Sorel Compilation While Convalescing

For the past 3 months, the Grand M has been suffering under the heavy burden of sizable kidney stones.  If any of you have had the displeasure, you know the kind of agony they can bring.  One surgery in October successfully broke up the stones (pearl sized, they were!), and several weeks ago, another surgery took care of the remaining bits.  Truly, yours truly has been feeling severely under the weather and I've not been able to post to my beloved blog as much as my calendar indicated I was planning to these past 2 months.

My living room is chock full of sample shoes just waiting, rather impatiently, for me to put them on and be photographed in them, but I simply haven't felt up to it yet.  With any luck, I'll be back to my plucky, Grand M self in the next week or two, but in the meantime, I thought I'd switch gears and whip out some new, old school shoe blogging tactics, i.e., making lists of my favorites shoes of the moment and offering styling advice!  How novel, she says to no one in particular.  You really are a genius (she says definitively to herself, with much conviction).

Since December is well under way, the Grand M is in a winter weather boot mood.  Here are some of my favorites for the season:

The Sorel "Cate the Great" winter boot is truly awesome.  I tend to shy away from seasonal, all-weather boots, but Sorel continues to change my mind about what a snow/rain boot can be, and this one beats them all.  Made from sumptuous leather and suede in a gorgeous tonal collaboration of green and tan, with a faux fur ruff and whipstitching (not to mention a lovely, retro lace-up shaft) these Sorel's are sure to make you a convert as well.  Pair them with legging, velvet skinny jeans, tights and a sweater dress, anything!  LOVE LOVE LOVE. 

The Sorel "Tivoli" boot is another winner from this brand, and the Grand M simply adores the luscious brown, red, and white plaid upper against the tan leather upper.  Plus, the white and taupe rubber sole is just so chic, don't you agree?  A delicious faux sheepskin lining keeps your toes warm and toasty against the December frost, and they are the epitome of English countryside coolness during the cold and rainy season.  These Sorel's sure beat the mucky, icky versions we were forced to wear as kids!  Adoring all things Sorel right now.  

Gray Gilded Surprise

The Grand M loves a great flat bootie, but after seeing an endless repetition of the same style, they can become a bit boring.  Truly, how many variations of the same shoe have we seen season after season?

The "Japanese" bootie by TESS by Barefoot Tess, designed in collaboration with renowned shoe design house All Black remedies the flat bootie doldrums and reinvigorates the well-trod shoe with a fresh look.  With a rounded toe complete with stitched and folded detailing on the toe and the heel, these boots are a world apart.  Furthermore, they are quite possibly the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever slipped my feet into.  The soft, buttery leather is to die for, and what's more, they come in a gorgeous, supple elephantine gray hue (and are available in black and brown as well).  PLUS, (and here's the kicker), the shaft has a unique fold over style that allows the bootie to be worn with the shaft flap up or down, essentially creating two different looks.  When the shaft flap is worn down, a luscious peek of golden lining is revealed, adding just a hint of fancy to an otherwise demure shoe.  Wear them up with a great pair of skinny jeans, and wear them folded down with a pair of tights and a fabulous skirt to show off the amazing golden interior.  Also, the price point is great for such a expensively made shoe at $179.  So high fashion, so Grand M!  Available in up to a size 15.

Perfectly En Pointe

When dancer Marie Taglioni graced the stage en pointe in La Slyphide, a footwear revolution began.  The ballet flat became box-toed with the graceful stylings of Pierina Legnani and Russian great Anna Pavlova, who both transformed the dance shoe into an aesthetically astonishing, fabric-encased, hard-edged work of satin art.


The Grand Mademoiselle is no ballerina, but the deceptive simplicity of design comprising the snub-toed, blunt box end of a ballet shoe is breathtaking (witness the elevation of ballet shoes en pointe by Alexander McQueen in 2010).  While his awe-inspiring crossbreed of high heel, ballet shoe, and lobster claw may not be practical, they remain sublime and owe their origin to Marie Taglioni and her successors.  Christian Louboutin took the ballet shoe en pointe to an unearthly level as well, raising the bar on what's possible when you imagine above and beyond the round toe.

The ballet shoe en pointe is easily brought down to earth in the form of the snub-toed, blunt ballerina flat.  The ultimate leather square-toe ballerina flat of the season is the "Soft Blunt" by designer All Black which is available up to a size 15 (although also readily at hand in smaller sizes for non-Grand M's).  With a soft and delicate leather upper, gently folded and elegantly ruched V-shaped vamp, and a respectable 1/4" heel, the "Soft Blunt" is the Grand M's go-to for Fall 2011.  Wear them with silk trousers, a chiffon pleated maxi skirt, or even animal-printed wool shorts.  I've paired mine (which are a lovely patent-leather cadet blue) with a black nylon origami-folded bell skirt that I bought at a vintage shop in the East Village 10 years ago, a white cutaway tissue tank top printed with vibrant yellow bananas from H&M, and my Eric Dember studded bag from Hammitt Los Angeles.

Jewelry Du Jour - Love Heals

The Grand Mademoiselle moonlights as an accessories buyer, the perks of which are immeasurable.  Upon a recent trip to the Designers & Agents show here in L.A., one line stood out like a bedazzled beacon among a sea of muslin paupers and gold-plated castoffs.  I exaggerate, of course, but my current jewelry bent is toward the organic, the rustic, the earthy, and the naturally divine.  Love Heals appeared as a soothing balm to my weary one-track mind, slight reminiscent of The Woods Jewelry, but far less expensive and leaps and bounds more eco-conscious (this is a good thing).

The company Love Heals is a mother, daughter, and son design team, as much devoted to design as to philanthropy (witness their mission to plant 10 trees for every piece sold, and their collective decision to develop a brand "based on ideals rooted in unique designs, community service, and the love of nature" demonstrates a deep-seated desire to do right by nature.  Love Heals employs American workers and is committed to using only ethically sourced materials (translating into GORGEOUS stones).

I've featured three styles below:  the Pixie, Vibration, and a special piece designed for me by Love Heals called Mystique.  To purchase their jewelry, please visit their website to find retailers, visit their Ojai boutique, or give them a call at (805) 640-6818.  The Grand M is OBSESSED, not only with the mystical beauty of the pieces, but with the brand's philanthropic mission.