I am saddened by the recent loss of so many indie boutiques in the Bay Area…and the infiltration of so many chain stores. There comes a point in every woman’s life when cookie cutter clothes and accessories just don’t cut it and personalization becomes an imperative part of the buying experience. Enter Limu on Fillmore Street in San Francisco, a destination for rarities such as cashmere boots and organza sandals (try them on while sipping coffee or wine). It’s an avant-garde little boutique (think charcoal-colored floors and sleek, vanilla leather sofas) with its own shoe salon in back with footwear by Francesco Morichetti, Dusica Dusica, Muxart, Bo’em, Salvador Sapena and Rebecca Sanvar. Owner Simone Derayeh is of a European state of mind, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon a few pairs of Old Gringo cowboy boots in her global assortment.
Author Archive for stephaniesimons
Shop Talk: Limu Boutique
Spend Wisely on Your Wardrobe
It’s easy to feel glum with this incessant talk of economic distress, but there’s another side to all of this from a fashion perspective. Shopping during tight economic times can lead to an impeccably well-edited wardrobe, plus it’s a prime opportunity for us to cultivate wiser spending habits. Here’s how to make it happen: Do not shop stores that have ridiculously strict return policies (buyer’s remorse is an ugly thing). Get serious about shopping and fly the course solo—it’s easy to be influenced by girlfriends who live vicariously through your purchases or tell you everything looks good on you (we’re sure it does, but that doesn’t mean you have to own these items). Go shopping with an empty wallet. No cards. No cash. No checkbook. Your mission is to refrain from buying a single thing unless you love, love, love it. The true test will be whether or not the thought of those strappy sandals lingers on your memory after you’ve set foot in your closet and picked out three to five existing outfits that you can wear with them. Shoppers often become overwhelmed with the urge to take something—sometimes anything— home with the underlying promise of a new, more beautiful self. Once you learn to break your dependency on the mood-lifting feeling that comes with buying (it’s the same dopamine secretion in the brain that athletes refer to as a “runner’s high”), and really focus on the item at hand, you’ll find that your wardrobe and your bank account will be the better for it.
Heidi Says Shoes
I’m doing laps around the adorably chic HeidiSays Shoes salon in San Francisco and the first thing I fall in love with is the store’s name, not to mention the fact that there’s a sale sign in the window. I’ve never been the bossy type, but this particular moniker has me wondering if I might have more luck if I uttered the phrase “Simons says” before giving orders. As in, Simons says pick up your wet towels, put the toilet seat down and carry me over your broad shoulder when my stilettos prove too painful. But I digress.
It turns out owner Heidi Sabelhaus and I speak the same language when it comes to style. This boutique serves up the latest from familiar favorites like Giuseppe Zanotti, Bettye Muller, Michael Kors and the two Cynthias (Rowley and Vincent). The flirty selection spans everything from chunky wedges and embellished ballet flats to dressy heels. Most of the women who shop here prove that there is only type of shopper in Pac Heights: she who approaches fashion feet first, often building an entire wardrobe around one visually arresting pairs of shoes. Among them are my cousins and friends who live and play in the neighborhood. Of course, this is where Sabelhaus’s other stores, located just steps away on Fillmore Street (Heidi Says and Heidi Says Casual) come in handy. Simons says knock yourself out, ladies.
Heidi Says Shoes, 2105 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, 415-409-6850
The Shaw Shoe Redemption
Stiletto shopping is inarguably a sport (a cardio workout, at the very least) and I’m finally ready to get back in the game after an entire season of wearing boots to shield rain and fog and mud on the Marina Green. One of my favorite salons in San Francisco is Shaw on Union. This place is the stuff of legends: every square inch of space is packed with pairs—of shoes and of high fashion stockings—and there’s hardly room in the store for pacing back and forth to get a true feel for the fit (it’s just as well, real woman will slip their size eights into a seven in a pinch). Long ago, sometime B.C. (before Carrie), I remember skipping by the windows, wanting to make a veritable fortress out of so many shoes, and to slide my seven-year-old toes into heels so ridiculously high I could be face-to-face with Christopher Reeve’s spit curl once and for all (side note: I was in love with Superman). For the record, I often experienced the same longing in the middle of the toy aisle of our neighborhood drug store. I!…wanted!…those!…$3!…plastic!…heels! So much I might cry. My mom never indulged me, fearful about me tripping and breaking my two extra-large front teeth (the equivalent of “you’ll shoot your eye out!” for precocious daughters). It wasn’t until I was in the seventh grade that I got my first pair of heels and—sigh—they were more like pumps, all squat and church-worthy. At 29, I now have a closet full of shoes that are so not appropriate for holy communion, and Shaw is still the source. Expect all manners of evening stilettos and tall boots, most of which are stocked floor-to-ceiling. And there are about as many sale items as there are regular priced pairs—all of them bearing labels like Guiseppe Zanotti, Casadei and El Dante. 2001 Union Street, San Francisco, California, 415-922-5676
Footcandy Cravings
Months of gloomy, wet skies have the glamour girls at Shoetube.tv yearning to buy a new pair of sky-high heels. Check it: Footcandy (with California locations in Brentwood, St Helena and Walnut Creek) is where good girls retreat in search of bad girls shoes: the kind of sweet confections that reveal a hint of toe cleavage, add amazing curves to the calf, or lace up the front of dainty feet. Adored by fashion editors, stylists and celebs, the boutiques adorn their display cases the way a tantalizing patisserie showcases croissants, cookies and cakes. The latest offerings are always showcased in the window, glimmering with proverbial frosting and sprinkles (think buttercream patent leather and gold buckle embellishments) by such designers as Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, René Caovilla, Bettye Muller, Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs, Pucci, Hollywould and Sergio Rossi.
The 2 Bandits Stole My Heart!
Gals, you know I pride myself on finding unique ways to breathe new life into my old soles—changing the laces in my favorite running kicks, taking my stilettos to a repair shop to be re-heeled, or dyeing my light leather loafers to hide inevitable mud or water stains after winter has passed. But there’s a much more fun way to spruce up boots (drum roll please….). The 2 Bandits, based in Berkeley, is a clever and well-crafted line of adjustable fabric bands that you sling over the leg of your tall boots to give them a fresh new look when you start to lose that loving feeling. The Santa Fe, Gretel and Early Bird styles are sure to give your favorite pairs a colorful kick for spring. Also check out the full spectrum of solid bands embellished with tiny brass handcuffs, pistols or stallions. They’re as painstakingly detailed as little charms or pendants—a nod to the jewelry background of creators Erica Chan and Tamar Wider. www.the2bandits.com
1. Because they put you on a little pedestal, which is where you’ve always known you belong.
2. Because you know you look like a flat-footed booby in ballet flats.
3. Because they don’t require socks (talented is the human being who can keep track of matching pairs).
4. Because they have the potential to put you face-to-face with a tall, dark and handsome fella.
5. Because the minute you put them on, they divert attention from a bad hair day or bad hair cut.
6. Because when they become painful, it’s an excuse to have someone chivalrous carry you. And if you’re dating someone not-so-chivalrous, you want to find out that information before it’s too late.
7. Because they make that lovely sound (clip-clop-clip-clop), so when you walk the pavement in a pack of women you know precisely at which point one of you has had too much to drink. The tipsy one always becomes out of sync (clop-clop-clop-clip-clop), trips over her own feet or starts wobbling. No breathalyzer needed.
8. Because you can’t replicate how good it feels to slip out of them after a long night of wobbling.
9. Because God made Manolo Blahnik to create perfect shoes.
10. Because they’re all you need to wear in order to look like a goddess, even on “ugly days.”
License to Shop
There are plenty of reasons why you should hit the streets shopping, despite the state of the economy. Here’s our favorite:
Buying an item is a form of babying yourself (“Gucci-Gucci-goo”) because of the underlying promise of a new, improved you. That’s why a cool pair of croc boots can boost your mood temporarily. Science suggests there is such a thing as a “shopper’s high,” similar to what athletes refer to as a “runner’s high,” but without the sweat. Swiping your credit cards at a cash register and toting big bags full of brand new things causes the brain to release dopamine, which affects a human’s ability to experience pleasure.
In the past, British researchers who have electronically monitored shoppers’ brains have noticed a marked difference in patterns between those who are “just looking, thanks” and those who are ready to make a purchase. Interestingly, men often appear to be less affected by the act of spending, relating the experience to eating turkey (translation: wanting to go home and sleep afterward).
Of course, there’s also the sheer giddiness you feel when you snag a beloved item on sale. You get what you want, you get it for less than it’s worth, and you get to feel smart, resourceful and fortunate. And the less money you have at hand, the greater the sense of accomplishment.
Clearly, whoever says money doesn’t buy happiness doesn’t know where to shop.
Some say sexy is a state of mind, but really it’s all about the stilettos—use them to command an entrance and cast your spell. The term stiletto, which comes from the Latin word stilus, translates as “slender dagger,” and your favorite pair should be used as a weapon of mass seduction,
They make your legs appear longer. They thrust the hips forward. They add a little sweetness to your milkshake, to bring the boys to the yard.
How to be the sexiest woman in the room
Men really respond to the sexiness a woman exudes when she’s
wearing stilettos because they make her more confident. Bonus points: They work your core muscles and make your abs stronger (suck it in and stand up straight for maximum impact ). It’s easier to strut your stuff when you’re not hobbled with discomfort, so tailor the inside of the shoe like you would a suit. Dr. Scholl’s For Her gel insoles are handy little inventions that cushion your tootsies—very smart for big dates that require prolonged periods of standing or
dancing.
Don’t tell anyone you’ve got them on and nobody will be the wiser.
Looking to step out in style this year? Shoetube.tv presents the top fashion (and beauty) resolutions every woman must make for 2009.
Resolution #1: Buy one hot new pair of stilettos to commemorate the New Year. Wear them on an even hotter date who is capable of carrying you when said stilettos prove too tall to walk like a normal human being.
Resolution #2: Never let ‘em see your bra straps. Even if they are Dior.
Resolution #3: Never throw away any accessory or item of clothing in your closet, especially anything so out it’s about to make a comeback.
Step out in style with these style resolutions
Resolution #4: Never call a girlfriend to ask what she’ll be wearing to an event, only to show up in the exact same outfit.
Resolution #5: Always stock up on comfortable, unsexy flats for sanity’s sake.
Resolution #6: Always carry a supply of Band-Aids in case said flats rub you the wrong way. Even unsexy shoes have been known to cause unnecessary pain and suffering.
Resolution #7: Always wear cute pajamas that pass as street clothes in case of disaster, like a house fire or last-minute brunch invitation (most likely to strike when the contents of your closet are strewn all over the floor.)
Resolution #8: Never underestimate the power of a push-up bra when it comes to weaseling your way to the head of a long line.
Resolution #9: Dress with care when headed to the gym/supermarket/drug store. You never know when you’ll run into an ex.
Resolution #10: Fishnet stockings are off-limits in public, unless it’s Halloween.
Resolution #11: Stockings with runs in them are off-limits in public at all times.
Resolution #12: Rely on oversized sunglasses a la Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen on days when you can’t muster the strength to put on makeup.
Resolution #13: Never sleep in your makeup, no matter how pooped or drunk you are.
Resolution #14: Never buy anything you have to shimmy, wriggle or squat your way into.
Resolution #15: Never let a shoe wear you.
Resolution #16: Always go shopping looking your worst. If an item still looks good, you simply have to have it. No ifs, ands or buts.
Resolution #17: Never let good friends borrow your good clothes unless you want to lose both.
Resolution #18: Keep all receipts in a water- and fire-proof place lest you change your mind.
