Another Style Star!

Congratulations, Nicole!

Our second Style Star left in style with the grey Big Buddha bag, a badge of customer loyalty and a bonafide Style Star. Dreary weather and the pressure of publicly announcing her love of Lori's and Big Buddha didn't hold her back. We like that kind of moxy.

One left! Who will claim the cognac bag? Make your way to the Armitage store and announce to the staff, "I am a Style Star!" We'll take your picture with the bag and send you out into the world just a smidgen more stylish.

Style Star!

Congratulations, Angela! Our first Style Star braved the weather and the madding crowds to announce herself a Style Star to the staff.

Having proved her loyalty, we bequeathed to Angela this beaut of a mid-size day bag inspired by the famous Valentino original.

Like it in grey or cognac? There's one each left. Make your way to the Armitage store and announce to the staff, "I am a Style Star!" We'll take your picture with the bag and send you on your way, basking in the glow of mutual appreciation.

Free Knees

Last Sunday was a day of unprecedented fall beauty here in Chicago. That, or a cruel joke as the rest of October has proven to be a dreary, overcast and chilly experience punctuated with a pervasive drizzle as if the sky, too, were crying. In other words, typical Chicago.

We here at Lori's are of the "lemonade from lemons" school, so we're making the most of inclement weather by sugaring the pot to giving you more. Buy any pair of all-weather boots like UGG or La Canadienne and we will give you a complimentary pair of HUE black, flat-knit knee socks, a $7 value.

Even leaden clouds have a silver lining. Buy some new boots and we'll throw in a knit one. Offer ends Saturday, October 31, 2009. Enjoy!

Offer is good for online orders placed before midnight, October 31, 2009 only. Not valid in any stores. Does not apply to previous orders. Other restrictions may apply.

Calling All Style Stars!

Big Buddha has given us three day bags to give to our loyal customers. What makes a more dedicated customer than one willing to trek through this dreary weather to the Armitage store and declare themselves worthy of said bag? That's right: prove your loyalty! Here are the rules:

• Contest starts at 11am today, Thursday, October 22 when the store opens
• Walk up to the associate at the register and declare, "I am a Style Star!"
• If any bags remain, choose from the grey, cognac or black.
• We will take your picture with the bag (dress appropriately!).
  
• That's it! Late-comers get the sympathy prize: a Lori's Shoes frequent shopper card.

First come, first served. And only three get served. Gussy up and get yourself over to the store! These are some handsome bags of a medium day bag size, but we're keeping the look secret. You will just have to trust us.

Please note that refusal to have your picture taken will forfeit your winnings. (For the shy we will crop or blur your face upon request.) Accepting the bag constitutes permission for us to use your likeness on this blog; we want to show off our stylish mavens!

This opportunity is valid only with your physical presence. Sorry, no phone-ins or emails accepted, you wily devils! (Don't worry, loyal online customers, we have something in the works for you too.)

Materials, Girl.

Whether you like this season for the rock-and-roll look, the motorcycle chic, the Western thing or the profusion of black, one thing that spans the trends is an emphasis on materials. Functional hardware and hardware that simply looks purposeful are embellishing our boots and shoes. Frye has a lock on the harness ring. Nicole's studded rands are exciting to see and wear. And Jeffrey Campbell ... well, let's just say the Legal zips up any dissenting votes.

The studs and rings and grommets have migrated to accessories as well. We're seeing them on scarves, leggings, bracelets, headbands and, of course, bags. We're liking the mix of pyramid studs and nailheads, or working some black leather with hardware back to a hot plaid scarf to layer in texture and color.

Believing in Zero

We recently participated in "Wine, Women and Shoes," a benefit for UNICEF's Accelerated Child Survival Initiative in 25 sub-Saharan African countries which aims to save 3.2 million children and build health care systems. A staggering 25,000 children die every day from preventable causes. UNICEF's slogan, "Believe in ZERO. 25,000," is a powerful call to action and one we had to get behind.


We donated $1,000 and helped raise thousands more through sales at our booth at the well-attended event at River East Arts Center. Guests mingled with wines and shopping provided by area boutiques and wineries. Shopping with wine to benefit a favorite charity? Now that's a night well spent.

Visit UNICEF

Top Sellers: High Boots, Bright Tights.

We're not sure where you are, but here in Ch-ch-ch-icago the cold slapped down this past weekend and has not abated – good for the marathon, and good for breaking out those high boots and leggings. (Miraculously, we can still see the sun. We give it another couple days.) Cold weather and bright skies make a fine shopping day. We saw a healthy uptick in sales of boots and leggings, a trend worth exploring in more detail as it is one of our favorite looks this season.

Above are some of our most popular (and our most favoritest) selections from last week as fall got down to business.

Leggings by HUE (left to right): Merino Wool Tight - Graphite Heather | Denim Legging - Navy | Super Opaque Control Top Tights - Violet
High Boots (left to right): Restricted Vamp - Taupe | Jeffrey Campbell Wishlist-2 - Black | Jeffrey Campbell A-Plus - Black

We're in love with denim and sweater leggings. These are a nice compliment to motorcycle boots and worker boots. Layer on the texture and keep color shifts within a narrow palette – taupes and grays, grays and blacks, blacks and blacks – to let the texture contrasts stand out. Or take an OTK boot like the JC A-Plus that has all the texture you'll ever need and punch it up with an opaque tight in deep, rich jewel tones.

The Natural: Jewel Tones and Natural Hues Define the Season

Natural colors are all around us this season. Beginning with the lush saturation of jewel-toned boots and bags, coal blacks, timber browns and harvest taupes feel so naturally fall you can practically smell the woodsmoke.

Boots the color of anthracite coal and the rich brown of chestnut are plentiful while a range of ash grays and harvest field taupes remind us of pumpkin picking, hayrides, hearth fires and the slanting rays of sun in the waning afternoon.

Not all is fallow fields: we're mining deep emeralds, fiery rubies and seductive garnet hues amidst the blacks and browns. Found on classic pumps, tall boots and structured bags – often in softer, demure suedes – these rich, vibrant tones have a romantic allure and more than just a touch of fun and spirit. They feel intimate and cozy while speaking to your confident styling.

What are your favorite colors for fall? Take our short poll below!

An Us for Us

Ask and you shall receive! The Jeffrey Campbell Us – a studded ankle bootie with a wide strap and big, beautiful buckle – is no stranger to the internets ... in suede. We, however, wanted something a little different. We asked if we could have it in leather and voila! We have an Us for, well, us. We love how the leather works with the studs. It's so tough and '80s! These booties make us want to yank them on and binge-watch Joan Jett videos. Smug in the knowledge that no one else has this particular brand of JC coolness.

Time Out Chicago Fall Fashion

Report from Padova

A Brief Stop in Padova on the Way to the Milan Shoe Shows.

As Lori travels toward Milan and the shoe shows, she sent us an update from a sojourn in Padova.

"Right now in Padova vintage is happening. Vintage gym shoes, vintage clothing ... the more worn out, the better. The styles seem pretty young and aggressive. Lines like Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren are popular here, as well as Guess.

"I am seeing a lot of oxfords on heels and boots – all sorts of boots. We are dead on with the styles that they are showing in the stores in Florence. Janet & Janet and Vic Matie have a strong presence here. Milan will be a different story. Milan tends to be more high fashion and extremely trendy. I will be interested to see what they are showing. My guess is yet more gladiators with ornamentation and styles similar to the Laura Brandon [tall, foldover gladiators] style from last year.

"Buona notte,
L"

Save Some For Us: One of Lori's many new dishes.

Report from Fiesole

Overlooking Fiesole outside of Firenze in Tuscany.

Lori has been reporting from Italy where – in addition to shopping the trends, learning Italian and apprenticing in local kitchens to perfect her Mediterranean cooking – she will be walking the Milan footwear shows to track down the next wave of trends. Herewith, her report from Tuscany:

"Well, I have to be honest and tell you that I am enjoying my experience in Florence immensely. I have been studying Italian every morning for four hours – total immersion. When I am not studying, I am cooking at the restaurant. I normally get home around 7:00 PM and hang with my friends, study Italian and then finally lay my head down about 1:00 AM in the morning.

"Yesterday I took a stroll around the Duomo and saw a lot of the same styles that we carry. They even held over styles from last year like the man-tailored looks. They are showing a lot of short cowboy and oxfords on heels. In terms of the natives, they are just returning from Ferragosto and you don't see many of them around. (It has been nearly 95 degrees everyday so no one is wearing fall.)

"I am staying in a sweat box. No fans here and obviously no A/C so I don't want to hear anyone complain when the air conditioning isn't working for a day!!!!"

Being on-trend with our Italian counterparts during a big fall season? A/C or not, no complaints here. :-)

Time Out Puts Us Top Ten

Aw, shucks. Time Out Chicago recently rated Lori's one of the Top 10 shoe boutiques in Chicago. Flattered, we are. Take a gander at their capsule summary and then take a shop around the site for some great new boots, shoes and leggings for this strong fall season!

Lori’s Shoes
(824 W Armitage Ave, 773-281-5655; Mon–Thu 11am–7pm; Fri 11am–6pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun noon–5pm)
If Sex and the City were set in Chicago, Carrie Bradshaw would’ve had at least a few scenes in this Old Town shop. Lori’s has one of the city’s largest ranges of American and European designer shoes, all at between 10 and 30 percent less than department-store prices.

Trends: Rock & Roll Love at Polyvore

We took a look on favorite site Polyvore to see how the fashion-addicted were using our shoes and boots in the service of fall trends. We found amazing sets. Click through the preview below or visit Polyvore for inspiration!

View 'Fall '09 Trends: Rock & Roll' on Polyvore

$5 Shipping is the New Ground Shipping

We made a big change to our shipping rates. Now all orders sent to addresses in the continental United States ship for a flat rate of $5. One pair of shoes? Five dollars. Ten pairs of boots? Five dollars. Shipping to Paris? Well then we have to charge you standard carrier rates (but Paris, Texas? Five dollars!).

Can you still expedite your order? You betcha. Standard rates apply. International? We encourage it ... at standard carrier rates.

Get Schooled: Lori's in Metromix

Metromix, the entertainment outpost for the Tribune, recently interviewed Lori for tips on buying boots for fall. She gave them quite an education. Below is a sampling from the article by Lisa Arnett that appeared Monday, August 25, 2009.

Know the Trends
"One thing that this season has going for it is that there are some real strong trends," says Andre. The three biggies? Cowboy boots (especially shorter styles), motorcycle boots with studs or chains and over-the-knee styles (ladies only).

Get a Good Fit
When shopping, wear your own socks (rather than those disposable shoe-store footies) and spend a full five minutes walking around in the store. "If it doesn't feel good now, it's going to feel a lot worse later." Try the toe-wiggle test: They should have enough breathing room to wiggle freely inside the tip of the boot. Another trick? Stick your hand inside the boot to feel for bumpy seams or rough edges where the lining meets the sole that could potentially irritate your foot. And if your calves are either more muscular or slimmer than average, look for brands offering knee-high boots in wide and narrow calf widths.

All About the Material
Look on the boot's box or lining for a label noting what it's made of. "Boots that are really high-quality are leather lined, leather-soled and leather-uppered," says Andre. Leather keeps your feet warm but is also breathable, and, when used for the sole, offers more flexibility and shock absorption than molded plastic. But because leather has a more involved treatment process and a higher import duty, it'll cost you. Likewise, a boot with a synthetic upper costs much less, but because the material isn't breathable, your feet can be a hot sweaty mess after all-day wear.

Watch the Weather
"If you're going to buy a $600 pair of leather boots and wear them in the snow, they're going to get ruined," says Andre. Salt and water can erode leather over time, unless it's treated to be waterproof. "We always tell people, buy a synthetic boot that's guaranteed waterproof [for snowy days] and wear your fashion boots when the weather is good."


Credit: Metromix photos by Jason Little

Shoe Shopping with Maurizio Celin of Nicole

Our favorite person who just happens to also design Nicole, Mr. Maurizio Celin, was recently in town for a visit with Lori. Only he could pull off suede moccasins with abundant fringe under white jeans, tee and a stripey cardi. (Sigh.)

We spent several hours walking the store, examining lines and trends and having a blast. Their faves? A predilection for the moccasins (adored the Medici mocs) and a healthy respect for our freshly arrived boots like Vic's 9940 wedge boot and the 9770 harness.

And Chicago? The shopping got a thumbs up. Frontera Grill, no. Publican, yes. But Lori's home-cooked meal was voted best by a long shot. (No wonder he's our favorite.)

No Proust, But We Wouldn't Lose Any Time Finding These

As reported in WWD Accessories, Chloe Sevigny is guest-designing a collection for Bass with Opening Ceremony. Click the image above for a readable version. While we won't have this at Lori's, we do have the classic Bass styles that tap into the menswear trends of the season. Read the article and take a look!

The Embellished Leg

Last fall was a banner year for leggings. Colors were rich and deep, textures spanned the gamut from gossamer lace to thick cable-knit wools and patterns ran from conservative argyles to trippy pop abstracts. There was a lot to be excited about.

So this must be a billboard year.

We have been inundated with leggings and the flood has only just begun. Daring (and darling) new pieces are on the way. Our faves? The super-trend stud leggings (left) and shimmering sequin jobbies (below) that take edge and sparkle to a glorious new place. Also on deck are the (faux) leather legging and a general emphasis on hardware: zips at the ankle and knee, ankle snaps (replacing the buttons of last year).

All this taps into the larger metal trend we're seeing in shoes, boots, bags and accessories. It's not quite rock-and-roll, but it's not quite not that either. Black is finally just black. Gray is its sidekick. Heavy metal hardware and deep reds accent. Is Fall is a knife fight? Picture the ersatz tumble in "Beat It." The S.E. Hinton aesthetic ... Are we dressing as the new Outsiders – hard and tough on the outside, uncertain with a heart of gold within – after being Socs for so long? The edges are harder: our collective slump away from excess during a lean year in which we've all bled a little.

Fall's message is that there's excitement even in hard times. Some of the gilt's flaked off to reveal our hard metal chic underneath. So be daring and bold and determined this Fall. Confidence is sexy, especially moxy that shimmers outrageously in legs like these.

Fall (and Beyond) Preview: Bass

Gone Fishin': Menswear inspiration from Bass is coming this fall.

Bucks! We love 'em. There is something so intractably preppy about the buck that charms us. That red gum sole, the suede upper and round toe. Add to that a saddle shoe with punch patterning and a patent loafer and menswear is back in the mix this fall. (We also threw in Spring 2010's pastel variations to keep you abreast of the trends.)

The look here is pure Annie Hall: baggy pants or boyfriend jeans rolled at the cuff and menswear-inspired materials like oxford cloth and ties. Tone down the testosterone with an unstructured bag from Imoshion or Big Buddha in romantic jewel tones. Or go in the other direction with something delicate and feminine to eke out the clunky casualness of the silhouette for some truly adorable outfits.