Cheryl Shops

I've caught Balmania
I had an hour to kill before my Core Fusion class tonight, so I popped into Zara to check out the new arrivals. One can safely say that Zara has the Balmain fever, as nearly everything in the front of the store has padded, exaggerated shoulders--jackets, dresses, blouses. I did not see the thigh-high boots pictured here (if I had, I would've bought them on the spot), but there are a lot of great strappy, studded sandals and boots. It was far too hot today for me to seriously think about fall, but as soon as the temperature drops to a more reasonable level, I will be back for some strong shoulders.

Then, for some reason, I wandered into Aldo, a store which tends to underwhelm me, but Rumi on Fashiontoast always seems to have cool shoes from there, so I decided to give it a closer look. And there, on the sale shelf, I spotted a pair of shoes so ridiculous, I had to buy them. They're a knockoff of these $1800 Balmain sandals from spring 2009, but with fewer straps, and the studs are all metal (as opposed to a mixture of crystal and metal). I can't find them on the Aldo website, although the Smeal style is similar--these have a platform (mine don't) and more straps. Like Balmain itself, the shoes are decadent and trashy, and I can't wait to wear them.