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Thirteen Thursday: 13 Killer Eggplant-Colored Must-Haves

Colleen — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:02 +0000

It’s no surprise that retailers across the country are attempting to lure people into stores with splashes of color. The economic and climactic winter have some designers playing it safe with black, gray, and white, but that can’t last for long–color is just too much fun. Macys’ windows here in downtown Portland proclaim, “Welcome back color,” and feature color schemes of black, white, and one punchy color, like tequila sunrise orange. My favorite grouping shows a lovely swirl of cerulean blue, black, and eggplant. That touch of dark purple eggplant is perfect for the present economic environment—it’s not as irrationally perky as pink or orange, but it still allows a sense of style and mystery into the otherwise basic spring color schemes. And so, in hopes that in some small way this post will lead more designers to feature dark and dusky eggplant tones, here are thirteen examples of hot new eggplant-colored fashion.

1. Nina Ricci’s Eggplant Swirl Gown at Paris Fashion Week.
In his last show for Nina Ricci, designer Olivier Theyskens showcased an amazing eggplant-toned swirling gown of geometric delight. Check it out at FabSugar.

2. Oscar De La Renta’s Dip-Dyed Embroidered Skirt at New York Fashion Week.
De La Renta was one of few color-thriving designers at NY Fashion week this spring. His flowing, vibrantly purple skirt smacks deliciously of spring, don’t you think?

3. Jimmy Choo Erica Ankle Boots.
How the heck did Jimmy Choo know that I love eggplant, shooties, and diagonal stripes? This shoe looks like what the next great intellectual, artsy hipster will wear. As She steps into the vacuum left by Andy Warhol’s departure, lesser beings will ooh and ahh at her powerful, plum-perfect shooties.

4. United Nude Fold Hi Shooties.
A single strip of elastic-comfy material makes up this shootie. I love the Seventies-style array of lines against a woven texture. This shoe is for the eggplant-color lover on the go.

5. Belted Faux Leather Satchel
This bag is so purple punk, I can’t get enough of it. I think this is what Catwoman would take with her for a night on the town.

6. Converse Sequin All-Star Ox Sneakers.
I’ve been waiting for these shoes my whole life. At last! Now that I have the right shoes, I can launch my career into alternative rock superstardom!

7. Vans No Skool 2 sneakers.
Sometimes deep blues and purples are a little too dramatic for sneakers, but the addition of black and eggplant crosses on the sides of these Vans make for a chill overall effect. And all of those little plus signs can only have a positive impact on your mood, n’est pas?

8. Flower Burst Ring from Forever 21.
Say what you will about Forever 21, but they have some downright good deals. This is one of them. Priced lower than a big mac meal, this flower burst ring will perk you up every time you look at it. A mood lift like that is priceless.

9. Eggplant Pearl Wrap Bracelet by Chan Luu.
On the other end of the price scale is this lovely bracelet from LA designer Chan Luu. I love that it wraps up to five times around the wrist, and those gold touches make for a regal effect.

10. Coach Op Art Dot Ponytail Scarf.
I bet you didn’t even know your ponytail needed a scarf! This wrap isn’t meant to keep your precious locks warm—instead of holding heat, it holds attention. All eyes will turn to follow this perky piece of hairwear as you trot happily down springtime avenues.

11. Hand Painted Silk Skull Scarf at Etsy.
Purple and pirates go together like peanut butter and jelly, right? Love it.

12. Cutie Flats by Jeffrey Campbell.
Another joyful union: purple and suede. The adorable side of purple.

13. Purple Elastic Strap Flats by Dorothy Perkins.
The charming shoe story of how Sporty met Eggplant, Grape, and Alice in Wonderland.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Top photo by Robyn Gallagher.

For the love of handbags

Shoeflyer — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:15:11 +0000

It has been quite some time since we’ve blogged about handbags, and for that we apologize. It’s not because we believe shoes are superior to bags in the hierarchy of female fashion accessories; at least we’d never say that out loud. Our passion for footwear is our only excuse, so please be patient as we try to become more handbag-conscious.

Like shoes, handbags change from season to season. After all, you wouldn’t carry your lime green beach bag with you to the supermarket in November, would you? If so, that’s you’re problem. All said, there’s an unwritten code of conduct when it comes to handbags. We don’t exactly know what the "handbag code of conduct" entails, but CBS came close to developing one in their feature, "Fall Handbags: Power Of The Purse."

Aside from detailing some of fall’s hottest accessories, the host, Julie Chen, shares some handbag shopping tips:

Bags should complement outfits, not compete with them

Don’t over-accessorize. Find one or two pieces to add to an outfit (never more than three)

Bags can be bigger by day, smaller by night

Oversize slouchy bags and more structured satchels are losing popularity

Bags don’t have to match shoes; they can make for a cool, chic look by mixing it up

Here are a few of our favorite fall bags, all of which (of course) are available at Shoeflyer:

The Camille by Ananas

Peggy by Vin Baker

What’s Hot in Handbags This Spring?

Shoeflyer — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:25:26 +0000

We’ve blogged a little bit about designer handbags for Spring, but recently found that we’re not the only ones with handbag insight to share. The ladies at Fab Sugar have an opinion of their own and according to them, bigger is better in respect to handbags this Spring. In part of their guide to handbags, Fab Sugar proclaims that over-sized totes are what’s hot in the world of shoulder accessories. That said, be careful, because there are dangers associated with overloading your bag.

Here’s one of our favorite over-sized totes, the Cleopatra by Aaneta Designer Accessories.

Designer Accessories for Rent

Shoeflyer — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:46:39 +0000

Of all the fashion accessories available to women, shoes reign supreme while handbags rank a close second. That said, spending hundreds, or in some instances thousands, on designer accessories just isn’t feasible for a the majority of women.

Aside from plummeting deep into debt for the sake of fashion, women have two options for obtaining designer goods. One is to buy accessories while traveling, because foreign tourist hot spots, such as Cancun and the Bahamas, sometimes sell designer good for up to 50% OFF the US retail price. However, doing this heightens the probability of buying knock-off or stolen products. A second option, and the most fascinating in my opinion, is to rent designer good s.

For a mere $80 – $100 a week, sites like Bag Borrow and Steal and From Bags to Riches facilitate the woman’s need to have a designer accessory around her shoulder with very little up-front investment. After all, we know how accessories typically lose their luster after a year or so anyway.

If you’re wondering how designer accessory rental sites work, it’s simple. In fact, it’s kind of like the NetFlix of fashion in that you sign up for a monthly membership with a myriad of membership levels to choose from (usually $20 – $120). The downfall is that you’re again charged an additional fee either by the week or month for each item you borrow. The costs of accessory rental can add up quickly, but for some it’s a viable alternative to spending a lot of money for something you’d only like to use for a short time. For example, you might be in need of a special something for specific occasion like a wedding or high school reunion.

Designer Handbags for Spring 2007

Shoeflyer — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:51:53 +0000

I think most women will agree that an outfit can be made or broken by the handbag chosen to accompany it. There are a lot of what I like to call, "universal" bags on the market, but sometimes a brand name bag just won’t cut it. For these times you need something more personal and specific to the outfit in order to stand out among big handbag brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada. In my opinion, spring is the perfect time to branch away from these traditional dark brown and black leather bags and work some color into your accessories.

One brand I’ve recently become interested in is Loewe, particularly the Nappa Aire line. Available in a variety of pastel colors adorned by soft buttery leather, the Nappa Aire collection screams SPRING! However, If you’re looking for a more modestly priced designer handbag to help shed some color this Spring, you might consider one of several bright colored bags by Ananas. Both the Tessa and Sadie are spring favorites of all of us here at Shoeflyer. Additionally, with the stellar sale still happening at Shoefly.com, now is a good time to get you hands around any of our designer handbags.

Beckham Designer Shoes and Bags

Shoeflyer — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:01:30 +0000

Beckham – a name that has seen its fair share of news over the past few weeks. First for David Beckham’s move to the LA Galaxy, then for the US launch of the Beckham perfume line. And now, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) announced the signing of a $10 million deal to design and release her own line of Beckham designer shoes and bags.

This is big news, considering the impact and influence Victoria Beckham has had on women’s fashion since her time as a Spice Girl. We expect to see big things from Victoria’s designs and are excited to see her fashion products hit the market. Hopefully her shoes and handbags will live up to the benchmark already set by other performers turned fashion designers; Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B just to name one.

Handbags – Is Silver the New Black?

Shoeflyer — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:51:48 +0000

It’s no secret that women have grown accustomed to relying upon black handbags as a crutch to support any outfit. Traditionally, no matter what your color scheme is, a black handbag is sure to suffice. Unless of course you’re wearing brown shoes, which then becomes a big fashion NO NO.

The ladies at the bag snob are suggesting women defy conventional wisdom, which says black handbags are the savior of all outfits and to think of silver as the new black in your handbag wardrobe. I believe a lot of women will agree with the integration of silver handbags and I’m relieved that someone finally threw it out there. More power to SILVER!

L.A.M.B Designer Handbags

Shoeflyer — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 18:45:24 +0000

One the fastest growing designer brands out right now has got to be L.A.M.B. From clothing, to shoes, to designer handbags, L.A.M.B’s rock-and-roll enthused line of products has been seen more on celebrities and fashion savvy consumers alike.

What I love most about Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B brand is its line of designer hand bags. L.A.M.B designer handbags first hit the market this past summer and range from $300 up to $700. L.A.M.B aren’t your typical handbags, many of the designs and styles are far from simple; however, they are still extremely hot to say the least.

Handbags of Hope

Shoeflyer — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:49:46 +0000

Less than two years after the brands arrival in Claire’s stores across the nation, Hope handbags have generated more than $300,00 in charitable donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It’s not Prada, Coach, Gucci, or Louis Vuitton, nor can Hope bags be considered designer handbags, but the Hope story is something to buy in itself.