Nordstron Caslon sandals
Recently I was at Nordstrom and was delighted to see how they had interpreted sandals in their own brand, Caslon. (BTW, the Nordstrom annual sale is on right now.*) There are a lot of different shoe styles here that work for a variety of archetypes. But I was interested to see how much the Romantic archetype was represented. Let’s break down the elements.
Romantic shapes
When you see a textile knotted gently (as opposed to thick rope-like knots) you know you are looking at a Romantic shape, particularly if it’s in a soft and drape-y suede like these sandals. To my eye this looks like a more yin version of what Eileen Fisher has been offering for a few years.
Eileen Fisher sport sandals
Natural shapes
This is how Eileen Fisher does it. The color and texture of the lighter one reads as Angelic. The black one, because of its shine and size of the straps, read just slightly Dramatic. But, as with much of her clothing and shoes, due to the softer leather and sportier look there is a lot of Natural there. This (on the right) is the same shoe. But with the perforation on the leather these could work for someone who was both Natural and Youthful with a bit of the High Spirited archetype. (Little repetitive patterns are mostly Youthful.)
Caslon flats
Dramatic Shapes
Let’s contrast all that with these Caslon flats on the left. That’s a lot of yang represented there in the dramatically pointed toe. Straight exaggerated lines are consistent with Dramatic style. But the simplicity also says Classic. So these could work for someone with a lot of Drama tempered by some Classic style. The color harmonies they most likely would work for are (white) Lively Bright, Striking Contrast, and possibly Subtle Blended, (bronze) Earthy Rich, and (black) primarily Striking Contrast.
Lewit Elena slides
Youthful and Romantic Shapes
Finally, slides have been big this past year. (Personally I find them challenging because you have to clench your toes a bit to get them to stay on: not great for the feet.) These Lewit Elena slides would work for both Romantic and Youthful style types. The ruffled ones, because they are only small ruffles, read as Youthful. The ruching on the bottom ones is a little Romantic but is also mixed with Classic because of the simplicity of the design. (That high heel on the top, btw, is Dramatic with some Romantic.)
We don’t think much about archetypal essences when we buy shoes. We often buy for comfort, utility, or just because we see something that looks fantastic. But it’s a fun exercise to consider how our shoes match or complement our wardrobe. If there is a bit of a disconnect between your clothes and your new shoes it might due to the fact that they are too yin or yang for the rest of what you wear. If you are in doubt about a shoe, just imagine the same texture and silhouette as an article of clothing. Whenever you feel that a jacket or top or just anything – including your shoes – is more yin or yang than you would normally wear, that’s the clue that it probably doesn’t work for you.
If you want to know more about your own style archetypes, there is a great questionnaire in my book, Shopping for the Real You, that can help you determine which style essences you most embody.
[*When I post affiliate links I may receive a small commission on any sales generated. Just wanted to make sure you know that. And I only post links to things I actually like… :-)]
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