last call

it's that time again. all your favorite shoes are cheaper than dirt. preview what's going to be 75% off here. 

to heel or not to heel?

i've never really questioned high heels. i grew up in dallas, texas where extremes were the norm - bigger breasts, blonder hair, and higher heels seemed to be the equivalent of enlightenment. so i wore heels because that's what you did. 

however, a recent article made me question the all mighty heel. the basis of the article is that wearing heels, no matter what your age, causes your body to work differently than it would naturally. women who wear heels begin to use their calf muscles for walking rather than their tendons and also take shorter, more forceful steps. while this may seem rather minor, it can lead to a whole host of problems especially if you routinely switch from heels to flats or from office to gym. 

so to heel or not to heel? that is the question. there seem to be three reasons women wear heels: for work, for others, and for themselves. for many women, a heel is part of the proper work ensemble. then there is society. some people wear heels for men - as it makes them feel sexier or more desirable. some people wear heels for their girlfriends as a type of status symbol. finally, some women wear heels because it pleases them. they like the way they look in heels or find heels inherently beautiful. i will admit, i like a good heel. they are quite pretty. however, a shoe must also be practical as most of us are required to walk in our shoes. 

admittedly i still have an affection for high heels. while i don't want to completely banish heels from my life, i know that a great deal of the time they are just impractical. thus i think the michael kors' meat and potatoes rule works well here: "70 percent of the clothes you own should be meat and potatoes. 30 percent should be icing and fluff." if you apply that to percentage to heel usage, you can still get your fix when you want to, but you're much less likely to ruin your feet. and when you do wear heels, pack a pair of flats, too, as there's nothing as unsightly as a girl hobbling down the street after wearing heels for too long. 

whatever your preference, heels or flats, you can pick up a pair here. image courtesy of here. 

want to be stylish? think scarpa

scarpa is a french woman 

let me explain. i've been doing lots of research into what it means to be stylish and it suddenly clicked. the aesthetic that we offer at scarpa is ultimately french. i was reading ines de la fressanges's parisian chic and kept thinking: scarpa, scarpa, scarpa and yes, yes, yes.

the ingredients are simple, yet the look complex. she breaks the look into line items: basics and accessories. and even recommends that you divvy up your budget according to the two. half for basics; half for accessories. ines offers only seven basics: man's blazer, trench, navy sweater, tank top, little black dress, jeans, leather jacket. then quickly moves on to accessories, which is where the magic happens. she gives 5 variations on the shoes, bags, and jewelry that give you infinite outfit combinations. shoes: ballet flats, open-toed sandals, black heels, penny loafers, riding boots. bags: big tote, clutch, satchel, ladies handbag, straw bag. jewels: antique earrings, lucky charm bracelet, man's watch, colored gem rings, cuff bracelet. though there are only a handful of items, she ensures you can get dressed everyday, anytime of year by mixing and matching the items. 

this is essentially what we've been doing at scarpa for almost 18 years. we've been offering a combination of great basics and unique accessories that allow you to create your own, personal style and get dressed in the morning. 

if you want to be stylish, think scarpa. it's a little french thinking in an american college town.

images of francoise hardy courtesy of here. basics and accessories for creating that je ne sais quoi here. 

scarpa on pinterest

we just created an account on pinterest for scarpa. we're kind of obsessed. it seems like a cross between decorating your locker in middle school and bill cunningham's on the street. the collages above are a selection of some of the image inspiration we're loving right now. a sort of mood board for the scarpa aesthetic.

are you on pinterest? what do you think about it? 

passion = excitement

ok, so tomorrow is valentine's day. and rather than thinking about valentine's day as the hallmark industrial complex, i want to think about valentine's day as renewal of one's passions. whether those passions are art, fashion, sports, the man in your life, your children, or your dog. it's a moment to celebrate what gives you newness and excitement everyday of your life. 

i also like looking at passionate people for inspiration. luckily some of the people behind the lines that we carry at scarpa are infinitely inspiring. take dvf. the moment she knew she was going to marry a prince, she decided to have a career. she made the iconic wrap dress. then she made the meatpacking district cool by building her corporate headquarters and the above penthouse there (featured in this month's AD). she worked actively to start the high line. she was a muse to people like andy warhol and chuck close. and she did all of this when she could have just sat back eating bon-bons and being all royal. 

this re-affirms my belief that cool, creative people are cool and creative no matter where they find themselves. cool, creative people dress stylishly, have interesting homes that reflect their natures, are involved in activities that they care about, and are generally pretty fun to be around. i think this generally stems from a place of passion. these kinds of people are excited about life and what they are doing in it, and that oozes into every aspect of their being. 

it was once explained to me that passion = excitement, which is the opposite of boredom. i think we can all benefit from both thinking about and cultivating those things in our life that make us excited. after all, what's the point, if we aren't here to do that? 

back to valentine's day. part of valentine's day is getting out of the ordinary routine and doing things that are more exciting than what we do on a daily basis: drinking champagne, giving flowers, eating chocolate. while we can't do this everyday, why save the excitement for just one day? we all might take a line from diane's book by bringing a little passion to the everyday. we can start by imitating her: prancing around our house in fabulous clothes, drinking vintage champagne out of an indian tea glass, and generally doing what pleases us. this is much better than what i do at home: don light blue pajamas that make me slightly resemble a smurf and sit in front of the boob tube. diane's version is infinitely more exciting, is it not? 

how do you celebrate valentine's day? who inspires you to be passionate? what are you passionate about?