Collection Critique: ALDO Velvet Slippers For Fall 2012

ALDO Shoes has released their fall line-up and aside from the normal pointed dress shoe and mid-wingtip boot, they have been playing around with texture. ALDO first introduced their "velvet concept" last fall with a hard bottom sole which I loved. Great reviews that led to the shoe being sold out within the first few months. They re-released its mates for this fall in other colors and patterns. However, they left out a key component... the hard bottom sole. Although I don't extremely dislike the newly released shoes, I'm not in love. To me softer soles on a richer material just lessen the quality of the overall look. 

I see where they were going, but don't meet me half way-- go all they way. ALDO does such a great job in recreating top designer shoes at affordable price points, but for me they missed the mark with this collection. 

ODEKIRK leopard slipper 

Take this leopard slipper for instance. For only $60, it's a STEAL. However, the components are just simple and give off no WOW factor. Had they lost the trademarked ALDO tag, gone with a more defined material like pony-hair (not brushed over velvet) and put a nice hard sole on it, I could easily see them pricing them at $230.00 and they would be flying off the shelves. Again, its makeup isn't horrible, but the shoe has the potential to be so much better! Aside from my thoughts, if your feeling it... GET IT! Affordable and decent leopard shoes are hard to find these days. 

For more finds on leopard slippers, check out my post: 
Men's Leopard Loafers: Get them before they become EXTINCT 

SPROULL skull studded slipper 

In person, the iridescent studding detail on this shoe looks amazing, but again it would be perfect with a firmer sole with small heel for support. I don't want a casual slipper, that's what loafers are for-- I want sleek! 

I believe the causal shoes listed before are fine the way they are because the stitching and elastic band imply that it's design is perfect for a comfortable slip on. 

DIEDERICH crimson 

DIEDERICH navy

DIEDERICH black

Check out ALDO's first velvet slipper release in my past post:
DSquared Shoes Look For Less: Red Carpet Savvy, compare it to this new collection and let me know your thoughts. 

This hasn't turned me off from ALDO, they still have GREAT products! 

Blogger Spotlight: Color Blocking [Art + Fashion]

Yesterday, I decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan to check out the SCHIAPARELLI & PRADA exhibit. For this [Stylish Sunday] I went with a summer favorite theme: Color blocking. There is a very fine line in allowing the mix of different colors to work against each other, but when done effectively you are able to produce a combination worthy of a photograph. For this ensemble, I wanted to work with the dark contrasts of navy and purple by adding a pop of green hue for additional definition. The hint of orange is showcased in the sole of the shoe and is also brought out in my belt option. I used the bright orange belt as a focal point barrier to break up my shirt and pant. The pink lapel flower is just another dimensional layer of color I added to make the upper of my wardrobe pop when wearing the jacket. It serves the same purpose as my orange belt when the jacket is off. That forth dimension of pop color is a crucial element when selecting your combination while color blocking. Granted, it's not necessarily needed but when used correctly it solidifies the fact that you know what your doing!  

In a recent TREND REPORT  blog post relating to [Getting Dressed from the Sole], I talked about how this hot trend would be sure to surface in the summer months. Ideally the concept is self-explanatory. By literally allowing the sole of your shoe to depict your fashion forecast for the day, you are able to allow your shoes to speak for themselves. Check out that informative post here and the break down of my color blocking outfit below. 

 [Joe Fresh] Navy Oxford with orange sole- $69.99 (Sale rack---originally $99.99)

 [ALDO] Orange Belt- $19.99

[ALDO] Gold watch face- $40.00 (Comes with 3 additional bands) 
[American Eagle] Navy blue and white watch band- $2.99 (Clearance)
[Canal Street]  Gold bangle- $5.00 

[EXPRESS Men] Purple 1MX dress shirt- $59.90 (Now on sale for $29.99)
[H&M] Green suiting pant- $29.90
[Ralph Lauren] Navy weekend bag (free with the purchase of Polo Blue cologne--- this offer is            
                             no longer available)

[Goodwill] Navy peak lapel, double breasted blazer- $9.99

[Hancock Fabrics] Purple pocket square-$2.00 (1/4 of a piece of purple fabric]

Check out my post here on [Juliet's Pocket Squares] for other great square options. 

[H&M] Fuchsia lapel flower-$3.95
Check out my post here on [Male Lapel Flower Fashion]


::F I N A L  L O O K::

If you are in the New York area or will be visiting soon, the Met's Spring 2012 costume exhibition "Schiaparelli and Prada" will be showcased until August 19th. The educational exhibit explores the striking affinities between Elsa Schiaparelli and  Miuccia Prada, two Italian designers from different eras. 

DSquared Shoes Look For Less: Red Carpet Savvy

We all know that celebrity looks from the red carpet transcend to our everyday personal style. This mainly plays a part when selecting an attire to rock on a night out or a date night with a special lady when trying to impress her with our dress. Although we never really know how much celebs spend on their shoes unless we can identify the item on spot, it's pretty safe to say that (1) the shoes are designer and (2) they are expensive. Depending on your pockets, it may not be feasible for you to spend $500+ on a pair of fashion forward kicks to mimic the celeb looks we all like. With it being "award season" and our favorite shows like The Grammy's, Golden Globes, NAACP Image Awards, Screen Actors Guild, Oscars, People's Choice and Emmys all having their run on our television screens over the past few months, we've all seen some great shoes.

Well here at The X-Stylez we want you to know that you don't have to spend your last dime to keep up with the Jones', WE'VE GOT ALTERNATIVES!

Although popular celeb favorite, Dsquared is a great clothing designer they are most popular for their sleek shoe designs. Since patent leather and velvet are the "prime real-estate" of shoes on the red carpet, I felt I should highlight both textures in this post.

This Dsquared Joe Jackson patent leather slipper retails for $795.00 at Saks Fifth Ave. I personally don't think that's a bad price considering that some of their price points are at a stack. However, I do realize my mind is a little more irrational from normal standards when it comes to paying the cost for fashion pieces....but that doesn't mean I don't like a good bargain.

A good alternative for this shoe is from ALDO shoes, an economically priced shoe retailer that I mention a lot on this blog.

A good alternative right? This shoe that's almost identical (with the exception of the extra fabric bow) retails for $100 and is currently available online at ALDO.

Both the D2 and ALDO shoes come in crush velvet and and again almost identical, the ALDO shoe will fit your pockets much better.

This shoe will run you $761....

... and well this one, still a mere $100. I say that's a good deal! One thing about ALDO is when it's gone it's gone so don't procrastinate.