If you were a fan of Christian Siriano on Project Runway, check out his new shoe line for Payless, released September 8. Here are my favorites from his Egyptian-inspired collection!

He has a couple of great flats in his line — feminine and stylish with great, luxe details. Isn’t the turquoise a great color?

I’m a fan of tough-looking shoes, and Christian’s heels and boots don’t disappoint. Hardware and zippers on shiny, leather-like material — I love it!

The best part? You can snatch these up for no more than $50. Now that’s fierce!

I’m back! I apologize for my absence — when you’re in your last semester of college, your priorities are rearranged for you. Hopefully I’ll be posting a little more regularly now that I have more time to indulge the shoe addict in me.

Yes, I graduated from college! Here are the shoes I wore on my graduation day:

I bought these a year ago for $16 at Ross and had never worn them. Notice the picture on the left of me trying to discreetly massage my feet with a smile on my face!

Graduation means freedom and an entrance into the “real world” (which, in the current economy, is a bit scary for the class of 2009), but on a more materialistic note, it also means graduation presents. I’ve been blessed to have a loving and generous family, and I received a lot of great gifts — most of which went straight into my savings account, as it should be with any grad.

Anyway, with a $20 Victoria’s Secret gift card (and a very well-timed 25%-off-a-single-item special), I was able to score these 4-inch Colin Stuart heels for under $30 — and the original price was $88!

What do you think? What shoes do you have your eye on this summer?

The recent celebration of Mother’s Day got me to thinking about the fact that moms are more stylish than ever. In fact, some of the world’s most notable style icons are mothers. Whether you’re a mom yourself or looking to honor a special woman in your life, take a cue from these moms and mom-friendly designers to up your “it” factor.

1. THE STELLA McCARTNEY-INSPIRED BAG

Why she inspires us: She’s been committed to creating eco-friendly fashion way before it was in vogue (or Vogue magazine), plus she created a pretty fly (and affordable) line of bags for LeSportSac that women- and moms-on-the-go can neatly fit their busy lives into.

2. ANGELINA JOLIE-INSPIRED SHADES

Why she inspires us: Because she’s brought attention to the plight of disadvantaged women and children around the world – and knows how to rock the hell out of a pair of oversized sunglasses.

3. KELLY RIPA-INSPIRED PUMPS

Why she inspires us: She works a bazillion jobs – Regis & Kelly co-host (which requires her to be perky and gorgeous at the crack of dawn!), working actress, women’s rights advocate, Electrolux spokeswoman… – and manages to keep up with her children in the coolest heels.

4. THE PROJECT RUNWAY FINALIST, LAURA BENNET-INSPIRED LBD

Why she inspires us: Because she’s a mom of six – including 5 young boys – and she still manages to look effortlessly chic while pursuing her dream of designing timeless, well-made pieces for women.

5. THE MICHELLE OBAMA-INSPIRED BROOCH

Why she inspires us: Because she represents for working moms with comfortable and practical pieces like flats and cardigans, yet isn’t afraid to shine in bold graphics, bejeweled pieces and her signature brooches. Plus! She lets herself be photographed in her Jimmy Choos more than once!

I’m loving two current trends: brightly-colored heels (think demure, ladylike peep toes or pumps in orange, yellow or lime green patent leather) and crazy booties and sandals with sky-high heels or creative cutouts. I love a good pop of color on the foot, and I admire an out-there heel…but I don’t know if I’m ballsy enough to combine the two trends.

Lately, I’ve been seen lots of fuchsia and purple-colored confections show up on my Watchlist, so obviously someone out there is loving the combo. But are they actually wearing them? I want to hear from you fashion-forward ladies….would you sport these stunners? And if so, what are you pairing them with?

I’m so excited to be getting married on March 15, 2009–only a few months away!

I’ve been working like crazy to plan, organize and pull the event together, but one detail that seems to be difficult to wrap up is what shoes the bridesmaids will wear with their dress. I have five of my best friends and family serving as bridesmaids, and I’m so excited to see them in their vintage-inspired dresses with retro headbands/hair pieces.

But what shoes should they wear?

Here’s the bridesmaid dress:

It’s from David’s Bridal, and is fairly affordable, which is good since several of my bridesmaids are still in college. I love the retro styling. If you are interested in this bridesmaid dress, order it soon! According to a salesperson at my local David’s Bridal store, they are discontinuing this dress momentarily because it was a “trend piece,” the likes of which they bring in seasonally.

The bridesmaids are going to wear a navy ribbon around their waist, tied into a bow in the back.

I’m not going to go all bridezilla and tell them how to do their hair, but I do want vintage headbands and hair pieces (jeweled, perhaps) to give more of a retro flair.

Here are some shoes I’ve considered thus far:

Which ones do you like? Do you have any suggestions?

I’m looking for retro-inspired cream heels, but I’m open to gray, bone or off-white colored shoes as well. It’s March, so closed-toe or peep-toe is preferable.

Thanks for the help!

I’m the kind of girl who doesn’t take a lot of fashion risks, especially with shoes. While I observe (and often covet) the trends, when it comes to the actual shopping experience, I mostly stick to the classic basics. I have my basic neutral brown wedges that go with everything, my black stilettos that go with all my dresses, and my everyday black flats, but nothing too flashy or adventurous.

Until now.

Behold my new smokin’ hot pair of pewter peep-toe booties! I saw them on Forever 21’s website and instantly fell in love with their rock-star fashionista vibe. And at $24.80, I’m able to try out the trend without too much of a commitment.

Check out some pricier alternatives: one by Steven by Steve Madden and another by Moschino.

Moral of the story: Step outside of your box once in awhile. Buy something that you wouldn’t normally wear but still appeals to you. Chances are, you’ll freshen up your wardrobe — and build a style that’s a little more you!

Admit it. You have a thing for luxury. Talk to me. What’s your fantasy? Prada? Chanel? I am here for you. They call me the Haute Hunter, a gatherer of all things cool and couture. I’ll map out the must-have treasures for you — what is worth the sticker shock, for this season and beyond. Those leopard print Jimmy Choos – snap ‘em up. You’ll wear them with your favorite jeans or a black tie gown.

The Celine gold python trench running north of $10,000? Wait for a more bourgeois designer to be “inspired” with a similar look.

How did I get into this game? As the daughter of a women’s clothing designer father and a chicest-closet-on-the-East Coast mother, it was probably predestined. A three-time Emmy Award winner, I produced various design stories for a nightly half-hour show on ABC-TV. Now, I write a fashion advice column for the Boston Globe, and seek out stylemakers for my multi-media website, Boldfacers.com.

I look forward to feeding your fancy fashion fire without burning out your savings. High-end style is about quality, baby, not quantity!

College is rough on the budget. As a general rule, I don’t like to spend more than $100 on any one item of clothing (unless it is a very special coat or dress), and for all practical purposes, if I want to eat, I really shouldn’t spend more than that.

That makes buying accessories difficult. I always want the latest “It” bag or shoes (who doesn’t?), but I absolutely do not have the budget to buy them. I find interesting ways to compensate, though, namely what I like to call “designer-inspired goods”.

Designer-inspired has a much better ring to it than the more common “knock-off,” and really, they’re nearly as fun as the real thing. As long as they come from reputable sources…NOT street vendors. You can rest more easily knowing that your designer-inspired look came from Steve Madden, not a street vendor in Mexico selling goods stolen from unsuspecting tourists.

Want a piece of the action? Check out the following:

These YSL tribute pumps are actually being sold from Bluefly, which makes them marginally less expensive than buying straight from the source. But, sadly, marginally less expensive still means you’ll need to pay $528. Sigh.

BUT: do not despair that you cannot own one of the most sought-after shoes of the past year or two or three. because you can own something inspired.

Starting from the left, these Steve Madden Laveda’s are a pretty good inspired look. I love the sexy stiletto heel. The Xhilaration Sveta pumps from Target are only $19.99 and come in four different colors. I liked the red and brown, but not the black: it looked a little cheaper than the other shades. BCBG is one of my favorite designers, and their BCBGirls line is less expensive and much more accessible. These white and black platforms also come in a sexy, vampy red. My favorite pair of YSL-inspired pumps are Nine West’s electric blue version. Steve Madden also makes a pair of pumps called the Reede, and this version has a more classic styling/vintage feel than the Laveda’s. But, the most true-to-Tribute pair you can buy? Jessica Simpson’s Miami Maryjanes. They are nearly an exact “inspired” match for the YSL Tributes…and such a great deal, too, at $50.

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Valentine’s Day is less than a week away, meaning that all the lucky women in the world with a date for that night are now out shopping, concerned with putting together the perfect date outfit. (And single gals like me wouldn’t mind going shopping for something new, either!) The ensemble: top & bottom (or make it simpler for yourself and opt for a dress!), bag, and, of course, shoes.

While it’s a little typical for the holiday, the color red is extremely appropriate — it’s attention-getting, powerful, and passionate. And red shoes are just the thing to channel your inner “smoldering temptress”, as Satine says in Moulin Rouge. Here are just a few I’ve found:

This strappy, suede and patent leather pair of evening shoes just screams vixen. They’re definitely not for the faint of heart!

If you’re vertically-challenged like me (or even if you’re not!), wear these glossy peep-toe platform heels. The platform is actually metallic — something different to catch the light while you’re strutting around!

Want a more classic option? Try these peep-toe pumps, both in faux suede and faux patent leather. ($14.99 and $24.99, respectively — not bad!)

And, of course, my favorite kind of shoe: the classic and versatile pointy-toed heel.

I hope all you StyleFeeders have the perfect Valentine’s Day you’ve always dreamed of! Stay safe, stay comfortable (by carrying a pair of spare ballet flats…or by asking for a foot massage!), and most importantly, have fun!

You gotta love Steve Madden — you can always count on him to come out with classy, sexy, and flattering shoes. A lot of his styles are contemporary but not so trendy that they’ll be in next season’s “toss ‘em” pile.

The sale section of Steve Madden’s website is like a candy store where the really yummy items are mostly $34.99 and under. Here are some of my favorites in that price range (just in time for to indulge yourself for Valentine’s Day!):

I have a ton of black dresses — I brought seven with me when I went home during the holiday season! However, I’m getting tired of the whole black dress/black shoes combo, and that’s where these python-print shoes would come in. Neutral but noticeably different, they’re a classy but not tacky way to channel the animal-print trend.

I fell in love with the following shoes as soon as the graphic loaded on my browser. Not only is this pair unlike any of the shoes I own, but I really like the criss-crossing details — and for $27.99, it’s definitely a bargain!

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