Fluevog Love: Fall 2013 on Melrose Part 1

Happy August! It's technically the middle of summer in my part of the world, but it already feels like autumn. Weather-wise, it's still very warm here -- so why the cognitive dissonance? Well, my son will be starting kindergarten in less than a week, can you believe it? (I'm a little disgruntled about how early school starts for him, but whatever.) Also, the end of July/early August also means something else for me: the new Fall 2013 collection of Fluevogs has started to arrive in stores. Woohoo!

Last weekend, we were in the Hollywood/Koreatown area to buy a used car my husband found via Craigslist. (I'm happy to say it turned out well, even though the whole process caused anxiety and nervousness all around.) But the day was made much better by a trip to the Fluevog L.A. store on Melrose. I wanted to come in to take care of some layaway business and also to try on some of the new Fall shoes that have started trickling in. I tried on only 7 women's styles from the new collection last Saturday -- there were at least 5 more that I didn't get to -- so this is just a sampling of the gorgeous new colors and textures. At least one fantastic new family, too. (I have a full review/writeup about my recent visit over at For the Love of Vogs and Joanne, one of the co-bloggers there, has her own reviews as well.)

The Fluevog website currently lists only a fraction of what's already available at the stores, but I know that even more will be arriving throughout this month. I've been following the sneak previews via the FlueBlog and Facebook, and I know with absolute certainty that this Fall is going to be an amazing collection. Fluevog has been hitting it out of the park for the last couple of seasons, and this new one is going to be another winner. Here, let me just show you.

Half Truth | Crystal in red. Size 6.

Half Truth | Tanya in purple. Size 6. These photograph blue for some reason. I tinkered with the photo but it turned the whole image orange-ish, as you see.

Half Truth is the new family of Fluevog shoes I'm talking about. Aren't they gorgeous? Sleek, elegant, edgy. Love it! I'm a huge fan of kitten heels; added to this shape of shoe, they are genius. And if you look closely, the Crystal booties have a safety pin with a skull charm. Lol. Imagine wearing these with pencil skirts, perhaps big poufy skirts for a more prim look, and definitely jeans with a jewel-toned top. These will step up any outfit. They run true to size length-wise but are narrow.

Kitschy Kitschy Boom Boom | Viv in brown/navy. Size 6.

The Kitschy Kitschy Boom Boom family is growing! Remember the Liz from last season and how much I loved them? These oxfords are in the same family. Originally, I wasn't impressed by this particular colorway, but after I tried them on, I don't know what I was thinking. The blue is actually more navy than the photo above suggests, but it is still a nice, sharp color that contrasts beautifully with the blond-brown. Also, the piping and dots are sky blue. So, so, so uniquely pretty. Sizing is short 1/2 size but wide. I like the size 6 on my 5.5 feet, but maybe it would be smart to go up another half size if you plan to wear thick socks/tights with these in the fall and winter.

Baroque | Rubens in blue. Size 5.

Baroque | Rubens in green. Size 5.

The Rubens runs a half size small, so I was very happy to see size 5's at the Melrose store. And did you notice the blue Rubens two photos above? That's TARDIS blue, is what it is. The Rubens is a staple in Fluevogdom, particularly in the black and burgundy colorways. I actually put the burgundy with its ornate stamped suede and burgundy leather on layaway in June. Very lovely shoes that I had been drooling over from afar for years now. Those hexagonal heels are works of art. However, after trying on the blue and getting some feedback from fellow Vogers, I've decided to switch over. To jump ship, if you'll allow mixed metaphors. No stamped suede on the blue but just as beautiful -- and more meaningful to my geeky Whovian heart. TARDIS shoes, here I come! I plan to make them my special holiday shoes this year. Already thinking about what dress to wear them with. *rubs hands together in glee*

Bellevue | Libby Smith in patent burgundy/gray. Size 6. Not yet available online. Other colorway here.

Speaking of fancy shoes, get a load of these boots. Um, that patent burgundy is ridiculous. This colorway is also available in another Fall 2013 style of Bellevue, the Laura Evans, but not in as striking a fashion. Need some inspiration for a fancy steampunk ballgown costume? Look no further! I'm sure these would also look amazing in other venues, but seriously, the venues need to live up to these shoes!

Prepare | Leader in purple. Size 6.

There's something special about the Prepare family. I love my blue Guides which are the slingback version of these maryjanes, and I think this new colorway is fantastic. I like the way these look at the end of my legs; they balance my thicker calves by elongating my leg and making my short, flat feet look bigger than they are. And that pop of color on the soles is just lovely. These run true to size, maybe a little small. I could make these size 6 shoes work with insoles, but I would probably take a size 5.5 if I bought them.

Hopeful | Luxon in burgundy. Size 6.

And yet another adorable shoe in the Hopeful family. The Luxons came out last Fall, and they fit 1/2 size small. I like the look of these, but they'd fit better if I had higher/thicker arches. There's weird ruching at the inside of the straps which means they're a little loose there. Dealer Kate says it's fixable at the cobbler's, but yes that means adding another $30 to the cost of the shoes. If they fit you nicely, however, you'd be lucky to get them! This is a really great color for fall and winter.

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Of course I couldn't leave the store without checking out the fantastic sale shoes still available. You see, I changed my mind about the striking Faraday slingback heels I had put on layaway in May (they're on a great sale now, btw). Remember how gaga we went over them? How I feel about them hasn't changed, but I did realize that once I took them home, they'd probably languish in my closet like too many other Fluevogs before them. I have a tendency to look at Fluevog shoes like an art collector, and I simply can't justify that. For one thing, I don't have unlimited funds (if only!), and for another, the shoes need to be worn. That's the reason I sold 8 pairs of Fluevogs via the FlueMarket just this past year. It's silly to hoard Fluevogs and not wear them. And the Faradays, with their steel toes and sleek design, deserve to be out in the world kicking ass everywhere. My current lifestyle doesn't warrant the Faradays.

So I converted my layaway into store credit, which I ended up using. With my sights trained on the coming fall season, I decided to stick to flats. I also wanted flat maryjanes if possible. I tried on several pairs and here's what I ended up with.

7th Heaven | Angela in acid purple. Size 6.

I found that the 7th Heaven | Angela fit me better than I thought; I had tried them on in the green colorway back in May as well and thought that they were too loose, but I managed to secure the purple colorway so that I didn't have to worry about stepping out of them whenever I walked. These run 1/2 size short but wide. I think they're absolutely adorable. I loved the green colorway but I now have way more green and its variants (teal, aqua, turquoise) in my collection than I do purple or pink or even gray. These will be fun to wear this fall.

Presence | Imagine in black. Size 7.

After trying on this black pair of art deco gorgeousness, I made up my mind to spend a little extra and take them home as well. I had tried on the lovely aqua colorway back in March and thought that I would buy that colorway if I bought the shoe style at all. However, given that I'd already gotten the aqua Amies, I didn't want to double up on same-color flats. Besides, not only did I want a darker color for the fall, but I also wanted fancy black shoes that weren't heels, and these fit the bill. They've already been taken out for light contra dancing, and they held up well. They probably need another couple of wears to completely break in. They run about 1.5 sizes too small, though, so definitely size up! They'll be great to wear to parties and other events this fall and winter.

xo, Gladys