Most basic accessories can do double duty between work and play. A simple black bag can transition from night to day, and a plain brown belt can work with business or casual ensembles. But shoes aren't so easy. The basic black pumps you rock on the weekends probably shouldn't be the same pair that make the trek to work come Monday morning. I have no clue exactly why shoes gained more sex appeal than other accessories, but regardless, it's your job to make sure your footwear is appropriate
Make sure each suit can be matched with a pair of coordinating heels with a full toe and full heel. I have a pair in nude and black ($29.99 from TJMaxx, and $15.00 from Famous Footwear, respectively). With these two pairs of shoes, I will never come across a suit that requires another pair of shoes. And the closed toe and full heel make them appropriate for any level of business formality. When shopping for heels, keep in mind that matching your shoe color to your pants and pointier toes both lengthen your leg line, making you look taller and sleeker. And keep heels under 4 inches; skip the platform styles.
Repeat tip one, but with flats. And again, I have a pair in both nude and black. My black flats were $39.99 from Marshall’s, and my tan flats came in at $6.00 from MadStylz, a consignment store in Burlington (not to mention, they still had never been worn).
Buy a pair of rain friendly shoes. I get seriously attached to my shoes. So it’s pretty traumatic when a pair bites the dust. Especially when you can’t find a replacement that is remotely similar (I still miss you irreplaceable vintage suede and leather cowboy boots). So to prevent further heartbreak, I only wear synthetic, rubber soled shoes in the rain. I’ll be taking two pairs of flats that were about $12.00 each from Ross. They’re 100% plastic and water-tight. Not the prettiest or most professional looking shoes, but they’ll at least get me to and from the office where I can change into my more delicate kicks.
Buy fun, stylized shoes after you’ve had a chance to observe. My copy of the dress code doesn’t go into much detail as to what they mean by “dress shoes.” Are sling-backs acceptable? Peep-toe pumps? What about wedges? Can you break outside of a neutral color palette? With conservative jewel tones, or brighter, bolder colors? I could be really annoying and ask my recruiter. Or I could stick to my basic pumps for the first few days until I feel I have a grasp on the corporate style, and maintain a decent corporate reputation.
What's your corporate policy on shoes? And where can you count on finding good shoe deals?
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