As Lindsay and I gallivanted* around Marshalls last weekend, excited as hell about having gotten together an hour early (specifically to shop), I lamented my conundrum:
“I know I should be shopping for fall – it’s almost September, for Christ’s sake – but it’s just so fucking hot.“
It’s true: it really is just so fucking hot, and I don’t very much want to wear any clothes, let alone long sleeves and thick fabrics. Even as I kept reminding myself, sleeves! length! no more damned tank tops! I kept gravitating toward…tank tops.
Tank tops: Jennifer’s kryptonite.
Guess what I’m wearing in this outfit post?
I love the absolute straightness of this skirt: it skims my body without hugging it, and sits just below my navel, never riding up. It’s perfectly opaque and wearable in the heat, bare-legged, and over tights in autumn.
The jacket is transitional, too, of course. Does this mean I got past my “it’s just so fucking hot” conundrum?
I know, I know: we need to talk about these awesome shoes.
WELL LET ME TELL YOU. They are not so awesome.
It took a lot of effort for me to get these boots. I ordered them from Steve Madden, failed to receive them, was told they were sold out and would never be back, found them back on the website a week later, ordered them again, saw that they’d shipped on the same day that the price on them dropped another $20, received them, and wore them once.
The next morning I noticed that the seam at the heel of the shoe was coming apart.
I took them to my local cobbler, certain that these once-$275 boots must be coming apart because of something I’d done, some horrible mistake I’d made in putting them on, wearing them, taking them off…
Here’s what happened when I came to pick them up:
Cobbler’s Wife (because my shoe repair shop is owned by an old married couple, who are adorable and wonderful): “There’s no charge.”
Me: “…”
Cobbler’s Wife: “Hang on, let me show you…see the heel? It’s hollow. There’s nothing inside, and where the rest of the shoe meets the heel, there’s only [a couple centimeters] space to nail it back together.”
Me: “So, you’re telling me-”
Cobbler’s Wife: “-that these are going to come apart again.”
Me: “And there’s nothing you can do.”
Cobbler’s Wife: “There’s nothing we can do.”
…yeah. So there’s that.
I’m calling Steve Madden‘s customer service line today and asking them how they plan on fixing this little…problem I’m having. These boots were originally $275 (I paid $70, but that shouldn’t matter). For $275, these shoes should not be coming apart.
Wish me luck!
Camisole: Gap, $19.95 (now $14.50)
Skirt: Max Studio via Marshalls, $24.99
Boots that make me cry: Steve Madden, $70 (now $50)
Necklace: c/o Madras 641
*“Gallivant: to go from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment.” Why yes. I’m pretty sure that’s our standard mode of transport.
View Comments (7)
: / Steve Madden's gonna get a smackdown if they don't fix your shoe problem.
wow... I just got those Anvil boots on sale at SM as well. They look gorgeous though... hopefully mine don't fall apart any time soon. Did you talk to SM's customer svc yet?
I have. They offered me a free return (which you normally don't get with clearance) and, after some complaining, a 20% discount on a future purchase. I'm...pleased? I really wanted these damned boots, and don't want to return them, but if they're going to fall apart, I might as well. :\
I hope mine were just defective, and yours work out well! Please keep me posted, Sophie (so I can be jealous of you).
I will Jennifer... make you jealous of my Anvil. hehe. BTW, I enjoy this blog very much. Keep up the good work gals. And oh, I'm obsessed with Seattle, WA. You two are sooo lucky to be living there (or nearby). I'm seriously planning on moving there someday... hopefully within 3 years or so. What can I say, I LOVE rain & year-round cool weather!
When you stop in - for a visit or a move - let us know! We both live in Seattle city limits, and love it here.
I'm already jealous of your Anvil. :P Mine are already boxed up and I'm returning them tomorrow. So sad.
Good luck! I hope you have your shoes fixed, it's cool and looks a perfect match for any outfit. Btw, you are smashing on the photos. Fab! :)
One of several reasons I will no longer buy Steve Madden. Ugh, I hope they do good by you.