Next Level: Summer Loafers

Loafers can feel so fusty. But when they get all warm-weather-y? Suddenly they’re chill—a welcome alternative to those sandals that try to maim you with their straps. Here, four pairs that deserve your affections. —erica

LEVEL I: Yes, these perforated Matiko guys could hang with a smoking jacket. But they’ll also look stellar with some knee-grazing chino shorts.

LEVEL II: Elizabeth & James just showed your huaraches how to get dressed up.

LEVEL III: Leave it to Rachel Comey to get *everything* right: the three leathers, the slingback, the black sole around the toe.

LEVEL IV: Osborn delivers a little bit of sunshine on even the rainiest summer days.

More mini-trends in four parts! Right here!

Next Level: Loafers

I’m tired of oxfords and way over ballet flats. But loafers? Now they’re where it’s at. And while there’s nothing wrong with a polished, penny-holding style, these four have a lot more personality, whether you’re looking to add just a tiny bit of flair or some major, major ‘tude. —erica

LEVEL I: These Marais USA guys are as classic as they come—but in a nude patent that would make Carla Bruni swoon.

LEVEL II: It’s the soles on these Rachel Comey shoes that make them so stand-out. The combination of wood and sturdy rubber give them a certain I’m-with-the-band vibe.

LEVEL III: The shape of these Osborn slip-ons couldn’t be more simple, really letting the bold (but not-so-challenging!) ikat shine.

LEVEL IV: Leave it to Jeffrey Campbell to up the ante. Here, he doubles down on the crazy, with teal and mixed-up studs.

For past installments of “Next Level,” click right here, right now.

Of a Kind

Something about these Osborn slip-ons screams Fiat-heir-goes-to-Bushwick. It’s pretty much required that you pair them with an exposed ankle. —erica

Of a Kind

If you’re in the market for FNO plans in NYC, pretty sure they should be BUY THESE SHOES. Osborn is collaborating with a slew of rad designers like Upstate (see above—the duo also made this amazing top for us), Mary Meyer, Study NY, and Chromat. They’ll be selling these puppies at International Playground, which also happens to be one of our favorite places in town to uncover new lines. 13 Stanton St., 7-10p! —erica

Things of the Week: What Day Is It? Edition

 

Mutual: Last night a group of our girlfriends got together and had our nails minxed. Minx is a nail film that comes in an endless array of patterns and colors. Because it’s sort of like paper and can be printed on, you can get some seriously intricate designs laid down on your fingertips. Simply put, it’s the flyest nail art on the market today. The artist who did our manicures also happens to be the minxtress to the stars, Lisa Logan. This woman has her own damn line of Minx patterns—that’s what a big deal she is. It was all pretty dizzying, and it’s still a little soon to talk about it. You don’t process something this important overnight. 

Claire: I wore fashion tape for the first time with a strapless dress that wouldn’t stay up. I then figured out (per the packaging) that it works wonders on collared shirts that gap at the buttons around the the boobs. If you possess even the slightest semblance of a bust line, you know this is a big deal. I keep thinking that one day I’ll regret my  reliance on it because I’ll have a dirty line of stickiness on a fancy piece of apparel—but it always peels right off everything. Since then, our photographer has used it in almost all of our product shoots, and this week at our launch party when we wanted to arrange bunny bags in a display case “just so”, fashion tape was the only thing that would suffice.

Erica: I always feel a little bit Confessions of a Shopaholic saying this, but I am a shoe person. As great as Zappos is, I am easily overwhelmed, and, until now, I have never found an online store that carries a pared-down mix of the stuff I like (scratch that: love). But these days I have Solestruck, which carries nearly all of the lines that I’m into that fall under the affordable heading: Marais USA, Matt Bernson, Senso, Osborn, Rachel Comey, and, of course, Jeffrey Campbell. If you spend your Friday night trolling for shoes, know that I am right there with you.

It would be wrong not to wear these Osborn boots, handmade in Guatemala, with a denim jacket—ideally one that you’ve had for seven to ten years. —erica

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A Case for…Oxfords for Girls

The only thing I’m more over than the ballet flat is James Franco, so I am fully embracing the slightly masculine lace-up. Added bonus: If you’re wearing something menswear-inspired on your feet, you worry less about whether your skirt is too short. These are the eight pairs I’d own if a had a shoe closet (and budget) like Sally Singer’s. —erica

1) Rachel Comey Nimbus lace-ups (at Bird): They’re ombré, but in a just-trekked-through-the-woods way.
2) Osborn Dust to Dust oxfords: If brogues and Toms were set up by a mutual friend, hit it off (surprisingly!), and had twins, this is what they’d look like.
3) Thorocraft The Ross shoes: Totally seasonless, they’d mesh with wispy skirts and cable-knit sweaters.
4) Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair Normal leather shoe (at Azalea): Normal? Please.

FACT: Oxfords, which originated in Scotland, were initially called Balmorals after a castle in Aberdeenshire—the one the Queen was staying at when Princess Diana died.

5) Opening Ceremony M17 Bump Toe Western oxford: They’re just country enough to earn respect without sacrificing mainstream appeal.
6) Robert Clergerie Two Tone oxford (at La Garconne): These would look fantastic with menswear tweeds—and something lacy.
7) Marais USA oxfords: Very off-duty model (and very $88).
8) Dieppa Restrepo Cali shoes (at Totokaelo): Let’s just say I wore my pair yesterday.

FACT: The oldest shoe with laces, the Areni-1, was uncovered in Armenia in 2008. According to tests at radiocarbon laboratories in California and, um, Oxford, it dates back to 3,500 B.C.

Of a Kind

Osborn is now making *sweatshirt* lace-ups. Stop it. All of their shoes are handmade in Guatemala (and designed in Brooklyn).