Pumps in snow? - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

About: Casual and Trendy in Cold Alaska

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Pumps in snow?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Okay, I don't want to diss the bloggers highlighted, but I cry "foul!" Talk about risking serious injury. I don't see those shoes as reasonable cold climate options. Honestly a big part of adjusting to 'going out' looks in Tahoe snow for me revolved around footwear. The dresses gave way to velvet pants or matte satin cigarette pants with dressier boots, booties or shooties. If I was daring, a mule if the snow wasn't too deep (but with socks).

Dressing

68 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

Thistle

Veteran

I won't disagree, but perhaps her lifestyle is different than mine. Or her tolerances are.

I simply cannot go without socks in the snow. And I need shoes that are waterproof and have a good sole to track through the yuck. Once I am inside, you still have to be cautious of footwear as there is snow and slush and water.

But, I am not willing to suffer for fashion

Catnip

Veteran

I agree. The footwear that many bloggers wear may look good but is completely impractical.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I'm afraid I have to agree Mo. I live in a climate that has snow a good 5-6 months of the year and I don't venture out in pumps (especially barefooted) until all that snow is gone - usually beginning to mid May. During snow season, it's various boots and booties outdoors and if I want to wear "real" shoes, I change into them when I get into the office.

However in the blogger's defense, these are style photos and obviously the footwear chosen looks much better with the outfits.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Shannon, that brings up an interesting point. 'Style photos'. I could play dress up in my closet and stand in a neat setting, but that's not reality. How much of blogging is supposed to be reality and how much is a version of the everygirl playing model off duty. Just to be devil's advocate.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I was honestly thinking of the slipping on the wet, icy surface in slick bottomed shoes more than even the cold factor, which is another facet to consider as well.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Hmmmm....I guess it's up to every blogger to decide if they're going for reality or "the look". I know when I'm looking at Pinterest, I choose both outfits that would work in reality for me with respect to body type and climate, and then I also choose outfits because stylistically, they look great to me but I wouldn't be able to wear them.

ETA: I agree that slipping and sliding on the ice in stiletto pumps isn't a good thing.

Classically Casual

Veteran

I agree. One could carve out a unique look in blogger land by wearing apparel appropriate for the conditions, done in an original way. Skinny jeans and stillettos are what one sees regardless of the locale. I say bring on the furry Sorrels when there's three feet of snow on the ground.

That being said, I used to travel to Anchorage on business. The office manager wore silk blouses, pencil skirts and stillettos year round and would barely put on a coat in winter. Different strokes and all that...

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm with you, Mo. I love the blogger's outfits, but those shoes all scream "spring" to me.

Yeah, it might just be for the pictures, but I find that a bit disengenuous. I'd rather see what people really spend their days wearing.

Jules

Veteran

I was eating at a trendy place next to a fancy hotel one night this winter... a night after a day of snow, followed by a rise in temperature. Slush. Everywhere. In a thick layer on the ground and falling from the sky... my tall, waterproof boots got a workout, and if I hadn't been going out for rare adult time, I would have worn actual gear. Or stayed inside, actually. It was awful.
We saw someone headed out from the hotel wearing nude pumps. She looked ridiculous.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I would also prefer to see "real life" outfits as opposed to what looks good in the photos. If the bloggers are really wearing this stuff out on the street, then I guess fine for them, but I seriously doubt it sometimes.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sometimes bloggers take photos for the visual effect of the background. Take for example my outfit post at the beach in Santa Monica.

http://youlookfab.com/2013/11/.....the-beach/

Although I wore that exact outfit to dinner a few nights before, I would not have worn that outfit to the beach. It was very precarious standing on the ramp of the lifeguard station, and of course heels don’t work in the sand so I had to take them off. But the beach and the sunrise were so stunningly beautiful, that we wanted to take photos there. So remember that bloggers will put on snow boots in the snow, but are showcasing the outfit in pumps because they probably wear that inside. Our Canadian forum members do this all the time.

Anonymous

I prefer real life as well. I look to bloggers for inspiration I can use in my real life.

Liz

Veteran

I don't think I realized what a huge deal it is for me to feel somewhat congruent with my environment until I started seeing bloggers wearing clothes that appear designed for a creative, fashion-filled life in a huge, clean, stylish, city with a temperate climate. That's just so far from "real" life as I know it and as the people around me actually live.

But then, I guess everyone has a different tolerance. Some people love to defy environmental norms, and I suppose for some that might include ways to defy the actual environment and weather.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Points all well taken. I think reading how she 'had to learn to dress for the new cold environment' etc was the part that left me feeling, as Janet said, it was a bit disingenuous.
Like her, I go from 9 months of warm to the opposite 9 months of cold. But I rinse and repeat! So maybe I was taking the adaptation part a little too much to heart. I should have just put my blogger glasses on and left it at that lol.

Jules

Veteran

Ok... having checked out the blogger, I am also getting a giggle out of the last outfit (which I love). A huge umbrella on a sunny day, really? I have seen people carry small umbrellas against the sun (mostly in Asia, but occasionally by Asians even here), but nothing that big. I think the outfit could stand alone very nicely and the umbrella almost detracts.
If people are showcasing their indoor outfits then why the coats.... sorry, but bare feet and wool coats will never "go" together as far as I'm concerned. But at least I understand all these beautiful unlined wool coats that seem to be for sale. They are for people in warm climates who want to dress "fall" but don't really need the warmth. My Canadian is showing, as I just can't see coats as pure fashion!

Tina

Veteran

When a blog is intended to show people they can be stylish even in cold temps, it needs to follow through with actual realistic clothes AND footwear. To me this set is no different than most blogs I see. Those heels would never work in winter, honestly there are times when it's precarious to walk with gear. I live in northern Alberta and there is no way I could get away with this. I have heeled booties and wear those sometimes but not skin baring shoes. Like Mo said, footwear plays such a huge part in looking cohesive that this blog becomes just a bit it irrelevant.
I really enjoyed the feature, that's not the issue, it would just be refreshing to see more reality in footwear choices.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I 'get' that it's about showing pretty pictures mostly, but when the taglines run along the lines of - here's how to dress great for your environment - and then it is not conducive to said environment, it leaves me feeling like someone's trying to pull one over on me. That's why I prefer if it's just showcased more as amateur models on a photo shoot. She looks great, by the way!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Crossposted with Tina. Yes, saying one thing and showing another is the issue I'm having. Not that she doesn't look great or should be blogging by any means!

Gaylene

Veteran

I'm with you, Mo, as you can probably tell from the comment I left. While I understand the desire to take eye-candy pictures, for me, there are limits to how far I can suspend my disbelief. Seeing someone who is so out of touch with her environment promoting her blog as inspirational "cold weather" style is a bit much. Alicia is a lovely girl who obviously has a real talent for style, and, if it wasn't for her emphasizing her "northernness", I think I'd be able to overlook using snow as photographic prop. Otherwise, I just get reinforced in the notion that it's impossible to look stylish when you need to wear gloves, boots, and insulation against the elements.

ETA: Defying the elements may make for pretty pictures, but in my part of the world, people die because of it. Maybe that is why I find this kind of imagery so disturbing.

Glory

Veteran

Mo I agree. I like things to be reasonably authentic so pumps in snow just doesn't work for me.

columbine(erin)

Veteran

I agree. I appreciated the post for other reasons than the footwear. I loved the colors and pattern mixing and textures. But since I live in a snowy climate now, it would have been fun to see some ways of cold weather gear stylishly, in particular, the footwear.

Marmee

Veteran

I thought her style was interesting, but agree about the practicality issues. I was left wondering what she wears IRL!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Here's my issue with this -- I do not think any of the looks featured would have been hurt by wearing a fab pair of boots or booties. Is that just me?

Of course, I'll play my own devils advocate and concede that I don't know the blogger's cold tolerance -- maybe she is one of those people who does not feel cold on her ankles and feet.

I'll also add that she is a gorgeous gal and I love the outfits. I'm just admitting that I'm with Mo -- I'm a little put off by the footwear when this is "advertised" as cold-weather dressing.

Emily

Veteran

It doesn't bother me, really - I just assume she is going to pop the shoes in her bag in favour of something more practical for her commute. I wear pumps in winter sometimes, without socks. I take my WIW photo in the morning with the pumps, and then I pack them in my bag and layer up with socks and boots. If I had the time/setup to take photos outside I would totally be posing for photos standing in the snow in my pumps.

unfrumped

Veteran

Cross-posted on the blog itself. I'm bah humbug too for the theme and the "challenges" of Alaska dressing, though okay if she were just showing some fun outfits. Yes, I'll be good and try to take inspiration wherever we may find it.
But, come on. Reality filter in place.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

That's very true Emily - I do the same thing. My outfit posts are the outfit as I wear it inside and then the shoes go in to my shoe bag and the boots go on. Excellent point.

Peri

Veteran

I'm with you all the way Mo...that was my fist thought also. If I want to see examples of how to dress well in my environment I want reality. Otherwise just call it fashion art. There is a place for both of course, but this was fashion art parading as "look, I've solved the problem of looking great in cold weather".

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Well she is wearing winter boots in this outfit
http://www.wild-muse.com/2013/.....artic.html

I've worn sky high heels for outfit photos, but actually changed into flatter shoes for my going about.

Sara L.

Veteran

Fascinating discussion! I frequently look at bloggers and wonder where and when they actually wore their outfit - all day or just to take the photo?

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