Outfit: Super Smart

It’s just one extreme to the other with me isn’t it? From slouchy sweater dress yesterday to tailored suit today. Well why not? An equally easy outfit but a completely different look.

Brown pinstripe trouser suit – Long Tall Sally
Blue sweater – Long Tall Sally
Brown Boots – Faith

Marks & Spencer and Oxfam Clothes Exchange

I’m probably a bit slow on the uptake to report this, but what the heck! Basically if you take a bag of garments to donate to Oxfam that includes an item from M&S, Oxfam will give you a voucher for £5 off when you spend £35 on clothing, homeware or beauty products at Marks & Spencer. Genius huh? Click here for further details.

Outfit: Sweater Dress

I have been longing to wear these boots more than I have done so far but I’m finding it hard to know what to put them with. It could just be that I am not used to flats as I associate them with being casual, though I specifically selected these boots because they have a smarter edge to them than say flat suede boots. They do work well in casual outfits though and since ‘casual Wednesday’ has become something of a feature in my week, today was the perfect opportunity to wear them.

Grey sweater dress – Tall Girls
Black leggings – Long Tall Sally
Black boots – Tall Girls
Black belt – Local boutique

An Apology

I have been terribly tardy of late in responding to all of your lovely comments. I really do appreciate it when someone takes the time to leave me a comment and it’s terribly rude of me not to respond. So I thank you all for continuing to comment and my tardiness has now been rectified.

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing something cosy – snow is forecast for the weekend!
…reading Bill Bryson’s ‘Notes from a Big Country’
…watching the American Pie trilogy
…listening to the ‘Wicked’ soundtrack
…eating butterfly buns that I made myself
…shopping for boots for my vegetarian friend

Outfit: Navy & Black

This is not a colour combination that is often put together which I think is a shame as it can look really glamorous. Funnily enough, Shopaholics Annoymous has posted on just this topic so do and cast your vote on the colour combination over there.
Apologies for the poor quality of the fuzzy picture. I just can’t seem to keep my hand still and time is of the essence in the morning.

Navy dress – Next
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black Argyle pattern tights – Boots
Black belt – George at Asda (taken from another dress)
Navy patent shoes – Magrit (Designer Outlet)

Navy heart pendant - Scope

The Great Quest For Synthetic Boots

Yesterday my friend and I went into the city on a hunt for new boots for my friend. She is vegetarian and therefore (quite rightly) will not wear leather. You would think that it would be relatively easy to find boots made of a synthetic material given the abundance of cheap shops that are in existence but it proved harder than I had expected.
The problem is that the so called ‘cheap’ shops – George, Dorothy Perkins, New Look, have all started to use leather for their shoes. This is a good thing for most people, after all, if you are going to buy cheap shoes you feel you are getting more of a bargain if the £20 shoes are made of leather.
So we searched everywhere. The task was further compounded by the need for the boots to have a fairly low heel and not too much of a point. All my immediate ideas came up with leather or styles that were not suitable. Until at last we ventured into the old lady’s paradise that is BHS. This is not a store I often frequent as I have seldom seen anything in there that I like. On the clothes front, that had not changed. But the shoes? Practically everything was manmade and in the sale. The boots my friend settled on were knee high and were marked down to £25 from £35. When we got to the till they came up as £17.50 which was even better. And I’d just been saying how I love it when you get to the till and the item comes up cheaper than the price tag says.

Outfit: Black and Teal

I’m not feeling 100% today. I somehow managed to lose a filling eating a crispy pizza crust on Saturday night and now there is a hole in the side of my tooth with the sharpest edges ever and it is grating my tongue. I’m just thankful that the tooth itself is not hurting. So a trip to the dentist is in order for lunchtime

Black cardi – Long Tall Sally
Teal v neck tank – Next
Black & teal crinkle shirt – Next
Teal belt – Claire’s
Black pencil skirt – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Silkies
Teal boots – Faith

A Brief History of My Shoe Addiction

I believe I have mentioned before Clark’s Magic Key shoes that my childhood friend had and I did not. But my love of heels did not begin until much later.
As I put them on this morning, it struck me how much my navy shoeboots resemble the shoes I had when I was in the fifth form at school. My mum made the grave error of letting my dad take me shoe shopping and we went to Saxone where they had the Tall & Small range (now part of Barratts I believe) and I returned with not one but two pairs of shoes, reduced in the sale. See, even at 15 years old I was savvy for a bargain. The first pair, my ‘school shoes’ were black flats with a silver kind of Celtic design attached to the front. The second pair were also black but very similar to these shoeboots in style, only they were elasticated under the crossover at the sides so there was no zip. The heel was probably slightly lower and was definitely chunkier, but not chunky like the many of the styles that were around in 1994. And I believe that this is where my love for heels began. They were not my first pair of heels. No, those had been a couple of years earlier, bought for a wedding, worn that one time and then relegated to the bottom of the wardrobe because they were the most uncomfortable shoes I had ever owned. But these shoeboot type ones I wore throughout the fifth form and probably into the sixth form. In the sixth form I pinched a pair of my sister’s shoes (which she never wore) that had a chunky sole and a chunky 3 or 4 inch heel and loved those right up until the time they split across the top in my first year of university. And it was a downhill spiral from there really, by this time I had met my housemate who was already a shoe addict and I didn’t take much encouragement to develop my love of shoes. But without it, I would not be Shoegal, this blog would not exist and your day would be considerably duller for not having read this post.

Outfit: Breezy Friday

I’ve not worn these shoeboots for ages. And it is very windy outside hence the need for a hat.

Brown chunky knit cardi – Luxuriously Tall
White v neck long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Pale Long and Lean jeans – Gap
Navy shoeboots – Faith
Beige cord hat – Dorothy Perkins
Navy heart pendant – Scope

Why I Love: Grey Ankle Boots From Ethel Austin

These boots were an impulse buy as they were reduced to just £8 in the sale last summer. I was looking for grey footwear and there these were. Last night we went to meet some friends in a pub outside our village. This involves a walk of about a mile and a half, up a fairly steep hill. I wore the boots as I wanted a heel but also something comfortable and these boots lived up to the challenge. On the way home it rained and the boots further showed their versatility by proving that they are also waterproof. They look great with jeans and skirts alike and are an alternative neutral to black. Well worth the £8 if you ask me.

Outfit: Thursday Denim

I started out in a brown & teal print dress over the long sleeve t this morning but it didn’t feel right so I did a quick change into this.

Denim skirt – Tall Girls
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Brown chunky cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Teal/blue tights – Primark
Brown peep toe platform shoes – Primark (charity shop)

Wardrobe Remix: Grey & Brown

When I got home yesterday I tried a reworking of the grey & brown for a more casual look. Then the young man came home and said he hated the tights. Is it just him or do all men dislike thick tights?


Grey chunky cardi – Warehouse
Denim skirt – Gap
Brown t – Tall Girls
Grey rib tights – Next
Brown boots – Faith


Back to the original cardi from Luxuriously Tall.

Silver Hair Clip

I went to Boots last night and bought two hair clips. Well, I say bought. Thanks to the wonder that is Reward Points I paid for one and got the other with the points I had accumulated on my card. The first clip was just an ordinary tortoiseshell crocodile clip like many I have had before and annoyingly, the one I had most recently has disappeared. I also got a different type, I think it’s called an alligator clip. It is just a long curve of metal with no teeth or anything. I tried to find a picture of one but there’s none to be had on t’internet. Anyway, I almost didn’t get it but I thought I’d give it a try as it would only cost me points so chose one that felt like it had a strong spring. And I’m so glad I did. It holds all my hair like a dream and has become my new favourite hair accessory.

Outfit: Brown & Grey

So I got bored of pink. Brown and grey is not a combination I would have thought to put together but I’ve seen a few pictures in magazines and on blogs recently where the two are mixed to good effect and thought I’d give it a go myself. Also I remembered that I had these tights that I hadn’t worn yet.

Brown chunky knit cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Grey wool rib polo neck sweater – unknown
Brown long sleeve t (under sweater, visible at the waist & cuffs when I take off the cardi) – Tall Girls
Grey wool skirt – Gap
Grey rib tights – Next
Brown boots – Faith

Outfit: Cold Tuesday

Well the rain has stopped (for today at least) and now it’s frosty outside. And I’m continuing the pink theme.

Black trouser suit – Long Tall Sally
Pink rib polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Pink shoes – Faith

15% Off at Marks & Spencer Online

Today and tomorrow only, use the code WEBSS4C7 to get 15% off when you shop online at Marks & Spencer.

Outfit: Rainy Monday

Grey outfit to match the grey rainy weather. But a girl needs some colour in her life, hence the pink boots! And I’ve not worn much pink recently so perhaps this will be pink week.

Grey ¾ sleeve sweater – Gap
Grey wool skirt – Gap
White shirt – Long Tall Sally
Grey tights – Ethel Austin
Pink boots – Bertie (BT2)
Pink bangles – Accessorize

Elephant Feet Discount Reminder!

Don’t forget that there’s 50% off at House of Sole (formerly Elephant Feet) this week when you use the code ‘shoegal’.

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing boots to combat all this rain
…reading ‘Size 14 is Not Fat Either’ by Meg Cabot
…watching 80s movies on TV
…listening to Vivaldi’s Gloria
…eating more flapjack as the first batch was so delicious
…shopping for a new suit for the young man

Paring Down My Wardrobe

I have a lot of clothes. The young man thinks I have too many clothes. I believe there is no such thing. We have to agree to disagree.
Since I have been keeping this blog it has meant looking at a picture of my outfit on a daily basis. I have learned that items designed for my taller frame are the clothes that look the best on me. And so, my somewhat belated resolution for 2008 is to gradually pare down my wardrobe to keep only those garments that look fabulous on me. And I will continue what I started last year and if I purchase anything new, it will be designed to fit a taller person.

Outfit: Blue Friday

Blue sweater – Dorothy Perkins
White t – Dorothy Perkins
Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Black boots – Tall Girls

House Of Sole (formerly known as Elephant Feet) Discount

I opened my email this morning to find this comment had been left on my post about the House of Sole store from February 2007:

Hi Shoegal,

I hope you received our comments about how great you are for establishing this site.

Anyhow, House of Sole (Formerly known as Elephant feet) are having a 1week sales for shoegal's followers to shop at 8 Chiltern st between the 21st and 26th of January 2008 and receive a 50% discount on all items. You would need a password, which is Shoegal, shoegal shoegal in House of Sole.

We are open Mon- sat 10am to 6pm, except Thursday when we close at 7pm.

Kind Regards

Team at House of Sole

020 7486 7789

I wasn’t sure which comments they were referring to but there was a blogger link left in the comments box so, intrigued, I clicked on it. Turns out? There’s a whole new blog dedicated to me! OK, so there’s just the one post there but still!

I’m not sure if the 50% will work on the website but if anyone wants to give it a go and let me know, I’ll update the rest of you.

There are some fantastic styles on the site at the moment, I particularly like these leopard print platforms at £99


And these blue satin ones at £120.


As you can see, the 50% discount will be very welcome, so don’t miss out, get shopping!

Long Legs

I've just added a new shopping link to the side panel - Long Legs. This company is based in Canada which is great news for us in the UK as you can basically halve the prices to get the amount in GB Pounds thanks to the strength of the pound against the dollar right now. The selection looks great and the prices are comparable to those at Long Tall Sally and Tall Girls. And if you can find a sale item in your size you are guaranteed a bargain!

Outfit: Red and Black

I must learn to stand up straighter in my pictures! And I think heels work better with this length of skirt. But I’m wearing these boots now and I love them!

Red polo neck sweater – Luxuriously Tall
Black skirt – Dunnes
Black tights – Silkies
Black boots – Tall Girls

Outfit: Black Tie

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall
Black cardi – Long Tall Sally
White shirt – Oasis
Black tie – Claire’s
Black tights – Morrison’s
Black boots – Arturo Chiang (Century 21)

Silver belt - local boutique

Outfit: Black & Cream Stripes

Black & cream stripe dress – charity shop
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – George at ASDA
Black & cream shoes – Next (charity shop)

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing dresses
…reading ‘Size 14 is Not Fat Either’ by Meg Cabot
…watching Echo Beach & Moving Wallpaper
…listening to whatever is on my MP3 player
…eating flapjack (yes I’m on a New Year home baking kick)
…shopping for nothing – need to save for a while now

Smart and Shallow

My friend Bec and I were talking on Friday night about how different our blogs are. She writes about how she can live more generously, or she reviews the intellectual book she’s been reading this week and I write about shoes, what I’m wearing and shopping. We decided our blogs balance each other out though, like Yin and Yang. And whilst I may seem to be the shallow one, I do enjoy a good book as much as the next person and through Bec’s influence I now automatically say no to carrier bags in shops.
Any one who has read ‘Some Like It Haute’ by the fabulous Julie K L Dam will recognise the central character Alex’s mantra “smart and shallow”. I think it’s one I should adopt for myself as I know I can come across as shallow for my love of style and shoes and my obsession with what I’m wearing, but I also know that I not, in fact, shallow.

Outfit: Red Dress

I am so loving these shoes at the moment. They are this week’s favourites. But really, how fickle am I? A different favourite pair of shoes each week! So, it’s the new red dress, made work-appropriate with a black cami and black tights. And the jacket keeps things smart.

Red dress – Claudia Richards (Luxuriously Tall)
Black cami – 3 Suisses
Black jacket – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Marks and Spencer
Black patent shoes – Matalan

Pre-Christmas Shopping

Yes I know it is January 14th but this was an order I placed from Luxuriously Tall before Christmas. It only arrived last week which is an unusually long wait for goods, even from the US, but I suppose all the extra Christmas post in the UK was to blame for the delay as it is recorded as having left Chicago on 14th December.

There was a sale on so I took advantage and bought a few items.

Red dress
This is a lovely dress as you can see from my outfit today. The sleeves are long and it’s so comfy to wear. I should be saving it for going out somewhere special I suppose but I don’t go that many places that require a dress and I believe in wearing the clothes that are in my wardrobe. If you save something too long, chances are you’ll never wear it. The same goes for perfume by the way (slightly off topic but never mind). Don’t save your lovely fragrances for some special occasion, wear them everyday. If you don’t, when you at last come to use it, the perfume will have gone off with age and won’t smell as fresh as it does new. Besides, a spray of perfume every day will make you feel special and every woman deserves to feel special everyday.

Red sweater
This is a more casual piece and I can’t wait to wear it with jeans and skirts. The quality of the knit is good as is the fit.

Brown cardi
This is a looser knit than I was expecting but that doesn’t make it any less cosy. It is shown here buttoned up but when I wore it Friday night and yesterday I only buttoned the two buttons at the top for a ‘swing’ effect to balance out my skinny jeans.

Once more I am super pleased with my purchases from Luxuriously Tall and would highly recommend them to anyone needing tall apparel, something that is not so easy to come by in the UK.

Outfit: Church on Sunday

These are my current favourite boots as I’ve probably said before. They are just so tall on my legs.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown top – Tall Girls
Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Green suede boots – River Island

Outfit: Work Christmas Party

I suppose it’s not really a Christmas party when it’s in January, but whatever, it was my company’s holiday party on Saturday night. My entire outfit was thrifted and cost less than £10, including the shoes.

Black silk dress – Pierce II Fionda, Designers at Debenhams (charity shop)
Bronze sequin shrug – Red Herring, Designers at Debenhams (charity shop)
Bronze glitter shoes – New Look (charity shop)

Outfit: Smart and Chic

I have another meeting today (I should really stop arranging those for Fridays!) so it had to be smart casual again today. Love these shoes as they make my feet look tiny.

Dark Long and Lean jeans – Gap
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black socks – don’t know
Black patent shoes – Matalan

Outfit: Long Tall Sally

I am veritable walking advertisement for Long Tall Sally today. And I felt like going a lot smarter and more ladylike than yesterday too. This is a sort of reworking of Tuesday’s outfit.

Black pencil skirt – Long Tall Sally
Black sweater – Long Tall Sally
White shirt – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – George at ASDA
Teal shoes – Matalan
Teal beads – Claire’s
Teal belt – Claire’s

Wanted: Petula Boots by NYLA

How much do I want these suede boots from NYLA? They are an over the knee style which on me would be the perfectly knee high. They are also available in Black or Red. However, at $179.99 and from a site that doesn’t ship outside the US, they are not likely to become mine anytime soon.

A Craving For Kylie

Whilst browsing the sale section of the M&Co website, I had a sudden urge to look at the Kylie (kids) area of the site, specifically at the jewellery section. When I first had my ears pierced at the age of about 12 or 13, my sister, her friend and I used to spend hours (and all our pocket money) buying earrings in the local Mackays (as M&Co was known back then) store. They did the most wonderful collection of dangly earrings and cards with three or more co-ordinating pairs for a bargain price. So I was pleased to see that the teens of today can have the same experience in their own local towns (M&Co stores tend not to be located in big cities). Heck, for 50p (down from all of I could even be tempted to purchase this ‘set’ to get that retro 80s vibe.

Outfit: Casual Layers

I wasn’t sure on the status of the heating at office number 2 so I thought I’d better wrap up, just in case. As it turns out the heating is mended although it’s not overly warm in here at the moment. Also, my hair is not looking the greatest, hence the hat!

Brown cardi – Marks and Spencer (charity shop)
Turquoise rib polo neck – Primark
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Turquoise faux suede faux fur trimmed boots – Splash (ebay)
Brown cord hat – Matalan