2010 in shoes and bags

January

 It was love at first sight when I saw this bag in Charles & Keith. Despite having just chucked out a lot of High Street bags and vowed not to buy any more, it was mine before you could say “shopaholic”.

 

Charles & Keith (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)

 

It’s done me proud, though. I use it a fair bit and people always comment on it; my only criticism is that it’s quite capacious but with no interior sections so everything just lands in a lump at the bottom and it’s difficult to find things inside it.

February

This cream Tod’s was an impulse buy while DH was in the bathroom. I was desperate to get the transaction finished before DH joined me at the till and found out just how much it cost.

 

Tod's: DH never found the bill

 

I haven’t used it as much as I thought I would because it’s not that big and, with two children and a pushchair in tow, it’s difficult to use a bag that I can’t sling over my shoulder. I’m not worried, though – it’s a classic and I’ll probably keep it for decades. I LOVE the fact that my BlackBerry can fit in its own dinky pocket.

March

This Marc Jacobs ‘Sofia’ bag in Chalk was my biggest mistake of the year. I agonised between it and a larger, whiter MJ bag – should have bought the other. When I tried this in the shop, it was stuffed with crumpled paper: When I got it home, I realised that, without two copies of 7 Days shoved inside it, it flops over my arm like a strangled jellyfish.

 

Sorry MJ - yalla, bye!

 

I only used it once, and am currently seeking a new home for it.

 

April

This hot-pink, suede Coach number never really lived up to its promise. I imagined me, in jeans and a white shirt, skipping about town with nothing but my wallet and keys in it, the pink lifting my classic colours and maybe even matching my lips (and toenails).  It never happened.

 

Coach: Never quite clicked

 

Soon to be seeking a new home, I think.

May

These shoes were a turning point in my life. I tried them on; I loved them; I bought them. I lived in them; they look amazing with jeans and with 3/4 cigarette pants.

 

I love these, even if no-one else does

 

‘Don’t they hurt your back?’ asked my mum, after I wore them for 12 hours one day. I realised they were to blame for the back- and knee-ache I had been suffering. I wore them for fewer hours each day. Then DH said he thought they looked silly and made me ‘walk funny’. I wore them a bit less. My best friend said (indirectly) that wearing heels on the school-run was a bit ‘try-hard’. I wore them even less.

But I still feel invincible in them: They’re comfy and take me to six feet tall.

May

I liked the tan ones so much I got them in black patent / bronze as well….

 

Gorgeous!!

 

June

A rare flirtation with flats. These shoes from Dune are super-comfy. I ran around in them all summer, letting them give a flash of bronze from under a maxi-dress or skirt. I loved the idea of wearing them with a white shirt and denim shorts but never dared – legs aren’t good enough.

 

I love a bit of bling

 

June

I saw this bag while I was in Dune buying the shoes. It grabbed me big-time. Every now and then I take it out and stroke it but I haven’t used it much, because I don’t have the sort of lifestyle right now that involves zebra-skin clutches. I know it’ll come into its own soon; it’s one of those classics that’ll go on and on and on…

 

Hard to juggle with a baby and a pushchair, but one day it will come into its own

 

July

Okay, so I feel the cold. These cowboy boots got me through the summer in London: I wore them everywhere, and sometimes even with socks. It was bloody freezing in London last August!

Snug as a bug: Lovely!

 

August

I bought this at Jones Bootmaker in London. At the time I was taken with the soft, buttery feel of the leather, and had been overdosing on London fashion magazines that said cross-the-body satchels were going to be all the rage this winter.

Too much money for too little bag: Never again

 

As it happened, the leather lost its lustre very soon, and it’s a bit pesky opening the catch and then an interior zip every time you want to get something out. I use it a bit, but I fear its life span is limited. You can’t deny it: Trendy or not, a satchel is an awkward shape.

September

I don’t remember where I bought these cork wedges, but they were cheap and cheerful ; they’re lightweight and really comfy. I wear them a lot, usually with jeans or linen trousers.

Cheap and cheerful: Still love my wedges

 

December

I haggled for this DKNY bag late at night and I’m kind of glad I did. Although it’s unusual for me to choose silver hardware, I like the soft blush-pink leather a lot, and use it frequently. It’s useful when I haven’t got the kids in tow, and need to store only my purse, my BB and my keys.

No idea why I like this - but I do

 

December

Stung by DH’s admission that he dislikes my usual towering platforms and wedges, and thinks flats are more classy, I splashed out on these ‘Queen Mother’ shoes at Uterque.

The classiest pair of shoes I own

 

I’m surprised how comfy they are, and how lovely the suede inside feels on my feet. Whenever I wear them, DH sighs a loving sigh, says how beautiful I look and pinches my bum, and my best friend has even passed favourable judgement (apart from the heel, which she thinks could be lower). Even I have to admit, with a skinny-leg, ankle-length jean, or a legging, they look pretty amazing. I’m even thinking about getting them in grey/black, too.

December

My first attempt at true ‘flat pumps’ since I was 12, I bought these just before Christmas. They’re not great quality, but I think they’re going to be a go-er if you know what I mean. I wear them with skinny jeans, dark brown skinny cargo pants or leggings. Personally, I think I walk like a duck in them but I guess it’s all subjective.

And so ends my year in shoe and handbags. Lessons I’ve learned:

1)      Flat shoes are not so terrible.

2)      Jones Bootmaker is rubbish.

3)      If you want cheap and cheerful, you can’t beat Charles & Keith.

4)      Take the stuffing out of the bag before you buy it, or you may end up with a jellyfish over your arm.