Hi everyone!
First, I would like to ask all of you to stop, pray and think of those who have suffered loses in both the Boston bombings and the Waco, Texas explosion. Something is truly taking place on this earth that is incomprehensible and evil, that should not and cannot be ignored! If you follow me on twitter or Facebook, you have read my quote, "let's replace selfishness with selflessness." Although we may not have been affected directly, we are all humans and feel the same pain, so let's consider that of which the people involved are feeling at this present time.
With that said, I want to share with all of you something that occurred in my junior year of high school. My family and I experienced a fire to our home that left us displaced for about two years. I had only a few pairs of jeans and tops to work with to finish up that school year, not to mention SATs to study for! I truly believe that was one of the many life experiences that instilled character in me and placed my attention on what matters most in this life. I think it also expanded my creativity in styling and developing various outfits out of such a small selection. To me, that is true talent in the fashion industry. Putting a look together once is extremely easy, but formulating several, now that's talent! Which is why I'm not afraid of wearing things more than once on this blog, who has the resources and ability to wear things only once, in real life?!
Anyway, let's move on to the main purpose of this post, which is providing you with ideas on styling gladiator sandals, a spring trend that has been around for a few years now. However, it seems that each year, they're going higher and higher up the legs! They can be dressed up or down, depending on the size and length of the sandal. I've provided some examples down below and I explain how you'd style each, next to the coordinating number.
1. Bold colors and hardware definitely dress up a look, but in this case, the shape of the shoe also allows you to dress it down, since it's a bit more wedged in, a more casual design. I would pair these beauties with a fun fit and flared dress, in either a neutral color (if I want the shoe to be the main focus) or with a bold complimenting color, such as yellow, to bring attention to the entire ensemble. I would also wear these with a pair of denim or dressy shorts, with a tank top anD fun jewelry and even add a fedora, to mix glamour and vintage in one look. As for a skirt, I think this would work well with a form fitting skirt and flowy top or a flared skater skirt and form fitting top.
2. These remind me of Xena warrior princess (do you guys remember that show?!?), but a much more chic version, lol! These, I feel, cannot be dressed down entirely. I think this would work well with a boho knee length flowy dress, with a cinched in waist belt, perhaps floral or paisley printed. I don't feel it would work well with shorts or a skirt, since they are heels and go extremely high. The combination of the two work better for a more boho-chic look, as opposed to a more casual look.
3. These classic gladiators would look great worn with denim (even distressed) shorts, creating a more edgy vibe. I wouldn't suggest these to my petite ladies, since they do not have a heel and lace up high, they can appear to cut you down a few inches, making you look shorter! So, if you like the trend, I would say go for something more like number 2, since it offers a heel, which will lengthen you.
4. These are perfect for everyone and almost any outfit, excluding business work attire. They can be worn with all dresses (which includes the maxi), skirts of all lengths, and shorts, although I don't think I would be too fond of it paired with the new bermuda shorts. These would of course work for women of all heights, too. So if you're very tall and are uncomfortable wearing heels or petite but don't want the lace to shorten you, this would work very well! I would say this is the most versatile version of the gladiator sandal.
5. These remind me of something I would imagine Victoria Beckham to wear. I feel they scream posh and sophisticated, while trendy and edgy at the same time! I actually would love these paired with boyfriend jeans, cuffed at the bottom to show that bandage, a simple tank or tee, and a blazer on top. I think it would be a very different, yet interesting look. The reason I feel that this shoe would work well with jeans, as opposed to the others, is because this has a caped toe, which generally works well with jeans or pants. So, if you don't like showing your legs, you could definitely consider wearing something similar to this or even number 4!
I hope you all found this helpful and that it brought out the inner warrior princess in you! We've all been through "stuff", so I think it's fair to say that we're all warriors!
XO
