Notes on Shoes

Generally, men and women are very different, but when it comes to shoes...there’s an abyss between us!

We all know it, for a man, a shoe is just something that covers his feet. For a woman, shoes have magical powers. They can make you feel gorgeous, pretty, sophisticated or sporty  before you can say Jack Robinson!. Houston Chronicle writer, Kathy Gibson said : “Unlike shopping for jeans (which is about as much fun as going to the gynecologist), shopping for shoes is an exhilarating experience. Feet don't have hips, feet don't have thighs. Feet are our friends." Tall or short, chubby or slender, any woman can buy the perfect pair of shoes knowing that they will look fabulous on her. 

A fashion critic, Holly Brubach says :” A new pair of shoes might not cure a broken heart or soothe a tension headache, but they will relieve the symptoms and chase away the blues." This is a good „theory”  according to the fact that every woman feels this way. But why do women need shoes? What can they do? Fairytales have the answer: the first woman who was conscious of the value of a good pair of shoes was... Cinderella! But for that crystal slipper, the charming prince wouldn’t have found her and they would have never fallen in love.

Buying a new pair of shoes is like falling in love with a tall, muscular, mysterios, blue-eyed  guy or tasting a chocolate bar , but much better! For some of them, those impractical and really expensive shoes are like an addiction they have to feed. Take a look into your closet. How many shoes to you posses? Be honest. If you have 10 pairs of boots, 8 of flats, sandals, pumps, sneakers and wedges you need to be healed. But not that healed because  it’s in your nature  to love shoes, it’s like a divine right, but you have to be responsible and  think twice before purchasing a new pair. Ask yourself and don’t lie to yourself : „Do I really need those beautiful, Dior, high heels?”. If the answer is no, leave the shop and come back when you will need them. If the answer is yes... ask yourself again.

Nowaways, shoes obsession is a common „disorder”: women spend their child’s college fund for Alexander McQueen’s last designs, women cry for days when they can’t find the right shoes to match the dress, women are strange indeed.

So here’s a tip : take care of your shoes, because in this way you take care of your feet too.  Wash them, polish your leather shoes and wear a different pair every other day so they can last longer.

In the end there isn’t much left to say : shoes are amazing and like all other great things, they are completely evil, but if you use your head when you spend your money on a pair of shoes, be smart and invest in a good, long-lasting one! 

* On that note, here's a book recommendation (something light, slightly superficial, perfect for your summer vacation): Secrets of a shoe addict - Beth Harbinson

Bisous, bisous

C&C

The Zara theory

House of Art shirt, Zara skirt, Zara shoes, Zara bag, Claudia's accessories

Inditex brand Zara is known across the globe as a provider of (usually) quality high-street market clothes, shoes and accessories but that recognition also brings the problem of oversaturation. In clearer terms, going to a party in a Zara dress means taking the risk of having another person or ten wearing the same dress. 

But even so, the store is still a nice provider of basics, meaning that if I had to choose one store and dress in its clothes almost from head to toe, Zara would definitely be considered. 

Here we tried to assemble a simple outfit but keep that chic note of a quality basic item by using shape and bold accents to tie the outfit's different pieces together. 

The skirt is Zara, a high-waisted, loose midi with a flowy fabric and a flattering shape for a lot of figures. It makes us think of summer and despite it's conservative look, the bold ink blue color can balance the outdated look. 

While the shirt isn't Zara but an old House of Art, it's difficult to find a closet missing a white button down shirt. This one has an interesting fabric, somewhat shiny but very comfortable and that matches the vintage look of the outfit. 

The shoes and the bag are the Zara versions of some famous style staples, mainly reminding us of Pierre Hardy's sandals and Hermes' Birking bag but don't be afraid that they're exact copies. Both items keep the subject of a high end product, but Zara has its own ideas and manages to use the simple shape in an original way through color and details.

Bisous, bisous

C&C

Tartine et Moi

             

              Coconotkarl va prezinta Tartine et Moi, unul dintre cele mai frumoase restaurante (sau bistro elvetian daca preferati) unde pana acum nu am reusit sa mancam ceva ce nu ne-a placut (poate salata de cartofi care nu ii place Cristinei in general, dar si aceea era gustoasa...pentru o salata de cartofi vreau sa zic).
              Si chiar daca nu ne-ar placea mancarea, tot am veni la Tartine et Moi, fie si numai pentru compania vesela a proprietarilor, Cristi (adica Nenea-asa i-am spus cam de cand am intrat prima data si asa continuam sa-i spunem ) si Martin (Elvetianul), oricand gata sa gateasca ceva simplu, dar impresionant sau doar sa te intrebe ce mai faci, pe deasupra unei cafele cu un macaron gratis.

P.S. Puteti sa cautati Tartine et Moi si pe Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TARTINEETMOI 


Coconotkarl is pleased to present you Tartine et Moi, one of Pitesti's best restaurants ( or swiss bistro if you prefer).
Their food is amazing, their music enchanting, but the best thing about Tartine&Moi is the company you can find there. Cristi and Martin, the owners, are always ready for guests, ready to make you feel like home, kindly smiling at you while preparing your nice cup of coffee.
Whenever you want to find a sense of intimacy drop by Tartine&Moi and indulge yourself with their many treats!


P.S Check this out if you want more details: http://www.facebook.com/TARTINEETMOI 

Jeffrey Campell Lita

                Jeffrey Campbell hit it big when he released a shoe named Lita. I refuse to call it “little” because…look at the picture. That shoe is not little, size-wise or personality-wise. While it might appear as an ordinary boot with a chunky heel from its description, the Lita has that it-factor that makes a shoe sell-out within days of restocking. Appearing on many famous fashion blogs didn’t hurt it either. At a price that is by far more affordable than many designer shoes, the Lita has quite a few qualities of a big name company shoe.

                As a owner myself, I admit to being surprised at the quality of the manufacturing and the leather used (the pair I own is black, similar to the one in the picture), but also at the fact that even though they had a large platform, they didn’t feel like it, not only concerning the weight, but the overall feeling of the shoe. What I like most is that the Lita manages to find somewhat of a balance between a “loud” shoe, the approximately 2.5 inch platform isn’t really what I’d call quiet, but the simple black leather reminds of a classic, quality shoe. But if simple is not really what you want, you can find the Lita in colors ranging from macrame to something like dog tapestry.

As far as comfort is concerned, I don’t think people buy 5 inch heels and expect a great deal of it, but the Lita surprised me here as well. I expected them to be wearable, but I can really say that serious problems only appear after something like a day of shopping, to put it in practical terms.

For those living in Romania, you can find the Lita (and other Jeffrey Campbell shoes) at the Chantal store in Bucharest or use their address to order on line. I went to Bucharest when I bought my pair, and even though they didn’t have it at first in my size (which was my usual 36 nothing special there) they were very nice (and they didn’t mind that I was almost shaking with excitement and allowed me to try out everything I wanted) and I was able to purchase my pair when it was restocked. 

To begin with

Hello!

This is what we'd call "a blog of memories", our blog. So who are we? 

It's hard to describe a person in just a few words, but we'll try. 

We've been friends for quite a while and even though we see the world in different colours there are some things that kept us together, things that didn't just fade with fashion. We saw pointed shoes, boot-cut jeans and emo hairstyles come and go, but we kept to the classics and our friendship did the same. 

One of us is Cristina, the other Claudia and we're both "made in România", but our hopes go far beyond the east-european borders.

Through this blog, we'd like to prove and disprove some of the rumors about our country, be it fashion or culture-related.

So if you've found this blog, be ready, expect anything from fashion to travel to cooking, but mostly fashion.

Here are some things we like...

Bisous, bisous

C&C