Red High Heels to Heat Up Your Wardrobe

Dawn Bonner

Since money may be tight or even if it isn't, you may think it wise to save your hard earned money. So, thought of something inexpensive you can do to get a fresh new look for your wardrobe. It may be a challenge. Take heed; if you try it you may never go back to quiet plain shoes.

Have always loved shoes. For me, it seems there is always something scrumptious waiting for me at the shoe store. May have a bum day shopping for an outfit, but never a bum day for shoes. The shoes, you may have noticed, can bring an air of sophistication, elegance or chic to an outfit that otherwise may seem unassuming.

Tip Number One

Are you bold enough to wear red high heels?!

Add a pair of red high heels to your fashion ensemble and wowsa—you’ve become a contemporary, powerful woman with flair.

Now, you could be thinking, “But I don’t look good in red.”

Not true, dear one. Everyone looks good in red…you just have to find the right tone. There are blue reds, brown reds, orange reds, pink reds, and then—there is a red, I call it Fire Truck red—a clear red. Fire Truck red is gorgeous, vibrant, alive red. It is a red that does not lean to any of the above tones; this red looks good on everyone.

The other myth you may be telling yourself is you have nothing to go with red pumps. Again, not true.

Colors to Pair with Red Pumps

Turquoise, purple, clear lemon yellow, black, brown, deep salmon, light pink, blue, white, navy and there are probably more colors not coming to mind right now. These color combinations are incredible when paired with red pumps.

The red pumps do not need to cost you an arm and a leg either.

Award winning stylist to the stars, Rachel Zoe, shares my penchant for fabulous shoes.

She said; find a great pair of shoes for a fashion accessory to pop a quiet, simple outfit. And, the one place she says has room for bargain hunting is the shoes. You can find a great pair of red pumps in any price range.

My girlfriend, celebrity blogger and writer, Chanel Notes, recently introduced me to one of her favorite finds; Your-Shoe-Store.com. They have several different types of red pumps and I love each one of them.

I bought a couple of them—one is a bright red peep toe pump heel, the other is a red satin shoe, to be more precise, red with white polka dots. It is an ankle strap high heels shoe, which is comfortable to wear and is so pretty. I like to leave them out, just to can look at them. They are music for my eyes.

The other is a pair of red slingback platforms. These are stunning as well. They are shiny red patent peep toe pumps with a padded insole and are totally fun. A classic style in a hot color.

There are three more pairs of red pumps I would like to get. One is a pair of red and white canvas peep toe shoes they're cute as a button, another is a multi-colored satin pump. This high heel, actually low heel pumps, have a deep red in the color palette, as well as sea green, black, gold, and pink.

Even at a higher price, these red pumps would be worth it.

Red Pumps at Your-Shoe-Store.com

• Cost: $39.99 per pair with free shipping.
• We got our shoes within three days of ordering. And, they are yummy.
  

Switch it up a bit. Go to your favorite department store or shop online and get a red tube of moisturized lipstick—yes, the clear fire truck red lipstick.

Here is a quick guide to follow for your color purchase. If you are in your early forties you can get the clear red fire engine lipstick and it will be gorgeous on you. If you are in your fifties and want to tone it down just a bit, go to the red brick—predominately more red than brick because brown will pull out any dark circles, brown hormone spots or age spot on your face. We are doing this to brighten you up. In your sixties and don’t want to do the bright, clear red, go to a bit of orange—just a tiny bit.

Or, get a heavy red lip gloss. Heavy meaning one that stains the lips with red, doesn’t just give a hint of red. As we age, the pigment in our lips begins to fade, so we need to add a lip gloss with a heavier pigment.

Clear red lipstick brightens teeth, brings color and vibrancy to the face. Thus, allowing that you may only need to add a bit of mascara if you like, for when you are in a hurry or want a simple day.

The first few times of wearing red lipstick, if you are not used to it, may feel like your lips are entering the room before you do. This is normal, no worry, with all the big botoxed lips out there, no one will think a thing about your gorgeous red lips.

My favorite moisturized red lipsticks are Revlon, Estee Lauder and CHANEL…they price out from:

• Revlon Super Lustrous ‘Lovestruck’ $3.99 without shipping and handling
• Revlon Super Lustrous ‘Fire and Ice’ $8.95 without shipping and handling
  
  
• Estee Lauder Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick ‘Rich Red 35’ $19.95 without shipping and handling
• CHANEL Rouge Allure $30 without shipping and tax
  Colors: ‘Number 14 Passion,’’ Dazzling,’ ‘Fabulous,’ ‘Vertige’ or ‘Provocative’
• CHANEL Hydrabase Creme Lipstick $28.50 without shipping and tax

Red nail colour—again, beautiful, bold, fire engine red to go with those fabulous red pumps.  Before applying red enamel to your nails, be sure you have a good base coat; as red polish will stain your nails without it.  Also, use a good top coat and reapply your top coat every few days, this will extend your color by wearing the clear coat off—not the colour. 

Plus, the added layers give more protection and strength to your nails. 

Now, you could be thinking, “My nails aren’t long enough to wear red polish and I don’t want to wear false nails in order to wear red enamel.”

 This is a myth, as long as your nails are well groomed, and evenly filed.  Whether they are squared, filed into an oval shape—or somewhere between, red polish looks very elegant; even if your nails are only to the end of your fingertip.  Remember the glamorous 40s and 50s era?  They didn’t sport long nails and red was a common staple.

There are many great brands of red lacquer priced anywhere from $2.30 a bottle to $25.  Personally, my two favorites are OPI and Chanel—although my third choice, Revlon, will do in a pinch.  Estee Lauder nail polish does not impress me at all.  It ages fast, is very thin, and chips easily.  Save your twenty- some-bucks and get a cheaper brand if you need it right away and can’t access Chanel, OPI or Revlon. 

OPI beats out Chanel in the polish category.  OPI is a bit stronger—just a bit more resistant to chipping than Chanel and they have a better selection of red than Chanel; but, Chanel polish does last longer than OPI.  Chanel will usually stay fresh in the bottle for two to three years, versus OPI, which in about eight months starts to thicken.  OPI does not contain toluene or formaldehyde.

Given that, with the price difference, you are probably spending about the same amount of money.

Colours

OPI-‘Big Apple Red,’ ‘ OPI Red,’ ‘ Deer Valley Spice,’ ‘ An Affair in Red Square’—if you can find it, Number 1 Choice for red ‘Dude Where’s My Car’; (don’t think they make it anymore, but you may find it at an out of the way place and sometimes they bring back anniversary colors for a limited time)
Cost: $2.30 to $8.99

Chanel-‘Dazzling’ or ‘Splendeur’
Cost: $23

Helpful Tip

Be flexible as both companies change colors often.  If you like a color and can’t bear the thought of parting with it—buy a couple of bottles and store it in your refrigerator.  And, purchase some nail polish thinner at Sally’s Beauty Supply.  Other than that, bring in a color sample of your favorite red, compare colors to get as close as possible.

A fabulous red belt. Choose one you absolutely love and will enjoy for years to come, this way you will look for opportunities to wear your belt proudly.

Before you dismiss this by saying, “I am…too old, too fat, too voluptuous, too curvy, don’t have a waistline…,” please humor me and read on.

If you are voluptuous or over weight, you can still wear a belt and wear it in a way that’s flattering and accentuates your curves. Plus, you can wear it with style and panache.

Buy yourself a skinny belt that is really long, for you are not buying this belt to fit on your waist. You are purchasing the belt to ride the back of your waist, yet be loose enough to come over the top of your hips and drop down your tummy. The front of the belt should hit a point half way between your belly button and your good girl. So, in essence, the belt is draped on you—doing what its second purpose is—being a beautiful accessory. If you have a long jacket on, sweater or cardigan, the belt goes on the inside of the suit jacket or sweaters. So, you have whatever is loose and open on the outside and the belt on the inside.

Secret Tip

Wearing the belt this way, the belt has a tendency to slip, slide, and go awry on you. Solve this issue by putting double-sided tape inside the back part of your belt or a small piece of Velcro inside on the middle your belt.

For tall women, women with medium to small bosoms or women with not much curve in the waist—wide belts worn at the waist create the illusion of a curvy waist, it also pulls in the fabric highlighting the bust, and for tall women or women with long trucks minimizes the issue.

BTW, if you are long-waisted or straight-waisted-don’t wear pants or skirts which sit on your hips…nothing like wearing a neon sign pointing this feature out.

Big bosomed women are best off with wearing a skinny belt so you aren’t mistaken for Dolly Parton.

I’ve done some shopping for you in the belts department and found great belt ranging in price from $4.95 to a gorgeous Giorgio Fedon for $171.00. The Jessica Simpson Sweet Kisses Rhinestone 5/8" Rhinestone Red Belt pictured above is only $18 (regularly $36 USD), it is a personal favorite. 

The great pocket book. Now in these days and times it isn’t considered necessity to be all matchy-matchy—so leaving this accessory out isn’t going to make or break the outfit and is totally up to your personal preferences. But, if you are like me and prefer some kind of a connection between your shoes and your purse, then read on.

Big Tip: Keep your pocketbook small. Several reasons on this, in speaking with chiropractor’s, all said one of the hardest things on women’s back health is carrying pocketbooks that are too big. It puts undue stress on one side of the body and will get you out of kilter.

Small framed women and short women be especially prudent in this area because we want you to be seen—and with a large bag, you and your outfit will be overpowered by a bag that is too big. And, if viewed from behind—the big pocketbook brings attention to a big butt. You know this is true—you’ve got eyes.

Tall women, voluptuous women, and overweight women by adding a big bag to your frame adds to your bulk. Now, you can get away with a bigger bag than smaller women and have it look great—but be careful, if you are wondering if the bag is too big, chances are it is.

Have included a few great pocketbooks here for you, but if you would like to see the whole collection, click here to be taken to a fashion story board made just for you. The storyboards are fashioned to give you inspiration and ideas.

The selection of pocketbooks is really interesting. This could be another new addiction to add to my shoes. The prices start at $8.99 for the cutest jute bag with a floral imprint, to one of my favorites—a pocketbook made out of film. May just have to purchase this one, it’s the photographer in me—but check it out, the purse is really cute, clever, and has a wonderful story to it. There are more recycled bags and some really classic pieces priced at $379.

Next time you are feeling tired, a bit low, jubilant, happy, and full of fun—put on anything in the above color palettes. Don your new red pumps, grab your red pocketbook, put on the red belt, slide your fabulous new lipstick on, and be sure you are sporting red nails.

Take a look at the outfit you are now wearing; it could be an old comfortable favorite, a suit for the office suit or even a kick-about-town running-errands-outfit. You will be amazed at how fashionable you become with these simple ideas.

Recap and Levels of Importance

BTW, the tips one through five are listed by my level of importance. Again, it is no longer necessary to have a matchy-matchy look with your satin dress shoes and your pocket book. In some circles this is even discouraged. The skinny red belt is also at times not used, as some outfits don’t work with belts, but when the outfit works with a belt…they really work.

See how inspirational red pumps are? This was all started by my favorite pair of red pumps…

Have fun with this, experiment, and let me know how the red pumps inspired you. Love to hear from you and read your stories. Send photographs, too, would love to see your inspiration or any ideas you would like to share.

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