The Ideal Retail Therapy

April 20,3007

Marie Green is a fashion stylist and writer from San Diego California. She is the Fashion Editor of FINE Homes and Living Magazine and her column, “Fashion Focus” has appeared in FINE Magazine as well as LaJolla Light, The Del Mar Times, Del Mar Ink, The Carmel Valley Leader, Rancho Santa Fe Record, and The Solana Beach Sun. Marie is also the co-founder of SheWants.com.

Does a new pair of shoes cure the blues? Most women say, “Of course!” I recently polled 25 women of various ages, asking them this question, as well as how many pairs of shoes they own. Their answers ranged from 19 pairs owned by Allie (age 19) to 92 pairs owned by Lisa (age 43). All women polled agreed shoe shopping is a fabulous way to elevate your mood.

If you’re having a “fat” day or suffering from a temporary negative self-image, this is a great time to buy shoes. It’s the ideal retail therapy.

This year marks a huge movement in diversity in shoe fashion. Ballet flats are as stylish as platforms and stilettos are as fashionable as wedges. It’s all about individual style and taste.

The only thing not up for interpretation is fit. Shoe designer, Donald J. Pliner said, “When your shoes are uncomfortable, so is the body and mind, and that is never sexy.”

So, when buying shoes, make sure you try on both shoes and if possible, walk on a hard floor while making sure they are comfortable. One of the biggest fashion mistakes women make is bad posture — it can make one look years older. The experts at Women’s Wear Daily recommend you vary your shoe heel heights. So rest up your feet by wearing chic flats, then strap on your platforms, stilettos or wedges and stand tall — just like your mother told you.

Jon Gogue, the owner of J Carl Shoes in Del Mar provides a beautiful, personalized shoe shopping experience. J Carl Shoes is the concept store for Diego di Lucca shoes, which are designed by North County resident Michael Kaufman. Kaufman named his gorgeous shoe line after his son, Diego and his hometown, Lucca, Italy. The shoes are produced in Italy and Brazil and include pumps, boots, clogs and sandals. Every pair of shoes in the collection is a work of art, featuring metallics, gems and stones, as well as downright opulence. They are surprisingly reasonably priced between $100 and $275.

A minimal collection of comfortable but cute Michelle K sports shoes, which range in price from $70 to $90, are also featured in the store. J Carl Shoes may be a small store, but Jon, the owner, is big on customer service. He makes everyone who enters the store feel special in an inviting environment. When I interviewed him for this column, Lisa, one of his longtime clients stopped in. She is a former model who looks like she should still be prowling the catwalks. I posed my survey questions to her and she shared her number of shoes with me — 90. By the time I left, she had to change her answer to 92.

To complement the amazing selection of shoes, J Carl carries stylish, Italian-made Francesco Biasia handbags. Jon only orders one of each style bag, ranging from $200 to $500, which his customers appreciate greatly, since 90 percent of them live locally. The store is located at 1231 Camino Del Mar.

INSIDE SCOOP:

  1. Fashionable frames: Solana Beach Art and Frame, is celebrating its 14th anniversary on Cedros Avenue by offering $20 off any custom framing order. In addition to custom art and mirror framing, they have a great selection of unique originals and prints. You’ll also find a fun collection of frames in all sizes, which are creatively made out of leftover materials from their custom orders (I picked up an awesome 8x10 for only $30).
  2. There will be luncheon and fashion show benefiting Children’s Hospital at Paradise Grill in the Flower Hill Promenade on May 1 at noon. It’s being presented by The Rare Earth and will feature fashions from Flower Hill retailers. For more information call (858) 755-7227.