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subscribe to style file blog via RSSWe Suggest Diving Headfirst Into Sea of Shoes
February 6, 2009 11:55 am
It’s easy for us to forget there are thriving fashion communities outside the major cities, but then there’s the Internet reminding us of a world beyond. Witness our current obsession: 16-year-old Jane Aldridge’s blog, Sea of Shoes. The young Dallas suburbanite harbors a devotion to avant-garde footwear and designer vintage that rivals many a front-row veteran. Along with her mom—a former model—Aldridge chronicles her daily inspirations, eyebrow-raising outfits (having grown up in the cookie-cutter Dallas suburbs, we know well what she’s up against), and informed opinions on designer collections. But even though she’s dressing herself in The Row, Balenciaga and Givenchy, don’t think she’s a prematurely grown-up sartorial snob. The refreshingly laid-back high school student will occasionally illustrate posts with her extensive array of plastic dinosaurs.
tags: Dallas, Jane Aldridge, Sea of Shoes, Teen Bloggers
I have that skirt, I wear it in a very similar way too!
By yvette281 on 02/6/09 at 2:19 pmagree: jane has great style, but i’d like to see more that doesn’t involve a thousand-dollar budget for a teenager
By krypled on 02/6/09 at 5:06 pmI read her blog regularly. She writes well and has designed a pleasant to look at web site. But as someone who also wears many of the same designer creations that she wears, I cannot understand how she can afford to buy all these things. It seems like she shops daily, and her mom, who makes regular appearances on her blog, as well as having started her own blog, is her enabler. They are literally all dressed up with nowhere to go. Her mom posted a photo of herself wearing the YSL tribute boots taking her dog out “to potty” (her words, not mine). Kind of sad.
By ully on 02/6/09 at 9:37 pmThis is a college girl who knows what she want, I don’t think, just as you said Romney, she is a snob. She has the advantage that her parents have some money, and that her mother was a former model. Why should all the high school girls walk around in skinnys and Uggs and T-shirts of The Gap or worser. Her taste of shoes and clothes are extraordinary and I love that girl for that. If I see such a young woman dressed up very well there is again hope for the industry. Arriverderci
By Valerio on 02/7/09 at 1:34 pmHere’s a comment from her blog in reference to purchasing a pair of Margiela boots from SS09:
are you for real? Who pays for your $1100 boots? you couldn’t be a day older than 17. do you realize that 99.99% of all other 17 year olds are working at minimum wage jobs to barely afford a pair of shoes from payless? It makes me sick, especially when so many people can’t even afford to pay their bills, and you would toss so much money away like its air.
Posted by: emily | February 08, 2009 at 09:16 AM
I agree with Valerio @ 1:34 PM that if her parents have money, who are we to tell her/them how to spend it?
By ully on 02/8/09 at 12:41 pmBut, her exorbitant spending and the values (or lack of values) that it points to makes me a little uncomfortable. I love all the avant garde designers and I do buy several pairs of shoes a season, as well as clothing, but I am a woman in my 50s and I had to work up to this level of spending. I didn’t dare go into Barneys 4th floor shoe dept until I was in my 40s. So, I feel conflicted about criticizing her. I also have a 20 year old daughter and I am glad that she does not have Jane’s values. She can appreciates the beauty and creativity of designer stuff, but feels uncomfortable flaunting it to the world. She goes to a seven sisters college, and goes out of her way to play down the fact that she has some very nice things and that her father is very successful in his field. She told me that there are students there who are on financial aid and she does not want them to know how much she has. Especially in these uncertain financial times, it is just not nice to flaunt these excesses. This dilemma would make good fodder for another discussion in probably another place.
I was interested, so I read her entire blog back to front. I think Vogue was right to feature her because she’s a “Vogue” sort of girl; she has lots of money and knows exactly what she wants to spend it on. However, some of the commenters here have a point as well in saying that she is privileged to the point of making some people uncomfortable with her blase spending of money that isn’t hers. Perhaps this feature could be balanced out by presenting another blog with more accessible taste?
By countthezeros on 02/9/09 at 12:01 ami think jane is amazing, i for one am extremely jealous of her ability to throw together those sorts of outfits, who cares if she has no where to wear them.
By tessk on 02/9/09 at 3:39 amI love how vibrant this young lady is! I can only hope to see great things from her in the conquering of Dallas fashion!
By MNMDesigns on 02/9/09 at 11:49 amOKAY TO THOSE WHO STATE “SHE IS A SNOB”. No she isn’t. I know her personally (maybe not well but better than you probably do) and just because her family has money and means to pay for this doesn’t make her a snob. She has an amazing fashion sense and enjoys looking good. She dresses up,and maybe a little excessively so, but how is it any of your business? If you have something to say about her character (which you know nothing about i might add) keep it too yourself! This article is on her FASHION SENSE not her character.
OH! and on the whole “can’t she wear something cheaper”. Why does she need to? The whole part of fashion is to make it your own not be barbie dolls like everyone else. So find things cheaper at Ross or JcPenny, yeah they wont be designer, but they don’t need to be. Make it your own, cut things apart and put them back together. DON’T JUST FOLLOW THE TRENDS! You can combine them, mold them. MAKE IT YOUR OWN.Thats what she’s done! She found vintage clothing in her ATTIC and pieced it together.
By xxsenshijelloxx on 04/6/09 at 3:10 pmIn response to previous comments: Jane’s blog is not there to make people feel “comfortable” or show show how to live on a budget, it is a document of fashion and style. her outfits are creative and insp;ring. It is not her job to make everyone who reads it feel good about themselves, if you don’t like it, don’t read it. And for the matter of her being so young, why does it matter? Do we all have to wait until we are 40 to dress the way we want to, just because a couple people don’t approve? Frankly, to me, that is not at all what fashion is about. She has the right to dress however she wants to, and if her parents want to give her money, they have that right as well.
By ShelbyLS on 02/13/11 at 12:10 amI grew up in Dallas and I know first hand it can be very “snobby” and it’s also very cookie cutter. To Jane’s credit it’s unusual for someone from Dallas to dress with such fashion forward style. A lot of the Dallasite women spend beaucoup de dough at Barney’s and Neiman’s but you wouldn’t know it because they don’t have any idea to be assertive in their looks. It’s unfortunate that 99% of the population can’t afford these things, but you have to admit that Jane and her mom have great style and artistry. From time to time Judy does post designer shoes that they’ve found in the sale racks for around $200 i.e. the recent find gold booties with cut-out stars. It’s important to not dwell on the label but rather the creativity. We can all look like a million bucks without having to spend it. Stores like Forever 21 get their inspiration from the major fashion labels, you just have to know how to put together a bold outfit and take risks. Just because you can’t afford YSL doesn’t mean you have to go around town in Uggs and a t-shirt.
By srosemu on 02/3/12 at 8:55 am