today i’m taking out the calivintage dress for another spin! i thought it would be the perfect dress for a simple outfit where i really wanted just a few pieces to do all the talking. see, yesterday i got my jessica simpson dany platforms in the mail! for those of you who aren’t familiar with them, they’re a knock off of the charles anastase platforms from spring 2009 (i’m still slightly obsessed with that collection!), only without the insane price tag. they came out last year some time and quickly sold out before people started listing them on ebay for like $200 and up. at which point, i regretted that i didn’t purchase them when i first saw them. so when they were re-released this month, i went ahead and indulged myself. i’ve been wanting a suuuper tall pair of heels for a long while now and these are so fun to wear! and in all honesty, they’re not hard to walk in and are actually one of the more comfortable pairs of heels i own. because of the huge platform in front, they aren’t steep at all. my only concern is that if i were to trip on something, i would probably take a nasty spill. fortunately for me, i’m not very accident prone, so i’ll gladly take the marginal risk.
anyway, knock-offs seem to always be a hot topic within the fashion industry. i remember a while back leproust vintage wrote a post asking her readers for their thoughts on the subject. it reminded me of a video i saw by johanna blakley, lessons from fashion’s free culture. while i don’t agree with everything she has to say, she did make an interesting point that the people who are buying knockoffs aren’t taking any business away from the designers who make the high end pieces because they simply can’t afford those insane price tags. then, for an almost perfect coincidence, this morning there was a post on threadbared about some of the social and cultural judgments made against women who buy cheap clothes. certainly something to think about. and there is certainly much more to the equation that i’m not even getting into. in the meantime, i am having oh so much fun prancing around in my new shoes!
dress: the modcloth calivintage dress
shoes: jessica simpson dany platforms
sunglasses: karen walker
clutch: thrifted vintage woven straw clutch
62 comments
those are the most insane shoes i've ever seen!!! and i mean insane in a good way :) i love how they make a sweet dress a bit edgy because of the intense heel. really cool combo. if i wasn't fairly accident prone i'd so want a pair after seeing you in them. unfortunately for me, if i even tried them on i'd get a face full of carpet! you look amazing though.
I love the whole outfit! and did you cut your hair? I haven't checked this blog for a while but I lOVE it it looks great on you!
I am so torn on these shoes… I had them in my shopping cart this morning but decided to control myself. Now that I have seen them on you I want them even more! I love the Calivintage… so amazing.
<3 Laura
http://www.ontheracks.com/
I got those shoes too! I recently used them in a photoshoot I styled for and everyone went nuts for em. So glad i got them the second time around.
Great outfit, and love the shoes, knockoffs or not.
those shoes are so fabulous i wouldn't even care if they were knock offs or not! i'd probably fall flat on my face just taking one step though. :P
aaahhh i need those platforms to save me from my height concerns. hahahah! :D
Animated Confessions
Lovely outfit. :) I think that simple outfits are better for the summer, but I really can't wait until the fall when I can layer again, haha!
Holy $@#%!! Those shoes… If I fell off them I'd probably die. ^_^
oh my gosh those shoes are a.maze.ing! though probably best left to someone less clumsy than me =x
and thank you so much for your comments! they made my day =)))
ME HA ENCANTADO EL LOOK!!! LOS ZAPATOS SON PRECIOSOS Y EL VESTIDO MASSS! UN BESO
http://elblogdepuu.blogspot.com/
Those shoes are amazing! I wish I was shorter so I could get away with skyhigh platforms… So chic! And that dress is incredible
oh goodness those shoes are so huge! I think I'd be 6 foot 2 in them haha. I have really loved this dress since you first posted the shots in them. It is nice to see that you wear it often!
love the heels!! xx
seriously I adore this outfit, probably because of the heels. I love really high heels, but of course I'm too tall to be wearing heels all the time :(
Gosh, the shoes are soooo high! But honestly, I looove the whole outfit!
Diana
Songs and Fairy Tales
Those shoes are bananas. I love them, even if they are made by my arch nemesis, Jessica Simpson. :D
I tend to agree that designer "rip offs" help designers more than hurt them. People are perfectly willing to pay money for things if they're able to, like in the case of music and video games–there are people who will pirate all of their music and games, but for most people it's a way to expose themselves to something that they otherwise would never have been exposed to.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I have been pining over these knockoffs (and the real thing of course) since I first caught a glimpse of their deliciously high platform heel. I'm super excited to see you snagged a pair…and I hope one day I'll have one too. Excellent styling, I hope you had fun.
Gorgeous THOSE SHOES & love the detail at back of dress, nice sunnies too.
ooh, you rock that dress so well!
These heels are so badass. I may have to invest in a pair of my own. (Also, I love the pics with the car backdrop. I don't know why, but it goes really nicely with your outfit.)
I had no idea Jessica Simpson had some Charles Anastase shoe look a likes. Knock offs aside, they are pretty stunning shoes!! The height on those are killer! I know though I'd fall on my face with them on so you are very brave! Looking gorgeous as alway ^.^
i'm obsessed with those shoes! they look amazing on you.
those shoes and the dress are killer on you!
GREAT outfit – those shoes must be insanely difficult to walk in!! They look amazing though!
Little Rachael Vintage
http://littlerachaelvintage.blogspot.com
fan.tas.tic shoes!
i dont think i could personally pull those off, but i think they are super fun!
oh these are sooooo mine!!!!
you rock Erin!
Wow! Those shoes look awesome! Are they easy to walk in? They're so high, I'm afraid I'd topple over! But they definitely look awesome! If I'd topple over, I would like to have nice shoes on. ;)
♥ Teresa ♥
Oh my gosh, the shoes!
I don't think I ever would have picked those out due to the height, but I'm so glad you did because this outfit is amazing! I absolutely love it.
wow! those are great. i don't think that i would ever be able to walk in them, but they are awesome on you. i will live vicariously through you…lol!
Those shoes are so fun! its so funny, the setting of the pictures – I go by there all the time! maybe one day I'll see you!
everything is perfect in this outfit and you're so sexy!
http://www.abitoffashion.com
your shoes are so badass!
beautifuls shoes!
http://www.whatdialike.com
OMG love the heels, so gorgeous!!
The dress is beautiful and the pumps are so wow!!
Niky
http://fakeeyelashess.blogspot.com
Those shoes are pretty high!
I don't know if you watched "The September Issue" but it was a documentary about the production of the September issue of Vogue magazine. It played at film festival here in DC and was eventually released to theaters, although I don't think it played very long.
I rented it and got a second disc with deleted scenes. There is one of Karl Langfield of Chanel complaining to Ann Wintour of Vogue about women who shop "sales" and how they should set up a booth in the street for them and not let them into the "shop" because they aren't paying full price, etc…..
I could certainly see why that scene got cut from the movie!
I wouldn't even begin to wade into the issue but I do think average-type consumers should think twice about buying items from outfits that employ and exploit labor in sweatshop conditions. It's hard to feel sorry for Karl Langfield sitting pretty in France, but someone in Asia or China deserves to be paid fairly for their work.
so lovely!!
xx
Those shoes are really fun! I'm impressed at your ability to walk around town in them. Very cute. I have enough trouble walking around in just flats (I tend to be a klutz) so I'll just stick with those. I like to live vicariously through others though. :)
these shoes are insane! I've never seen such monster tstraps, but I do indeed love em. Kind of a relief from all the Jeffery Campbell boots I've been seeing too. I agree with the topic as well. I love Charles Anastase, but I sure can't afford his stuff. These knock offs are just making fashion attainable for all price points.
PS love the retro car in the back. the second photo is true perfection, my dear!
dude, those platforms are so awesomely tall! I'm impressed you can maneuver in them with such ease! live your hair right now too! must resist temptation to chop mine off again!
lady, all of your outfits this week have been super inspiring but especially this one. I love it! I've been coveting those shoes too- love them!
love that outfit so much!
i think im gonna get the black ones. i think. ahh must see if vs has them.
KeepItFvncy,
M.E.
Those are some seriously intense shoes! I would probably break my neck if trying to wear something that high, but would look damn stylish trying!
Ah! these shoes are to die for!!! It's so true about huge platforms, they are so much more comfortable than plain old hight heels… triple platform heels is where it's at! You wear those babies well : )
love love!
Kristen
http://www.kdikiovintage.com/
I think the established brands see fakes/knock offs as devaluing their image because of the perception of type of person that wear it, Burberry had their check somewhat demoded by the legions of chavs that wore the fakes a few years back. Britain is still pretty class conscious which is sad. The directors and heads of division of such brands can afford to lose money. However I do feel for those emerging talents that produce an amazing design only to see it become a ubiquitous piece of fashion flotsam and their career with it. Making things beautiful can be ugly business.
i just got the danys in black too, after lusting forever! aren't they the best?? totally insane, and totally worth it. love this outfit! ~laura
http://www.chicfaced.com
I love the lapel detailing on this dress!!!! Also those shoes I lust for them? Are they comfy?
Carissa
http://copiouscouture.blogspot.com
Oh I love the shoes. The dress is very pretty, you look great.
Love your dress and those shoes (although they look incredibly dangerous).
how you walk in those beautiful heels I will never know. I AM accident prone so I think ill stay away from anything as high as those beauties. Also, what is your tattoo of on your upper arm which you can see in the first photo? its the perfect place for a tattoo that size!!
Oh i love those shoes! are they comfortable?
I am highly considering getting them.
awesome pictures.
Those shoes are so great. It's nice to have a reaaaally high pair to break out every now & again.
I love your new shoes and the Calivintage dress is gorgeous!
Anthea,
Embracing Style
You're perfect !
maravillosos zapatos de vértigo eres una osada para llevar estos zapatos y poder andar sin caerte.
un look muy acertado.
felicidades
sometimes i cant remember what i have commented on. if i already have, u get 2 little bits of juicy love!
FREAKING AWESOME SHADES GIRL!!!!!!!!!!
u are rocking this hard core. xo, Kim http://www.eatsleepwear.com
quite possibly one of my favorite looks on you. you look fantastic. and I'm still obsessing over the Dany's…however, haven't succumbed to purchasing!
xx.
Christina
Love your dress! x
lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!