It occurred to me while packing for a trip back to Europe the other day, that a rather large number of sneakers have snuck themselves into my wardrobe. Granted, many pairs are just for working out. After all, a girl’s got to be able to choose between sprinting in a pair of bright orange trail shoes or going classic with black Lunars, for instance. But I will say this: Quite a few pairs have never seen the inside of a gym or ever actually broken a sweat! They are special. For years, it was a pair of black Converse sneakers—high-tops, of course—those were my go-to. I think they reminded me of my childhood days. (I wore a pair of pink ones growing up and refused to throw them out way past their sell-by date.)
I eventually graduated and moved on to a pair of white high-top Nike Air Force 1s. Frankly, they work with pretty much every look. I even wore them with a little Chanel bouclé jacket and skirt to a lunch meeting once. Sneakers combined with the right look can be, I think, acceptable in almost every situation. Not to certain London clubs with antiquated dress codes, mind you. I have actually been known to cause a protest or two. Underdressed, moi? Have we met?
My personal style mantra has always been to playfully navigate the high and low, the up and down. Sure, you don t always get it right, but when it works, it works. I applaud Kristen Stewart’s recent sartorial choice on the Cannes red carpet, a whimsical and delicate little white dress (Chanel, of course) paired with some old blue Vans. We all know how very current activewear has become in high fashion, but that s beside the point for me. I could wear sweatpants and a hoodie into the Vogue offices and get away with it, but personally that isn’t my thing. What I do approve of, however, is a cute multi-print dress—today it was Prada—with a simple pair of all-black Nikes, complete with a chic white sole. Even my mother approved when she saw me skipping out of the house. And it feels good knowing that, if I have to, I can rely on my two little feet to carry me home from the party!