It's Time I Fessed Up

"Your wardrobe can always suffer for your shoes."
- Mark Gill

Mark Gill is my stylist. Well, Mark is a stylist whose clientele includes my mom and several of her friends. So, indirectly, Mark is my stylist, because I am lucky enough for those 6 degrees of separation. Mark is blunt and aggressive with his “gift.” He holds nothing back when sharing the lessons of outer beauty. A few weeks ago, Mark and I had lunch at Café Milano with my friend, Marchlena. She and I were trying to absorb as much free fashion advice as possible and Mark shared a valuable, but seemingly obvious, tidbit: “Your wardrobe can always suffer for your shoes.” I was stunned, but at the same time, I thought “duh!” Too often we neglect to care for our feet and sacrifice their beauty for some irritatingly cheap stiletto heel. Plus you can wear jeans and a t-shirt with some amazing shoes and still make a unique statement. I was enlightened.

I remembered my newest fashion rule as we strolled through Georgetown that afternoon. I contemplated a pair of $600 Cynthia McCartney black round toe pumps that I had been eyeing for a month, but passed. I loved them, but I wasn’t ready yet. I did get some fantastic skinny jeans though. Thank God for J Brand Jeans! (I wholeheartedly recommend them. Just look at Posh.)

Fast forward to today: I am poor, like really, really, really poor. I have been eating cheese and crackers at work, graham crackers and peanut butter at home, and crossing my fingers that free meals come my way through friends and colleagues. I can’t even afford monthly parking by my apartment; I have to park around the corner and it’s 30 degrees outside! I keep trying to hint to my mom to drop some funds my way, but she is not trying to hear it. But, please, don’t feel sorry for me…I brought this on myself. I spent $--- on a pair of shoes and now I am suffering by my own hand. It’s sick I tell you!


Aside from my depressing existence ever since I purchased the shoes, I still support the lesson. Shoes (and accessories) over clothes any day. I wouldn’t suggest depleting your bank account for some hot shoes, but choosing fabulous footwear to spice up your wardrobe rather than searching for a ton of new sweaters is certainly a great idea.