Badass Gladiator Heels

If you haven't already noticed, my taste in shoes tends towards the extremely girly side: I want bright colors, soft fabrics, delicate heels, and bow, if you don't mind. I see something like these J.Crew Lyla Suede Peep-toes, $119.99, and I just swoon.

But lately, I've noticed a shift in shoe trends. Girls have been stomping around in gladiator sandals for a few years now, and it was over a year ago when Carrie Bradshaw spent 80% of the Sex and the City movie wearing those killer Dior heels. True story: I went to see the movie with my mom, and everytime Carrie wore those shoes, my mom would lean over and say, "Ugh, I hate those!" And then afterwards, when we were discussing the movie, she said, "Yeah, I liked it a lot, but Carrie's shoes were so ugly!"

And I admit, when I first saw these last summer I didn't quite get them. But this summer? I'm dying for a pair of over-the-top, aggressive, mean, extreme gladiator sandals for myself. No more ladylike pumps or slingbacks; I need a pair of badass shoes. But--since I'm pretty sure that this trend won't last more than a few more seasons, I don't want to pay more than $100 for a pair. Here are the options I've found:

Nine West Balboa heel, $88.95. I think these are a good place to start because they're not too extreme. The stacked platform and cone heel make them look tough, but Nine West is great at making shoes you can actually walk in. And the gladiator design is almost like a modified T-strap, with just a few extra straps of leather added.

Boutique Nine Vivacity, $69.99. The oversized silver buckles make these shoes stand apart from the crowd; I'd love to wear them with one of those exposed zipper skirts or dresses that are so popular right now.
Athena Platform Pump, $26.80. Forever 21 never met a trend it didn't like, and the gladiator heel is no exception. The leather wrapping around the ankle reminds me of a motorcycle jacket--that's a lot of toughness for such a small price. And that 4.5 inch heel isn't fucking around either.
Miss Sixty Clara Heel, $99.99. From Urban Outfitters, this shoe is probably the closest to the Dior heels Carrie Bradshaw wore. It looks a lot like a bootie with cut-outs, but I think it shows just enough skin to qualify as a heel, instead. I'm obsessed with that architectural cone heel--it's so cool without trying too hard. And the silver studs on the leather are rockin', as well.
Also from Urban Outfitters, the Sweet Life by Dolce Vita Lace Heel, $69.99. Are you a wallflower? Well then, get the fuck out of the way before I smash your toes. That is a five inch heel of pure fierceness right there, and I don't even have the words to describe how hot the corset-like lace-up front is.

Nine West Valenka Boutique 9 Heels, $59.99. These are a little more my style. The contrasting colors of leather are funky but not too wild, and the criss-crossing straps add just enough interest without looking like bondage shoes. I'm not crazy about how high up the back ankle support section goes, though--it's cut like a bootie but the rest of the shoe is decidedly sandal-like.

Modcloth Liz Sandal, $39.99. Here's the gladiator trend with a bit of a vintage twist. The basket-woven leather straps are fun and bohemian, and the caramel brown color is naturally less intimidating than black leather. But these are still guaranteed to get you attention; even if they're not maneater shoes, they're at least man-nibbler shoes, right?

Leather Jackets

So spring might not seem like the most obvious time to be wearing a leather jacket. But that's exactly why you should! On those days when there's still a bit of a chill in the air, or the nights when you need a little extra warmth over your little spring dress, a leather jacket will keep you just warm enough. And you'll look like a bad ass!

In the past, I haven't bought a leather jacket because I was too scared I couldn't pull it off. I'm a bit of a Bambi, so I thought there was a big chance that wearing leather would make me look like this. But then the combined good influences of my roommate in Prague and Gossip Girl convinced me otherwise. From the first five minutes of the GG pilot, I wanted to find my own vintage tan leather jacket (and not only so I can recreate this outfit and go as Serena for Halloween). And then how awesome is this leather jacket? I covet it beyond all belief, and when this episode airs (this is a promo pic for a future ep) someone better tell me where it's from. See the buckle in front at her waist? Perfect.


Also, am I the only one who wishes she had to wear a school uniform so she could copy Serena's plaid skirts and loose ties? And those of you who had to wear uniforms, don't burst my bubble with reality by saying that you could never get away with Serena's outfits at their school.

I think this Short Trench by Guess, $179, could maybe find its way into Serena's wardrobe. Great color, fun buttons, and I love the buckles at the wrists. On the other hand, I find that coats with belts are hard to wear open, because the belt kind of falls all over the place and looks sloppy. And for spring, you gotta wear your jacket open so as to better show off what you're wearing underneath.



This Scuba Jacket, also by Guess and $179, would be great for that. I like how non-butch this jacket is, with the deep brown color and vertical seams. And it's nice and fitted so you won't get lost in it.


Speaking of feminine, this Generra Cropped Leather Jacket, way out of my price range at $695, makes leather sweet enough for lunch with your mom. Also, have I talked about how I have severe issues with this particular ShopBop model? She has such fantastic hair, but such an awful bitchface! I'm equally drawn and repelled by every thing she models.







Let's talk about price. Leather is expensive, because cows are so rare and so highly valued in our society. You're lucky to find a cute jacket under $100, and I definitely found more jackets costing a month's rent (in some town other than Manhattan). But here's a pretty cute Short Zipper Jacket in a fun shade of burgandy that's just $59.95. Ignore the Fake Housewife of Orange County inside the cute jacket. I also like this Waist Length Honey Colored Leather Jacket, also $59.95.




This one is cheaper than most because it's not a full leather jacket; Dillard's calls it a Zippered Cardigan with a metallic leather front, $69. I guess the front and part of the sleeves are leather and the rest is rayon. But that's good for warmer weather, and t's definitely a unique design. The cutout embroidery is just the icing on the cake.


So all the jackets I've shown so far have been colors other than black, because I think brown and tan leather and like are easier to pull off when you're sort of a wuss. But through my extensive research, I'm beginning to become convinced otherwise. Just look at these Ashley Olsen and Natalie Portman, two petite women not known for their ass-kicking toughness.



Let's start slow with some cropped jackets. You know, I'm always kind of impressed when magazines or websites do a splurge and save feature, since it seems hard to find items that are practically interchangeable from very different price points. But guess what? I have a splurge and save for you. The first, the Twenty9Twelve Yves Leather Jacket from Shopbop, is $690...











...and the second, the Halogen Zip Front Leather Jacket at Nordstrom, is $148 and 50% off!

The first has the full length sleeves, really cool pintucking at the waist and in the back, but I'm not crazy about the weird ruching on the bottom of the sleeves. The second has the sleek zipper, and doesn't it just look ridiculously soft? Also, it has four pockets in the front, so you would hardly need a purse.

I have just one more super expensive jacket, and then I promise I'll go back to under $200. I like this Vince Leather Motorcycle Jacket, $775, because it's not overly fashion-y. With the right outfit, you might be able to convince someone you actually know how to ride a motorcycle. It's pretty basic, but the slightly distressed look of the leather and the snap closure at the neck are badass.






This Leather Moto Jacket from Arden B, $128, is a bit simple, too, but the gold zippers make it just bling-y enough that you could wear it to a nicer bar or restaurant.










Also from Arden B is this Leather Pintuck Moto Jacket, $168. Pintucks are usually so prim and reserved, making them totally bomb on a leather jacket.





Remember, at the beginning, when I said how awesome a leather jacket would look over a light spring dress? Well, I would be remiss if I didn't give you some options for dresses also. The first is the Cut-Out Shift Dress from Old Navy, $17.70. You can't really see the detail on the front in the photo of the white, so I'm including the black version too.











I'm completely obsessed with next dress from Alice + Olivia, who always makes great frocks. The Ombre Rosette Tube dress, $297, is like the sky in dress form. Yes, it's a little shapeless, but a highly structured dress would be wrong when trying to capture essence of sky, right? Just think about how fierce those chiffon rosettes will look peaking out from underneath your leather jacket. I'm including three photos because I think it's just that fantastic.