Menday: Acne Atacoma Black Metal Wedge

Who: 8 men’s style bloggers

What: Acne Atacoma Black Metal Wedge

Why: Became popular after Alexa Chung wore them and was an instant shoe crush for many ladies, including myself

Personally, I love the Acne wedge.  Seeing as how they retail for over $600,  I opted for the Jeffrey Campbell Alexa wedges instead and couldn’t be happier.  Plus, I get to feel tall, if only for a few hours.

Click here to see photos of how I wore them.

And read below to find out how the guys ripped, er, didn’t hold back on their feelings about the popular Acne Atacoma Wedge.

Shaun: In my personal attempt to try to find the attractiveness in these heels I have only justified why I don’t like them.  Heels are supposed to make the legs look more elegant, and by making such an abrupt finish at the foot you are doing quite the opposite.  And I’m sorry Ms. (Ms.?  Mrs.?) Chung, but what is with the socks?  You are taking what those heels make your legs lack to the next level.  Must I say more?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Kenyatte: Okay ladies….when I first saw these shoes the movie “Blades of Glory” came to mind.  If Chazz Michael Michaels saw you in these he might grab you and try to execute the Iron Lotus.  At $590, the price tag only adds insult to injury.  Seriously…someone hand me a bat so I can “Tonya Harding” the shit out of those shoes.  A platform wedge with metal accents is a great idea, just like the idea to duplicate Las Vegas on the East coast — but ladies…it’s all in the execution…ask anyone who’s gone to Atlantic City…

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Nick: A few reasons to buy these for your friend:

1)  She’d be rad to go sneaker shopping with.  You wouldn’t have to use those stools with the angled mirrors, just have her stay close.

2)  Couple flashlights and a tap dancing lesson and you’d have a disco at every bar you walked into.

3)  How’s my makeup?  HEADSTAND!!!!

747s and mirror-trimmed shoes… keep ’em on the runways and off the streets.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Lawrence: Oh Lord, I knew something like this was on the horizon, but so soon?  I thought we were going to be eased into this.  Now I know Becs owns a pair of these so I will do my best to keep this as polite as possible.  There is absolutely zero redeeming qualities in footwear like this as far as I am concerned.  I won’t pretend to know what women think, but I cannot even remotely fathom what would motivate a female to purchase shoes like this.  They give off this Spice Girls meets Robocop vibe, which is not as complimentary as some people might believe.  Attractive women (i.e. Ms. Chung and Becs) should avoid shoes like this for it draws attention to their feet and their feet alone.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Dan: The 70s are on their way back baby!  I’m a little torn on these.  Sexy, yes.  Practical and versatile, not so much.  I like that their bulkiness can help a woman’s legs look longer and slimmer, not that Alexa Chung needs it.     Best, SB

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Paul: Honestly, these just look ridiculous.  I’ll try not to go into these too hard, because Becca I know you’ve actually worn these on the blog, but honestly, on the strange & f-ugly scale, these are on the level of Uggs.  Just sayin…

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Max: To wear those shoes, you must have a healthy sense of humor.  I like a girl with a sense of humor.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Will: When I first saw this shoe, one thought popped into my head, “Is this girl wearing Kiss boots?”  And while I am a fan of a few choice jams by the face-painted bunch (Lovegun is a hell of a tune), I would not be too keen on seeing these in person.  If not paired with the correct wardrobe, they have the high probability of coming off as far too goth. Granted, some black eyeliner can be sexy as all get out, but taking it a step further (no pun intended) with these wedges is a turn off. Plus, I imagine the lady opting for these would want to keep them on in bed, and unless she’s cool with me wearing my Red Wings to compete, I’d have to pass on that idea.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Did the guys get it right?  Shoutouts to Lawrence and Paul who recognized that I had previously worn the Jeffrey Campbell Alexa Wedges.

If you have ideas for what you want the men to hate on… or sound off on, please leave it in the comments section.  I will do my best to work it into an upcoming post.

As always, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for another Menday edition next week.

xo, Becs

Make It Work

The fabulous Chicisimo team is throwing a summer party tomorrow, August 16, and you’re invited!  Dress code is casual, and of course, chic.  Send a picture of what you plan to wear or a link to an outfit you’ve already posted on your blog to the lovely Maria at chicisimo@gmail.com.  Don’t be late and send in your picture before tomorrow.  I’ll be attending.. hope to see you there!

So the great thing about moving is finding things you haven’t seen or may have temporarily lost.  Cyndi Lauper CD – was lost but now found.  Let the overplaying of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” start up again.  I also found several pairs of neglected and unworn shoes.  Score.

Since my shoes are all out of hiding, I thought I’d share with you some of my daily choice footwear.

Colin Stuart studded booties

Vintage ankle buckle boots & Steve Madden boots

Jeffrey Campbell Biz Belted Booties & Dolce Vita Phoenix sandals

Vintage Cole Haan shoes & Vintage black and white lace-up boots

Topshop Aztec studded boots

Urban Outfitters canvas wedges

Urban Outfitters boots & Vintage denim shoes

Jeffrey Campbell Mel shoes

Carlos Santana shoes

Steve Madden booties & Nine West lace shoes

Without being able to splurge on high-end designer shoes due to my lack of funds, I make do with what I have and am always on the hunt for vintage finds.  I practically wear my vintage Justin Roper boots any chance I get.  In the famous sentiments of T.G., “Make it work.”

Thanks so much for bearing with me during my absence.  I’ll get back to everyone’s comments this week and can’t wait to catch up on all of your blogs!

Flea Marketing

UO men’s flannel. Angel dress. Dolce Vita sandals

Yesterday Mel and I hit up the enormous Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA, on the hunt for some vintage scores.  It was our second time venturing out to the market after semi-swearing off we’d ever return.  During that initial time, we got way overwhelmed, dizzy and probably stayed for less than two hours.  But I was determined to find vintage floral minis, combat boots, oxfords and rhinestone bib necklaces.  As soon as we arrived, we skipped the antiques, and inherently the jewelry (bummer), and headed straight to the clothing and shoe vendors.  We scoured through the clothes, but I failed at finding any floral mini dresses and instead, got sidetracked by the shoes.  Cheap shoes.  Yes, it sucked lugging those bags around for a good three hours, and that was before I added the last two pairs.

Admittedly, I’ve never been a shoe person until really maybe a few months ago.  These are also my first vintage shoe purchases ever, and so I kind of went overboard by buying seven pairs.  Besides scoring cheap, maybe twice worn Cole Haan shoes (last pair on the right in the second row), which Mel said reminded her of the 90’s (yes!), the other standouts were these Buskens ankle boots with the gold ball studs and side buckles and the Justin Roper boots.  I’ve been online stalking Etsy for Justin Roper boots, and never found anything in my size.  These babies are in amazing vintage condition without any scuff marks, and I will be tempted to wear them everyday.

After melting in the heat and failing to find a vendor that sold nachos, we headed to Pink’s Hot Dogs, a Los Angeles staple that never fails to have a line at all hours.  I mean we’ve even gone to this place at 10am just to avoid a line, and there was still a short line!  Mel and I both got the Martha Stewart dog — 10″ stretch dog with relish, onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut and sour cream (we passed on the sour cream).  It was yummy, but something that you can’t have everyday because well, these pictures scream unhealthy eating.  Nonetheless, it was a great way to end a fab weekend!

Balmain(ia) Continues

Please visit my new blog at http://stylewithbenefits.com

Click here to view this same post on my new blog.

Balmain –> Zara –> Aldo –> Jeffrey Campbell –> Bebe –> Bakers –> Steve Madden

That’s probably not the right order, but nonetheless, Steve Madden is the latest to come out with its version of the popular Balmain stud and rhinestone heaven.  Yes, I realize that everyone and their mom have blogged about these (myself included), but for fun, here’s an updated scorecard on availability of the shoe bling.  And if they’re sold out, then the next best bet is eBay.

BALMAIN

STEVE MADDEN

Balmain ($2,300):  Sold out on Net-A-Porter.com

Zara ($169):  Sold out in-stores

Aldo:  SMEAL ($125) and MOLAVI ($90 sale) available

Jeffrey Campbell MEL:  Available on Jildor Shoes ($165) and back in stock in only sizes 8 and 14 on Solestruck ($170).  Nasty Gal had them in stock earlier today, but shocker, they’re now sold out.

Bebe Marianna Platform Sandals ($169):  Sold out online (fast).  UPDATED: Just checked online, and it’s back in stock! Only available in sizes 6 and 7 in gold.

Bakers DEREK ($80):  Available and cheapest option

Steve Madden BRIGGHT ($130):  Available for pre-order with expected ship date of July 21

For me, I got my fix of these via the Jeffrey Campbell MEL, and love them.  I ordered mine from Solestruck when they had half sizes, and they do fit true to size.  I like the JC ones because they are not only gorg, but comfy with the lower heel and slight platform.  I’ve posted pics in the past, but here are two below.

Last weekend I went to Nordstrom and came across the Jeffrey Campbell LITE ($165),  sister shoe to the Jeffrey Campbell MEL.  They’re not available online at Nordstrom, but found them on Solestruck (linked above).  Embellished with chains and faux black pearls, these shoes have the same heel and platform heights as the Jeffrey Campbell MEL.  Clutch (for me).  They are a good alternate if you prefer to rock this style but in a more subtle fashion.

Studs Only

My Topshop Aztec-Studded Ankle Boots came in, and I love them!  These also come in red, black and off-white.  The Steve Madden Revenu shoes were an impulse buy today, for the mere fact that I got 25% off.  They’re doing that in-store scratch card promotion where you can get up to 40% off or even a free pair of shoes. Ya right.

We Mesh Well

Calvin Klein Katia mesh shoe with perforated metal heel doubles as a weapon. An expensive weapon at $1679.

In theory, I like these Marc by Marc Jacob mesh boots, but I feel like you’d have to always wear them with bare legs.  On sale for $283.

Images via Couture Zappos