse of fake exclusivity, shutting others outside. in fact, shoving beneath oneself.

no, i have no interest in talking to people who have nothing remotely informative to say to me, and sure, i love to rant about stuff i find worthy of judgment (q.e.d.). but to deem those who choose to spend 1500€ on a chanel bag less worthy than those who choose to spend the same amount on an owens jacket seems, to me, snotty and stupid if the only argument given is an insinuation that the former trend is less intellectual or whatnot.

to take it further, i just think it's ridiculous and pompous to frown upon people who like a designer or an item for "the wrong reasons" or for less than some prerequisite time. could someone just send me a list of the right reasons and the time one needs to like a designer or an item to be credible enough to like it?

nah, didn't think so.

i find people who judge others based on how trendy they succeed to look very tedious – whether they appreciate trendiness or think trendy looking people are mindless buffoons. but equally tedious are those who think that because they are so into fashion that they are above mundane trends they have the right to look down on those who are not in head'n'shoulders deep or have a different take on what they choose to adopt from the multitude of fashion choices offered around us.

sound too saintly for my own good? well, bite me. criticism is hard, but it is quite a different story to say that you don't think an alexa would compliment your look because it seems too obvious or you just do not like it than to say that women who carry them around sport a sign of below-average intelligence and slavery to some fad that took over all womankind by storm (except those who were above it all... or broke).

biting my own itch to keep on being critical, i'll just keep on chewing on my it-bag from 2005(?), the mulberry elgin. i bought it because i loved the color (olive), the very un-mulberry-like (i.e. few) details and simple shape. i love it still because of the same reasons, but also for the heavy leather that has aged gracefully despite, for example, acting as the ball of a very drunken soccer game at tavastia.

bag by mulberry, coat by vero moda, shirt by zara, jeans by nudie, booties by prada, accessories by tag heuer, bless, efva attling, chanel and h&m.

we don't need to share the same objects of fancy, we don't need to understand the choices others make and we can even talk critically about choices we believe are reasonably unhealthy. but i just don't see why we should have the need to hoist our own egos up by insinuating that our subjective preferences are somehow truer, better or more real than those of others in cases where we really only want to say: i like this, i do not like that.

oh, the irony of living a life so cool one must fear it goes unrecognized. do you, like i do, listen to bands that do not even exist yet?

holy greyl.

grey is a color that switches positions on trend charts with predominant fall favorite colors such as brown, camel and burgundy. it's there to soften the dark palette, but hardly has a life of its own. i do recollect a couple of times when grey was the new black, but compared to other pantones, it seems rare.

grey is the safe color in addition to navy that older men go for. it's less imposing than black and seems less demanding on surface structure. although black is always in fashion, grey comes and goes – unless you ask grandpa.

my inner gramps shares a peculiar fondness with gentlemen prone to nose and ear hair that even the most grey loving fashionistas steer clear of: grey shoes. shunned by many, the grey shoe is an antithesis to sharp and clear lines that many a shoe fetishist believes form the basis of great footwear.

some claim that black shoes are always stylish and go with anything and others think black is always a safe option. from my point of view they understand neither style nor grasp ensembles and, moreover, have never set their eyes on finsk wedges. but that's beside the point. the point is, usually when black shoes are no longer a necessity, people opt for color. but not grey.

grey reminds us of dullness, dirt and decay, an in-between state from clarity to doom. most people find it ugly, especially in shoes. it's a color that wants to blend in avoiding the brightness of white or the strength of black. grey is the color for people of the unimposing kind.

my love for grey shoes expresses itself in a myriad of ways from high heels to casual gear. i've posted several here; if i remember correctly, at least prada patent wedges, crumpled zara heels, suede zara booties, alexander wang boots, martin margiela elf shoes and my newest acquisition, sperry top-siders in patent leather.

another quest for the perfect grey pair came to an end in san francisco: after seeing grey dr martens in the ad campaign for comptoir des cotonniers, i did not realize they were a limited edition collaboration and tried to get my hands on a pair for over a year. now, finally, there was a pair on the shelf of a small shoe store at haight-ashbury and it didn't take a moment's hesitation to pack them up.



after cherishing my many pairs i cannot help but wonder how anyone could think grey was not beautiful... what do you think of grey shoes?