"We're Men, We're Men in White, WHITE, Socks"

   Once upon a time, not so long ago there was a little show called, “Sex And The City.”  Like many women at the time, I found myself drawn to the plot lines, characters, and most of all clothing that was presented in this program.  During the course of this show there were many scenarios introduced that I found similar to my everyday life.  Whoa…now wait, am I talking about an urban lifestyle full of clubbing, casual sex, wealth, and binge shopping?  The closest my life gets to any of these topics is the last.  However, I don’t recall Carrie ever hitting the Goodwill with her charge card. While this South Dakotan woman may not be sporting Manolo Blahniks to her holiday gatherings, she still gets a little irate when being asked to remove her Ugg boots upon entering a door.

   Like Carrie’s character on the show, I too am a fan of shoes.  They’re the last element I add to an outfit and often I see them as the, “cherry on top,” (or in this case, bottom) of a look.  Basically, it’s not uncommon for shoes to make, or break an outfit.  Here’s an example, certain pairs of skinny jeans make my thighs look huge.  This obviously is an illusion created by my bony ankles and long ski like feet.  It certainly couldn't be caused by my ongoing taste tour of Pepperidge Farm cookies.  (Man, those Sausalitos are the, “bee’s knees.”…big knees, that are hard to fit into skinny jeans.)  What I’m getting at here is by simply combining a chunky boot, like Ugg, with my skinny jeans I’m all of the sudden confident of not only my look, but also my cookie intake.  Who knew shoes could make a woman look slimmer?  I wonder if Ugg has ever thought of doing a partnership with Pepperidge Farm?  I mean the log cabin pictured on the cookie bag appears like its’ covered in snow.  I think a couple of well-placed Ugg boot prints leading up to the building would look mighty cozy.             

   Anyway, the reason I’m going on about Pepperidge Farm is because I'm hungry.  More importantly, the reason I’m discussing, “Sex And The City,” is because recently I was reminded of the episode where the character Carrie was invited to a friend’s baby shower and forced to remove her shoes at the door.  During this episode Carrie is horrified by the idea of having to separate her lovely Manolo high heels from the rest of her ensemble.  Not only were her shoes a luxury item that costed a lot of money, but they were a vital accessory toward her overall look.  Now I ask you, “Am I the only woman in the Midwest that feels this way too?”  I specify, “Midwest,” because it seems traditional in this area that if one enters another’s home you immediately take off your shoes.  I accept the fact that to a certain degree this is just Midwesterners being polite.  I also understand that during the winter months this is one of the only ways a home owner can keep their floors clean.  However, there have been many occasions that I have gone to parties feeling very good about my meticulously planned outfit, only to have someone request that I leave my shoes at the door.  This is an occurrence that makes me simultaneously regret those two cookies I had at lunch, and the amount of money I invested on a pair of boots I promised myself I would show off at every event.

   The pictures above are an example of this.  I recently wore this outfit for a day spent at holiday parties in various homes.  Upon taking these photographs I was pleased with my overall appearance.  Of course, this confidence lasted no longer than the moment I stepped through the first front door and was asked to please remove my boots and add them to the growing mass of shoes on the floor.  Not only was I not wild about leaving one of my favorite pair of boots in a wet pile, I was embarrassed by the fact that I had worn extremely white socks under them.  I’m talking WHITE, like glow in the dark white.  So now, not only did I have wide thighs, I had glowing ski feet as well.  I knew things were bad when my fashion impaired, special manfriend turned and looked at me saying, “I don’t think your socks match your outfit.”  Thank God the party had cookies.

-r.

Jacket:  Vintage (Inherited from a friend)

Skirt:  Upcycled sweater purchased at a craft fair

Boots:  Ugg

Purse:  Michael Kors

Ring:  Purchased at a craft fair