Glossary of Footwear Terms | couture helpdesk

In today's couture helpdesk, we review some commonly encountered (and often confused!) terms relating to shoes & other footwear.

But wait! Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before we dive in, it's important to understand the shoe's basic anatomy. When discussing women's shoes, it's helpful to think of the shoe as 3 separate, but interrelated parts: the upper, the sole, and the heel. The vast majority of shoe style designations are based on varying the configuration of one or more of these parts, and the potential combinations thereof.

Upper
As the name suggests, the upper is the top portion of the shoe, excluding the sole and the heel. This generally is made of fabric, leather vinyl or any number of other synthetic materials. Because the upper is the most visible portion of the shoe, descriptive terms for the upper are often used to designate the shoe's overall style or type. The upper can be subdivided into several subsections:

• toe box - front area of the upper that covers the toes
• vamp - top front area of the upper
• sides - left & right sides of the upper, running the middle length of the foot alongside the arch
• heel cup - back / heel area of the upper

Sole
The sole is the bottom portion of the shoe which protects the foot from contact with the ground, excluding the heel. There are fewer variations on the sole than on the upper or the heel.

Heel
The heel is the key element of distinction in women's fashion footwear. No discussion is complete without a full set of heel terms!

Now, on to the good stuff!

The Luxe Junkie Women's Footwear Glossary:

Upper-Related Terms:

Almond Toe - the toe box is closed and comes to a soft point when viewed from the top; generally not elongated like the true pointed toe.

Ankle Boot - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot, extending past the ankle bone.

Ankle strap - a strap which completely encircles the ankle, generally closed with a buckle or tie; not to be confused with the slingback, which runs around the back of the ankle only.

Ankle wrap / ankle tie - a longer strap, generally of a soft pliable material, which is meant to be wrapped several times around the ankle and/or lower calf and tied to fasten.

Ballet flat - flat shoe with no heel; upper made of a soft, flexible material, sometimes with a bow or other decorative adornment at the vamp, akin to a traditional ballerina's slipper.

Bootie - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot in its entirety up to, but not including the ankle bone.

Cap Toe - a toe box visibly joined as a separate piece to the vamp, which is set off with a contrast colour / material

Court Shoe (UK) - see Pump (USA)

Crisscross Strap - with two additional crossed straps attached to the sides of the upper, forming an "X" shape across the top of the foot.

D'Orsay - the upper is cut away on either one or both sides of the foot. Toe box & heel cup may be open or closed. Technically, the vamp of a true d'orsay has a V-shape, but in common usage this term is applied to any shoe with cutaway sides.

Knee High Boot - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot, extending up to the knee or just below the knee.

Mary Jane - with an additional strap running horizontally across the middle of the foot from one side of the upper to the other, usually closed with a buckle, button or snap.

Midcalf Boot - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot, extending up approximately midway between the ankle bone and knee.

Mule - This style removes both the sides and heel cup of the upper . Only the vamp portion of the upper remains. Toe box may be open or closed.

Over the Knee / OTK Boot - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot, extending up the leg just past the knee.

Open Toe - the toe box is cut away at the front of the foot, revealing the ends of the toes. Sides and back of the upper may be open or closed.

Peep Toe - see Open Toe.

Pointed Toe - the toe box is closed and comes to a sharp, often elongated point when viewed from the top.

Pump (USA) - the most common usage, without any modifiers, indicates a style in which the entire upper (toe box, sides and heel cup) are enclosedleaving only the top of the foot exposed. the term is also sometimes used to describe any shoe with an elevated heel. in these cases it appears in conjunction with the appropriately descriptive term (e.g. slingback, peep toe, et al).

Round Toe - the toe box is closed and has a rounded appearance when viewed from the top.

Sandal - an open design consisting of one or more straps running over the foot.

Slingback - the upper is open at the back of the foot, with a thin strap running around the back of the heel, which serves to hold the shoe on the foot.

Square Toe - the toe box is closed and has a squared-off appearance when viewed from the top.

T-Strap - a thin strap that runs vertically up the top center of the foot, from the vamp to an ankle strap.

Thigh High Boot - the upper is closed in the front, back and sides and covers the foot, extending up the leg past the knee to the thigh.

Sole- and heel-related terminology next time!

Jean Paul Gaultier Exits Hermès

French luxury house Hermès announced yesterday that Jean Paul Gaultier will be leaving his post as the head of Hermès' women's collection to concentrate on his own brand. Christophe Lemaire, designer of French sportswear brand Lacoste, will replace Jean-Paul Gaultier as the Hermès women's fashion designer.

Mr. Gaultier's last collection for the family-controlled label will be presented in October, Hermès said. Mr. Lemaire's first collection is expected next year. Hermes said it will retain its 45% stake in the Jean-Paul Gaultier brand.

The change could herald a shift in the Hermès aesthetic. Mr. Gaultier peppered his collections for the equestrian-themed label with crocodile, fur and other very expensive material. His complicated designs often resulted in production delays for Hermès. Belgian designer Martin Margiela, who preceded Mr. Gaultier at Hermès, had a minimalist style, with monochromatic and simple-looking apparel.

Mr. Lemaire earned praise for giving upscale fashion appeal to Lacoste, a label famous for its crocodile logo. He joined Lacoste in 2001 after stints at Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix. On his website, he describes his style as "sophisticated casual and generous volumes." His Lacoste collections often pushed the label towards chic blazers, fluid pants and belted tops. He created his namesake brand in 1991, which he continues to design. Recent collections in muted tones of brown and gray featured Mao-collar jackets for men and oversized coats for women.

Hermès' women's designer doesn't oversee accessories (which include handbags as well as carrés), which are handled by Hermès executives.

Paintings Worth €500m Stolen from Paris Museum

Five paintings by Picasso, Matisse and other great artists have been stolen from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

The missing paintings are said to be Le Pigeon aux Petits Pois by Pablo Picasso, La Pastorale by Henri Matisse, L'Olivier Pres de l'Estaque by Georges Braque, La Femme a l'Eventail by Amedeo Modigliani and Nature Morte aux Chandeliers by Fernand Leger.

Officials at the museum discovered the theft early on Thursday when they found a window and a lock had been broken.

$1.05M per Carat: New Coloured Diamond Record at Sotheby's

Two blue diamonds broke records Tuesday at Sotheby's "Spring Sales of Magnificent and Noble Jewels."

The 7.64-carat, cushion-shaped fancy intense blue diamond pictured above sold for $8.03 million, or $1.05 million per carat, following fierce competition from three buyers. The sale sets a new record per-carat price for a blue diamond sold at auction.

Accompanied by an additional GIA worksheet stating that the diamond may be Potentially Flawless after repolishing, it was the largest cushion shaped stone of this colour grading ever to appear at auction. Coloured diamonds are particularly rare in the classic unmodified cuts associated with white diamonds. It is this, combined with its highly saturated body colour and the fact that it has the potential to receive an Internally Flawless grading after minor repolishing, that makes this 7.64 carat gem a truly exceptional diamond.

The second blue diamond, a 5.02-carat fancy vivid stone set with a 5.42-carat white diamond in a toi et moi ring from French jeweler Alexandre Reza, sold for $6.32 million. The sale set a new auction record price for a jewel by any French designer, according to Sotheby's.

Requiescat In Pace: Jean-Louis Robert Frédéric Dumas-Hermès

Jean-Louis Dumas, who revived the flagging fortunes of Hermès in the late 1970s and in his nearly 30 years as the company’s chief executive transformed it into one of the world’s most successful luxury brands, died Saturday at his home in Paris. He was 72.

His father, Robert, had married one of the four daughters of Émile-Maurice Hermès, a grandson of Thierry, and would become chief executive of the company in 1951. Mr. Dumas joined Hermès in 1964 and, after becoming chairman when his father died in 1978, embarked on an ambitious program of modernization and expansion, extending the company’s reach into the United States and Asia.

In a characteristic bit of opportunism, he turned a chance encounter with the English actress Jane Birkin into one of Hermès’s biggest successes. Seated next to Ms. Birkin on a Paris-to-London flight in 1984, he began asking her about her tattered straw handbag and then invited her to work with Hermès to develop a new handbag design. The oversize Birkin bag, with its distinctive locking clasp, soon rivaled the Kelly bag as an object of desire for fashionable women worldwide, who were undeterred by prices that now start at $7,500 for the humblest version.

In 1993 he took the company public. Nearly three-quarters of its shares remain in family hands, making Hermès, along with Chanel, one of the few great luxury brands that are still family-controlled.

Here's to a life extraordinarily well lived; Jean-Louis Dumas understood and embodied the apotheosis of true luxury.

NY Times Obituary

EU Rules Luxury Brands Can Restrict Internet Sales

Many makers of high-end perfumes, clothing and handbags will be able to block retailers that sell only on the Internet from carrying their products, according to new rules issued by the European Commission on Tuesday.

Makers of goods that have less than a 30% share of the market would essentially have a free hand to decide how to distribute and sell their wares. This includes the ability to restrict online-only retailers like eBay or Amazon from offering their products for sale.

In a summary of the rules, which go into force in June and last for 12 years, the commission said “suppliers should normally be free to decide on the number and type of distributors they want to have in their distribution systems.”

It added: “More generally, suppliers may only want to sell to distributors that have one or more physical points of presence (“brick and mortar” presence) where the suppliers’ goods can be touched, smelled, tried, etc.”

Guy Salter, a spokesperson for European Alliance, a group representing luxury goods associations that include companies like LVMH, Gucci and Burberry, said the commission had “recognized the importance of the luxury goods industry to Europe. The quality, service and authenticity of luxury products will be maintained."

read the full article from the NY Times here

Chanel Temporary Tattoo Tutorial!

Chanel will be hosting a 'tattoo' artist at the Wynn Las Vegas, to provide his application expertise for the Les Trompe L'Oeil de Chanel:

Cartier's New E-Boutique: Spend 5 Figures From the Comfort of Home?

Cartier is launching e-commerce in the U.S. today, a key initiative in the fine jewelry and watch industry, which until recently has been wary of the virtual marketplace.

Emmanuel Perrin, Cartier North America president and chief executive officer, said the demand for online selling is too great to ignore.

“We truly believe in being in sync with our clients’ expectations and reactive to our client requests,” he said. “The Internet has been a medium taking an increasing part in our client’s lifestyle and means of interaction. The decision to create the Cartier e-boutique was made in direct response to what our clients were sharing with us.”

Branded fine jewelry and watches are fairly new to the buying on the Internet, partly because a lot of the merchandise sold online in the U.S. involves counterfeit, diverted or gray goods offered at lower prices. However, advanced technology — Tag Heuer, for example, has created a special hologram to denote an authorized e-tailer — has enabled more brands to get in on the act.

In recent years, De Beers, Bulgari, Harry Winston and Boucheron began selling jewelry and watches on their Web sites. Cartier launched e-commerce in Japan in 2008.

Last year, Cartier tested a “call-to-purchase” service on cartier.us, which was a step on the road to an e-commerce presence. Perrin predicted cartier.us will be one of the firm’s top five producing stores in the U.S. by 2012. The Web site offers styles from the firm’s multiple categories including jewelry and timepieces. High jewelry, corrective eyewear and engagement rings are not being sold online.

The Web site offers accessories and fragrances with retail prices starting at $80 for a business card holder and ranging to as much as $16,000 for a piece of jewelry or a watch. The broad assortment of Cartier’s iconic Love, Trinity, Santos and Tank collections also will be sold.

The design of the site is intended to evoke a Cartier boutique, with its signature red background, and offers multiple views and colors for styles, whether it’s the Marcello bag in tan, white or black or the Pasha watch in stainless steel with a gold bezel.

Sales help is available by phone Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It was very important for us to be able to translate aspects of our boutique experience into an online environment,” Perrin said. “We wanted a visit to cartier.us to emulate a visit to one of our boutiques and offer a fully integrated experience for our guests. Online visitors are invited to view our full collections, with both the online offerings and boutique exclusives presented together.”

Who Needs Spelling? Not Mrs. John L. Strong, Apparently

This has got to be someone's very early April Fool's Day joke, right? Good heavens . . . how incredibly mortifying (/(oo)\)


Open letter to the new owners: s-t-a-t-i-o-n-E-r-y. Unless you happen to think you purchased an established American "stationar" last September? I didn't think so.

how to wear a twilly scarf | twilly flower | couture helpdesk

Many of our current readers came to The Luxe Junkie through one of our original couture helpdesk posts: Twilly Wrap for Birkin, Kelly and other Hermès handles. In a variation on that theme, today's couture helpdesk will lead you step by step through the creation of your very own twilly flower!

The twilly used here is the "bolduc hidden" that comes with the clou de selle twilly ring set, but any one will do. The twilly flowers also work well to decorate chokers, as a brooch, and tied onto H bracelets - except the classic enamel bangle (which the flower insists on circumnavigating in a most undignified fashion).

ONE
Thread one end of the twilly through the circular end of the post, where the lock is supposed to go


TWO
Pull halfway through, to where the care tag is located, and loosely tie a single knot


THREE
Take one of the loose ends, give it a twist (like one turn of a corkscrew), bring it over the top of the knot before tucking it through the knot's center. pull until you have created a small, twisted loop


FOUR
Repeat on the other loose end. continue to repeat, alternating ends


FIVE
When you have only enough length left for one new loop on each end, new loops, tuck the "tails" underneath the knot in opposing directions through the circular end of the post to secure, then fluff / arrange your flower's petals and you're done! Fabulous! \(^(oo)^)/