Last night I was browsing in Jeremy’s, a clothing store here in SF that gets all of their inventory from department stores that have used the items in advertisements or window displays, or through damages and customer returns. The store has a huge selection of designer duds on the CHEAP (example: Prada ballet flats for $80; Oscar de la Renta cocktail dresses marked over half off retail prices), but finding a treasure there is totally a case of right place, right time. With the good, there’s a lot of semi-used, often torn items.
Yesterday I spotted a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti ponyhair leopard print ballet flats and I fell in LOVE. I can’t find them anywhere online (I suspect they were a few seasons old), but imagine these flats below, except instead of crystal embellishment, a shiny gold toe cap:
The problem? The right shoe was only available in a 7; the left in a 6.5. And they just didn’t quite fit. And they were almost $300. Still pricey, though I’m sure over half off the original price.
I’m still thinking about them! I’ve wanted a pair of subdued leopard flats forever, and the gold toe cap slayed me. What’s a girl to do?
A girl should scour the Internet for an alternative!!
SAD! Those sound divine.
There has definitely got to be an alternative out there somewhere that match in sizes!
Awww they sound so cute! But don’t worry, there really should be ones almost like them somewhere out in the world.
xo,
http://peppermintandivy.blogspot.com/
Don’t buy shoes that don’t quite fit – they’ll break your heart every time you wear them. Ponyhair and leopard print are big now, so find a pair of ballet flats that fit. Then get a small bit of gold leather and take the lot to a good shoe repair and see if they can cap the shoes for you. It’ll still be tons cheaper than $300.
Amazing tip…had no idea that was even possible! Any ideas for materials to use for a shiny gold cap toe?
It might be a little difficult to find gold leather scrap since most places sell the full hide. Sometimes scraps show up on Etsy. You might try contacting High Fashion Home in Houston (www.highfashionhome.com) to see if they have any scraps they would sell. They sell full hides but they also do custom upholstery, so they might have some pieces laying around.
The simpler option would be metallic pleather. Good luck!
those are gorgeous! and I want to go to that store, that sounds awesome!
ugh, that’s the worst! *most* of the time i feel like something similar comes along, but sometimes it’s not for a long lonnng time. i feel your pain.
I agree with sarah… It’s so hard sometimes to know what you’ll regret later and what you won’t. But like another comment said, wearing shoes that don’t quite fit and still paying a pretty penny isn’t good either (It reminds me of the friends episode with monica and the boots….)
that’s to bad, because they are so cute, hope you find some cute knock offs <3
I must confess.. the same happened to me with a pair of zara boots.. the last pair in the internet was half a size smaller than my actual size.. I couldn’t not order them and I did.. when I tried them they were tight but again.. I couldn’t return them! ha! now they are still a little tight but I am sure they will get loose through the time as it ALWAYS happen with my shoes. Probably this is not the best advice but I haven’t regret after 4 times of wearing them.
So cute!
– Sara @ Gameday Stylist
http://www.gamedaystylist.com