Accoutrements - if the Shoe Fits...
by Stefanie Baumler
by Stefanie Baumler
Welcome to my column
for SeloJ Spa! In each
issue we will explore the
world of fashion doll
accessories. Because as
we all know, you can
never have too many
shoes, bags, jewelry, etc...
In this issue we focus on
the shoe. I love shoes
and I love doll shoes! I
don't know what it is...
but there is just something
about shoes that just
grabs me! So, let's get
atarted! And I MUST
start with the Fashion
Royalty line. Jason Wu is
the Jimmy Choo of the
doll world; the Manolo
Blahnick of the vast vinyl
land!
for SeloJ Spa! In each
issue we will explore the
world of fashion doll
accessories. Because as
we all know, you can
never have too many
shoes, bags, jewelry, etc...
In this issue we focus on
the shoe. I love shoes
and I love doll shoes! I
don't know what it is...
but there is just something
about shoes that just
grabs me! So, let's get
atarted! And I MUST
start with the Fashion
Royalty line. Jason Wu is
the Jimmy Choo of the
doll world; the Manolo
Blahnick of the vast vinyl
land!
Lush Life's Shoes
Ever since the first FR
girls were released, I've
been intrigued by the
shoes. The simple open
toe mules that came with
the first Close-Up dolls
grabbed me immediately
with the fact that they
were fabric and not plastic.
Hooray! And after that, it
was simply unadulterated
love for their shoes.
Various Fashion Royalty Shoes
Beautiful fabric shoes with
the tiniest of details: little
buckles, bows, beads,
chains, ankle lacing... Be
still my heart!
Behind Velevt Ropes' Shoes
Take for instance, the
shoes on Jason's latest,
Behind Velvet Ropes,
gorgeous color,
contrasting insole, teeny
tiny sequins, tiny ribbon
straps with tiny D-rings
for fastening - OY! All I
can say is, "Hey, Jason"!
"Can you make these in a
size 10 please"?! He'd
make a fortune, trust me!
Another example of Mr.
Wu's work that just blows
my mind are the shoes that
came with the four bathing
suit dolls from the Exotic
Fusion line: Seashore
Rebel Natalia, Skin is In
Kyori, Exotic Fire
Veronique and Bombshell
Adele. Shiny gold leather
with criss-cross straps
and a gold chain around
the ankle with tiny bead
drops! And to top it off,
each doll's shoes had a
different color insole.
Exotic Fire's Shoes
Ok, one last look at the
Fashion Royalty footwear
and I will move on. The
boots! Jason's first boots
appeared with the Graphic
Flirtation line in 2003. The
boots on Girl of the
Moment were just perfect!
Candy apple red ankle
boots with tiny buttons!
The knee high white boots
on Glam Slam Kyori were
to die for!
Glam Slam & GOTM's Boots
And finally the boots from
the Fashion Spectacular
accessory set! These just
take the cake! Knee-high
black boots with white
trim and tiny white bows
all the way up the front!
Again I say, "Size 10
please"!
Fashion Spectacular Boots
Ever since the first FR
girls were released, I've
been intrigued by the
shoes. The simple open
toe mules that came with
the first Close-Up dolls
grabbed me immediately
with the fact that they
were fabric and not plastic.
Hooray! And after that, it
was simply unadulterated
love for their shoes.
Various Fashion Royalty Shoes
Beautiful fabric shoes with
the tiniest of details: little
buckles, bows, beads,
chains, ankle lacing... Be
still my heart!
Behind Velevt Ropes' Shoes
Take for instance, the
shoes on Jason's latest,
Behind Velvet Ropes,
gorgeous color,
contrasting insole, teeny
tiny sequins, tiny ribbon
straps with tiny D-rings
for fastening - OY! All I
can say is, "Hey, Jason"!
"Can you make these in a
size 10 please"?! He'd
make a fortune, trust me!
Another example of Mr.
Wu's work that just blows
my mind are the shoes that
came with the four bathing
suit dolls from the Exotic
Fusion line: Seashore
Rebel Natalia, Skin is In
Kyori, Exotic Fire
Veronique and Bombshell
Adele. Shiny gold leather
with criss-cross straps
and a gold chain around
the ankle with tiny bead
drops! And to top it off,
each doll's shoes had a
different color insole.
Exotic Fire's Shoes
Ok, one last look at the
Fashion Royalty footwear
and I will move on. The
boots! Jason's first boots
appeared with the Graphic
Flirtation line in 2003. The
boots on Girl of the
Moment were just perfect!
Candy apple red ankle
boots with tiny buttons!
The knee high white boots
on Glam Slam Kyori were
to die for!
Glam Slam & GOTM's Boots
And finally the boots from
the Fashion Spectacular
accessory set! These just
take the cake! Knee-high
black boots with white
trim and tiny white bows
all the way up the front!
Again I say, "Size 10
please"!
Fashion Spectacular Boots
I could not do a column on
shoes without mentioning
that "other" doll designer
whose shoes make me wilt:
Robert Tonner! I will admit
I do not own very many of
the "big" girls as of yet, but
I do have a few and the few
that I have I do love!
Tonner's shoes have long
enticed me with their
attention to scale and detail!
The shoe sets that are sold
separately for Tyler and
friends are worth every
penny if you are a
redresser! The shoes from
one of his newest dolls, Just
Divine Sydney Chase, are a
perfect example of Tonner's
perfect shoe! Pink leather
right down to the heel with
tiny buttons and bows! You
gotta love them!
Just Divine's Shoes
And lastly I feel that I must
mention the Bratz. There
has been quite a lot said
about the Bratz and their
shoes. Well, OK, their
feet/shoes. I don't dare say
that I totally understand the
point of snap off shoes/feet,
but I will cop to the fact
that I think they're kind of
cool! I mean, they are
totally oversized, but so are
these girl's heads...so what?
It's part of their charm, I
guess. Bottom line is they
do have some wicked cool
shoes and some very fun
boots too!
Bratz Shoes
For me, shoes can make or
break an outfit. That goes
for people as well as dolls.
Ever seen anyone whose
outfit was just so great and
then you looked down and
their shoes were just, well,
blah?! Totally spoils the
illusion doesn't it? So,
here's to hoping that our
favorite vinyl vixen;s
(whoever they may be),
continue to wow us and
surprise us and thrill us! I
have a feeling they will!
And to Mr.'s Wu and
Tonner, I'll say it one more
time: "Size 10, please"!
shoes without mentioning
that "other" doll designer
whose shoes make me wilt:
Robert Tonner! I will admit
I do not own very many of
the "big" girls as of yet, but
I do have a few and the few
that I have I do love!
Tonner's shoes have long
enticed me with their
attention to scale and detail!
The shoe sets that are sold
separately for Tyler and
friends are worth every
penny if you are a
redresser! The shoes from
one of his newest dolls, Just
Divine Sydney Chase, are a
perfect example of Tonner's
perfect shoe! Pink leather
right down to the heel with
tiny buttons and bows! You
gotta love them!
Just Divine's Shoes
And lastly I feel that I must
mention the Bratz. There
has been quite a lot said
about the Bratz and their
shoes. Well, OK, their
feet/shoes. I don't dare say
that I totally understand the
point of snap off shoes/feet,
but I will cop to the fact
that I think they're kind of
cool! I mean, they are
totally oversized, but so are
these girl's heads...so what?
It's part of their charm, I
guess. Bottom line is they
do have some wicked cool
shoes and some very fun
boots too!
Bratz Shoes
For me, shoes can make or
break an outfit. That goes
for people as well as dolls.
Ever seen anyone whose
outfit was just so great and
then you looked down and
their shoes were just, well,
blah?! Totally spoils the
illusion doesn't it? So,
here's to hoping that our
favorite vinyl vixen;s
(whoever they may be),
continue to wow us and
surprise us and thrill us! I
have a feeling they will!
And to Mr.'s Wu and
Tonner, I'll say it one more
time: "Size 10, please"!
On the other hand, Mattel,
more often than not, drops
the ball when it comes to
accessories. Shoes in
particular.
Various Mattel Shoes
Usually plastic and a single
color, I have rarely been
excited by one of their doll's
shoes. At first I was a little
bit excited by the
Silkstone's shoes. Fun
retro styles with stiletto
heels and pointy toes, but
alas, still plastic and one
solid color for the most part.
Silkstone Shoes
There have been, however,a
few highlights in Mattel's
defense. The Byron Lars
line has had some
wonderfully fun footwear!
The fur boots from Nne,
the wire shoes from Tatu
and the great blue leather
boots from Mbili to name a
few!
Nne's Boots
Tatu's Boots
Then there are the awesome
black leather boots from the
first two Hard Rock dolls!
Love them!! Sexy knee
high boots with studs and
buckles. Yummy!
Hard Rock's Boots
As far as Mattel's playline
goes, there are hits and
misses there too. These
WAY oversized shoes were
almost hysterical!
BIG Mattel Shoes
Then came the Fashion
Fever line. Fun and funky
with shoes to match!
Fashion Fever Shoes / Boots
more often than not, drops
the ball when it comes to
accessories. Shoes in
particular.
Various Mattel Shoes
Usually plastic and a single
color, I have rarely been
excited by one of their doll's
shoes. At first I was a little
bit excited by the
Silkstone's shoes. Fun
retro styles with stiletto
heels and pointy toes, but
alas, still plastic and one
solid color for the most part.
Silkstone Shoes
There have been, however,a
few highlights in Mattel's
defense. The Byron Lars
line has had some
wonderfully fun footwear!
The fur boots from Nne,
the wire shoes from Tatu
and the great blue leather
boots from Mbili to name a
few!
Nne's Boots
Tatu's Boots
Then there are the awesome
black leather boots from the
first two Hard Rock dolls!
Love them!! Sexy knee
high boots with studs and
buckles. Yummy!
Hard Rock's Boots
As far as Mattel's playline
goes, there are hits and
misses there too. These
WAY oversized shoes were
almost hysterical!
BIG Mattel Shoes
Then came the Fashion
Fever line. Fun and funky
with shoes to match!
Fashion Fever Shoes / Boots
