Style Spotting in Sunday Times

If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Not to mention taking time over, which sums up how I feel about Sunday papers. I love settling down on the sofa with all the supplements but the average weekend paper weighs more than a small dog and has so many sections I can no longer count them all on two hands. Hence I like to take my time over these printed behemoths, often taking a few days (OK fine, sometimes a whole week) to get through the sections I'm interested in.

It is understandable then that when salivating over the pages of the Sunday Times Style magazine, The Big Fashion Issue, I have only just spotted the double page Chloe advert a few pages in, below.


Notice anything about the footwear on the left outfit? The sandal is more of a boot, a trend which I'm loving at the moment, but I couldn't help thinking how similar it is to the photo I featured a couple of weeks ago regarding wearing legwarmers and sandals, see below.

Who would have thought designer fashion could trickle down to what a backpacker is wearing half way around the world, or perhaps Hannah MacGibbon was channeling Northern Thailand this season?!

Needles to say, Style was packed with far more than just designer adverts; Colin McDowell wrote of the legacy of Alexander McQueen, Brit darling Alexa Chung did her best to charm in an interview with Claudia Croft and there was a cracking shoot of supermodel-in-the-making Abbey Lee. If you missed out on your copy then head to the Times website for all the articles.

Debate: Socks vs Sandals

Hmm... I've always had strong feelings about the socks under sandals look and none of them were good! A favourite of male, beach-loving holidaymakers of a certain age, I had always thought the look was as outdated as wearing a handkerchief as a sun hat.

All that changed however when I dug out my treasured over the knee grey socks (from M&S of all places) for a shopping expedition yesterday. The silver ballet pumps I was originally wearing were hurting my feet (as always) despite the socks acting as a buffer, so I made a pit-stop at home to change.

The brown tan gladiator sandals may only have cost £4 from Primark at the start of summer, but they are one of the comfiest pairs I've ever owned and were calling out to me.

I was undecided about the gladiator sandal debate you see, despite them looking amazing on everyone else. I though they would cut into my delicate feet like a knife and was certainly not going to spend £60 on a pair of 'Helena' sandals from Office, gorgeous as they may be. Anywho, these cheap-as-chips sandals turned out to be super comfortable and my staple summer footwear so I thought I might as well just try them on over the grey socks.

And who would have thought it!? The combo looked pretty darn good, especially with the librarian/granny chic look I was modelling, see above and right.

I must admit that the feel of the socks underneath sandals did take a bit of getting used to, which a friend and co-shopper will attest to. But after a few laps around Cabot Circus I felt totally comfortable and not at all dowdy or elderly!

Of course this would have been a totally different look if I were actually on the beach or wearing white sports socks etc. but so long as you proceed with caution, of the socks vs sandals debate I say 'just do it'. Try out a few different sock/sandal combos at home and if you still don't feel comfortable then go out and buy a pair of loafers and team with the socks, a la Alexa Chung: cute, practical and not at all ageing.