Fall

Found: Comfortable Fall/Winter Shoes

October 17, 2008 By The Fashionable Housewife

And not only are they sinfully comfortable, they’re totally fashionable too.

For the past month, we’ve been on the hunt for stylish, yet comfortable shoes fr the modern mom who wants to look great but doesn’t want blisters at the end of the day. We know that whether you’re chasing around a toddler or have to walk more than 6 steps during your day, you’re going to want comfortable shoes.

So in the name of shoe science, we’ve been trying out some supposedly comfy shoes from brands like SoftSpots, Asgi, and Clarks for the last few weeks, and we’ve chosen the winners based on overall comfort, style, and wearability (meaning how many different things you can wear them with).

Here are the winners:

1st Place Winner

Söfft “Freeda” Ankle Bootie

What: Sofft “Freeda” Ankle Bootie in Black Leather

These fashionable booties win 1st place for comfort, style, and wearability. Please read our full review here. These are super comfortable, fulled padded insole, stable heel, and you can literally wear them with anything. The only downside is the price, but they’re totally worth it.

Overall Design: 5 Stars
Comfort: 5 Stars
Insole: 5 Stars
Wearability: 5 Stars
Price: 4 stars

Price: $129.95 – $139.95

Where: Onlineshoes.com or get the Söfft ‘Freeda’ Bootie on Nordstrom.com

2nd Place Winner

Asgi “Carina” Bootie

What: Asgi ‘Carina’ Bootie

These slip on boots win 2nd place! They are super comfortable with a fully padded insole and footbed. I wore these shopping for 6 hours and they were completely comfortable. The only downside of this particular design is I wouldn’t wear them with dresses or skirts and they are quite expensive. These aren’t “Trend” shoes though, so you’ll wear them year after year, which makes them definitely worth it.

Overall Design: 5 Stars
Comfort: 5 Stars
Insole: 5 Stars
Wearability: 4 Stars
Price: 3 stars

Price: $194.95

Where: Nordstrom.com

3rd Place Winner

Softspots “Domina” Slip-ons

What: Softspots “Domina” Slip-Ons

These cute slip-ons get 3rd place. They are super comfortable and feature an EVA midsole and a soft Pillow Top™ footbed that lends luxurious all-day comfort. This shoe is perfect for wearing with all your pants, jeans, and slacks. Simple, chic, and non-trendy makes these shoes a great investment for long-term wear. Plus, these have a more pleasant looking price than most high-end shoes.

Overall Design: 4 Stars
Comfort: 5 Stars
Insole: 5 Stars
Wearability: 4 Stars
Price: 4 Stars

Price: $75.95

Where: Onlineshoes.com

4th Place Winner

Hush Puppies “Demure” Oxfords

What: Hush Puppies “Demure” Lace-up Oxfords

These cute lace-up oxfords got 4th place for their awesome style and eco-friendly design. They are made with recycled Texon lasting boards and tuck boards along with water-based cements to minimize environmental impact. Super comfortable footbed made of recycled latex foam. The cute design makes these a great choice for wearing with anything from pants to skirts.

Overall Design: 4 Stars
Comfort: 5 Stars
Insole: 5 Stars
Wearability: 5 Stars
Price: 4 Stars

Price: $95.00

Where: Zappos.com

5th Place Winner

Hush Puppies “Adeline” Suede Booties

What: Hush Puppies “Adeline” Suede Booties

These suede booties squeaked into 5th place. Their sleek design and wearability won us over. These however are the least comfortable choice. They are definitely more comfortable than most other shoes, but offer the least amount of padding. I recommend getting a pair of Foot Petals to go with these. The fabulously chic design and cute scrunched strap makes these perfect to wear with pants, jeans, and dresses. Great for Fall and Winter!

Overall Design: 5 Stars
Comfort: 4 Stars
Insole: 3 Stars
Wearability: 5 Stars
Price: 3 Stars

Price: $89.95 – $114.00

Where: These are sold out in almost all sizes. You can find a few sizes left at Piperlime.com and HushPuppies.com. There are only 2 sizes left at Zappos.com and you can find them in size 6.5 at ShoeBuy.com. They appear to be VERY popular!

poll by twiigs.com

Filed Under: Fall Fashion, Recommended, Reviews, Shoes Shoes Shoes!, Winter Fashion Tagged With: Comfort, Fall, Insoles, Shoes, Trends, Winter

Fall 2008 & Winter 2009 Trends: Short Hairstyles

August 27, 2008 By The Fashionable Housewife

Short hair is the second biggest trend for Fall/Winter 2008 2009. Unlike the long straight hair and wavy/curly hair trends, this will last into the winter, and maybe even spring 2009! It’s a lot maintenance hairstyle and totally chic!

This is the trend I chose when going to get my hair cut last week. The debut picture of my haircut is in the collage above. Can you spot which one is me? hehe

Textured Crop: To achieve this easy-going hairstyle, ask your stylist for choppy layers. For optimal results, have your stylist use a razor for this part. This adds texture and dimension. Wash and air-dry and finish with a styling wax to enhance the layered pieces. The volume created by the short pieces on the top of your head will add height and beautiful volume. This helps balance a round face like Mandy Moore’s (and mine!).

Messy Look: You can also go for a messier look like Agyness Deyn by simply shampooing, conditioning and apply mousse while hair is still wet. Then let air-dry. When dry, add a shine wax to the ends. And to get the messy look, grab hair at the crown and pull up after applying the wax. Spray lightly with a flexible hold hair spray like Aussie Opposites Attract Extra Strong + Touchable Feel Hairspray

Pixie Cut: Rub a large blob of sculpting serum or mousse in your hands and work through your hair. Continue brushing through with a one-inch ceramic round brush pulling hair forward toward the face. Let hair air-dry. Or you can blow-dry hair forward and accentuate the pieciness with styling wax.

Here’s some products we recommend for short hair:

Styling Mousse

What: Aussie Opposites Attract Strong Hold + Touchable Feel Styling Mousse

It’s like the perfect man. Strong, but with a soft side. And the best part? It won’t hog the remote. I like this mousse because it doesn’t make my hair dull and sticky. It’s light-weight but has excellent hold and feel. Great for short AND long hairstyles. Read our full review >>

Price: $3.99

Discounts: New Customers: Receive $5 off $30 or $10 off $50 on your first non-prescription order!

Where: Drugstore.com

Hair Root Pump Spray Mousse

What: Sexy Hair Concepts Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Spray Mousse

Shake can well before using. For lift, spray into damp hair at the scalp and mid shaft areas. Blow dry hair away from scalp. This is the only product that gives me big volume. It’s easy to apply and it works SO WELL! I highly recommend this one for anyone that wants real volume.

Price: $13.99

Discounts: New Customers: Receive $5 off $30 or $10 off $50 on your first non-prescription order!

Where: Drugstore.com

Texturizing Spray Wax

What: Pantene Pro-V Texturize! Spray Wax

This is my personal favorite. This texturizing spray work great on short to medium hair. Just shake well. Spray onto dry hair. Use fingers to tousle and lift layers. To define curls, spray onto damp hair and scrunch.

Price: $5.99

Discounts: New Customers: Receive $5 off $30 or $10 off $50 on your first non-prescription order!

Where: Drugstore.com

Check out the SPRING 2009 Hairstyles

Filed Under: Fall Fashion, Hair, Hairstyles, Trend Alert, Winter Fashion Tagged With: 2008, 2009, Fall, Hair, Hairstyles, Trends, Winter

Fall 2008 & Winter 2009 Trends: The Bob Hairstyle

August 27, 2008 By The Fashionable Housewife

Bobs and Bangs
Also known as “The Sexiest Hair Style of 2008″!!

The precision bob hair cut is huge this year, coupled with smooth, sleek styling, a blunt fringe and heaps of shine. Super sexy!

Your bob should be carefully crafted to maximize the effect of the style. Find a shape that will accentuate your unique facial structure, or highlight a long, beautiful neck.

This versatile style can range from ear length to shoulder skimming. It’s best for straight or slightly wavy hair. Perfect for fine hair because it adds fullness and prevents the straggly look fine hair can have when it gets too long.

A bob hair cut is not always all-one-length.

The “graduated” version, which is layered at the edges, gives this style a rounded shape, adding more volume to the top and sides.

And to add even more drama, opt for a “diagonal forward” slant (cut shortest in the back and angled down to longer lengths at the front), or crafted into an asymmetric hair cut, which is very hot right now. See Victoria Beckham’s style for an example.

“The Katie Holmes” is what every hair dresser is getting as a request these days. Short, tapered, with fringe bangs. So carefree and sexy.

Only opt for the bangs with this hair style if it works with your facial structure. A heavy fringe can be overwhelming on those with a short forehead or small, close-set eyes.

Your stylist should be able to help you find the perfect bob for your face, hair and lifestyle.

And if you’re feeling a little more groovy baby… incorporate a mod feel into your bob hair cut.

Source: Style Hair Magazine

Check out:

Spring 2009 Hair Cut Trends: The Bob
Spring 2009 Hairstyles: Braids
Spring 2009 Hair Trends – The Dilemma

Filed Under: Fall Fashion, Hairstyles, Trend Alert, Winter Fashion Tagged With: 2009, Bob, Fall, Hair, Hairstyles, Winter

Fall 2008 & Winter 2009 Hair Trends

August 27, 2008 By The Fashionable Housewife

The top hair trends we’ll be seeing this fall and winter are as follows:

And a fix of each. We’re seeing the bob with and without bangs. We’re also seeing straight, sleek bobs and wavy, curly bobs. Either way, it’s all about short hair this season!

If you have long hair and you can’t bear the thought of parting with your lovely locks, you can still be in style. Check out these Straight Hairstyles and Wavy & Curly Hairstyles that work on all lengths of hair.

Check out the SPRING 2009 Hairstyles

Filed Under: Fall Fashion, Hair, Hairstyles, Trend Alert, Winter Fashion Tagged With: 2009, Bangs, Bob, Curly, Fall, Fringe, Hair, Hairstyles, Spring, Trends, Wavy, Winter

Crochet Knit Boots For Gals On A Budget

August 19, 2008 By The Fashionable Housewife

Alloy Sweater Boot
$49.50
Available at: Alloy.com

If you can’t afford to drop $100 for a pair of Crochet Boots, don’t despair! We’ll help you find a cheap pair!

Apparently you can get LIVS for only $29.99 on 1site1price.com. We can’t vouch for the authenticity, but they definitely are affordable, even if they aren’t the real thing.

I also just found Livs Pink Classic Tall Boots for only $39.99 on Overstock.com! I totally recommend getting them there because you only pay $2.95 for shipping no matter how much you buy!!!

Next, we’ll head over to Alloy. A teenager’s shopping heaven, we know, but the deals are too good to pass up. You can get the Tall Sweater Boot that folds down for about $50.

Or you can zoom over to Delia’s (their sister site) and get the sherpa-lined Mckenna Sweater Boot for $69.50. Or get the Ava Crochet Boot on sale for only $29.99!

At Overstock.com you can get the Glaze by Adi Crocheted Winter Boots for only $39.99. They come in a variety of pretty colors too. We like those.

I even found a really funky pair with pom pom tassels! They are made by Groove and the style is called “Rejoice”! I think you’ll be rejoicing that you have the guts to wear these boots! lol

Steve Madden Magii Boots
$59.95
Available at: Zappos.com