Is the black strappy sandal out of fashion? - YouLookFab Forum

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Is the black strappy sandal out of fashion?

Joy

Veteran

Last weekend we were at the symphony and most were dressed up. I was admiring one middle-aged woman's outfit of fushia brocade pencil skirt and gorgeous floral scarf worn as a shawl. She was wearing the classic black strappy heeled sandals and they looked almost dowdy. I realized that I've not seen many of them for quite awhile. Are they passé? The photo below from Zappos looks most like what I mean, very foot baring with narrow straps to hold the shoe on the foot. Hers were even more delicate.
I do not currently own a pair of black strappy sandals but they always seemed a classic that one should have. Maybe not.

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Dressing

35 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Not the most current pair of sandals. I would probably suggest another style to my client if I were styling her.

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Anonymous

I have saved a couple of pairs too - and they really look dated all of a sudden. Good reminder/reason that unless you get a lot of wear out of a sandal like this, not to spend too much money on them...they don't look current forever. I'm a little annoyed at myself for having 3 or 4 pair like this that I probably wore half a dozen times that I spent a fair bit of money on.

Beth

Veteran

Yeah, they don't look very current. I wonder if she had one of those moments where you reach in the back of the closet for your rarely worn, dressy black sandals only to look at them and realize it's time to update. I know that's happened to me before!

Joy

Veteran

That was my feeling, that sometime in the past she had spent a lot of money on them and that they were in the back of the closet. Her feet looked delicate in them but they just looked out-dated.
But prehaps she wore them with her older-looking gentleman friend in mind.

Aziraphale

Veteran

They don't look current to me, either, but I can totally see how this happens -- that is, you have a pair of dressy sandals and you don't have a lot of fancy events to wear them to, so they go out of style waaaaaay before they wear out.

What I want to know is, how do you prevent this from happening? I don't need dressy sandals very often, but when I need them, I really need them! Buying a cheap pair pretty much guarantees that they will kill my feet, but buying an expensive pair seems like a waste of money.

First world problems, lol.

(Love the top left silver-and-black pair that Angie posted!)

Nishaa

Oh ! Aziraphale.. I can extrapolate this to dressy clothes as well.. The event clothes... They will be outdated before they wear out.. Or atleast till you have reached a reasonable cost per wear for those.. What to do..

I've a pair similar to last one in lower heels ..

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yes, Nishaa, this is a problem for dressy clothes, I agree! How to find a pretty dress that actually fits and flatters and isn't too pricey because I may only wear it once? But at least an inexpensive cocktail dress won't give you bleeding feet.

Actually, those sandals you posted, Joy, look a lot like the sandals I wore to my high school graduation in 1990 -- except mine had block heels. No wonder they look out of date!

Anonymous

Hi Joy. I have a pair almost exactly like the pair you posted

Only this minute did I realize that they do seem dated. Oh, so dated. When did that happen?? They seemed so nice the last time I wore them. I wonder when it was that they were last worn? Wedding?

Sal

Veteran

Yes it can be hard, I have a similar bronze pair that I have not called for in a long time.

I don't quite know what the solution is - some shoes cross over from work to evening, or smart casual to formal quite well.

I also think if you still like them, you can still wear them - they are not cutting edge fashionable, but they might be a nice shoe.

I have kept some black pointy toe stilettos for sixteen years now and somehow except for about three years they have worked for all the time. I adore them:)

always trying

Veteran

i just updated my 5 yr old special occasion sandals for an event I will be going to on Saturday. My old ones were very comfy and I am not purging them yet.

catgirl

Veteran

Agree these look like my wedding shoes from 1999, but mine had a block heel. Dressy shoes are always a problem for me... between liking the style and finding it, I'd rather wear boots!

AJ

Veteran

My sis was asking me for outfit advice for an upcoming wedding. She tried on her LBD with a similar sandal and the first thing I thought was to update the shoes not the LBD.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think the solution is simple: Buy more shoes!!

In all seriousness, I know it can hurt to pay for dressy clothes, clutch, shoes when you only use these items maybe five times a year if you are lucky. But in my experience, it hurts even more to find out you have an event and realize you have nothing current and fab to wear to it. Rushing around in desperate search is a total bore (and often fruitless) and going in your dated stuff makes you feel lousy. So I say have a small capsule of dressy things at the ready. The shoes need not be updated every year -- every three to five years or so is probably good. Same for the dresses. If you wear them an average of 3 times a year that's 9 to 15 wears. (And some you will wear more). Yes, the CPW will be high, but so what? The JPW is equally high.

Chris987

Veteran

Ditto what Suz said. I learned the hard way. Went to a fabulous wedding three years ago, got a new dress but wore 10 year old dressy shoes that looked out of date and hurt my feet enough that I didn't want to do any dancing which really bummed me out. I now have a very small capsule at the ready.

rachylou

Veteran

I have had this thought too about black strappy sandals...but here's the thing, I kinda think they're so out they're coming back around as ahead of the curve, lol.

Aquamarine

Veteran

Ha rachylou....guaranteed as soon as I purge those items that have been sitting in the back of my closet, they are suddenly back "in"

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Something about all the straps AND the narrow heel says dated to me. I have been learning recently that it's best to purge stuff that can still sell at consignment rather than keep it till it's old as dust and no one including you wants it anymore.

Anonymous

Az. You exactly expressed my problem with dressy shoes: If you get the cheap ones, you will die of bleeding feet.

So I went the Suz route last year and bought a pair of $$ black ankle strap shoes which I hope will look good for another couple of years.

I think those strappy ones are a little dated yes, but not by much. I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear them, but I wouldn't buy a pair like that now.

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I have a similar pair in white leather, hoping they will come back in style and that I will want to wear them again. You never know. I'm not a strappy sandal wearer in general, but these I liked, so I've kept them for, oh, 11 or 12 years. Yeah, I don't know how they survived my big closet edit last fall. . . .

unfrumped

Veteran

Joy, great post and such a dilemma. It is really hard to keep some capsules completely current and sometimes hard for me to know whether a dressy shoe or ensemble will last. DressY shoes are hard for me to get fitted in, so in theory I will " grab" a pair if I find them staring at me, but that doesn't happen much so it could take lots of time & returns just to hunt down an " update".

Joy

Veteran

Such great thoughts and some ideas for solutions. One wants to feel fab and confident at a dressy event, but those wardrobe items never seem to wear out when they only get the occasional outing. Nor does having to shop for an event at the last minute seem like a good idea. Angie has some wonderful retro dressy pieces that don't date. That may be an answer.

Nishaa

some shoes cross over from work to evening, or smart casual to formal quite well.
That's my solution .. Copied word for word from Sally's ..
And I know cost per wear but what's jpw.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Yes! I've noticed this myself. I don't have many dressy occasions anymore, so more than once in the last few years, I've been unsatisfied with the dressy shoes in my closet. It doesn't help matters that I don't have the kind of job or life that requires pumps or dressy shoes for work. I still have my Okalas, which suffice for dressy occasions, and I've barely worn them in the last year or so.

I am hoping that I can get by with my Rockstuds for many years to come. Right now they are the only dressy shoes I own, other than my ancient black patent sandals (which might be dated by the same standard! -- I last wore them about a year ago).

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Anonymous

Joy Per Wear.

Nishaa

Thanks sterling

Beth Ann

Veteran

Very interesting --- I'm caring about these issues a bit more as I get older, and particularly as I am in a new city and looking for a job.

A thought and a question:

In dressy shoes, I've never found cost to make much of a difference in comfort. As a matter of fact, with my slightly wide, high volume foot, cheaper brands often fit me better, and I've learned to add foot petals and foot dots to make this more comfy.

My question: Does having a strong "personal style" change the equation? I purchased the first pair below in response to my love of all things 30's and 40's. The second pair was an embrace of a current-ish trend back toward block heels. Now, if I dressed in head to toe Modcloth and went swing dancing, it could all seem a bit 2006 (Retro was big back in the day), but this shoe, which might look dowdy on some, might look intentional in my closet --- or at least I hope so. Whadya think? (Perhaps I should have started another thread -- don't let me hijack).

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Banoffi

Veteran

Interesting conversation, which is now causing me panic! I have a 3 day black tie music festival to attend in the UK in 2 weeks' time. I bought these Stuart Weitzman sandals for one of the dresses I am wearing. I'm assuming these also look outdated (they seem similar to the pair Joy posted)? They were comfortable and low-heeled, which will work for the outdoor event, but I'm already feeling old enough and don't want to jump on the frump boat. I'm already got the return label printed for Nordstrom Rack!...

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Banoffi

Veteran

oops - duplicate post. Sorry.

Ginger

Veteran

Beth Ann, I'm biased, as you know, but I don't think the t-straps are ever going to look dowdy/out of date in a bad way. T-straps have such a strong vintage (and Broadway) vibe that they are in a class by themselves. Angie even wrote about retro pieces "transcending the trends":

http://youlookfab.com/2015/09/.....he-trends/

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