SLIPPERS

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments on my last post! It sounds as though my existing regimen of posting about whatever I'm currently obsessed with is just fine with you all. Although I'm sad to say that posts about my personal decorating projects will be few and far between now that our apartment is just about stuffed to the brim (and the fiancé has helped with about as many DIY projects as he can handle), I would love to do more Craigslist and look-for-less features, since we both love them. Let me know in the comments which city's Craigslist you'd like me to explore next!

In the meantime, what I'm obsessed with right now is fall fashion. Fall is far and away my favorite season, and as soon as August hits I start getting fed up with sticky summer and longing for cooler air, changing colors and plenty of plaid, wool, flannel, jackets and boots. Although I still love my lace-up heels and wedge ankle boots, I've been fixated with this fall's take on flat, cozy tuxedo slippers (did I mention that fall also seems to turn me into a total prep?). Referred to alternately as 'tuxedo slippers,' 'smoking slippers,' or included under the more vague heading of 'loafers,' these preppy shoes have come a long way since these gents donned them:

via here and here

Not only have they become an acceptable form of daytime outerwear, they're also not just for men anymore.

I've put together a rather exhaustive roundup of this season's offerings, from vintage to Urban Outfitters to Alexander Wang. Starting with the masters: Stubbs and Wootton. They make bespoke slippers with an enormous assortment of fabrics, colors, and embroidery options. While you can certainly go the traditional route and order a pair of black velvet slippers with a gold monogram, they also offer some more unconventional options. 

all via stubbsandwootton.com

 
If, like me, you cringe at the thought of spending several hundred dollars on a pair of flats, here are some more realistic potential purchases.  In everything from snakeskin to tapestry to sequins, studs and spikes, here are some modern interpretations of the classic style:

columns, left to right:
column 1: Donald J. Pliner, $175 || Nicole, $85 || River Island, $55 || ASOS, $64 || ASOS, $119 || J. Crew, $275 || Etsy, $16 || J. Crew, $228 || Etsy, $18
column 2: Steve Madden, $130 || next three, Steve Madden, $80-$120 || Steve Madden, $130 || Donald J. Pliner, $175 || Urban Outfitters, $39 || Urban Outfitters, $34
column 3: Sam Edelman, $150 || Matiko, $80 || Etsy, $20 || Jeffrey Campbell, $100 || Ebay, $40 || Zara, $70 || Jimmy Choo, $495 || Matt Bernson, $154 || Alloy, $35

 
Among my favorite details are Topshop's brightly colored tassels and Cynthia Rowley's yellow trim – and the versions by a few designers who got even more creative with the trend and introduced heels to the mix. Alexander Wang's patent loafers seem to be already ubiquitous, featured in all of this season's fashion magazines and scattered across the blogosphere. Lucky for us, I found some tassels, monograms, and Wang knock-offs at reasonable price points...

clockwise from upper left:
Stubbs and Wootton on Ebay, $111
Topshop, $100
Topshop, $100
Etsy, $23
Céline
Ann Taylor, $137
Cynthia Rowley for HSN, $129
Etsy, $34
Alexander Wang, $650
Ralph Lauren, $650

And if you're not satisfied with any of those options, the British company Shipton and Heneage offers COM slippers. That's right, you can have any fabric you can get your hands on made into a pair of shoes. What fabric would you choose?