Nine West orange snakeskin pumps with mini platform and stacked heel. I know it’s not technically fall yet, and we still have temperatures over 90 degrees. But I have been slowly devouring the new style magazines for fall and decided to see what I could pull from my closet.

Leopard print is a neutral, right? Whatever, I don’t care, it’s fabulous and I love it.

The Details

Chocolate brown pencil skirt: Ross/TJ Maxx (this is a closet staple, I’ve found)
Creamy tank: B.P., Nordstrom
Forest green v-neck T with shirred sleeves: Gap
Leopard print belt: Gap
Shoes: Orange snakeskin pumps by Nine West
Asymmetrical gold bauble necklace: Hive and Honey via Piperlime
Gold bracelets: Hive and Honey via Piperlime
Leaf ring: Claire’s

Black snakeskin boots with 3.5″ heel, almond-shaped toe and enough sass to make it through even the roughest day. I love the slouchy feel, and I love the thicker stacked heel–these boots were definitely made for walking!  The tights are a dark purple-plum color, which is tricky to see from this photo, but it’s been overcast and rainy for weeks and I tried.

It is cold.  It is (still!) raining.  And I would like to point out that I am wearing boots, tights, a wool skirt, jacket AND a scarf.  At the end of May.  Gaaaaah. [/weather rant]

The Details
Black and white striped button-up (that you can hardly see): Old Navy, clearance
Denim military-style jacket: Ross ($12! Win!)
Lime green scarf: SF Chinatown ($5)
Wide black belt: Downeast Outfitters
Charcoal paneled skirt: Macy’s (8+ years ago)
Black ruffled headband: Anthropologie
Purple Tights: no ideaFaux-diamond earrings: Express (a million years ago, I wear them almost every day…or, I did before I started documenting my outfits and accessories for the Internet.)
Black Snakeskin Knee High Boots: Nine West

Navy blue patent leather Mary Jane’s with 4-inch heel and almond-shaped toe, by Nine West.  I found these beauties at Nordstrom Rack for half-off of half-off.  I ended only paying $15.00 for them.  And they’re blue!  And shiny!  And look at the fancy, strappy bit on the heel!  Swoon!

I love shopping at Nordstrom Rack, I love that my feet are not an average size so there is always something fabulous there for a great deal.  (Size 10 is far from average, yo.)  I had a hard time finding navy, patent leather Mary Jane’s that are available right now…but I think you’ll see that these are just as fantastic.

Madden Girl Sursey Pump ,Navy Patent ($39.95)
(Available in a bunch of other colors as well!)

Nine West Reptile-Print Rocha Pump, Navy Patent ($54.11)
Navy! Patent Leather! With a reptile print! Triple love!

United Nude Modern Mary Jane, Navy ($134.69)
I can’t get over the structure of these heels! I don’t know a better way to describe them, but they are fantastic!

ALSO!  Remember to enter to win a FREE pair of Lucha Shoes! Contest entry and details are here. Contest is open until March 18.

Soft brown leather pumps with almond-toe, 4-inch heel, and gold zipper details, by Liliana.  I found these last week and had to have them, I was so delighted when they were delivered less than 24-hours after I ordered them, thank you, free overnight shipping!  And thank you, Endless!  I just love the zipper detail, so funky and unexpected!

Liliana Escada Zipper Pump

They also come in red!

Can I gush a little bit about this photo?  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this here before, but I don’t take most of the photos that are posted here.  I take a few, like, maybe 5%.  I am tricky, but the kind of contortion required for the shot above while still paying attention to light balance and composition are beyond my scope as a overly amateur photographer.  Also, my little point-and-shoot camera just doesn’t have the skills for that sort of thing in the first place.  No, I don’t take my own photos.  My sister, pinksuedeshoe, comes to visit me every couple of weeks with her big, bad SLR and a head full of creative ideas, and she will take photos of 25 or 30 pairs of shoes.  She’ll edit them up real nice and upload them for me to peruse and subsequently post here.  It’s kind of like that scene in Clueless where Cher has her entire closet loaded into her computer and can scroll through it.  That’s what I do in the morning (or the night before if I’m feeling productive).  I scroll through, find a pair of shoes I want to wear, and then dream up an outfit to go with them.

Up until recently we have been doing these photo shoots outside, ignoring the strange looks from my neighbors as I schlep an enormous bag of shoes around the block, looking for the right spot.  But this last Saturday we decided to set up a mini studio in my warm, cozy apartment and see how that would work.  Come to find, the photos take about 10 times longer to get right when you’re working with sunshine coming through the skylight and setting up different backdrops.  The good news is we both really love how they turned out (see above).  Thanks a million, Pink!

Steve Madden indigo-purple heels with almond toe and 3-inch heel.  I love Steve Madden and I have recently discovered a new love for purple; purple shoes, purple bag, purple nail polish, purple scarf.  It’s a sickness, really, one I have no intention of trying to cure.

I had every intention of finding a half-dozen pairs of purple shoes for you to drool over and purchase, seeing as how these lovelies are very much last season and no longer available.  That being said, I also spent most of yesterday evening with what I hope is a minor case of food poisoning and not a stomach flu.  For once I’d rather curl up in bed than browse the halls of the internet for shoes.  It’s a sad place to be.

Nine West ankle booties with 4-inch heel, almond-shaped toe and back zip in a smokestack-brownish-black.  These little booties were a gift from my aunt and I had completely forgotten about them (this is not difficult when you have a couple hundred pair of shoes) until i was digging around this morning for something to wear.  I know the trend right now is to style them with tights and a skirt, or bare-legged and a skirt.  But both of my bosses are out of the office today which means I’m wearing jeans. Ah, Casual Friday.

I hpoe you have a safe weekend and a Happy Halloween! Make sure to check back for some additional weekend footwear, including what will most likely become my favorite pair of Halloween shoes!

Sudini chocolate brown leather knee-boots with 3-inch stacked heel and almond-shaped toe*.  I have a hard time finding boots that fit my calves–my regular workout includes running up a lot of hills (not in heels, don’t worry) and my calves are, well, bulkier than average.  I can’t wear skinny jeans and I have a hard time finding boots–even in the extended sizes–to fit over my lower leg.  Shrug, I’m mostly over it.  I tried these on last year during the Nordstrom half-yearly sale with no hope that they would fit, I was both shocked and delighted when I could zip them and still feel my toes and they came home with me without any further debate. 

It snowed last night, not a ton where I live but enough to break out the boots and tights.  (This is also why I am taking pictures in the office instead of outside–there’s just not enough natural light to make anything show up properly.  I hope the uber-flattering flourescent lighting is passable once in a while.  It’s going to be a long winter.)

*An “almond-shaped toe” is neither pointy or round, but somewhere in between.  It’s classic and flattering for almost any leg type.

Nine West “Rocha” pumps in orange reptile-stamped leather with almond-shaped toe and 4-inch heel.  I love the slight gradation of color, the stacked heel and the super-classy shape.  These pumps are one of my new favorites for fall.

Black suede knee-high boots with almond-shaped toes* and a 4-inch stiletto heel.  About a month ago I went to Ross to try and find a good-sized purple purse for Fall.  Thirty minutes later I hurried over to my two girlfriends weighed down with five or six pairs of shoes (including the bronze sparkly slingbacks) and exclaimed “I have got to get out of here immediately!”

Yes, I have a shoe-buying problem.  I see them, they are my size, they are on sale, I buy them.  Almost always.

*An almond-shaped toe is neither round or pointy, but a classy kind of in-between shape.

CURRENT GIVEAWAY: Don’t forget to enter to win a FREE pair of Nine West heels here!  Contest open until Friday, Oct. 15, 2010.