I learned about an interesting new online shoe store in the youlookfab forum: 6pm.com. It’s well worth a look because the selection is good and the prices are sensational. Most of the styles are between 45% and 70% off. I’m not sure if this is a blowout end of season sale, or whether they always sell the previous season’s shoes. Of course, there is nothing wrong with buying season old shoes and there are plenty of superb choices on this site.

The search facility works quite well, but you can’t narrow down your search as effectively as you can on Zappos. I haven’t ordered anything yet so I’m unsure of their service. I have noticed that you pay for shipping (about $7 each way) which means that you are out of pocket $14 if the shoes don’t work. This is something you’ll need to factor into the total price of your purchases.

I am still an absolute Zappos fan. If you order in the morning, your shoes on your doorstep the next day. And the shipping is free. But their prices aren’t nearly as good as those on 6pm.com, which means that I will be browsing both sites when next I’m looking for shoes online.

I’m impressed with 6pm.com’s footwear selection. It’s definitely different to Zappos, Endless and Piperlime. Thank you Mayapple for sharing your finds with us.

Top designers showcase their designs for each upcoming fashion season during “Fashion Week” events in Paris, Milan, London, Madrid, Hong Kong and New York. Multiple fashion shows take place daily during fashion week and it’s what these designers send down the runway that ultimately influences retail fashion six to ten months later. Fashion editors, fashion buyers, fashion critics, fashion designers and fashion photographers are invited to various fashion week events around the world and based on what they see, begin to plan and translate our next retail season.

Fashion Weeks are instrumental trend predictors. And while catwalk creations are often unwearable, general tendencies towards particular colours, silhouettes, items and fabrics are apparent with each collection that’s sent down the runway. These general tendencies are interpreted and filtered by the fashion industry who in turn make clothing available for us to purchase in stores. New York Fashion Week is currently taking place, showcasing designer collections for Fall 2008. While we discuss Spring and Summer 2008 on this site; fashion buyers, designers, merchandisers and clothing manufactures are working on the next season (Autumn 2008), which makes its debut in stores in August.

Fashion weeks cause a lot of hype because predicting what’s in store for us in future is a hot topic. I don’t pay close attention to what goes on at each fashion week every season because trends are still in their infancy at that stage and there is no guarantee that runway fashions will become mainstream in one season. But from what I’ve gathered at the New York fashion week, the waist-cinching belt and hour glass silhouette has never been stronger, and we can look forward to this for Autumn 2008.

British designer Nicole Miller recently showcased her Fall 2008 collection in New York.

I’ve written several blog entries suggesting the minimum number of items you need in different categories in order to have an efficient wardrobe that covers all the bases. Of course, these suggestions are just a starting point. You may find that your wardrobe functions better with more items in one of these categories. Look at the details in the individual blog entries and adapt the suggestions to your specific situation.

• 1-4 pairs of jeans. The number will differ depending on your lifestyle and your preferences. If you love jeans and wear them daily, you’ll need four pairs. If you seldom wear jeans, limit yourself to one fabulous pair.
• 2 dresses. One for day and one for night.
• 3 coats. This won’t hold true for warm weather locations, but it’s a must if you live in a country that has four seasons.
• 3 handbags. This requirement cuts across all lifestyles and age groups.
• 4 “everyday” bras and 10 “everyday” undies. This excludes sports bras and special occasion underwear.
• 6 pairs of shoes. This excludes slippers, workout sneakers, wellington boots and gardening clogs.

You will also need tops, camisoles, jackets, knitwear, more bottoms and accessories to put together stylish ensembles on a daily basis. It is difficult to specify quantities for these additional items because they depend on lifestyle, dress codes, body types, personal preferences, your local climate and travel requirements. If you are building a wardrobe of the bare essentials, however, the list above is a good place to start.

First it was the ankle bootie, then the Oxford bootie, and now a peep-toe version of these styles is Spring 2008’s trendiest new shoe. This trend sends the same mixed message as sleeveless woolly turtlenecks and short-sleeved coats (Winter items with impractical Summer styling). But peep-toes are super for Spring and this shoe is essentially a peep-toed pump with a little more foot coverage.

The ped is being paired with ankle length skinnies, walk shorts, skirts and dresses. It’s an eccentric look that’s definitely not mainstream. I can appreciate the fresh idea, but I can’t see myself wearing them. Can you?

Hot off the press: peep-toe Oxfords and peep-toe booties from Nordstrom. Heel heights are once again absurd. I quite like the streamlined look of the style without laces.