Question: what is so daring/risky about white sandals? - YouLookFab Forum

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Question: what is so daring/risky about white sandals?

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I've been taken by surprise by the overall ambivalence towards white footwear that I've noticed on the forum lately. For the past several years I've had a pair of white sandals that I've confidently popped on with a lot of my summer outfits. This pair, in fact:
http://www.theshoecompany.com/.....2XXXX.html

I made this pre-ylf purchase in white because I was not yet atuned to the joy of metallic summer footwear and felt I was making a seasonally-apprpriat, versatile choice. But tell me something...have I been making a horrendous mistake with these sandals that I never questioned until recently? What is it that makes white sandals so risky? In Angie's post on lightening up for summer, she even specified them as an option for the more daring (not usually a label I apply to myself).

Please enlighten me...and do be honest about my sandals!

General

16 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

florida

Veteran

Gosh, I'm not sure what makes them risky... I wore a pair of white sandals today with jeans and got several compliments on them (and I almost never get clothing compliments at work).

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Well, clearly you know how to style them, Amanda! Good for you! What's your secret?

Maya

Veteran

Um, I haven't found them risky or daring. Actually I would like to duplicate my Brulees and I think white would be the best color.

In general I find white footwear a little stark looking with my mostly dark and saturated wardrobe. I feel like your eye goes straight to my feet. Who wants that? sandals are more open and delicate, though.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Yeah Maya, I'm thinking mostly of sandals. I can understand how closed white footwear could be a lot more glaring.
How about the sandals I own...am I disgracing myself when I wear them?

Maya

Veteran

If you were, wouldn't we tell you?

florida

Veteran

Hmmm... Michelle, I'm not sure. It's difficult for me to describe how I get things to work... They're white gladiators with silver studs. I wore a white belt with studs, jeans, white cami, fuschia cardi, apple green beads... I think it worked because I kept a lot of white "flowing" throughout the outfit, so the white sandals just seemed to be the natural choice. They weren't the only white that I had on.
Perhaps you'll post some pics for feedback?

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Maya: but of course you would!! I just couldn't remember if I'd ever busted these out for evaluation yet.
Amanda: That makes a lot of sense, and I do the same...I never wear white sandals as the sole white item in the outfit. Even if there's just some white in the pattern of a dress or cardy.

Scarlet

Veteran

I am one of the people who has voiced trepidation about white shoes, but I didn't mean sandals. I think white sandals are versatile and was super excited to buy a some white gladiators a couple years ago. Unfortunately they didn't last to this summer. By the way your link went to a news story instead of a photo, so I don't know which shoes you were thinking of.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Haha! Wow, that's a massive Michelle fail! Thanks for pointing that out, Scarlet...Ive fixed the link now.

Scarlet

Veteran

The article (by you, I assume) was pretty entertaining and enraging, actually. That's hard to pull off--both things at once.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Thank you! Yes, it was by me. I truly didn't mean to post it!

Mac

Veteran

I find white shoes tough because they tend to show scuffs and stains more easily than most other colours.

Louise

Veteran

I'm wearing white sandals and love them, we can start a white sandal trend x

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

I too Michelle have been wearing white sandals for eons without a thought about how they actually flatter (or otherwise) my outfit and my body.

It's only been since reading the comments about white sandals that I even gave this topic some thought. (Oh well, live and learn, right?! ;-))

I am very, very fair skinned. When I recently looked at some photos of myself wearing white sandals, I noticed that the white of the sandals against the white of my exposed leg wasn't particularly flattering. In the photos it seemed that the white of the shoe magnified the white starkness of my leg. When I compared this photo with another featuring a similar style of shoe in a pewter metallic, I was surprised at how much better (and healthy) my skin looked.

Because of this, I'm wondering if in part it could also be to do with the shade of white and whether it is flattering against the skin of the person wearing that particular shoe?

(And yes, deliberate posing of this as a question, because I most certainly don't know the answer! :-))

For me, I've already decided that my next summer shoe purchases, will comprise of a pale neautral strappy sandal (somewhere between nude, beige and a lightish brown, once I've worked out what will be most flattering), coupled with some pewter ballet flats, as I'm figuring they are likely to be the most versatile and give me the most "bang for my buck".

Queen Mum

Veteran

Michelle- post a pic for us if you want and we'll help analyze it for you.
All I know is that I have a pair of white Softspots slide sandals very similar to these:

http://www.zappos.com/walking-.....hite-nappa

I know you cant see them Michelle but they are a maybe 2 inch wedge slide sandal with 3 medium width straps across the top and a flower ornament on the top. I thought they were oh so cute on line and bought them a few years ago but never quite loved wearing them. I got to where I would only wear them with bootcut light wash jeans as they were more camouflaged that way. With a skirt, dress, or clams they just seemed too stark on my foot and I felt like an old lady. Part of it is that I don't care for slide sandals on myself... both aesthetically and for walking comfort... but I think a big factor was also the color on my fair skin and medium to dark brown hair. I think if I were blonde or darker skinned it might make a big difference.

I do have a pair of white and silver flat thong sandals that I like much better.... but they were cheap shoes that have seen their better days and really need to be sent out to pasture... but I had come to the conclusion that I like them better because the silver accenting tones down the starkness of the white, there is less white in all because of the style of the sandal, and it is just a more modern style all together.

So there is my own personal experience testimony with white shoes.

Amanda is also fairskinned, but her blonde hair would act as a bookend against the white shoes. Plus the shoes she's talking about are studded which adds some dimension as well. In addition, gladiators typically have thinner straps... alot of variables come into play here.

Now, with your white sandals, the white is broken up due to the placement and angling of the straps. That probably helps the situation, but it could be that they aren't as foolproof as you might be thinking. Would you like to post a picture for us?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I think it's all in the styling. They can look brick-like and odd if there is too much foot coverage and the styling is conservative. But Summer white sandals with skin peeking through is fabulous. Michelle, thumbs up from me on the sandals you posted. Very versatile.