When I first heard tell of Tara for Bebe, I squealed inwardly with excitement, images of her relatively fabulous/quirky personal style, her much-coveted-by-me Easy Spirit line (I never mustered up the cash for a pair of my own), and her adorable character in The Last Days of Disco flitting through my mind gleefully. And then the photos surfaced…overly Valentine’s-inspired (this is relevant for approximately one week of the year) and cheesy. I can barely recognize Tara through the wrappy ruffles and am pretty sure that lookalikes of these items could be find at any cheaper mall store. I suppose I expected more of someone with such close ties to Sevigny. The stripey top/skirt ensemble is cute but I’m pretty sure that everyone already has some version of these items in their wardrobes. Props for the monochromatic red outfit though, pretty intrepid for a company as mass as Bebe.

However, a couple clicks through their shoe section had me lusting after these two-tone sandals. Bebe can always be relied upon for having a couple lustworthy, almost misogynistically vertiginous heels. These would be perfect for achieving the Teen Vogue-inspired ankle sock/strappy sandal look noted previously.

All pics, bebe.com.

Once in a while in my travels, I come across a truly breathtaking vintage piece that actually makes my heart start pounding harder. I saw all the potential in this one when I picked it up, but I think the fit even exceeded those expectations. I think I would actually describe those sleeves as glorious and mean it. Alas, I can’t keep every vintage gem I find..my puny closet that my boyfriend has already sacrificed most of for me doth overflow. Up for auction on eBay right now, ending on Wednesday.

I will readily admit that when I flipped to this photo of Kelly Wearstler (enviable chic thing and darling of any interior decorating publication), my heart started fluttering. Those magnificent and only slightly confusing heels! So much more palatable than the fear-inducing peep toe boots so many intrepid celebrities tried out this past fall. I must be late in the game on this one, because apparently all the mall brands have fashioned their own versions of this hybrid. Blissfully convenient for the 99% of the population that can’t spring for the original Louboutins. Though I’m also thinking that a similarly large percentage will find them recoil-worthy. I would definitely have to try them on in real life to determine their necessity to include in my already bursting-at-the-seams shoe collection. What does everyone think, would you wear these?

Photo of Wearstler, Fabsugar. Shoe photos from their respective sites.

Images: ebay, style, ulla johnson, topshop, apc, american apparel, arden b., zappos, victoria’s secret, shopbop

After vacillating on Endless.com for longer than I care to admit over the urgency of having these shoes in my life (I am inexplicably enthralled by that mirrored indentation), I decided to research their comfort level/real life appeal by reading a few reviews. In doing so, I found them for almost half the price they were almost going to be purchased at anyway. Pondering complete. Thank you amazon for stocking every consumer item imaginable and free shipping! I am imagining them with a floaty mustard dress and knee highs, or perhaps with a high waisted shorts/black opaques combo. We shall see..