Sunday, September 16, 2012

Loafer Around - my Sunday Ode to Loafers, including a review of the Toni Tassle Loafer

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.
Thoreau


Ah - too often in my life I am an industrious and enterprising citizen - I work long hours on behalf of the people of my province and I do my best.  But Sundays - Sundays are a good time to loaf - to walk in the woods, read a good book, catch up with family, cook a nice, leisurely meal...

Thoreau's principle applies as well to fashion, if you ask me.  How many times in the week when I am wearing heels and fancy garb do I think "Oh! to be in my converse sneakers and sweat pants!"

The loafer, dear friends, is fashion's gift to us.  It is the shoe that feels like a Sunday that can be worn Monday to Friday!


I have a small loafer collection, two pairs of which were added this fall: the Aldo Leopard Print loafer and the J Crew Toni Tassle Loafer.  You have seen a bit of the leopard print loafers already this month, so I will not dwell on them, except to say that they are comfortable and I are giving me much joy!

The Cole Haan black patent penny loafers were purchased last summer in Freeport Maine at the outlet there.  They need a little spit and polish - I wore them out Friday night after work with my jeans and wandered all over downtown and in dusty/grassy tents, listening to music!  They are very comfortable!




The green velvet loafers were purchased online last December from the Cole Haan website.  I love the colour - they are really Christmas-y in many ways, but I may trot them out a few times this fall to wear with my jeans or my boulevard green minnie pants.  They are very comfortable with their quilted, padded lining and I get a lot of compliments about them!

My latest acquisition was one I hemmed and hawwed over earlier this month: the Toni Tassle Loafers in Champagne, which were recently on promo (I think they still are though they seem off the site this a.m. - they are sure to popback - everything does eventually - we will likely see Marissa in there at some point!) and with the 30% off promo on top of the site promo, the price came in at a reasonable $130 CDN.




As you know, they come in a couple of colourways, but given my fall colour stories, one of which had a lot of pinks and burgundy, the champagne version seemed best.  This is a comfortable shoe - I wore it with bare feet on Friday to work and did pretty well until late in the day (I always have to break any new shoes in hours at a time as my feet are so persnickety!).  They are all leather and so breathe very nicely!

The "champagne" colourway is not really champagne at all, unless you are thinking of a kir royale cocktail - there are definite pinky undertones in that champagne colour!  The burgundy tassle and toe are very pretty. I got a lot of compliments about these.



I paired them Friday with my superfine cotton suit in beechwood and a jackie shell in sweet pink.  It was still so hot!  I kept the jacket on for Friday night's fesitivities, pairing it with a coldplay tshirt, a big scarf, jeans and my back loafers.



A close-up shot of these on, which my husband thought was very odd...  I bought these in 6.5, which is my typical size for loafers or ballet flats, so I would say they fit TTS.  If you can catch these on an additional 20 to 30% off, I would say they are a good quality and attractive shoe that is very comfortable and thus worth the price.

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Finally, a shot of what I wore to work on Thursday.  As I have noted, we had a bit of an Indian Summer here late last week - Thursday hit 80+/32+!

As you know, I was quite taken with this shot from the website:



Now, I am unlikely to wear a peach sweater wrapped around my waist at work (or elsewhere actually, unless I am taking a hike or walk and get warm!) so I decided to shop the closet and see if I could recreate the essence of this outfit:



I paired my lilac featherweight cashmere sweater, which is a couple of years old and still in excellent shape, with a lightweight silk blouse, the citrus No. 2 cotton pencil skirt and my greeny-blue Valentina slingbacks.  I thought of trying to recreate the shot but

a) husband would think I am crazy; and
b) my knees are not so great now and I am unsure how easily I would have gotten back up!

However, I was quite pleased with the effect and this is an outfit I will dig out again in Spring!

I hope you all have a delightful Sunday which involves much loafing around!

 

19 comments:

  1. You are hilarious, yes we may see Marissa pop back on the website sometime!
    Great outfits and I had noticed those loafers, I like the little tassel. Good job mixing up those colors for your Thursday outfit, I love the bold mix and it really works together.
    You must love your Sundays off, I hope today is a good one!

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    1. I do love my Sundays!

      I thought of you yesterday - have you ever made Spanakopitas? I made them for the first time last night - they were not bad for a first attempt! Tonight is Beef Bourguignon!

      Are you around later today? I would love to call and chat and debrief!

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  2. I am out on my porch reading the Times, enjoying the sea; I am a very good Sunday loafer, but have plans to pick the last blueberries and beach plums and do some hand washing too.

    I would like to have a pair of loafers, but there are so many out there, I can't decide. When I can't nail down which, I end up getting nothing. Yours are working for you, though.

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    1. Lane - I hear you - I am the worst one for making decisions! I dither and dither! And then when I finally shop, I spend WAY too much!! WHy is that???

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  3. I love loafers, but it's almost too cold for them now, I think I have a week of bare feet left, maybe not even that.

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    1. I hear you! It was freezing this a.m.! Almost time to put the flannel back on the bed! Sigh...

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  4. we are actually doing something sensible later today, we're going to "try on" a car, not to buy, but one we're considering renting in France later this fall. When you're there it's too late to discover that your knees and chin meet or that you can't get your luggage in the trunk, and the only other one available costs three times as much.

    lived in penny loafers in high school, not ready to revisit.

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    1. You are funny! My husband expressly asked for an audi from europcar. Imagine his great disappointment when he arrived and it was a Passat. Ah well, they only said they would "do their best" and there was no guarantees... He grumbled mightily the whole first day!

      I think I am good now on the loafer count, but I must admit a strange attraction to them! I notice Gwynie had your special $400+ pair on her JCrew list!!!

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  5. Thank you for the loafer post! I haven't done any serious loafer looking yet, but this gives me some ideas. Nice re-creation of the pastel outfit, too. The green slingbacks are the perfect thing with it.

    I contained my Sunday loafing to computer loafing, and I just got back from a walk with my jacket tied around my waist because it got too warm, just like that peach sweater the model is wearing around her waist except, sadly, not really lol! My jacket is an old gray atrocity that I love but I hope it gets a pass for being exercise-wear.

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    1. Cate - I hear you! My loafing has not been as good as expected. My son needed a new mattress - he is 6'4" and sleeping on a single. His room can really only handle a double at most, but at least he can sleep diagonally!!! So just got back from purchasing that... it is always something!

      I wonder if anyone mixed you up for a JC model?

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    2. I actually didn't have on a stitch of J. Crew today, otherwise I'm sure they would have asked if that was me in the latest Style Guide. I'm surprised they didn't ask based on the messy hair alone. I hope my sarcasm is coming across!! lol

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  6. Totally off topic but I saw your post on Gigi's blog about wanting the herringbone cafe capris in gray. I assume you are speaking of item 95561 in black/cream which appears gray. I ordered these with a 25% coupon combined with a promo for a great price but they may be going back. The pants are beautiful and lined but the fabric is very thick. They were tts, even generously sized but did my thighs no favors. Just my opinion but I think I'll stick with the thinner regular wool capris.

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  7. Thanks shopping celle! I have no thighs to speak of, but the thickness worries me!

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    1. My usual capri size 4 fit and I may could have sized down. The thick fabric made me look like I had saddlebags and I really don't. I didn't like the navy tweed ones either. They were also thick and fit tight. HTH.

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    2. It sure does! Saddlebags is not a look i am desirous of!

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  8. I am a bit like WFF in that I lived in loafers for a while (pater used to joke I had a standing order at Bass in ME). But since I am at heart a trousers and jeans girl,considering the Tonis in the camel & black colourway (ochre?) which I know would get plenty of wear. If remain on list have to be at right price and still a bit of a doubter since quality of JC shoes is one of first downgrades that bugged me. Think the idea of copying roll-out and mag outfits with similar closet items/ colours is a great one, especially for sticking to "shop less" plans.

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    1. Thanks Getfresh! I think if the 30% applies to them they would be a pretty good value!

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  9. Thank you for your wonderful review of the Toni loafers and for sharing your loafer collection with us. You have some beauties in your closet. I like the way you put the outfit together with several colors, it is very pretty. I ordered the loafers from J.Crew and I hope they work out because they are even prettier in my mind now that I know they have a pinkish hue.

    Following your blog now too!

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    1. Thanks Captain Crew - am crossing my fingers they work for you!

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