<p>
Scandals, that would be the edgiest footwear in the Alley so far. mythmom, then, will be my now Style Guru. How many colors do they come in? Are they all stiletto? Or are there some I can wear to the grocery store?</p>
<p>I’m thinking they’d only come in stilletto, preferable w/ leopard print, or neon colors with matching feather trim. And you can where them WHEREVER you want to, jmmom…</p>
<p>“kids shoes, scandals and boots, that’s about all that works”</p>
<p>Scandals… sounds like a foot fetishist to me.</p>
<p>I recommend the English movie “Kinky Boots.” It’s Hilarious.</p>
<p>I have my scandals on today. 7 year old bronze Charles Jourdan fancy, um, flip flops. The top that is connected to the toe thingie has a bunch of swirls in bronze leather. I saw that flip flop trend with the Bollywood touch a-coming. This is why Chickie and I are related.</p>
<p>I am STILL not kidding.</p>
<p>I do ask myself though. I know you all in Earth Shoes and no makeup have soul. I believe it. But the question searing through me is - can I still have soul if I dye my hair, wear lipstick, and bronze scandals? I wear the scandals with Mom-ish jeans and a tshirt. Does that help?</p>
<p>Would Doc Martens be more soulful? </p>
<p>And I watch Ugly Betty and love it. Can I still have soul? Is soul the same as edgy? Can’t be. Perhaps I ask for too much, to be edgy, wear lipstick, and have soul.</p>
<p>However, have no fear. I will send the marmots to fetch me some soul.</p>
<p>And no. Not kidding.</p>
<p>Are the yoga earth shoes comfortable? I ask because I bought some Dansko clogs, after having heard everyone rave about them, and they were actually painful to wear. Not my feet, but they really bothered my knees, which usually don’t bother me. I wear Lands’ End shoes that look like the earth shoes.</p>
<p>No lipstick, no jewelry, but I do now have my hair colored. I don’t think this disqualifies us from having soul, Alu! I gave in and started about 3 years ago, when my formerly very dark brown hair faded and the gray was becoming very prevalent. My hair looks fantastic now, when I blow it dry. Have you noticed how they can make anyone’s hair look 25 these days?</p>
<p>Yeah if only they could do for the sides of my mouth what they have done for my hair.</p>
<p>Hehe.</p>
<p>Hey, we’re the moms, what we say goes. Not only that, we’re the moms of the Boomer generation. If we say it has soul, it has soul. We outnumber all the other cohorts out there and anyway what do we care what they think? :D</p>
<p>Says the mom who has no more interest in fashion than her clueless geek sons. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.</p>
<p>Soul is all about who you are inside. Why would a polished exterior preclude a soulful interior? They are not related. Soul is essence! Your essence is what it is-- regardless of highlights, concealer, Ferragamos or anything else. </p>
<p>Edgy is unrelated to soul or polish. For example, you can have an edgy fashion style or an edgy personality or both or neither. Edge is all about not following the crowd and bravely being yourself.</p>
<p>Here’s the prescription (at least for me):</p>
<p>Have soul-- by being a person who always tries to do the right thing. See others for who they are (beyond lipstick and footwear) and love others with an open heart.</p>
<p>Have edge-- by daring to be different than the stereotypes say you should be particularly when the stereotypes don’t fit you. Just because you turn a certain age or have some offspring, or get married or whatever doesn’t mean the inner “you” changes-- so resist that drift!</p>
<p>Polish to the degree that feels fun, right, and non-tyrannical.</p>
<p>mommusic, I am right with you on the Boomer Generation Cohort Theory.</p>
<p>What, us worry :p?</p>
<p>We are the bulge in the demographic population chart. What we say… GOES.</p>
<p>I can get behind that taxonomy, soul, edge, polish.</p>
<p>Also the idea of what we say GOES. That’s not my usual approach to life unless it’s to kids who are being too loud in a car.</p>
<p>Soul, edge, polish.</p>
<p>Edge to me is flouting convention, as you say. In a conversation where everyone pretends they don’t diet, let it fall that you never go a day without thinking about what you eat. In a conversation where everyone is talking about eating healthily, explain that you love to drink too much.</p>
<p>Polish to me is a sub-case of self-presentation. Some people present as I just care about comfort and that is that. But some people take a moment to decorate their exterior to convey some kind of a message. Black hair with purple streaks? Arty, rebellious. Polish, in my family, does mean Ferragamos and concealer:). I can work with this concept, polish.</p>
<p>But soul. I know it when I feel it but I have been sitting here trying to define it. I connect it to the yearning I feel for the unknown universe. To being able to comfort a stranger in an airport who is distraught because they can’t get home. To being convinced that not everything in the world can be explained by determinism.</p>
<p>Soul. If I meet someone who has soul I always feel that in a previous life they must have been a healer, or a priest, even though I don’t believe in God. If I feel sometimes that I am soulful, it is because I see the infant in the man, or the dutiful daughter in the hard-charging executive. Or when I listen very carefully to someone speaking and nod at just the right time.</p>
<p>Or when music gives me goosebumps or brings tears to the edge of my eyes.</p>
<p>But I really don’t know.</p>
<p>mootie-
You’ve done it again, my friend. Post # 8200!</p>
<p>Whoa I didn’t even notice that! I’ll take Earth Shoes for 8200, Alex?</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Favorite scandals, gold with little heals, twisty gold-dyed leather that I got back in the day. Everyone else in combat boots; my style: 40’s vintage lace blouses with jeans and Vegas scandals. The despair of all teen friends and mom too. Until, ta da Janis Joplin got SAME scandals. Then who was the edgy, Vegas, slutty fairy? Haha. D is much more conservative but expensive. Her taste is “things that are made well,” with just a teenie ouinie bit of edge.</p>
<p>I’ve never been able to really afford “things that are made well” but D and I are sale buddies. And she lets me pick her clothes. She has to admit I have quite the eye. I can tell from 100 ft. away and still on a hanger what would look good on her.</p>
<p>She would never wear slutty, gorgeous gold scandals but as an ex point dancer can wear heals as high as she likes.</p>
<p>Our big find: boots Kiera Knightly wears in fashion spread for less than half price. Way to go.</p>
<p>mootie: “Vintage shoes hiding in the back of our closet” for 8200: What was the name of the style shoe made in tan suede (lace ups) with white crepe soles?</p>
<p>***edit-- Holy cow! They are still made and they cost $100!!</p>
<p>Mootmon, how are those shoes sized? I wear a 9 or a 91/2, depending on the style and brand. Do these run a little large?</p>
<p>over30, in my experience Earth Shoes usually run just barely large, yes. </p>
<p>I still have two pairs of knee-high lace-up suede Earth Boots from the '70s. They still fit. Go me.</p>
<p>I remember my earth shoes being a tad big, but they were lace-ups so I dont really recall. My s’s birkies remind me of the earth shoes.
PS -answer to Q in #8215- Wallabees (by Clark)</p>
<p>I’d say the people with a great deal of soul? Mostly they’re plain old good, down to the bones. And they laugh a lot. :)</p>
<p>And like to have comfy feet.</p>
<p>^^^
LOL.</p>
<p>Believe it or not I thought about this all the way home today.</p>
<p>There is something else that I expect of anyone I say has soul. A close relationship to, a special access to the truth.</p>
<p>If it’s about personal relationships I expect them to have a certain almost psychic ability to know my thoughts, to get me. If it’s about morality I expect them to say the hard truths.</p>
<p>Hmm. High bar.</p>
<p>But certainly comfy feet at some point of the day:). Love my sheepskin slippers for those days when the workday shoes made my feet crabby.</p>