A month ago, I bought a pair of white punched leather flats, which I fancied were fun. As write this, I haven't worn them, but by the time you read this I may well have succumbed. I'm experimenting by taking these sort-of-sandshoes safely out of the country, to the islands where white is always fashionable.
If I slip my feet into white shoes I will be breaking one of my own little style rules.
Where my self-imposed shackles of supposed good taste come from, I'm not entirely sure. There may have been some childhood conditioning - after I grew out of white toddler sandals - but I think my aversion springs from tribal adolescence. I wore black Dr. Martens and if you were a skanky ho - or worse still, simply had no idea - then you wore fringed white ankle boots. Of course, no one knew what a ho was back then and I hope that nowadays I'm less given to scathing and sweeping wardrobe judgments, but a "f*** me" boot is a no-go zone.
Fashion-forward types will doubtless consider me terribly behind-the-times avoiding white, but before I give up on being judgmental let's just say I don't get how it got "ironic" for stylists to recycle that particular look. Referential maybe, try-hard tired more like.
I do see the appeal of white summer flats on brown skin. But I don't tan. The lightest shoe I'll wear is nude and, even then, I'd rather not. White heels I struggle with. On me: no thanks; on others: strappy maybe, courts maybe not.
