How To Wear Your New Spring Shoes Part 1

Happy Friday everyone! We've finally made it to the end of the work week...Thank God!! What are your plans for the weekend? I plan to do some shopping and spend some time with family. It should be a super fun and exciting time for me and I'm really looking forward to it. Before I get to my relaxing weekend though I'd like to share with you a little knowledge about shoes. A few weeks back a friend of mine asked me if I could write a post about the different types of shoes and what to wear them with. Apparently there are people out there, and maybe you fall into this category, who are confused or uncertain about what types of shoes to wear with certain types of clothing. I couldn't believe I overlooked this topic for so long. Perhaps it's because I've never really had this problem because choosing the right shoes has, for the most part, been like second nature to me. But, I do get asked my opinion on this topic quite often so it's past time to write this post about it for all my friends who need and want to read it. While doing a little research on this subject I realized there are way more types of shoes than I thought so I'm going to have to spread this topic over several different posts. I may even write these posts by season seeing as the styles can change drastically from one season to the next. For this first post I'm going to focus on 5 types of shoes that are hot for the spring season and what types of outfits you should be wearing with them.



#1: Espadrilles
This style of shoe is new to me. I've seen them but before doing my research I had no idea what they were called and by all means don't ask me to pronounce the name. I've always just thought of these shoes as hemp shoes because that's what the soles looked like and it turns out that's exactly what they are made of...rope or hemp. These come in all shapes and styles...flats, wedges, and sandals just to name a few so there's a pair out there for everyone! For this post I'm going to focus on the flat tie-up version since this is the closest to the original. This style is super cute for spring and will go great with practically anything from dresses to jeans and even shorts. The one thing I wouldn't wear with these shoes is anything formal or business related. These would look horrible with a formal dress or a business suit. For my example I chose a black pair of espadrilles and paired them with a blue jean mini skirt, a black off-the-shoulder blouse, and a black purse. This is a great casual outfit for a day spent walking through the park with your sweetie or just hanging out with your girlfriends. To recreate this look:

Shoes: Lord and Taylor
Skirt: Chic Nova
Shirt: Aritzia
Purse: Vestiaire Collective



#2: Pointed Toe Lace Up Flats
Flats come in many different shapes and styles but for the spring I'm going to focus on the pointed toe lace-up flats. These shoes are super popular right now! Everyone is wearing them on their blog and they are in all the shoe stores. I myself plan to purchase a pair of these beauties soon. These shoes will go with any style of clothing you can think of with the exception of workout clothes and something super casual like sweats, overalls, or blue jean shorts. Please do not wear dressy flats with blue jean shorts! I've seen people try to rock this style before and it almost always looks horrible. These flats will go with your dresses, skinny jeans, skirts, and rompers so buying a pair of these is certainly a good investment. For my example I chose the cutest beige and black polka dot pointed toe lace-up flats and paired them with skinny jeans, a black blouse, and a black purse. This is the perfect outfit for a dinner date with the girls or even your significant other if the date is casual. To recreate this look:

Shoes: Ferragamo
Jeans: Lindex
Shirt: Mango
Purse: Current Boutique



#3: Ankle Strap Chunky Heels
I love the ankle strap chunky heels! These shoes are super retro and so adorable that I would love to own a pair in every color and style out there. The straps around the ankles help to support your foot better and makes it easier to walk in than a regular heel so this is an added bonus. This is the shoe you want to wear with your fit and flare dresses and flared leg jeans. I've seen these with shorts too and depending on the style of the top you choose to pair it with you may just pull that off. I don't like the way these shoes look with bodycon dresses and skinny jeans. To me it just looks weird but if you can make it work then by all means girl rock it! Also, I wouldn't wear this style of shoe with business attire. To me business attire needs to be sharp and on point and these being a rounded style of shoe just throws the whole look off. Maybe that's just my opinion though. For my example I chose a pretty beige pair of ankle strap chunky heels and paired them with a floral belted chiffon v-neck dress and a beige purse. This is the perfect outfit for church or a day date with your sweetie. To recreate this look:

Shoes: Saks Fifth Avenue
Dress: Romwe
Purse: Self Ridges



#4: Pointed Toe Heels
I mentioned before that business attire needed to be sharp and on point. Well, these are the perfect shoes for your business outfit. The heels are usually not as high and the ball of your foot is closer to the ground so you have a better center of gravity. No one wants to walk into a business meeting and look like they are unstable and about to fall over. These shoes are also very sleek and beautiful which will make you feel very feminine and powerful. The only downside to these shoes is the pointed toe may hurt your foot just a bit so don't wear these beauties if you're going to be doing a lot of walking. These shoes can be worn with dresses, skirts, and skinny jeans as well so you don't always have to wear them just to work. Do not wear these shoes with shorts or capris! I've seen people try and pull this off and it's never worked so please just stick with the aforementioned clothing styles. For my example I chose a red pair of pointed toe heels and paired them with black skinny jeans, a red and black striped blouse, and a red purse. This is the perfect outfit for a day at the office. To recreate this look:

Shoes: My Theresa
Jeans: Boohoo
Shirt: Pop Map
Purse: Loris Shoes



#5: Lace Up Heeled Sandals
Who doesn't love a great pair of heeled sandals? These shoes are perfect for spring especially if you find a great spring color or pattern. This season lace up shoes are in big demand so I decided I'd focus my attention on this style. This is one of those styles that I always get asked what am I going to wear these with. These shoes work best with dresses and bodycon dresses in particular. You may can pull off these shoes in a pair of skinny jeans depending on what top you wear but don't wear these with flared jeans. Blue jean shorts is also a no with these shoes but a cute dressy romper may go quite well. I may put this theory to the test soon and buy a pair of shoes like this and try them on with an awesome dressy romper. For my example I chose a gorgeous pair of floral lace up heeled sandals and paired them with a black bodycon dress and a black purse. This is the perfect outfit for that special dinner date you have coming up with your sweetie. I love how wearing all black makes the shoes pop. Remember if you do have a patterned shoe do not mix patterns! Wear a solid color top or dress to make the shoes really stand out and not fight for attention with your outfit. To recreate this look:

Shoes: JustFab
Dress: Far Fetch
Purse: Kohls 


Which of these styles is your favorite? What outfit would you create using these shoes? Did you like the way I paired these styles up myself? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions so leave me a comment with any suggestions or ideas you may have. Also, if you'd like to see a style of shoe on here to get my help deciding what to pair it with then let me know and I'll make sure it's on one of the upcoming parts of this post. Just send me an email at fashionabletigress@gmail.com with a picture of the shoes and where you are thinking of wearing them. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on future blog posts as they go live and to see pictures of my styles and my life that don't make it onto this blog. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and be sure to check back next Friday for the second part to this post. Also, my next outfit post will be up on Sunday so be sure to stop by and check it out as well.

Goodbye for now...Fashionable Tigress <3