MY 5 SUMMER SHOE SHOPPING TIPS FEATURING PURCADO

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And now for the many faces of my shoe shopping experience…

Oooo cute shoes…

OMG, I need these shoes…

Okay, it’s official, I’m getting these shoes…

Uh, wait, do I really need these…

Let me calculate…

 

Okay, add to cart, SCORE!
How was my acting, LOL? Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming…

It’s finally blazing hot in NC so I guess that means it’s time to feature some of my fave summer shoe finds so far. Currently, digging block heels, fun colors and prints, and of course, you gotta have a basic nude that goes with everything. Still searching for perfect summer shoes? Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. CHECK YOUR SHOE STASH
I always see what my closet has to offer before I go out and buy shoes I really don’t need. If you have a perfect nude pair at home, there is no need to go in search of another.

2. CHECK YOUR WARDROBE 
Take a few mental notes of the summer clothes you have and then take the shoe hunt. It’ll be so much easier to get shoes when you know what clothes you have to pair them with. Plan ahead so you can avoid the dreaded returns.

3. CHECK YOUR CALENDAR
It’s wedding season ya’ll and you know what that means, new shoes! Figure out what big events you have coming up then go shoe shopping. No need in buying a whole bunch of shoes that you can’t wear to all the upcoming weddings, graduations, summer parties, cookouts, beach trips etc…. Shop smarter not harder ladies and gentlemen. Think about it this way, your busy summer schedule, 1, it’s an excuse to go shopping and 2, a girl can never have enough funky wedding shoes that can also be worn to a fun summer soiree.

4. DONATE /TRADE IN
Now if your like me, you probably have way more shoes than necessary. Every year around this time I visit my local Goodwill or trade in my gently used shoes for money. This is a great way to give back and declutter or make space for more cute shoes. However you roll, it’s always a nice feeling to pass on shoes to someone else who will enjoy them too.

5. FIND THE BEST DEALS
So, the only thing worse than being a shoe addict is finding out you can get better deals on shoes than you thought. I’m excited to share that I’ve partnered with Purcado to bring you these good deals! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to SHOE SHOP, NOW, WITH PURCADO! For those who don’t know what or who Purcado is, allow me to fill you in. Purcado is one of the best search tools used to find your favorite shoe brands at unbelievable prices. It’s as simple as search, compare and save! Literally, overwhelmed by the number of retailers available to shop from. Not that I need anymore shoes, but I have my eye on a few pairs that I searched on the site already and thought it wouldn’t be kind of me to not to spread the love your way.

Hope my summer shoe shopping tips were helpful!

Till next time.

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie

SPRING TRANSITIONS

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Hi CCC readers! I’m back! I took a week off to catch up on some photography projects and grad school research. Ugh, every time I say the word research I just cringe. Hours and hours of article reading and endless amounts of writing. What in the world did I get myself into? I’m so in need of a destress session. Speaking of R&R, me and my fav ladies are camping out in my living room next weekend for an all night wine sipping, games and trash talk about boys session, LOL. Yes, we are so high school, sue us. While I patiently wait on this weekend to arrive, I’d like to share a few transition outfits tips for spring.

I know this confusing weather has a lot of people wondering how the heck they can pull off a spring look without freezing their hips off. So, here are some tips I swear by to stay stylish and warm as the weather makes the slow transition to spring and back to winter and then finally spring, LOL.

LIGHT LAYERS
I’m the queen of layering and when it’s time to transition I simply layer with collared shirts and light weight sweater vest. Another way to layer and not burn up when the weather changes is to wear a cute skirt and light weight hose.

COLOR SWAP
You can instantly springafy your wardrobe by swapping out a dark winter color with a light spring color. For example, replace your royal blues with a sky blue or pastel or switch out those dark bold pinks with powdered or blush pink color. Think pastel, light and airy and you’ll be spring ready in no time.

PEEP TOES, SLINGBACKS, AND MULES, OH MY!
Shoes can be complicated with weather that is so fickle. A great transition shoe for this ever changing weather are slingbacks, peep toes and mules. It shows just enough of the foot that you can move from one season to the next without looking out of place.

LIGHT WEIGHT JACKET
I love a light weight trench coat or a light weight jacket that stops right at the hip. These types of jackets scream spring but still say it’s too cold to go out without a jacket. These are also great layering pieces and can be worn all day if you’re trotting around town and still want to slay the day.

WHITE
Yes, I said it. Wear white! White is the ultimate indicator that winter is bye bye. I opt to rock white denim and a nude shoe with a fun light pink or kelly green on top. For a clean office look, white dress pants and a cardigan or button up is the way to go.

FLORALS
Florals are a great way to transition too. Around this time you see florals incorporated in jackets, tops and even bottoms. Add a hint of floral to your look as a way to transition in. If you’re not much of a floral person, a floral head piece, shoes or any other accessory are a great way to add to your outfit without being over the top.

I hope these tips were helpful in getting your transition looks spring ready. Feel free to drop a comment in the comment box on your spring look tips.

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie

WHY VINTAGE?

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I’m really feeling these chocolate and copper colors these days. Just embracing my neutrals and loving how my skin is tanning with each day of NC sun. Along with neutral and copper obsessions comes an obsession with vintage blazers, which I’ve been so into these past couple of months. I literally don’t shop anywhere now but on Instagram and at random vintage and thrift shops. The clothing is pre-owned, affordable and funky.
I had an epiphany this past summer when me and my bestie, Natalie, attempted to give our clothes away to consignment shops for money back. Unfortunately, our plan for getting back buckets of money failed as each store we visited turned our gently used clothing and shoes away. They gave us the speech; if you’ve attempted to exchange your clothing for money, you know this speech. It goes a little something like this: unfortunately, we are unable to accept the following articles of clothing as they are pieces that we feel are dated and are styles that do not appeal to our clientele and blah blah blah blah. I wasn’t offended, not one bit, just irritated at how much money they were willing to give for the pieces they did want to take. They were offering pennies, literally pennies. The question that kept popping up in my head was, how much were clothes “actually” worth? It seems that the minute you buy an article of clothing and it leaves the store, it is worth half the price. The combination of my clothing value epiphany mixed with my frequent thrift store visits, as well as educating myself about fast fashion and the amount of clothes sitting in thrift stores that haven’t even been touched or put on the floor has really helped me to become more conscious of my spending and how I purchase clothes. After watching “The True Cost” a 2015 documentary currently on Netflix, I made a decision to invest more of my coins in pre-owned clothing. I want to do my part to reduce the amount of merchandise sitting in thrift shops, and be more sustainable with my clothing. I buy a new item from stores every now and then, but have been shopping mostly thrifted items. Clothing in the US is not really at the caliber of quality it use to be, but at thrifts, you are sure to find quality fabrics and occasionally fabrics made in the US (which is rare by the way). I’m continuing to educate myself on sustainable fashion, fast fashion, and constantly trying to figure out ways to save by shopping pre-owned. I don’t care about being trendy, or dressing in the latest styles. I care about being me, rocking what makes me feel good and I found out that I can do all these things by shopping thrift and vintage.
Just so you know, I’m not knocking anyone who shops full price or who shops stores that are part of the fast fashion movement. I’m only encouraging everyone to be more aware of where their coins are going. Shop consciously, be wise about the fabrics you’re buying. Don’t buy just because it’s cute, buy to express yourself and your personal style, and most importantly, invest in quality fabrics that will last a long time. When it’s time to say goodbye to them, offer your pieces to a friend or donate to an orphanage or organization that supports clothing exchange and donations. We can do our part by shopping pre-owned and passing on our unwanted clothing to others who can and will use it.
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to share with my readers why you’ve been seeing so many vintage style post this past year. Hope it was helpful and insightful.
Have a good week!
Sincerely,
Deidra Marie