Ask Caryn – August 2010
Colour Advice
I’m going to a friends wedding in August and I really want to wear one of the new ice-cream/pastel coloured dresses that are in the shops right now. However I’m very pale skinned with red hair. I don’t really want to pay for a a fake tan just for this one night (I’m a firm believer in pale and proud!) But I need some advice on what colour is going to look best on me with out making me look washed out!
Emma
Hello Emma
Thanks for getting in touch. You should definitely be pale and proud particularly if you are lucky enough to have beautiful porcelain skin and auburn hair. Your colouring will actually look very beautiful against this season’s pastel hues. I’d go for something with more colour rather than the blushes and nudes. Lilac, blue or pistachio green will look stunning on you.
Summer Wedding Attire
Hi
Could you please advise re; accessories to go with watermelon silk/linen dress for Summer wedding.
Thanks a lot
Liz
Hello Liz
Navy could be a great option. Alternatively you could look at gold, nude or tan options. Or if you’re feeling brave you could look at mixing bright colours that accommodate each other such as pink with orange which was seen on the YSL catwalk for spring/summer. Now that summer is finally here wild clashes of bright colour is where it’s at but of course it’s down to your personal taste and style. If you are going to add colour to an already vibrant look, pick pieces in sleek shapes, like a slim clutch or unadorned shoe.
Specialist Shoes
Hello
I do so hope that Caryn will be able to help me to find a way to help a young lady who lives near me.
Her name is Joanne, she is in her 20′s, is 6ft 4ins tall and has a rare condition called Beckwith Weiderman syndrome. Because she does not fall into any particular “slot” she is really not getting the help she needs to live a normal life – one thing that I think most women take for granted is being able to go shopping for shoes. Joanne told me she has never had a pair of girly shoes – bad enough – but then she said that the NHS allows her one pair of specially made shoes every 9 months, and then only if her others are literally falling apart. Because of her height and walking difficulties (she is wheelchair bound often because of contracting MRSA in hospital) which cause her to walk lop-sidedly she wears shoes out unevenly so that they really do not BOTH last 9 months.
The only clothes and shoes she can find are mens ones – the shoes are ugly, masculine and the affordable ones tend to be canvas beach shoes, no good at all in winter, and because her feet are chunky as well as long they are usually very tight.
Can you think of any way we can help her? Joanne is a sparky young lady – she works voluntarily for a couple of local groups who support people with disabilities, but I want her to be on the receiving end of a bit of kindness for a change. I have come across a shoe designer and maker in Essex called Hetty Rose who is willing to help by making a last and some shoes – but the cost will be over £650. I can take Joanne for a fitting, and I am trying to find sponsorship, also investigating other shoe makers, but just wondered if you may have any ideas, having worked in the field of fashion and I guess having some sympathy for people who have a negative body image for what ever reason – I used to work for BEAT so have a lot of feeling for such people. At 6ft 4ins it must be hard to feel feminine, yet Joanne is a really lovely looking girl – even in menswear!!!
I am not a relative of Joanne, I met her quite by chance and have come to admire her spirit. Her parents have little to do with her, having found a child who is “different” hard to deal with. Joanne lives in Suffolk with her little Jack Russell, Lucy.
Please contact me if you have any idea, I would so appreciate your input.
Isabel
Hello Isabel
Thanks for getting in touch. Let’s see what we can do.
Firstly have a look at Selve (you can link directly to them through our shopping mall). Selve offer a shoe and boot customisation service up to a UK size 16. They have a comprehensive range of fashion styles available to choose in various materials and colours. They actually offer really pretty, feminine and stylish shoes even in the largest sizes. Their prices are in the range of £350-£375 but at the moment they do have an offer on certain styles at £275.
Also have a look at www.shoesofyourdreams.com. This is a US site but they do deliver to the UK and they go up to a UK size 16. Their prices are around high street prices and they have plenty of casual and dress shoes to choose from. Their dress shoes have some very pretty styles from brands such as Magdesians, Pelle Moda and Moda Spana.
Similarly www.zappos.com is a US site which sells shoes up to a UK size 16 at high street prices. Their range is not so extensive in sizes above UK 14 but they still have good choices.
The following sites stock larger shoes but they don’t unfortunately go up to a size 16. It might, however, be worth contacting them in any instance as they are specialists and may be able to give you more information on sourcing shoes and specialist suppliers etc. Their prices are all around high street prices too.
www.barefoottess.com
With shoes from the likes of Jeffrey Campbell, LuLu Guinness and Via Spiga, Barefoot Tess is a site that you definitely won’t want to miss. Carrying sizes up to U.S. 15, this site has an incredibly large selection of incredibly hip shoes. Instead of just offering what is already available in larger sizes, Barefoot Tess has cute shoes manufactured just for them.
www.cinderellashoes.ie
Cinderella Shoes is an Ireland-based shoe retailer, specializing in large size women’s shoes. Though the selection is not quite as large as some of the other retailers on the list, they carry a nice selection of larger sized women’s shoes, and have size and price conversions built right into the page.
www.designershoes.com
DesignerShoes.com carries quite a decent selection of larger-sized women’s shoes in U.S. sizes up to 16, including many styles with high heels. But the best news is, they also have many styles that accommodate extra narrow or extra wide feet in those large sizes as well.
Also have a look at the website www.katielongshoes.co.uk. This is a site run by Katie Long who herself has large feet and has started her own online store in frustration at not being able to find pretty and stylish shoes for herself. She doesn’t stock shoes up to a 16 currently but she seems to have spent considerable time sourcing and researching suppliers of larger shoes. It might be worth getting in touch with her to see if she could offer you any advice/help
Finally there is a website called www.prettybigshoes.com which is a community website for ladies with larger shoe sizes. People use the forum to share their experiences and to find out where to find gorgeous footwear in big sizes.
I hope this helps.
