As I write this post I am a very happy Spirited Woman because I just fulfilled a fashion quest. You see about 10 months ago I was shopping with my sons when I spotted a truly spectacular teal blue cocktail dress. It was love at first sight but the price tag hindered the potential relationship. My sons were with me when I saw the dress and my middle son said "mommy that dress would look so pretty on you." It was gorgeous but I just couldn't see spending the money on a dress I didn't really need at the moment.
A few weeks passed and as luck would have it, the twice yearly Paris Sales began. We were passing by the same store again and my son said, "Hey Mom, maybe that dress is on sale." Firstly, I couldn't believe that he had remembered the dress and secondly, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that he was right...the dress was on sale and 50% off was nothing to take lightly. I gave into temptation and bought the beautiful dress that I knew would be perfect for some future special occasion.
The occasion has now presented itself and I will be going to an important cocktail party next week but a new fashion quest raised its head. I needed the perfect pair of silver heels to go with the dress. Oh the dilemma, too late for sexy summer shoes and too early for holiday heels. There are slim pickings when it comes to gorgeous going out shoes at this time of year...yes, even in the fashion capital of the world!
I dedicated my lunch break today to scouring the City of Lights for the perfect finishing touch that a fabulous set of heels would give. I looked in clothing stores, discount stores, shopping centers and resale shops and found nada. It was more than a little depressing that the city known for its head to toe style had not one spectacular silver slipper to offer. I didn't give up though, I was determined that I would find what I was looking for I just had to be persistent and stay dedicated to my quest.
So, after work I began the search anew...again, nothing. On the train ride home, I began to make a mental list of all of the shops that I could hit between now and the night of the party. I wasn't going to take 'not in stock' as an answer. The list was solid and I was all ready to begin the shoe hunt again tomorrow morning when I remembered a secret (but actually very obvious) card up my sleeve...the internet!!!
Sure Paris may be the fashion capital but it has nothing on the internet. Just about anything your heart desires can be found surfing the WWW. At first I tried Victoria's Secret but they stay very much in season so silver sandals at the end of October didn't make for a very good combination. Then I remembered a site that I have heard raves about, checked out one or twice but had still not used to purchase anything: Zappos. If you are not already familiar with Zappos, get familiar, they have the most impressive, shoe stock you could possibly imagine.
Zappos allows you to search for shoes by style, type, color, and size and then offers you a plethora of shoes to choose from. Though Zappos started out as a shoe site, it has grown into much more. You can look for clothes, handbags and accessories as well. The prices are quite reasonable and the free shipping both ways and 365 day return policy makes this web stop a no brainer! So the next time you are desperately seeking a certain pair of shoes make sure you check out Zappos before you search the entire city.
In case you are wondering, yes, I did find a fantastic pair of extremely feminine high heeled silver sandals at Zappos. I actually had a very hard time choosing between three models but the choice has been made and I now await my gorgeous shoes. My fashion quest was a success!
Do you have any fashion sights that are too good to keep secret? Let us know about them! I would love to do a post on reader's recommendations and we will even include your name, photo and web address (if applicable) for any top suggestions.
To your Fabulous never-give-up Style,
- Dawn Z Bournand www.fabulouslysuccessful.com
Click here to read more of Dawn's posts.
Comments