Five really excellent red things

That I didn't order in the end

Hi all.

I’d been planning - for ages - a piece about the ubiquity of the entirely sheer/clear/transparent shoe, and a more broader point about the overt freakishness of shoes at the moment. Unfortunately I moved hose and got ill and went on holiday (not in that order), and the moment got away from me. Fortunately, the always-brilliant Emilia Petrarcha did a much better job anyway. For fans of freaky shoes generally, I’d really recommend Mandy Lee (@oldloserinbrooklyn), on Tik Tok who had made collecting asymmetric, orthopaedic and surprising footwear her life’s work.

So, a slight change of plan. It’s my 30th birthday this month, and while I was sure I didn’t want to do anything elaborate, I’ve managed to make an elaborate plan, and I’ve found myself in need of An Outfit. In order to keep it simple (can these things ever actually be simple?) I decided on a brief ‘I want to look like myself, just really good’.

The ‘myself’ portion is really easy: primary colours (almost definitely red), mixed metal jewellery, weird brogue-ish shoes. A textbook fit. The ‘really good’ bit is more subjective, and required a little more thought about. Here are a few bits that almost made the cut but didn’t due to budget constraints, shipping inconveniences or the fact that one of them was actually designed for toddlers.

A really fun party top from a brand called KHELA THE LABEL, which is mysteriously enough stocked by Debenhams. It’s very ‘S Club 7’, infer from that what you will. A very close runner-up, but I just felt the re-wear value wasn’t there.

I fell in love with this billowy organza number on Etsy, she’s perfect. At £110 it felt a little pricey for my purposes (but entirely worth it as a garment - it’s handmade). I also worried she wouldn’t turn up on time - the one that got away!

A perfect skirt. I’d style it with a very simple black tank, or an equally weird white shirt. It’s by J.Kim, via SSENSE, and the only hold-back was the eye-watering price.

Another perfect textured red maxi, another eye-watering price tag. My tastes are incredibly specific, and apparently not cheap!

The real heartbreaker - a perfect party dress, and a perfect articulation of my personal style. The kicker? It’s for children.

I do love to make things difficult for myself. The hunt goes on.