Fashion commentators are calling Milan’s Fashion Week a flashback to various decades. Giorgio Armani took fashion lovers back to the 1940s, and threw in biker jackets and jewels. Prada channeled the wholesome farm girl look of the same decade with wool skirts and waders.  (Yes, waders.  One blogger described the spring Prada line as what would happen if “a character from Gosford Park ran off with a fisherman.”)  Moschino returned to the full skirts of the 1950s and Gucci revisited the 1980s.  The early section of the Sportmax show was inspired by the same 1940s elegance as Armani, but highlighted nudes and neutrals.  The second half of the show featured boxy shoulder pads and tight tailored lines, as if to show Max Mara’s 1980s credentials.  (Sportmax is Max Mara’s everyday line.)

The 1980s section was strange and unbalanced, with fake gold fingertips glued on the outside of gloves and odd neck and hood pieces.  Most fashion writers, including myself, preferred the 1940s part of the show.  The shoes in that section were as graceful as the clothing.  One model sported nude suede shooties with a slight platform.  Another showcased strappy pumps with several shades of nude.

Some fads fade with the seasons, but nudes are always a great idea.  They’re easy to match and pump up with the selective use of bright colors.  Jewel tones like coral and cobalt punch up neutrals beautifully– and they happen to be in this season.

To help you find the perfect nude shoe for you, here are a couple more from the Shoefly collection.

Shown above, Florence by J Shoes is a fun way to play it beige.  With a platform in the toe and tapering heel, you’ll flow in Florence.  And you can punch up the nutral tone with bright shoelaces.

Kitty Snake by Ashley Dearborn actually makes tan fun.  With snakeskin and gold accents, these flats are nothing but bland.  They’re like the relaxed, comfortable cousins of gladiator sandals.

Victoria by Shoes for Lovely People brings together warm tan shades for a fun, frisky feel.  I love how the horizontal lines in the heel are strengthened by wide smooth straps.  This is the perfect shoe for walking along the boardwalk this summer.