a little sneaky sneaker problem...

so my sneaker problem is not really a little sneaky problem, but rather a BIG sneaker problem. and it's a real BIG problem because i am a real living, breathing grown up now (even if i don't look like one) with a real grown up person job where sneakers cannot be worn on a daily basis.

so i saw the stan smiths and i was like HEY, i need those in my closet if i am going to be taken seriously as a caajinista (after all, the whole premise behind caaj cool actually predates normcore as all you loyal blog followers must know). so anyways, i was like HEY...i need those. those are cheapie (especially if you fit into kiddie sizes, SCORE!!..) and can serve as my one way to buy into the normcore thing on the weekends when i'm not busy being very important at my very real and important job.

so i got those...

then a couple of days later, i was at jcrew during my trip to AMERICA, and i saw a pair of nike blazer vintage hi-tops and i was like HEY, i need those too if i am going to look like a cool and caaj trendsetter who doesn't take herself so seriously...and for a 100 buckeroos, not too bad!

then...i got back to italy..and i saw the golden goose sneaks everywhere and i was like...omg, these are like the stan smiths but with a grungy cool beaten up vibe which would add a whole other layer of complexity to my wardrobe...so i was like HEY, mom - it's almost eid (yes, my mom still buys me eid presents - after all, i don't have endless resources to buy all the sneakers this little heart desires in the world, c'mon guys!)...and so i added those to my sneaker repertoire...

AND THENNNNNN....i went to london for the wknd, and saw the air max everywhere i turned...and while at first i had resisted the airmax trend because i really did think they were hideous, i have now decided that they are kind of ugly, but also just look soooo cute with jeans, an oversized sweather, and boxy coat...it's the ultimate caaj thing  - when you you find something kind of so ugly, but then also kind of love it...so i went onto nike.com and actually MTO'd a pair (for those in the know (or rather those who work for gucci) - that is made-to-order) of a faux white croco pair (sounds really ugly and cheapo looking, i know...but wait till u see those babies on these little feeties!!!)

                                           
and noooooooooooooow...net-a-porter sends me this email with Holiday Essentials...and lo and behold, there is a pair of the coolest, caajest black adidas originals that are just screaaaaaaaaaming my name...i don't have a pair of black sneaks still...maybe i NEED them too?? no, hib-i mean caaj kim, don't do it.

ok friends, i will heed your warning. don't you worry, my little readers, i will resist their call. i am exercising self-control. it's hard - very hard (almost as hard as not having eaten a cupcake or french fries in a month - TRUE STORY, MY LOYAL READERS, TRUE STORY - look who is developing real adult eating habits!!). so instead of buying them, i am going to write about them to satisfy my urge (it's part of my 12-step program)...let's hope it works - let's really hope it works..i'm not making any promises though.

if you see a pair of black adidas gazelles on these little feeties paired with a cute girly frock or skinny jeans and a leather jacket - forget you ever read this post..and just know that i tried, i really tried, to resist.

the mule

guys, my loyal fans, my dedicated followers, my little minions...

i have a serious case of the-mondays-after-a-four-day-weekend-in-saint-tropez. it’s a very specific case of the mondays, a very tryhard case of the mondays because everyone knows that only tryhards go to saint tropez and then write about it on their blog – but today i feel like being a tryhard, so sue me. so given my case of the mondays where my work-to-break ratio has become 20 minutes of work to 1 hour of fun, I figured I would share my latest fashion musings during one of my many 1 hours of fun-time to be taken throughout today (i should probably de-friend all work colleagues before posting...but hey, i'm a rebel who likes to live on the edge...).

i know every fashion publication that pops up on my facebook newsfeed says that THE MULE is THE shoe of the summer, but i am not 100% convinced for two main reasons, which i will breakdown in the following lines of wisdom if you just bear with me. 

firstly, the mule is just too casual a shoe. sure, i’ll wear it to the park. sure, i’ll wear it while i shop. sure, i’ll wear it to the grocery store. sure, i’ll even wear it to brunch. but will I ever wear it to work? probably not. backless shoes are just too damn unprofessional. now if i were one of those blessed beauties who got live off mah man and chill during the day or had my own company so i didn’t ever have to go to the office – brunchin, munchin, yoga-in (though i don’t think i would ever be into yoga, but i feel like it’s part of the dream – i like to claim that i’d have a super hot bod if i didn’t have a full-time job, but i am about 100.5% sure that would not be the case – i would actually be just as lazy as i am currently, and i would actually probably eat even more baked goods because i would be so damned happy to not be working in an office (in my little life to-date, i have found the chub to happiness correlation is very high – the happier i am, the chubbier i am – my future husband is VERY excited about the sound of this, men everywhere rejoice!!)

okay so my second reason for not being convinced is actually not really related to the mule, but rather to the birkenstock. I know the very appeal of the birkenstock is the fact that it doesn’t totally go, makes your outfit look more caaj, and just makes it seem like you don’t care…but there are times when i just can’t opt for the birkenstock over a shoe that will actually make my outfit cuter. it’s really hard for me, guys. i’ve tried – God knows i’ve tried. i have almost even made it out the door, but then, in the last second, i always relent and switch to the cuter shoes. i do like the floral ones that i have seen out and about, but i still think i would only wear those to pick up flowers or to pick up my kiddies from school or maybe run to the store to grab some milk (obvi to feed those damn kiddies and to try to counteract the fact that their mom is only five feet three inches tall and their grandma only five feet flat).

anyways, there you have it, folks – my stance on the mule and birkenstock. now that all being said, i will obviously still purchase the alexander wang dina mules as well as the isabel marant Birkenstocks since every fashion publication tells me that it is THE it shoe and I need to obviously partake in the trend or else I wouldn’t be much of a caaj kim, would i, butttttttttttttt at least everyone knows how i really feel (does that make it better or worse when i sell out?)

you know what i hate?

you know what i hate?

I HATE when there is something that starts becoming big, then gets bigger, and part of me wants to buy in, but i just keep putting it off bc i'm just not ready to commit, i'm not 100% sure it's worth the investment, i'm not 100% sold on the idea, it just seems SO predictable, so mainstream...but THEN, over time, i can't get the thing out of my head, and i keep seeing outfits with said item, and eventually, i relent...but i relent at the point in the item's life cycle, where it no longer makes SENSE to commit. the item is on its way out. it only has about 1-3 months of life left in its little leggies before it disappears into oblivion...yet, I just spent xxxx dollars on it, so either i wear it the number of times it takes to justify the investment, even if it is no longer cool and past its prime, and look like a fashion lewser who did not get the memo that said item is now no longer cool, or then i just accept that i made a bad investment and next time, i should NOT try to be responsible and resist the temptation of buying yet another pair of shoes...i mean, "said item".

(obviously this has never happened to me..i am just expressing a general sentiment that i'm sure is often felt by the fashion masses who aren't caajinistas such as myself who never makes any fashion snafus...i am obvi just using "i" in an effort to empathize with the fashion masses, show that i am one of them, just a little clothes lover trying to figure it out like the rest of them..what can i say guys, i'm just a (wo)man of the people...my blog publicist told me that this was a good PR move..).