Shoes, shoes , shoes & more shoes : My picks for summer !

The best way to update your wardrobe?

Shoes , shoes and shoes , a bag and more shoes !

Shoes will take your wardrobe from drab to FAB. You almost don’t need any new clothes for summer:  what you do need are a few accessories to take it to the next level. This is my fullproof list of shoes to up your summer dressing game. I am not really including beach holiday dressing here, ( coming !) this is about every day city dressing .
Shoes you can wear to work, going out and for every day chic.

FiFi tip: NEVER ever try on an outfit without shoes. Shoes change everything: add height, add edge, lighten the look and change the whole proportion of outfit. With every client I take shopping I INSIST they put on shoes before we evaluate any outfit and decide what to buy. You are NOT going out in barefeet so why try an outfit like that?!

Here’s my shoe checklist for summer.

The kitten heel:
Most important shoe this season? A small little kitten heel like this. ( A block heel is ok too). You want something walkable easy, chic, effortless. If you want a little height and sophistication then this is the way to go (We are not talking about stilettos here or anything outrageously high) ( too try hard !)
Which: It might be a pump, it might be a mule. It might have a sling back.  It might have a pointy toe. But round toe is Ok. It should be in white, black or silver. Red is good.  Brown is totally chic. Suede is good.
When : You want to look a bit dressed up, out for dinner and drinks. Good for work too. When you want a heel.
Wear : with everything. Not joking . A kitten heel works with baggy jeans and a blazer , with chinos and a sequin top , with bermudas, Midi skirts and baggy pants. They are so versatile !

Tip: A flesh or beige colour shoe is never a good idea. Why? Your foot disappears and the shoe and your skin melts into one and you lose the total effect of the shoe. Which is why I love a white shoe. It has a lot of impact.

The ballet flat:
Which:  You want the classic round toe like a Chanel flat but I am also including a pointy toe here too. It might a sling back too. You want two tone or the usual suspects in the colour department. White is always right , love silver for summer. Tan is chic for summer. I’d avoid buying black ballet flat ( But Ok if you have already).
Handy. Comfortable. Chic, Ballet flats are a go anywhere shoe.
Wear: A match made in heaven with slouchy jeans, and lots of baggy pants. Crop rolled up chinos.  Probably not so good idea with skirts or shorts ( tricky to pull off as it can look frumpy ).

The casual strappy sandal:
Which : It’s strappy and it’s a bit sexy and summery. With thin straps that cross over or go around the ankle. They can be flats ( a fresh, refined change after chunky flats) or strappy kitten heel sandals which are always chic..Go for FiFi approved colours: white, brown, tan and silver. Red sandals looks new and fresh are so good with white. Black sandals are handy too. I’m including the heeled thong sandal here too. SO comfortable, casual but so chic. When you want height and to look a little polished.
Wear : From Day to casual evening. They work with pants or shorts. With dresses and skirts.

The mesh/ jelly /flats
Which : Instant wardrobe updaters : I nabbed a pair of white mesh flats this last year and I LOVED them. The thing with a mesh flat is that it is sheer so it shows off a bit of skin so it lightens the whole look. Whereas sometimes a covered toe can look too heavy and not so summery especially with long baggy pants. Does that make sense?
When : Mesh and jelly flats are totally versatile : chic enough for casual dinner out but also would not look wrong in bondi for breakfast.  Definitely look best with pants and Aline midi skirts. Can be good bermuda shorts but maybe not with a pencil skirt.
The mesh may not be a style that will last for the next five years, but definitely worth investing in now and you’ll get a couple of seasons. In terms of colour: I love white, Black is Ok and red can be good too.

The sneaker :
Which : It seems to me sneakers are here to stay : They just work with our ever increasingly casual lifestyle. And because they are always evolving, updating and  changing with the times you’ll always find a pair that looks right .
At the moment it’s all about the retro sneaker: Meaning it’s so a little bit more refined than the big chunky steroid sneaker from precious seasons. I’d store the white sneaker for a few seasons and invest in tan, choc brown or caramel. If you are wanting to add a bit of colour? Sneakers are the way to do it.  I would go for orange, dark green, multi,  even blue they all work.
When : sneakers are perfect for travel, great for weekends, for running around every day.
Wear : with baggy long pants, or rolled up chinos. I am not a fan of jeans and sneakers I like to see sneakers with more jooshy pants . Love sneakers with leather pants and a coat in winter. In summer if you want to wear a skirt with sneakers I would go for the laceless slip on style rather than a chunky style.

The loafers/Boatshoes:
Which : We saw lots of loafers around in winter and they’re not going anywhere for summer or the next couple of seasons so it’s a good time to invest. I like an almond toe but more of a square toe is cool too. I love a white or cream loafer which is really fresh for summer . I have invested in the white loafer mules which I think are perfect for summer as they’re not completely covered in. A chocolate brown loafer is good too. Black is probably too heavy in my opinion for summer but could be handy in winter. I like silver as well but a little trickier to wear.
Wear: I think a loafer in summer looks so great with a shorter pants : so crop jeans, barrel jeans, rolled up chinos or anything that shows off the ankle otherwise it can look a bit heavy. Personally I would not be wearing loafers with a skirt in summer although loafers with socks and a skirt is a big trend for next winter.