Well, enough real world for now, let’s talk about something near and dear to many ladies’ hearts: shoes! I’ve been waiting rather impatiently for the last month (and impatiently before that, too) for new shoes to arrive in the mail.
Now, of course, shoes don’t actually take a month to arrive in the mail, but when Royal Vintage Shoes released their first collection for pre-order, I snapped up my favorite styles right away. As you may remember, I’m a brand ambassador for Royal Vintage, so I am bribed with shoes (erm, I get a discount) to talk about shoes, but all opinions and reviews are my honest opinion.
I picked up two pairs from the Classic 1940s collection, the Marilyn (featured here) in black and the Dolores (blog post coming soon!) in brown. I’ve actually been without a plain closed-toe black pump for a while so I was pretty excited about getting these. Especially as the weather gets colder, it’s really nice to have a staple black pump that goes with everything.
A little more shoe nitty-gritty:
I generally wear a 9 and have pretty substantial hereditary bunions. I ordered the Marilyns in a 9 and the fit is spot-on. I’ve noticed some people are finding these run a half-size large, but for me and my wider feet they’re perfect. The shoes fit and were quite comfortable out of the box, the high vamp stops them from sliding around too much on the foot, and Lauren made sure that the backs were cut low enough to not cut into the back of your ankle when worn, which actually makes a huge difference! I’ve worn these a few times in the past week and haven’t gotten a single blister, which is rare with walking in new shoes.
The shoes are leather inside and out with a rubber sole, and come with spare heel taps which I honestly think is the best idea ever. The insoles are lightly padded and there is a bit of arch support, which was nice to discover and makes the shoes pretty comfy for all day wear. Lauren is also a big evangelist for nicely balanced heels, and it really does make a world of difference for how comfortable and walkable the shoes are.
So the verdict, generally, is fantastic shoes, would buy again. The Royal Vintage line is a bit outside of my usual shoe budget, but I really think that the quality is worth the cost. Lauren also usually does a pre-order for new lines which generally saves you a pretty penny, so if you want a tip-off when the next collection is on its way (I think it’s ’20s and ’30s styles for spring?) you should follow Royal Vintage shoes on Instagram or Facebook. It also doesn’t hurt that Abby and Lauren keep all the social sites filled with pretty pictures and highly amusing livestreams, so following them is actually enjoyable!
Oh, the other highlight of this outfit is my newest giant spider brooch. I’ve been wildly envious of Solanah’s spider brooch since the early days of my vintage style adventures, so I was pretty thrilled to find the very same spider in red on Etsy for a good price a few months back. It (she?) needed a few rhinestones replaced, but that was an easy fix!
Oh, and I guess the sweater is new too. It’s just a generic raglan pattern, I’m not totally pleased with how it came out but it’s fuzzy and back so it will do!
But mostly: shoes.
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- Red rhinestone earrings: Gift from Alison
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- Red rhinestone spider brooch: Etsy
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- Dark red t-shirt with lace detail: Target kids’ section
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- Fuzzy black cardigan: Handknit by me, basic raglan design
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- Elastic and leather belt: H&M kids’ section
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- Harlequin print skrit: Pin Up Girl Clothing
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- Black 1940s repro pumps: Marilyns from Royal Vintage Shoes (I purchased these shoes at a discount in exchange for images and a review)