LOVELY LOUBOUTINS, ESCARPINS AND FRENCH CINEMA

After a cold bank holiday weekend, I wasn't really thinking about Summer.  With enthusiasm, on Tuesday evening I went to the Private Preview of the Autumn/Winter 2012 Christian Louboutin shoe collection at Harvey Nichols.  Guests were welcomed with a glass of champagne and shown his beautiful shoes and ankle boots, inspired this season by Scotland. There was a wonderful pair of red tartan court shoes with high thick heels.  Predominant colours were black, red, leopard or pony, grey snakeskin, cameo rose, and a peacock/purple/black combination. My personal favourites were a pair of peep toe pony ballerinas, trimmed with black and a black bow, with their matching, exquisite little baguette-shaped clutch bag, suede court shoes in black or red with the most delicate high heels, pony or leopard ankle boots and evening sandals in cameo rose or black satin with a bow at the heel.  These were shoes to dream of.

From red soles to green soles.  On Twitter, Chloe Green is doing a countdown to the launch of her new CJG shoe collection on 17th May.  The shoes really are going to have green soles and the collection is going to be sold as a concession at Top Shop.  I'm looking forward to seeing it.

I think it's worth investing in very good shoes.  The most flattering shoe for Petites is probably the classic, pointed toe court shoe with a slim, high heel.  This is the shoe which adds height, elongates the body and lengthens and slims the legs.  A  black pair is an essential for me. A shoe like this in a nude or light tone is good too for bare legs in the summer.  For me the flat option is a ballerina.

For a long time, white shoes were not considered stylish but now once again they are chic.  In their April edition, French Vogue's fashion pages, "L'Amour en Fuite" (Love on the Run) featured white dresses with white patent leather "escarpins" (court-shoes) by Gianvito Rossi.  "L'Amour en Fuite" was of course François Truffaut's 1979 film.  I love French films and plan to see "Café de Flore", a new film in French released in 2011.  It's actually a Canadian film but stars Vanessa Paradis.  (From Friday 11th May at the Ciné Lumière in South Kensington).  

TIP: To improve faltering French, Google's Translation site is marvellous.