The Eight Essential Flats

There are some days that I can't be bothered to faff with heels only to have to deploy the Ballet-Flat-Backup-Plan (in all honesty, it's about half of the days). While the handbag-handy ballet flat an essential part of an urban dweller's shoe arsenal (you'll see my suggestion for said flat below), there are plenty of days when I want to wear flats to work. As a grown woman who does what she wants, I've curated my Eight Essential Flats to guide my shoe purchasing.

Just like The Eight Essential Heels, these suggestions are selected in order to limit redundancy and maximize flexibility. The goal is that you'll have the appropriate shoe at the ready for any flat-wearing occasion befalling your schedule.

As always, notable omissions:

• Flip-flops have an intended purpose: the gym shower or the pool deck. For some reason, $26 Havaianas in public always seemed to be accompanied by an old pedicure and cracked heels. I'll be keeping my Havaianas in my gym bag and not in my closet.
• Athletic shoes & other specialty items are too personal to list here. Your barefoot running foot glove is not going to work for the super-stability running shoe wearer. Shoes that are meant to do a heavy duty job (like running, walking in 3 foot snow, trudging through sidewalk floods) will not be tackled in this iteration.

The Old Faithful

To be clear, this is the spot a lot of women would fill with Tory Burch Revas. I'm not going to lie, I've had a pair in my life. But as a woman with her own point of view, I'm proposing a flat that shows off a little more personality. To maximize wear, these shoes have to be polished and a little bit off-beat.
Vince Nina D'Orsay Flat | Black Leather

The Grocery Store

If you're the type of person that wears your cropped, black, skinny pants to the grocery store on a Sunday morning, you'll understand this completely. Sometimes looking good is just as easy as looking like a hungover college student. These are as quick to put on as the dreaded flip flop, but you'll look like a grown woman. Magic.

Emerson Fry Slides | Black Leather

The Granny

Grannies know what's up. They've lived and learned and told us time and time again that Birkenstocks are the most comfortable shoes out there. There are plenty of styles and colors to suit varying personalities, but to no one's surprise, mine are the classic, black Arizonas. I cannot tell you how excited I am that these are back in style. Wear them with anything from cropped denim skinny jeans to short dresses.

Birkenstock Arizona | Black Birko-Flor

The Beach Vacation

Up your game with a versatile pair of flat sandals. If you're trying to break your Havaianas habit, substitute The Beach Vacation every time you feel yourself reaching for that hunk of foam and rubber. If you, however, find that they're not "working" with the original outfit, you need another kind of shoe (and the flip flops weren't appropriate to begin with).

Sam Edelman Gigi | Saddle Leather

The Insurance Policy

Throw these in your purse every time you wear heels. It's okay that these are a little more pedestrian (c'mon--that is an awesome pun) because they're a backup, albeit essential shoe to own. They fold up and store in a drawstring pouch to keep you handbag insides clean and are great quality and very comfortable.
Tieks Folding Ballerina Flat | Matte Black

The Business Plan

This is a great spot to fill with a loafer, lace-up oxford, or other substitute that suits your personal style. I love these slip-on oxfords from Alexander Wang for their architectural construction and contemporary feel. These are perfect to wear with a tiny cuff in your skinny jeans for a menswear inspired look.
Alexander Wang Kori Oxford | Black Leather

The Errand Runner

If your weekends involve walking a dog then running to the grocery store after quickly grabbing a coffee, you need a fashion forward sneaker in your shoe-drobe. Nike Free Runs are hugely popular, but I really don't like their newest release. These have a retro feel, but the color-ways are very modern.
Asics Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 | Black/Stone Grey

The Commuter

Urban dwellers will understand that commuting in your 4" heels is totally impractical. Between sidewalk grates, cobblestones, and pavement cracks, walking for any distance downtown can be dangerous as well as damaging to your expensive shoes. In comes The Commuter. Smart enough to wear on your way to work, but equally perfect with jeans on the weekend for brunch.

Vans Perf Leather Classic Slip On | Black

Bonus

You need shoe liners. These are no-show, comfortable, and stay up due to a gel back that cups your lower ankle. Stinky feet will never be your problem again.
Hue Hidden Cotton Liners | Black

The Eight Essential Heels

There are a million reasons to wear heels. I wear them to feel professional, fashionable, sexy, feminine, powerful to name a few. As a shoe lover, it was daunting to apply a Lean Closet philosophy to create an ideal shoe-drobe. If you, too are embarking on a similar simplification journey, these are suggestions for The Eight Essential Heels. Every basic heel need is covered--focusing on limited redundancy and maximum flexibility. 

Read the Lean Closet post for more details about the philosophy behind the Eight Essentials.

You'll notice a couple omitted tropes:

• Red pumps: It is my opinion that red heels are an antiquated way to scream "sexy." It is not the style of this blog nor a necessity to own red high heels.
• Platforms: Feel free to add a platform to any of these suggestions for a desired vertical boost. If not necessary to your lifestyle, omit, as always.

The Perfect Fit

These should make you feel 100% you when wearing them. Investigate fabrics and materials, heel height and thickness, vamp and ankle strap variations. You should LOVE to put these puppies on. They might be a little trendy. Don't be afraid of that. You should wear them so much and so hard that the soles & heel caps have been replaced multiple times. Loving your shoes means caring for them, not babying them.
Emerson Fry D'Orsay Pump | Black Nylon

The Boss Lady

If you talk the talk, you better walk the walk. Buy your grown-ass-woman feet some grown-ass-woman shoes. I always go to Manolo Blahnik for timeless, quality pumps. This is where you should trust your instincts. If you like a pointy toe, buy a pointy toe. If you like a 4 inch heel, buy a 4" heel. Keep them in good shape and you'll always look pulled together and professional.
Manolo Blahnik BB 105mm | Black Leather

The Workhorse

These are probably going to be the most versatile shoes in your closet. Buy quality and a style you love. Add interest with fabric or material. Investigate different shades of nude that compliment your skin tone. Wear with everything. They're especially useful if you have a tendency to walk out the door in head-to-toe black (guilty) but would like something to soften your ensemble.
Manolo Blahnik BB 105mm | Nude Snakeskin

The F*** Me Pumps

You should be alright with touching your evening companion because you'll be holding on to them by the end of the night. My suggestion is So Kate over Pigalle/Pigalle Follies (something about the toe cleavage in Pigalle). Alternatively, if Christian Louboutin isn't your jam, try the Manolo Blahnik BB in 115mm for a little more comfort but just as much sex appeal. Get them in patent leather for something fancier than The Boss Lady and to limit redundancy.
Christian Louboutin So Kate 120mm | Black Patent Leather

The Summer Sweetheart

You’re going to wear these with jorts or a summer dress to brunch when the weather is nice. It's a perfect time to incorporate a wedge into your shoe-drobe so you can sip champagne while standing in the grass to play croquet. This will also double nicely as a spring/summer wedding shoe when The Naked Shoe is too sexy.

Stuart Weitzman (Similar)

The Wild Side

This is a great chance to show off the extremes of your personality. Think Charlotte Olympia and Sophia Webster for something whimsical, Valentino and Balenciaga for a little grit. For me, it's an grown up way for me to reference my punk-rock phase. They're a little edgy, but versatile and elegant. These are the heels you wear on a girl's night.
Valentino Rockstud Noir T-Strap Pump | Black Leather

The Black Strappies

These should straddle the line between formal and trendy. Don’t buy shoes for the one formal event you attend a year. The Black Strappies are sexy enough for clubbing (if that's a part of your lifestyle) and polished enough for an evening out with your friends or partner. For even more flexibility, don't be afraid to bust them out with a pair of boyfriend jeans for a celebrity-worthy "I woke up like this" look. 
Stuart Weitzman Nudist | Black Sheepskin

The Naked Shoe

The high heel equivalent of Carrie’s Naked Dress. Appropriate for both summer weddings and sexy dates with your partner. Accompany with an impeccable pedicure. People will be looking. Feel free to deploy these shoes in warmer months for an alternative to The Workhorse.
Stuart Weitzman Nudist | Fawn Sheepskin

My Lean Closet

At some point, I became conditioned to give a fuck if someone saw me in same jeans two days in a row.

Getting dressed in the morning was actually causing me anxiety. Thanks to Forever 21, it has become incredibly easy to justify a wasteful purchase. I'm not 21 anymore and all I was really doing was adding to the problem. 

When I first heard of Cuyana's Lean Closet Movement and read their philosophy of "fewer, better things," it immediately resonated with me. I had never been able to clearly articulate the anxiety I was trying to avoid and the peace I was actively seeking. I wanted to stand at the door of my closet and love everything in it. I wanted to wear the same jeans two days in a row.

As a part of my own "lean closet" project, I'm in the process of creating an ideal inventory of quality pieces that fully represent my style without sacrificing flexibility.

I defined my personal style and then I made a master directory of the pieces in my lean closet. There are holes in my wardrobe that I will not fill with cheap facsimiles to hold me over until I can get the "real thing." I will not buy trendy and cheap pieces because I am not a trendy or cheap person. I love design and beauty and I want my closet to be a representation of ME and what I love.

To touch briefly on the "better" part of "fewer, better things." I truly believe that supporting designers and craftsmen that produce quality, considered pieces brings richness and fulfillment to my life. The things I blog about will be expensive. Your mileage may vary.

While creating this "master directory," I kept hitting the number eight in my sub-categories. I'm going to illustrate these closet necessities in a series, for my own pleasure, called The Eight Essentials.

Let's begin.