How to Wear Sandals With Socks (and not look like my Dad on vacation)

The trusty old sandal/sock combo has an unfashionable reputation, due to countless hordes of northern European menfolk taking to the streets in Birks and black ankle socks come holiday time.

This is not, and never will be, a good look. But does the entire sock/sandal category need to suffer by association?

I think not. If your ankles are lovely, your sandals are sky-high, and the socks of a pattern that won't fight too hard with the rest of the outfit, this look can look amazing. Like this. I think the hose do an excellent job of de-promifying what might be an overly sweet dress:

Give it a try! At the very least, your sandals can get a few more outings in the autumn air before the sleet really sets in.

(photo by Patrick Demarchelier for British Vogue, published in November 2009)

How to Wear Denim Shorts over Leggings

OK, this post is hardly vintage-centric, BUT, since the denim-shorts-over-black-tights trend found its legs legs last summer, and since the shorts in question (or fair-substitute denim miniskirt) can be found in charity shops/thrift stores the world over, I'm going to go with it.

Also because in the span of twenty minutes on the street yesterday, I saw at least eight girls in some variation of the outfit.
Here's a few of them.

Now, they all look quite cute, but nowhere near as together as the girl on the Tube I gave directions to earlier that day. (Unfortunately I didn't have a camera at the time, so bear with the detailed description below):

She was Italian, I think, and wore the shorts/leggings/top/shoes in a way that made me think "wow, she looks fantastic" instead of "here's another trend clone".

The key points:

1) The shorts were dark denim, and very neatly hemmed. No ratty white strings emerging from the bottoms. They fit close to her leg, but not tight.

2) She wore matt black leggings that came about two inches above her ankle.

3) She wore a fitted black sweater/jumper, v-neck, over a muted red t-shirt.

4) The killer element: shiny, bright, adorable red patent flats. They could have been any bright color but the red really worked.
These, now on eBay, are the right sort of idea.


A note to older readers (meaning anybody over 25). Even if you can pull it off brilliantly, leave this look to the girls. If Katie Holmes can't manage it without looking like she's trying too hard, nobody can.