shoes i wear on a monday..

Good morning, readers! (Is it?) I'm not a morning person.. never have been. However, I never feel that being tired is an excuse to let your style slack. Working in a more casual workplace than I'm used to invites opportunity to fall prey to the temptation of tossing on whatever is comfortable, rather than dressing your best. This morning was no different. Thanks to a neutral cardigan that literally matches every other item in my closet, a tweed skirt and a bright blouse, getting dressed was a breeze. I don't know about you, but when I'm tired, I tend to work my wardrobe around my footwear. Is anyone surprised by that? The idea of throwing on the perfect shoes, and then dealing with sore feet all [Mon]day is not my cup of tea. Funny.. I'm drinking tea while I write this.

Upon entering my shoe closet, (didn't realize how crazy it sounds that I actually have a dedicated one for that) I thanked the good Lord above for a fabulous little pair of velvet ballet flats I purchased in Croatia, while my feet were actually bleeding from the other shoes I packed.

These little bad boys (girls) are the footwear equivalent of the sweatsuit. They wear like socks, barely have a sole, and are made of fuschia velvet, finished with a bow. They were as cheap as cheap can be overseas, and are worth every kuna (Croatian dough). While I recommend that everyone get their passport stamped in Croatia at some point, I don't expect anyone to head there for these shoes. You can, however, jeté on over to the City Slips website for wide selection of comfy flats, flexible enough to fold up into some fabulous little pouch, yet totally appropriate for the office. In lieu of velvet, opt for a patent pair, which always looks a bit dressier, and much more intentional. 

xo.

time capsule: "the bend and snap"

A cursory attempt at discovering my "blogging roots" unearthed a pretty little gem of a post that literally started it all.  Tucked away in the earliest of the journeytoattorney.blogspot.com entries, this post is the crystal-ball "foreword" to the shoesiweartocourt story.  From the Legally Blonde inspiration to the frustrations that come from attempting to blend a normal life with law school, and the search for anything-but-mundane moments in a typically disastrous and mundane coupledom, this June 4, 2009 post is a perfect mix of realistic nostalgia and humor. This was well before even a single day of law school. Thankfully, my budding obsession with fashion plus law didn't die along with that relationship. Although, I must say, he was the first and only man I've known that can mix suit, shirt, and tie patterns and colors flawlessly. That's the only compliment I'll ever extend. No hard feelings. Just good reading. ___________________________________________________

So last night, I was volunteering at VIBS, the Victim's Information Bureau of Suffolk, providing childcare while victims accessed their weekly counseling sessions.  When I got home, Jimmy was (still) working, so I turned on the tube and was excited to find the last half of Legally Blonde.  Fabulous.  And so apropos.

When Jimmy got home, all he was interested in was freaking ESPN, so he went in the bedroom to watch it.  For whatever reason, I was soooo mad about this, like it would have been really all that torturous for him to sit through the end of the movie with me.  Ugh.

Anyways, as dubbed by my blog title (then, "Diary of a Real Life [Brunette] Elle Woods), you can tell I'm relating a bit.  I'm sure my pageant life, and love of all things pink will seem a bit/lot out of place in Law School.  I'm totally nervous about not being taken seriously, but still being true to my(stylish)self. 

I've decided to leave my mac laptop white, and refrain from any pink business suits.  Hopefully, that will do the trick.  

Thus is my journey to (becoming an) attorney.   

blast from the past..

After a recent revelation that my blog hasn't been updated in well over a year, I decided to take the plunge and update. While I was stressing over the topic, I nostalgically re-read some posts from my original blog.. the one that started it all, "Diary of a Real Life [Brunette] Elle Woods," at journeytoattorney.blogspot.com.  A bit dramatic and naive, it had little to do with fashion, and had yet to find its focus. However, one of my posts discussed the perfect school bag, later referenced in a post here in shoesiweartocourt. You'll all [I'm sure] be thrilled to know I still have (and use) the blue bag that was the subject of this old, (I suppose "vintage") imported post, from June 10, 2009. Enjoy.
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So, those of you who know me well, know that I'm a true shopaholic.. so as you can imagine, when I got my acceptance letter, I immediately got a new bag. "My Law School Bag" (has a certain ring to it, no? Like a fab children's book..) was purchased at Henri Bendel's flagship 5th Ave. store. Bendel's fabulous Disturbed Stripe Tote featured two sets of handles, and a chic black and brown scheme, with gold hardware. Totally professional, right?

I began "previewing" my bag back and forth to work, to make sure she would be good to me. I remember being a little kid and wanting to wear my new school clothes SO BADDDD before the first day of school, but I wasn't allowed. Well, now I'm a big girl and I can do what I want.

Well thank God I did, because after a month or so of relatively light use (meaning, no law textbooks yet) the freaking bag couldn't handle macbook and a train pass. I returned to my friend Henri, (I love pretending stores are real people, and my friends) and they were fantastic enough to give me a complete store credit in return for my battered bag with the broken strap.

After surveying the bunch, and there were many many many, I decided on a bag known as the Bendel Beach Tote. Now, you'd never picture something as durable and great as this bag.. but she is wonderfuuuul. Seriously, check out the depth on that bag.

So I was faced with a serious dilemma.. be true to form and go with the pink with orange piping, or tone it down with a little blue and turquoise?

Considering the title of the blog, and the fact that I'm a bit worried about being taken seriously as a law student, I totally went with the blue.

Did you SEE the way that professor looked at the girl with the pink laptop?! That will not be me.

Photos Cpoyright www.HenriBendel.com

Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed Prof..

My apologies, as always, for being lax in updates. Lucky for all of you, Evan Schwartz, Founding Partner at Quadrino Schwartz, Touro Law Professor, and member of the Board of Directors wore boots that shook me to the core and caused me to put off doing homework, in favor of a clearly more important purpose. Voila.

Fall is my favorite season.. Nothing is better than tossing on a nice long-sleeved tee, some boots and a blazer, and looking effortlessly put together without even trying. Key word in that sentence: boots. I was utterly and completely distracted for an entire Monday evening class, thanks to my professor's fantastic taste in shoes. It wasn't until after class that I decided to ask for a closer look, even though most people know that I'm prone to outbursts in class regardless. Note, that this class started with my announcement that Hulk Hogan died, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was (thankfully) false. He was my first crush, after all.


So I know you're all asking yourselves, "If I was the founding partner of a sick Long Island law firm, and I was gracious enough to spend my Monday nights teaching students how to be as successful as me (yes, you all need to take Law Practice Management), what would I wear to class?" The answer, pictured below for your viewing pleasure, says it all. Streamlined flat-front khakis perfectly transition from warmer weather into Fall, paired with a great two-toned blue button-down. The pattern is divine, and what really gets me going is how perfectly the diamond detail on the shirt coordinates with the detail on the toe of the coolest pair of men's ankle boots I've ever laid eyes on. Attention men: there's more to life than standard dress shoes.. and when you sit down with ankle boots on, your socks don't show.. (If you're not wearing dress socks with dress shoes, let me know and I'll blog about it, but I'm pretty sure they covered that in Touro Law's continuing orientation program. Correct me if I'm wrong). These shoes happen to be Louis Vuitton.. the design is masculine, yet elegant, and totally timeless. They will last longer than the tall tale told by a client whose retainer would pay for these bad boys.


It's good to know that a Touro alum is out there spreading the fashion love, and setting the bar high for those who desire to look fresh while practicing law. Effortless, yet totally put together. Strive for it every day. At least in Autumn. And check out Professor Schwartz' LinkedIn profile, accolades included. It's equally as stellar as his fashion sense. http://www.linkedin.com/in/evansschwartz

like the desert misses the rain..

This post is an inevitable one. It's a love story. And it's about heartbreak.

It's been exactly 36 days since I tore my meniscus, MCL, and LCL. As if the physical pain wasn't enough to deal with, I'm banished to flats (and a horrible black and grey knee brace) until further notice. Note, I've broken this rule only on two occasions. Special ones. We all know mini skirts and flats are not friends.

One would think this would be a blessing, bestowed upon my pocketbook. But I'm too loyal for that.

They (Vincent VanGogh, actually) say "to know life is to love many things." So the purpose of this post is to share with you my newest love. Her name is Pavan.


Actually she has a twin. She is a pair. She is a pair of delicious nude (my favorite color) pumps that blend tradition with fashion-forward subtlety. Lined in gold, featuring classic lines, Pavan stands firm on a perfect little platform, with a center-seam perfectly rounded toe, that hangs over the platform for a touch of modern. And while pointed toes will never be out, changing it up with a round toe might be just the thing to give your toes a little wiggle room.

A thicker-than-average stiletto provides enough support for a day at the office, or a night full of city strides, without the fear of a heel break. That happened to me once. Blew my mind. Don't let it happen to you.

When it comes to shoes, taupe is the new black. They literally go with everything. And I hate to try to say I invented the flesh-toned pump, but I would be remiss to fail to give credit where credit is due. This trend, likely here to stay, is in your face thanks to your neighborhood pageant girls. We have been treating our feet to nude pumps for years and years.. Since we got the memo that they create a visual effect of longer legs. As if I need longer legs.

So for now, I will just admire these perfect heels from afar. I literally will be throwing a heels only party when my doctor gives me the stiletto go-ahead.

Want a pair of Pavans of your own? Good luck. They were my monthly Shoedazzle pick. But if the stars are aligned for you, too, maybe a pair will show up in your showroom. Da!

Click www.shoedazzle.com/invite/15111y0zcx to get in on the action.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Park Pl,Mastic Beach,United States

Professor Klyne and Rapper Shein..

Note: Names intentionally misspelled.. give me a little credit.
The setting is Jerusalem, Israel. Mea Shearim, to be exact. It's one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Israel populated mainly by Haredi Jews, according to Wikipedia. We all expected to sweat our tushies off, in our ultra-conservative garb, covered from collarbone to floor. What we did not expect was to run into Orthodox Jewish Rapper, Shyne, on the streets.

Note, if you're a woman, you're not allowed to actually run into him.. he can't touch girls. More surprising is that our very own Professor Richard Klein was Shyne's footwear twin, homey. Note, this is nearly all that they have in common, aside from both individual's time spent in jail.. Professor Klein, due to his respectable and highly respected work as a public defender, and Shyne, due to his work as an, er, public defendee. Well, actually, I assume his attorneys were retained.. that's beside the point.

In any case, a shareworthy post.. Professor Klein always dresses well. And Shyne, well, dresses. I never knew that proper conservative, Orthodox Jewish attire included metallic robes. You learn something every day.

Emergency post.. Order in the court: No polos!

I have many, many posts to catch up on, after being out of the country for most of my Summer. However, today I felt the need to interrupt the planned "flow" of my catch-up blog updates due to an emergency.

Ladies.. polo shirts are never acceptable under suit jackets. Never. Under any circumstances, whatsoever. Except maybe if it's a nice, fitted polo with a popped collar, under a nice, casual khaki or seersucker blazer at a charity golf outing. But certainly, never in the court room.

Furthermore, when you know you are appearing before a female judge you know is dressed to the nines under the fancy black robe, make an effort. A shabby blue polo with a limp collar under a nice navy suit is not making an effort. It's making a fashion mistake. Consider the vast selection of blouses available on the Ann Taylor clearance rack. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.