Oh how I love the month of March. Beautiful spring flowers begin to appear, signaling the beginning of Spring with summer just round the corner.It is also the month I was born. Nothing wrong with that, of course because I get lots of lovely presents. It is bad however, because I've been cursed with having the star sign of Pisces - the most indecisive of all the astrological signs. This trait has been an affliction for as long as I can remember. Don't even bother asking me to make a decision about anything, because I just can't. Now I'm not one to usually believe in this mumbo jumbo, but 'indecisive and complacent' is what they call our kind and indecisive and complacent is what I am.
Which brings me to my point. I had a pair of green Converse All Star when I was 14 and I loved them. I bought a black pair last week, took them home, tried them on and decided I didn't like them. So back to the shop they went. The whole of the next week was spent staring lovingly at peoples' canvas clad feet whilst asking myself why they looked better on everyone else. And why they made me look like a clown? I spent an hour trying on various shades of khaki yesterday and then decided against them. Today I decided it had gone too far and I bought the above pair. I love them. I love the colour. I' m sitting here as I type with one shoe on, exhausted after having tried them on with almost every item in my wardrobe. Something is telling me no, yet I know if I took them back, I would want them again.
Is it because everybody else seems to have them? I don't know. I need your help dear bloggers. Do you like them? Are they cool? But ultimately I want to know, should they stay or should they go? I have until tomorrow afternoon to decide so the decision is in your hands.
33 comments:
ah yes this is a classic dilemma, which chiefly afflicts me with reference to garments which I adore but which are hopeless on my body shape. Given that here though it's shoes we're dealing with, that's not somuch of an issue.
I would say:
a - they are an absolute fashion classic, enduring, universal
b - the colour is cool, different enough to be quirky, neutral enough to go with things
c - if you regretted taking them back once you'll regret it again
BUT
1 - if they don't go with anything in your wardrobe, will you actually wear them?
2 - are you trying to project yourself into a look which doesn't actually work for you?
we have to be realistic at a certain point about the looks we can wear and the looks which however much we wish we could, are just not right for us in some indefinable and grossly unfair way.
bear in mind that if they look unfamiliar on your feet and with your curretn outfits this may be alleviated by firstly familiarity and acclimatisation and secondly, and more pleasingly, by shopping for new outfits which go with them better.
a.c.t
Definitely, definitely, definitely keep them.
I have a pair of green Converse All Stars and I wouldn't get rid of them if you paid me. I wore them for 4 days when I was in Madrid and Seville in 2003 for Celtic's appearance in the UEFA Cup Final and I just love them.
Comfortable, stylish and classic - what isn't there to not like about them?
Baseball Boots!! Gosh, I had forgotten all about them. They were all the rage before trainers were invented.(And I was probably wearing them before you were born too, sadly.)
Very comfortable, I recall. But... Winter is coming, and wet baseball boots are not pleasant.
They do make one's feet look bigger too...
Sorry, not much help there.
Like the colour. Just keep waving them around on your feet and you'll soon get used to them.
I haven't gotten round to buying a pair myself yet (though I have been meaning to since watching Muse at Reading; the bass player was sporting a pair and looked very dapper), but I have the sneaky suspicion that they might not suit me either. What to do, then?
What does Mike say? It's important to ask other people for their honest opinion, because women are their worst critics and when you say you look like a clown, I'm sure you don't, for example!
What about comfort? Presumably you haven't worn them enough to tell how comfy they are, but that's also important. Wear them around the house, up and down the stairs etc... If they feel great, I say keep them, irrespective of how they look to you.
Remember that you also have an awkward perspective, looking down at your feet... or do you have a mirror? (We don't, for example, so I have no idea what I look like until I go into the Gap and shock myself with the size of my butt reflected in the mirror!)
ACT, I bought my first pair a few months ago, really unsure at the time whether I should or not. I totally do not regret it, although they're not the most comfortable shoes in the world. That said, I do wear them a couple of times a week, and that helps. And one day I even walked in them for about three or four hours without any problems. So I guess I've pretty much broken them in.
When Red eventually gets around to buying some, I will be buying another pair in a different colour, either an off-white or, if I can find them, the pre-distressed ones that I saw in Italy in the summer but they didn't have in my size.
And they do make your feet look a little bigger, you're right, but that's your perception and probably not something other people would notice.
Keep 'em, keep 'em, keep 'em. Chant that until you're happy. Then keep them.
By the way, I'm a March Piscean too, and I can be very indecisive at times.
Thank you thank you thank you everyone. I've decided to keep them. I've just worn them for the first time outside and they do feel strange, but I'm sure I'll get used to them soon enough. I think the fact that they're brand spanking new doesn't help - I'm having a girls night out tonight so I'm sure come Sunday morning they won't look so new.
Spangly - I recently bought a pair of skinny fit jeans and these are the only casual shoes that go. Thanks for the advice.
Martino - Of course, you had to have green Converse to match your green hoops.
Phantom - They make my feet look ridiculously long. I may purchase a big red nose to match!
ems - I'm going to try and do as much waving as possible on the dancefloot tonight.
Red - Before I bought them, Mike wasn't keen as they reminded him of Molly Ringwold in some eighties outfit but that didn't stop me. But now that I've got them, he confirms that I don't look like Coco and he likes them. We do have a full length mirror and they look good, but you're right, it's when I look down that they look strange. You should get a pair, go on.
* - I must've missed that post. Your green ones are exactly the same as the ones I used to have. I'm chanting 'I'm keepin 'em, keepin 'em, keepin 'em'.
good decision.
in celebration of which I offer you these:
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have a nice weekend!
you have to keep em. trust me.
I don't see Mina, or Gina or Sophia in them. I think you have your answer.
a.c.t, You have GOT to keep these things! And get yourself a pair of up-to-the-knee striped tube socks, a pair of short 1970s NBA basketball shorts and if you can manage it, mutton-chop side burns. Good luck! (all meant in fun, of course)
Weas - these women you mention are all 70+! As beautiful and classy as they are, one has to move with the times my dear.
Susan - You kill me. I'll only grow the sideburns if you do it first. The tube socks sound good though, although it's getting a bit chilly for shorts.
Cool
Maria Grazia Cucinotta?
I dunno. I just think they look wrong. It's got "ageing trendy" written all over them. Try Birkenstocks. ;-)
Hola alexiev.
Weasel, OK so maybe M.G.C wouldn't wear them. I can get away with them anyway as I seem to get asked for I.D. occasionally much to my delight.
I would say Birkenstocks are more ageing trendy or better still,vegetarian ageing trendy - anyway, it's too cold for sandals. Or should I wear them with socks?
I've just bought two pairs!
Couldn't resist the special offer they have in Office: Buy one, get the second pair half-price. So I got me some Iguana-coloured ones (beige, really, but that's the proper name, innit?) and a lovely shade of green (I think they call it Coral? Which is funny, 'cause you'd think that would be red, no?)
Whehey, welcome to the club! I certainly wouldn't associate coral with green no and since when have iguanas been beige? Who cares, they're cool. Mine are starting to feel a bit more normal now and my friend kindly stamped on them when I told her they looked too clean. What are you going to wear them with? Are you a tight jeans or baggy jeans wearer?
The ize have it.
No tight jeans for this puppy, oh, no. Damn that Kate Moss and the skinny fashions she introduces!
I'm thinking of wearing them with suit-y trousers, actually. You know, more Doctor Who than The Ramones. Though long socks, hot pants and sideburns (no, hold the sideburns) is also a HOT look!
I can't get into the Kate Moss-esque skinny fit jeans either (literally) but I have found some great skinny ones in Uni Qlo which are tapered and so cater for people with normal legs (i.e. bigger at the top).
The sideburns were my favourite part! They'd have to be stick on ones though, I'm not shaving my face for anybody.
And I see that * is still harping on the z spellings...
Well, at least he DID take it outside, as I'd suggested. You can have an all-out fight here now!
Sorry for hijacking your blog, but it seems I did get the last word in the end ;-)
Last word there. I had to take it elsewhere or I'd have gotten in trouble. (How d'you like that Americanism?)
Anyway, to answer your Q about the US government: nothing good about them, but at least they have the decency to consult their national dictionary for spellings. Unlike the UK government. If they did, they would realize that z spellings are back in vogue, dahlink, after years being passed off (incorrectly) as American.
The z spelling is hardly coming back into fashion. If it was, then how come it's not being used by the mass media?
Language should not be treated fleetingly like clothes that change according to what's en vogue. Shall we agree to disagree? It's just a question of taste I suppose.
While I agree with you that some British novels are published with s spellings, you'll probably find that is largely a house style, rather than the author having an opinion one way or the other. In my 12 years in publishing, I have almost always been instructed to use a z spelling for house style, with only a few exceptions.
You can agree to disagree with all major English dictionaries if you like, preferring to side with The Sun and Guardian. That's fine. Apparently, the Times Literary Supplement favours z spellings, too. It is a question of taste, but also etymological correctness, since these words come from the Greek and Latin words, which were spelled with a z.
Incidentally, far more damning in my opinion is the recent change to American styles of dates here in the UK. The British norm is 30 October 2006, for example, but see how many newspapers have shifted to October 30, 2006, since "September 11" became a global phrase. Shall we talk about that now?
I'm all for dates written out the UK way.
But I still call 9/11 9/11, not the 11 of September. But then that is a historical event, not just a date anymore.
i say keep 'em... you obviously love them, and unless you're needing the money you'd get back for them to use for other things, what's the harm? you'll surely wear them enough to reap the cost... your feet aren't growing anymore, after all :)
i bet they look great on you (i agree with red... we are our own worst critics... i know i'm mine)
Ooops, I'm probably too late to weigh in on this one, but I'm hoping you kept them, they look great! My daughter has three pairs of Converses and I borrow them all the time, I love 'em!
i LOVE the killers... just had to comment 'cause i see your listening to 'em
hope you're enjoying :)
HEY!
Yo! I need your assistance ASAP over at the blog. I'm calling all the troops in on this one! Please drop whatever you're doing, grab your CDs and meet me at the comments section!
yep... LOVE the new scissor sisters album... it's so funky and upbeat... and reminds me of so many great older artists
but with a new twist :)
I have just put my grey ones in the rubbish. The heel goes first...always. I must walk funny. But those grey ones were fucken cool.
I now have black replacements. Never fail to be great. Also, they were bought for me by a customer at the shop where I work...just because they know I love them. I hope this is the only reputation I have in the good town of Totnes.
It's hard to judge without a full on blog fashion show why they're not working...But I wouldn't give up on Converse for all the tea in china.
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