FashionComeLately

It used to be that women who wore animal print fabrics were "exotic" and "sexy" but fortunately, that judgment is no longer valid these days.

Animal prints have become staples of many women's wardrobes, even young girls, without the public opinions of the wearer being "lusty" or "fast."

And the varieties of animal prints are varied. There's the ubiquitous leopard print:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have several leopard print pieces...dress, top, skirt, jackets, not to mention shoes!

Then there's zebra print:

Not to forget the giraffe print:

And very on trend right now is the python print:

The good news is that the animal does not need to be killed to wear these simulated "skins" - technology now enables us to wear these animal prints using imprinting, dying and design.

It is universally agreed that these prints are now seen as "neutrals" to be worn with your wardrobe, meaning you don't need to worry if you are wearing jeans and a striped top with leopard flats. It is totally appropriate, in fact, it is de rigueur.

If you don't have any animal prints, now is the time to add a few to your closet. Dress up a little with some of nature's best designs.

There's even jewelry if you want to start small....

So you can start bold or start simply, but I highly recommend that you start. You can find animal prints at almost any store for a variety of prices depending on the name brand you purchase.

There are several important guidelines when wearing animal prints to keep in mind:

Don't wear too much, (i.e., leopard jacket, dress, and shoes; or zebra coat, slacks and handbag) One piece is your statement piece and should be enough to show the world how stylish you are.
Don't wear shoes AND a dress in the same animal print (it is overkill or worse, the prints are impossible to match so you will be conflicting. Much too busy, so go for simplicity and panache.)
Don't mix your animal prints (like python, with giraffe or leopard or zebra). You are not Noah's ark and don't need to show all of the creatures you have in your closet at the same time. Pace yourself.

Here's a quote that pretty much summarizes today's post:

When a person is in fashion, all they do is right.

Lord Chesterfield

So go be fashionable and wear some animal print!

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz

The weather is warming up and that means more and more of people will be wearing sandals. I don't know about you but wearing a cute pair of sandals is cooling, comfy and easy to do.

In fact, I have been on the lookout for a cute yet comfy pair of not-too-high-heeled sandals that can be worn with capri pants or skirts and dresses. I've been looking and am happy to report I found them on the sale rack at DSW Shoes. Steve Madden's Nina shoes with black leather straps, shiny gold tone buckles and faux wood soles (making them lightweight) -- originally $79 but 80% off! This is a brown version of my find.

Of course, Old Navy's rubber flip flops are another favorite. Right now, they're available for two pair for $5.

But please take note of this next paragraph for you and all the women in your life....get a pedicure before you expose your feet to the world!

With the low prices at manicure shops, you can get a beautiful pedicure that cleans up the roughness on your feet, trims your cuticles and nails, shaping your feet for show. There are so many shops around your city and if you don't already go to one regularly, ask your girlfriends who they prefer...and go!

Warning!!! Below are some super freaky looking feet photos! If feet gross you out, go to the end now.

I have seen some really messed up feet. And I can imagine the pain of these issues.

Like Hammer toes, they rub against the inside of your shoe and cause terrible blisters, eventually becoming callouses but always painful.

Or gnarled toes that overlap. A woman I met who had this problem could only wear socks with sandals all the time because of the difficulty of wearing shoes and the pain of trying to.

And there are bunions that look like a thumb growing out of the side of a foot. Imagine trying to wear comfortable shoes with these!

This is Oprah's foot with her bunion! Yikes!

But there are prosthetic devises to help with some of these issues. I have used the below Toe Straightener because my second toe was curling up into a hammer toe (caused by a tight toe box) and I am happy to say, it worked. The second one can work on double hammer toes or overlapping toes to some extent.

The two above help with bunions. My right foot bunion was so painful that it would wake me up from my sleep with pulsing pain. I ended up having a brilliant podiatrist (and he's cute, too) perform surgery and although it was the MOST painful surgery recovery I have ever had, it was so worth it. My foot is normal looking, I can walk easily, wear any shoe I choose and sleep well.

I have had a serious problems with Morton's Neuromas in my past, four and one even grew back, all of which required surgery to remove (I grow really big ones). And though my doctor suggested it was my high heels, I am convinced it was the tight toe box of my sneakers that I wore to walk in. It felt like there was a rock inside my foot and my toes would go numb and hurt at the same time. (It is when a nerve gets pinched by the bones in your foot and the nerve builds a "pearl" around itself to fight the pinch. Diagram below).

Since I bought and wear four pair of Skecher Go Walks (and I'm going to buy another pair soon), I have walked over 518 miles since April of last year and have had no foot problems at all. I've said it before and I'm saying it again....these are the absolutely best shoes I have ever worn in my entire life. I have worn off the rubber pebbles of two pair of Go Walks because I try to get 10,000 steps a day. No neuromas, no rubbing, no feet sweating, no pain. I go sock free and put on my headset and I-Pod and walk and walk and walk.

(Skecher Go Walks are available at Dillard's for only $49 -- cheaper than DSW, Amazon, Zappos or Stein Mart or any other place I've been).

You can maintain roughness-free feet by rubbing Vicks VapoRub on them, put on light socks and sleep that way. In the morning, your feet will feel smoother. And soaking them in Epsom Salts and scrubbing them with a loofah is a great de-stressor, as well as home spa treatment for your feet.

There are beautiful nail polishes in so many colors and decals to design your toes that your biggest problem will be choosing. From drugstores to beauty stores, you can spend a lot... or not.