fantastic flats (and other things you thought you'd never hear me say)

in the past two years, since leaving New York, i've made a lot of changes. i mean...i live in BANGKOK now and i also have a masters degree in engineering (check, complete. done. onto the Ph.D...!). however, most of my time in New York was spent in heels that matched the buildings of the skyline - tall, tall, and taller. i'm already a bit of a skyscraper myself at just over 5'8" tall... but nonetheless, the only time i wore flats was on my way to yoga.

the times, they have changed. maybe it's because i'm older, or maybe because my feet are bruised to high hell from my Muay Thai session (i box/kick barefoot)....or maybe it's because i realized that some of the chicest women out there are regularly rocking flats....all day and all night long. i mean, Gwenyth, Bey, Ashley, Angelina....if wearing flats is wrong, i don't want to be right!

and hey - why not spare my feet a little bit. as much as i love the feeling of walking into the door and stepping out of my heels and having that amazing "ahhhhhhh" moment - comfortable flats are much more practical for hours of booty shaking!

i mean, the point is...flats can be stylish and super chic too. 5 inch heels aren' the end all, be all of fashion... you can look glam or gorgeous AND not destroy your feet every day...it's a win-win!

while yes, i must admit the heels are still in rotation and i still love them - my collection of fierce flats has won my heart. i started with the holy grail : the spike Christian Louboutin flats!

these glamorous pieces of work carried me through my wedding day and are now my favorite dancing shoes. literally. they come out about twice a week for evenings of bootyshaking at Bangkokian nightclub, and they own the dance floor.
similarly, i have a great pair of black Jimmy Choo flats that i scored...

maybe tough to see but trust me, they're great. i mean they're black, kinda glitteryish, and they're flats and they're jimmy choo so that's all there is to know about them. i love them. they are great with outfits like this (dress: james perse. tights: wolford. coat: j.crew.) and equally great with jeans or any other kind of pants or skirt you desire.
so OK - not every pair of flats can be the illustrious red sole, i know that. so what are the good ones?
J.CREW J.Crew flats are pretty much amazing. they're well made with beautiful italian leather, have a little bit of lift built in (to give you just a little edge), and come in a large, large variety of colors. the cece ballet flat is a personal favorite, and they're very affordable ($125-$135).

STEVE MADDEN always chic and on-trend, Steven Madden always offers affordable flats in a variety of styles, prints, and textures. they will tend to run you about $70-$100...they're so affordable you can usually get 2 pairs and still feel pretty good about yourself! this season, i love the leopard elusionl flats (will dress any outfit up, even leggings) and the metallic murphey loafer (adds casual coolness to jeans and black ankle length pants!).

ZARA and finally, we have Zara. Zara is like the poor-man's Celine; far cheaper and far less theatrical to obtain. i love Zara - it's a bit more grown up than Topshop or H&M....the lines are cleaner and the colors more sophisticated. they also have pretty decent shoes too. their look-book even features quite a few chic-girls-in-flats looks, further accentuating my point. i mean, if Zara does it..so can you. these patent leather slip-ons are pretty cool and really affordable.....and would pair well with a sharp blazer and jeans! and then...if you need to get fancy, there are these....the metal heel flat mule. i mean you guys - a la Twiggy, throw on these flats with a short, boxy shift dress...make your hair messy/big/put it up and away....line your lashes for some doe-eyes and BAM. you are 60's chic in like 10 minutes or less (no foot pain/platform heels required). that slinky ankle chain and the python toe...all you need.

see? flats can be the most, most glam.
so my point is...you can wear flats and still look amazing. plus, you can extend the amount of time you're able to booty shake by atleast another hour or two! it's like...if you're Princess Peach in heels, maybe after 2 or 3 hours of fighting Bowser, you're out of hearts. but if you're Princess Peach in flats, you can kick Bowser's ass and still have a enough energy hearts to go out and celebrate!

she's like...flats on tonight, you guys. i'm ready to go throw some mushrooms!!!