April 16, 2012

Today's Everyday Fashion: My Shoe Secret

Click to view larger. Blazer is navy; shoes are black.





































Colin Stuart shoes are quickly becoming my favorite. They are sold exclusively at Victoria's Secret.com, and my little shoe secret -- lately I've been picking them up at MJR Sales for a steal! I think this is my fourth pair, and I'm pretty much hooked. They generally retail for around $100, are super-comfy and you can find them for $20-30 at MJR. My strategy with shoes is always to buy higher quality name-brand shoes for a discount at stores like DSW, Ross, or Marshalls, because higher quality shoes are really important to both comfort and durability (see more on my shoe buying tips/strategies in this post). This black pair is my most recent score, and I'm loving the unique, angular platforms as a fun spin on your basic black pump. What are some of your favorite stores to shop for shoes? 

Inspiration photo: Neiman Marcus
Navy blazer: Gap, $75
Shirt: Banana Republic, $30
Skirt: H&M, $18 (similar, similar)
Black shoes: Colin Stuart c/o MJR Sales, $24
Earrings: c/o INPINK, $34 (last day for my giveaway! enter here)
Rings: LOFT pink ring $11, My Stella & Dot website $49
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: Banana Republic $10, My Stella & Dot website $49

1. DV Dolce Vita black pumps, $49.50
2. Michael Antonio black pumps, $31.80
3. Fahrenheit black pumps, $47.99

30 comments:

  1. Great outfit, looks classy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have good luck shopping at Macy's. I am very conservative with shoes, and use my beige or black mid heeled pump all the time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. love it! i think i might have purchased the same h&m skirt that you're wearing :-) i love it & i can definetly recreate this outfit w/my own pieces!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. oooh....loving this color combo.  Wouldn't have come up with it myself.  Thanks for the inspiration.  You're looking gorgeous as always!
    xoxo,
    Di

    http://cityandburbsblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm hooked on Nine West Andriana pointed toe pumps. They are the most comfortable pumps I own and are the perfect height. And I've only paid around $30 for each pair. I wear my pink ones all the time but I have them in blue, black, and pony hair as well:
    http://www.fashionatforty.blogspot.com/2012/04/lorange-theme-week.html
    Niki

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the light blue and pink together! Such a pretty combination :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nine West is a great brand for comfort! (and plenty of style too) I always recommend those to people looking for really comfy shoes!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love the outfit! I generally get my shoes at Charlotte Russe. They are very affordable & cute, plus they're comfy due to the platform.

    Tiffany
    http://shoeschampagne.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. So true! WOrth it to invest in quality shoes. 

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have always wondered how that brand of shoes fit and if they were comfortable because they are always so nice when I check out the catalogues.  Glad to know that you love that brand and I will keep checking that MJR sales place and hopefully will come across a good deal for myself!  Have a great day!  xx

    Pip
    http://chicstayathome.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love this color combo. I may have to try it myself!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heather @ Housewife GlamourApril 16, 2012 at 12:28 PM

    Adorable outfit J! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have always looked at those shoes sold by VS, but I've never committed. I think my favorite shoes shopping happens at DSW. 
    http://work-it-blog.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this outfit! The bright colors look fantastic and I love the neutral blazer to bring it all together! And those shoes are so cute!! I need a new pair of black pumps! When you use MJR, how do you know they are the VS shoes? I get so confused on that site!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Emily, the shoes are listed as Colin Stuart brand. They often do that on the site - tell you the actual brand vs. what store it came from (VS sells lots of different brands). If it is VS brand it will say "Famous Catalog." That's the only one in "code" though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I stumbled upon this blog yesterday and spent about 6 hours straight looking at all of your fabulous posts! I think I am obsessed!!! You are my fashion icon from here on out! LOL......seriously though, your blog i awesome, and you should be proud of yourself!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great color combos together!  So springy and bright!

    www.rachaelkhawkins.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Those shoes are awesome! I love Colin Stuart shoes they are always so unique!

    http://fiveminutefashions.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ahhhh J I love this color combo! It looks absolutely fabulous on you! :) xoxoxo

    Alyson
    www.crushingonclothes.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. You are so sweet Amanda! So glad you like it, welcome to the blog! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love the hot pink and neon blue together. Neon is one of my have spring trends! Great outfit!

    Would love the follow back :)The Pretty Pinhead

    ReplyDelete
  22. J- I absolutely love your blog! You are such an inspiration to the fashionista on a budget! I am a huge fan of Colin Stuart shoes too but never heard of MJR. Thanks for sharing your fashion secrets! Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for sharing your shoe secret. Great web site awesome shoe deals!

    ReplyDelete
  24. In this picture it's hard to tell that the blazer is navy and the shoes are black - did the color combo clash in real life? I also have a navy blazer but don't always know when to wear it. Ps outfit looks adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks Emily! The photo is very true to life, it's a very dark navy blazer but people always think it's black online so wanted to clarify. I absolutely love navy and black together (you'll notice the inspiration photo is also navy jacket and black shoes!),so I don't think it clashes one bit! If navy/black is not your forte, however, a black jacket with this would also look great!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Seem to buy most of my shoes on sale at Macy's, but now Boise has a DSW & just opened Nordstorm Rack.  At Christmas my husband took me to DSW where I tried on shoes to my heart's content without buying one pair.  As we were leaving he asked if I knew how long we had been there.  Well, no...I am in shoe heaven, time is in suspension.  We had been there 2 solid hours!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is such a cute story! DSW is definitely shoe heaven. One of my favorite things about it is that you can try on as many pairs as you would like, and no waiting for a sales person to help you! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  28. J, what size shoe are you? I thought you had, ummm, larger feet like myself, haha, and you find that many Colin Stuart shoes on MJR? I just did a quick search and found one 9.5.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Erika, I'm a true 9.5, but usually wind up wearing a size 10 because most brands don't make them!! I also doubt you will find many on MJR, all my pumps from there are a size 10 (most of them fit perfectly, one pair is just a little big). I also check the shoe section probably over the course of several weeks before I find anything, and I actually go there first and if I find amazing shoes, THEN I start shopping for other stuff lol! :-) 

    ReplyDelete
  30. i am a bonafide shoe addict. i bought a fabulous pair of L.A.M.B. pumps today b/c i just had no willpower. but typically, i buy a lot of shoes at tjmaxx and online via endless/zappos. i have learned to only buy from sites that offer free returns. and endless/amazon/zappos are always having great sales too. i have already had one foot surgery, so i have definitely started really investing in shoes rather than buying on trend for the added comfort and quality. 

    ReplyDelete