Mental block against white shoes - YouLookFab Forum

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Mental block against white shoes

3style

Veteran

I have fussy low-volume feet like Angie. And I try to consider her suggestions, especially for sandals, since you can’t pad them out with socks or insoles very readily. I bought the Bella Vita Luc in Champagne, which is a glittery but subtle rose gold. I’d probably be comfortable in the Naturaliser Wendy sandal in white. And I’m sure that pragmatically, I’d find white sandals versatile.

But I just cannot seem to get over my childhood imprinting. I can still picture them from when I was growing up. Back then, I was only ever seeing them as something worn by retirees. They would wear them with nylons and little house on the prairie style dresses or with white socks and tracksuits.

Any tricks for palette cleansing of the imagination, so to speak?

Bella-Vita Luc Sandal

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Naturalizer Wendy

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Dressing

55 replies

Latest reply was from 3style

Joy

Veteran

Just get some comfortable ones and wear them. Your eye will adjust.

Get something white to repeat the color of the sandals and create a compliment. This makes to style and wear.

Anonymous

I don’t have the same mental block you do but I never seem to feel like they look right on myself. I have a pair of slip on sneaks, perforated booties, sandals and oxfords & am really trying to find a way to incorporate them & feel good.

Here’s tonus both making them work & enjoying them. Cheers.

3style

Veteran

In terms of building a complimentlike Joy is suggesting my immediate thinking is:

In the past I’ve had good luck with small, casual freshwater pearl earrings necklaces, watches, etc.

Like https://www.jjill.com/product/.....p-earrings
Or https://www.jjill.com/product/.....nt-necklac

In fact, I wore them so much that they broke after years of heavy wear. I didn’t seek out replacements even though they had been essential to my style. I‘m realizing that is because I get so paranoid wondering if I’m falling into a style rut. It’s hard to trust myself to go for what works for me when something is convenient (but not trendy) like these jjill items, but also not classic in a more traditional preppy sense of that word.

DonnaF

Veteran

Turn blonde or turn gray; then the white sandals will bookend your hair. Otherwise, wear a lot of white.

Anonymous

Pardon the typo! - to us both

Love the pearl jewelry, I think it would be worth replacing styles like that.
I need to pull out some of mine & try that. Ty, for the reminder.

Lesley

Veteran

I am the same way, but I embrace it! I love white shoes on other people but it's not right for my look. I kinda get around it by wearing silver shoes in occasions that others might wear white.

Synne

Veteran

As I'm getting older, I realize old folks have been right about quite a few things. Haha! They sure know to value comfort, versatility and practicality, and that's exactly what those sandals convey to me now! Try them, and I agree with the others that your eye will adjust.

I have even started other old-folks regimes like rag-curling my hair (so comfortable and easy!), and wearing granny panties (those are even in style now, I believe? Haha!).

Style Fan

Veteran

I don't wear white shoes except for my walking (not fashion) gear shoes. They don't really work for my style or my colour palette. Is there some reason you want to wear white footwear? There are other colours available.

Bijou

Veteran

To cleanse your distaste of white footwear, have a look at Angie's previous posts of her outfits - as white footwear is a signature for her and it looks nothing but modern and fresh.

Anonymous

I just recently got over aversion to white.
Now nurses wear colorful scrubs . In the “olden days “ we wore crisp white uniforms, polished white shoes, cap and name tag reflecting spouse name if married- lol.
To this day I can not wear a white dress but just recently added a pair of white capris and sandals.

Chris987

Veteran

Joy's advice is spot on. I don't wear white shoes either but could see wearing them as sandals in summer. Follow Angie's lead (as Bijou said)..modern and fresh. I was thinking of trying these very casual sandals which would easily pair with any color of shorts & tops for a hot day although I ultimately decided not to buy more very casual shoes since I already have too many. But..Style Fan has a point too, if they don't feel right or fit your lifestyle then maybe they are just not for you. That's where you have to listen to your emotions...and/or maybe give yourself a little push.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’m with Lesley. I even have trouble using a white bag — in general it just seems like too much contrast and crispness with my usual palette and style. White always seems a bit dressier as well, and I have a hard time keeping it clean. But silver, I embrace. I have had and enjoyed some white sandals in the past, but these days that need is filled totally by metallic neutrals instead. No need to force it if it doesn’t work for you — find what works and embrace it!

Amy Isabella

Veteran

White shoes are not for me, for the reasons Janet and Lesley mention. However (and I suspect I am in the minority) to my eye they seem more casual - maybe because we wore white tennis shoes at school

Becky

Veteran

I haven't worn white shoes in many years. I like them on others, but I tend to be hard on shoes and they get scuffs, dirt, etc., way too easily. I choose a "hair bookend" color like champagne for my light summer neutral shoe.

cindysmith

Veteran

I can't seem to keep white things white, so I've had a mental block against white shoes for that reason. I happened across a pair of white Taryn Rose slip on sneakers in a thrift shop, never worn, for $5 and decided "what the heck, for $5 I'll give them a try"

I have decided that this pair of shoes is so comfortable that I will just deal with my fear of staining them and find a good shoe guy to help me keep them white. I think it's just a matter of letting the mind adjust, because I'm a few weeks into having these shoes and already trying to figure out how to wear them more often (they're SOOOOOOOOOOOO comfortable).

Give them a try, see if your mind readjusts

3style

Veteran

Thanks everyone,
Lots of contradictory thoughts bouncing around in my head about why I would or wouldn’t want to try white sandals. Btw, I think that I have tried something like Chris987 suggested, maybe fifteen years ago or so. I think that I would categorize those more like pared down sneakers than true sandals, so that style isn’t that much of a stretch for me. I tend to not buy white sneakers mostly because they tend to have narrow toe boxes. Speculation is that is to offset the widening effect of the color on the foot.

Kathie

Veteran

I’m in the group that doesn’t have white shoes- my hair is dark, and I don’t have a lot of white in my wardrobe. For lighter shoes, I wear taupe/nude-for-me to lengthen my line, or brighter colors- red, and now I’m developing a yellow accessory capsule.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yooooohoo. Quick chime in from Queen White Shoes. I’ve always worn white shoes....it’s my thing.

They are signature, work well with my blonde hair and complexion (bookending), work well with the palette of my wardrobe, look modern, crisp and fresh, AND are unique. I wear a lot of white, which helps. I have white bags so complements are easy. I can also keep them quite clean despite my urban life.

3Style, my shoe suggestions - most of the time - come in multiple colours. No need to choose the white. It’s that easy!

Things do work both ways For example, I have an aversion to black footwear - apart from my tall classic riding boots which I love. I like black shoes on others - especially when they bookend black hair, but they are not for me. I prefer to wear navy or brown dark shoes.

It is ALWAYS a preference and personal choice. Find your “white”. Maybe it’s a metallic, tan, pearl grey or taupe? My “black” is dark blue and cognac. It’s ALL good.

Anonymous

White shoes are hit and miss for me too. My personal successes have been with white Birkenstocks (which I LOVE and hope to always have a fresh pair going ) and white driving shoe/loafers (traditional style) . I like white sandals with natural wood coloured heels, but don't really care for plain white mules, slides , boots etc. I think it's totally personal, and a lot depends on how you see white working in your environment (in winter, white looks ridiculous in certain light and weather etc) . Clear summer light with the contrast of greenery and coloured clothing and a great pedicure brings out white shoes really well . On that note - I'm off to buy a new pair of white Birks

3style

Veteran

Thanks Angie and everyone.

Now that I’m thinking this through more clearly, I’ve realized that white is my happiest color. I wear a lot of it year round. It’s tricky finding pieces with enough structure which aren’t super formal, but when I succeed I’m happy about it.

I just have a hang up about bright white leather or pleather for shoes or bags.

What I realized is that I need to visualize the whole wardrobe mini-capsule in order to get over my hang up. I have a fair number of various Breton tops (5) that these sandals would be perfect to go with them plus jeans. If I add in those jjill earrings or something else with a casual pearl motif, plus white cardigan or other coordinating topper, it would be a nice set of FFBOs for “smart casual” type of style. I think for me a white purse would be too matchy but I have enough bags that can work.

Still can’t visualize how a white purse would work for me, but that’s a topic for another thread.

At some point in the future, I’ll want to experiment with different shades of white and nude to me footwear and see any other lighter shades appeal. For now I’m going to try the Naturalizer ones.

3style

Veteran

Lisa p, Are you wearing the Birkenstock sandals in bright white or their antique white shade? Their Antique white looks terrible on my screen but I’m wondering if it’s nice IRL.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

If you love wearing white, just not white leather, then you can keep things as they are and look for light coloured shoes of another hue! Nobody should feel she has to wear what doesn't work for her personally!

It's funny -- I have some of the same associations that you do to white footwear, but I also associate white sandals, in particular, with a certain kind of 60s mod chic that I adore. So I just go with that vision. I also love the way they "lighten" up outfits and work with white bottoms. But then, white sandals that were comfy and did not have gold accents were a HEWI for me for 5 years and I'm delighted to finally have found my pair.

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Anonymous

Just regular bright white .

3style

Veteran

Suz,
What I’m trying to articulate is that I totally enjoy and understand how white shoes work for Angie. And I’m loving them with your Boden dress. It’s more like I was having a hard time connecting them to anything that I would wear: short of fancy ones for summer wedding guest attire.

My style isn’t particularly modern or retro. (1) Mostly AT or BR or Talbots [on their conservative but not super formal side] for business.(2) Mostly F21 or Loft or Fatface for casual, skewing young, but not overly so, I hope.(3) Lots of Land’s End and jjill mixed with gear for activewear, enabling me to go somewhere after hiking and not be 100% gear. Hence the moniker 3style.

I don’t want to look any stodgier with the conservative stuff I own by adding white shoes. So I’m trying to think out loud in terms of what works.

I think that when I’m kind of crossing looks (1) and (2) with items like Breton shirts, that level of refinement is when white shoes would make the outfit dressier.

I feel like the metallic sandals I have are a little too trendy and in line with look (2). They don’t go well with 3/5 of my Breton shirts nor some other peasant blouse type items. Therefore, the white shoes would serve a distinct purpose. They would be a completer piece for my happy stripes.

Furthermore, subsequently other styles of sportier (but not sneakers) white shoes might help me to crossover styles 2 and 3.

Gigi

Veteran

I used to have this kind of hang-up over bootcuts--they reminded me too much of bell bottoms from the seventies. What I did was shop and try on various kinds of bootcuts, and over time, I started to see that they were actually flattering on me, and I was able to buy some and enjoy them. So my advice would be just to go shopping and try on a wide variety of styles, and over time, maybe your eye will adjust and you will find a pair that is right for you.

3style

Veteran

Gigi,
How I wish I could. Alas, rheumatoid feet with several varieties of neuropathy don’t work like that. If I put on a particularly uncomfortable pair of shoes and don’t realize that they are uncomfortable and keep them on for five minutes, until they suddenly hurt a lot, then my feet are totally unfit for trying out shoes for 24 hours. If I keep them on for an hour then I might be out of commission for feeling the fit of new shoes for a few days. So it really, really helps me to have at least some shoes pre-screened by a fellow skinny footed gal, so I put a lot of stock in Angie’s picks. There are definitely pointy-toed ones that Angie likes which I cannot approach. But I try to consider anything with a low heel and a roomy toe box.

I am also a big fan of
https://www.barkingdogshoes.com/
Great resource.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That is a fabulous resource for fussy feet, you are right!

Well, it actually sounds as if you have your style (s) sorted. Classic for work, a bit trendier (?) for casual, and practical yet classic for active.
Maybe white shoes just don't fit! But here's a whole bunch of images -- admittedly a lot of sneakers, but not exclusively. Inspiration, perhaps .https://www.google.com/search?.....h&sa=

And this, too: https://www.whowhatwear.com/wh.....pring-2016

Some of this sounds like it may have to do with other style details vs. colour. As you've probably noticed, my style is fairly classic with a nod to trends. I'd wear my metallic sandals with my Breton tops and sweaters and do so all the time!

But again, there's no need to wear white shoes (or any particular colour of shoes) -- look at those Naturalizers in colours that would blend more seamlessly into your wardrobe and not make you feel those negative associations.

kerlyn

Veteran

No need to wear white shoes if they're not your thing! I can appreciate them on others, but I am not a fan of them for myself. They just don't blend with my earthy tones. Even when I'm wearing a white top in the summer, I pretty much always choose a tan or cognac sandal to bookend my hair. That said, your eye may adjust!

Aquamarine

Veteran

I agree you don’t have to participate in this trend if it doesn’t speak to you. Of course, you may change your mind at some point, and that’s ok too. Like Angie says, fashion is supposed to be fun!

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