Friday, April 23, 2010

Shoes of Silver and Gold

I bought these little silver flats several years ago, to wear with a vintage ballgown to a fancy work event. They were some of the most expensive shoes I've ever bought (which isn't even that expensive, really), but their price was justified because they are cute, comfortable, and have made me look cute on many an occasion since then. At first I used to treasure them and only wear them for special occasions, to keep them nice. Now, they are nearing the end of their lives, and the New York City streets have worn them down to paper-thin soles and shredded silver leather. I've been wearing the heck out of them these past few weeks as I've traipsed all over town. As I try and pare down my belongings to a manageable move, I figure I might as well wear these shoes out to their last thread and then ditch them on my way out of town. But they're holding up really well, and maybe they'll still have enough life in them to see North Carolina again.

These silver shoes and I had a great time yesterday, walking all over town. It was a shopping day! Even though I can't afford anything, I decided to go walk around all the fancy stores, starting with Bergdorf Goodman. More like a museum visit, a trip to Bergdorf's for me is to stare in wonder at the intricately made dresses, the artful displays, the luxuries spread before my eyes. Bloomingdales was pretty much the same, although if I was dedicated about it I might have been able to find something semi-affordable on a sales rack. But like I said, I'm trying to downsize my personal collection. I did buy some makeup, however, as Christian Dior was having a rare free-gift promotion and I do love their foundation. A crazy Chinese makeup lady pancaked me up with it, going a little overboard, but if I use a light touch, it will work wonders for my wedding day complexion.

Speaking of the wedding day, it started to rain while I was walking downtown towards Saks so I ducked into Nine West and tried on some shoes I'd seen the other day. I think they will be perfect with my wedding dress. Pale gold and retro, and very me! The dress is still at the cleaners, so I can't really tell, but I think they will look perfect. I also stopped in the fashion district and bought some fabric to match my dress, because somehow I have to construct sleeves for it. It was very hard trying to find the perfect match--my dress is around 60 years old! But I found some silk satin that seems to be pretty darn close. I'll begin the alterations when I get back to North Carolina--it's too much of a project to start here when I'm about to move. I don't want to rush or make any mistakes.

My day of shopping took me to Saks, Macy's, and then down to So-Ho, and back up again. My treat of the day was Pop Burger, which is definitely in my top three cheeseburgers of New York. The chocolate shake was delicious too! Sitting outside the Apple store, people watching, drinking a chocolate shake--this is the type of New York experience I love and am going to miss.

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