Friday, March 30, 2012

Shoe Shopping


I’ve been shoe shopping today, the best kind of shoe shopping. Price was no concern. Neither was heel height nor the fact that I haven’t worn high heels in a decade. I have been shopping online for a shoe for my newest heroine. It’s not a Cinderella shoe, but it is important.

You see my heroine Bri (Briallen  Kendrick) is a jeans and boots girl. The most important thing in her life is Fantastica, the pet therapy farm she and her sister, Rica, own. Bri works with the animals and kids, and Rica is the public face of Fantastica, attending the fundraisers, speaking in the videos, and interacting with contributors. But Drew Bellamy has a seven figure check for Fantastica. There is one catch: his presenting it is contingent on Bri’s attending a charity ball. Rica, who has bullied her sister into attending the gala, is an experienced shopper at Another Dance, a consignment shop. She found Bri a killer dress, and she’s narrowed the shoes to two. She insists that Bri make the final choice. Bri and I are having a difficult time. She's trying to figure out a way to wear her boots, and I'm trying to figure out a way she can wear both of Rica's finds.

Here are her choices.

Alexander McQueen
$1765
Jimmy Choo
$895















I must admit I had great fun shoe shopping for my character.  I even got my sister and my best friend involved. Why is it that women bond over shoes? I remember an extended discussion of shoes on The Eloisa James Bulletin Board that prompted this poem:



The Lay of the Shoe-Scorning Woman
(with apologies to Sir Walter Scott)


Breathes there a woman with heart so dead 
Who never to herself hath said,
These are my own, the shoes I crave!
Whose credit cards have never burned
As charges through machines have churned,
From wandering through shoe shops to save.
If such there breathe, go, mark her well;
For her no sisters’ voices swell.
High though her status, smart her game,
Boundless her closet as wish can claim,
Despite those gowns and bags and jeans,
This wretch can be no fashion queen. 
Living, shall forfeit sisterhood,
And, fading surely, as she should,
Shall join the earth on which she trod,
Unwept, unnatural, and ill-shod.







Are you a shoe-shoppin’ fool? Which shoe do you think Bri should choose? If you are a writer, do you shop for your characters? If you are a reader, are clothing details important to you?


13 comments:

Kathleen O said...

I used to love to shop for shoes, but now it is a chore because of problem with my feet. After a couple of injuries, I can no longer wear high heels. Although, I just bought a nice sensible pair of black pumps, with a 1 ½ “heel.

For your character I would go with the Alexander McQueen pair… GO big or GO home is my motto…Well it used to me anyway…

I can’t wait to see how this story pans out…

Quantum said...

I have been reading Sophie Kinsella's 'Shopoholic Abroad' where Becky is let loose in New York, and is immediately snapping up fashion items at 'sample sales'.

The book is hilarious, giving some insight (or not!) into a ladies fascination with fashion. If Becky was a romance author I'm sure that she would be out buying clothes and accesories for all of her characters.

Janga, having read this book I think I might have a glimmering understanding of why you would want to shop virtually online for your characters!

I like the McQueen shoe for that classy strap that covers the instep, but I prefer the Choo shoe for the price. $1765 for shoes! Do they have diamond trimming? LOL

I hate shopping but do like a fairly complete description of character's clothing!

Susan in AZ said...

Okay, she's used to boots. They don't fall off. I predict that she will walk right out of those Jimmy Choos; however, the McQueen shoes will stay on her feet no matter what.

Susan in AZ

Janga said...

I like your motto, Kathleen. LOL
And I'm glad the story caught your interest. This one is still in the early stages. I'll be posting more about it as I try to meet my goal of one hundred pages of the first draft completed this month.

Janga said...

Q, I've enjoyed some of Kinsella's books too. None of my characters reach the shopaholic stage, but the women all undetstand the value of retail therapy. :)

Janga said...

Susan, I never thought about Bri having problems keeping the shoes on. I think that's a great reason to go with the majority and choose the McQueens. Since I'm spending virtually, maybe even Q can be convinced.

irisheyes said...

Awesome shoes, Janga! I actually like the Jimmy Choo's better look-wise but would go with the McQueens for just the reason Susan stated. If she's not used to wearing fancy shoes, she should get a pair that at least will stay on! LOL

I'm not a big shoe person. I was born with bad feet so buying all of the fancy shoes was never an option for me. I have to wear sensible - either New Balance or clogs. If I could afford them, I'd probably go crazy over a nice pair of Birkenstock clogs, but that's about as far as I can let myself go.

irisheyes said...

BTW, I love the poem!

pjpuppymom said...

Love the Choo's but as the owner of bad feet I'll have to go with the McQueen's too.

It's been so many years since I was able to wear heels. ::sigh::

Hellie Sinclair said...

The Jimmy Choos, definitely. :) And I can be a shoe shopping fool, but I never go for the expensive shoes like Jimmy or McQueen. The priciest I have are probably Nine West or Chinese Laundry. I buy heels but end up wearing flip flops 99.9% of the time.

Janga said...

Thanks, Irish. I had fun playing with the poem.

Janga said...

I know, PJ. I drool over gorgeous high heels, but I know I'll never wear them again.

Janga said...

The Choos are gorgeous, Hellie. Both pair are way out of my price range too, but part of the fun of being in charge of the story is having the perfect pair of shoes at the consignment shop for a greatly reduced price. :)