Tween Shoes for Success

Your shoes should never hold you back!

I've got some really sad news and I'm not sure how to break it. This might be one of the last few years of cute, sparkly, brightly colored, and bedazzled shoes being readily available in your size. I don't understand it either, it's like shoe manufacturers don't think teenagers or adults can have fun, which is especially heartbreaking if, like I was, you're a foot-size bigger than other tweens.

My advice: wear those shoes! Don't worry about whether they'll match everything in your closet. One of my biggest regrets is not wearing glittery, hot pink sneakers when I had the chance. That, and wearing shoes that were uncomfortable. That's why I think the concept of shoes for success is brilliantly awesome. We wear shoes almost everywhere, they should never hold us back, never stop us from our goals, and especially never keep us from having fun.

Here are some tricks for making sure you're wearing shoes for success:

• Shoe sizes vary from brand to brand, so don't hesitate to go up or down a few sizes until you find a comfortable fit.
  
  
• You'll notice that shoes (like feet!) come in a variety of shapes: narrow, wide, round toed, different round toe. Before shopping, trace an outline of your foot on paper. You want to find a shoe whose sole is as close to that shape as possible.
  
  
• Stand up. Your big toe or second toe (whichever is longest) shouldn't touch the end of the shoe. There should actually be enough room for you to squeeze a finger between that toe and the end of the shoe (since you can't actually put your finger there, you'll need to guess a little).
  
  
• If you look at the bottom of your foot, you'll notice the widest part of it looks like several circles mashed together. This area is the "ball of your foot;" it should fit comfortably in the shoe's widest part, bonus shoes for success points if the shoe has extra padding here!
  
  
• Fun fact, most people have one foot that is larger than the other! Make sure you try on both shoes. It's better for a shoe to be a little too big on one foot than too small on the other.
  
  
• Another fun fact: feet are bigger at the end of the day than in the mornings, mostly because gravity causes feet to swell throughout the day (they shrink again after a night of horizontal sleeping). Many celebrities attend red-carpet events in high heels that are too big, so after a night of standing and foot swelling, their shoes aren't uncomfortable. Celebrities are a little extreme, but if you're going shoes for success shopping, go after school or in the evenings.
  
  
• Don't buy tight shoes, hoping they'll stretch out. Don't buy shoes that are too big planning to "grow into them." It's bad for your foot and you'll feel clumsy wearing them. Buy shoes in your size, if you outgrow them, that's okay! Treat them well and someone else can have them when they stop fitting.
  
  
• Get active! You'll be living in these shoes: walk laps around the store, jump rope, bust a move, climb steps--if they're church shoes, take a knee! Make sure your heel isn't sliding around, sandal straps aren't rubbing uncomfortably, and the back of the shoe isn't biting into your achilles. Don't be shy about it! You are young and vibrant, if anyone's bothered by dancing in the shoe aisle, shame on them, they don't know skill when they see it. Keep dancing!
  
  
• Lastly, don't ever sacrifice comfort for fashion. You don't just need shoes for success, you need shoes that make you feel unstoppable.

If you're looking for fun ways to show off or highlight your shoes, try wearing them with a similarly colored belt or purse! I once found sunglasses with the same glittery zebra print as my tennis shoes...though I don't think anyone else noticed. *SMH*

And in case you are also one of those awesome people who enjoy browsing photos of shoes, here's a quick sampling of fabulous, tween-approved shoes for success.

Happy Sunday!

Spring Shell Wardrobe

A shell wardrobe--a.k.a. “capsule wardrobe”--consists of clothing that is considered essential, and for a spring shell wardrobe, clothing that is seasonally essential! You can think of it like a cake batter: basic sugar, eggs, butter, and flour, later layered with chocolate, topped with frosting, or sprinkled with pink sugar--but you need to have the basic cake batter first.

What makes the spring shell wardrobe different from a winter or summer shell wardrobe? Often by spring you no longer need snow boots, but it may also not be sandal-only season yet! Keep in mind that the spring shell wardrobe is a transitional wardrobe: a mixture of winter and summer pieces, but few items that are unique to spring.

Spring Shell Wardrobe List:

Fancy dress
A fancy dress is perfect for weddings or other religious ceremonies, and with a denim jacket, you can wear it almost anywhere! A sweater jacket is also a good item to have on hand in case it's windy out.

Sleeveless tops or tank tops
Good for layering under button-ups and zip-ups on a chilly morning, then dressing down for an after-school track meet. Sport tank tops are often the most comfortable and colorful. Aim for a total of two to three.

Button up shirts
Perfect for layering over t-shirts and wearing over accidental sunburns (don't underestimate a sunny spring afternoon)!

Zip-ups
--Or hoodies or mini jackets, the goal is that it keeps you warm on frosty mornings but can be removed easily. You might only need one, but, depending on your style, you might want three!

Raincoat
Unless it's a very cold spring, this raincoat doesn't need to be heavy. If it can be rolled up and stuffed into a backpack it's perfect--wear it over a zip-up for warmth. Also, a mini umbrella, small enough to tuck into a purse on an overcast day, is a great idea!

Winter coat
Spring is known for unpredictable weather, so don't put your winter coat into storage quite yet!

Shoes
Here your style will really be a deciding factor! Some girls live in running shoes, wearing them everywhere; others have slip-ons they couldn't live without! If you're really into shoes though, spring's a great time for some comfy sandals and waterproof boots!


Socks
Everyone who has ever been caught wearing tennis shoes in the rain knows how awesome a new pair of dry socks feel! You can put most of your wool socks into storage, but don't forget to refill your sock drawer--one pair for every day of the week and an extra for your backpack!

Leggings
Perfect for wearing under a casual dress at 7:00 a.m. then stuffing into your backpack shortly after the noon sun hits! Leggings to me are a spring shell wardrobe classic--and they come in so many colors!

Jeans/pants
Try at least one colorful pair of pants and one classic color that goes with everything. Two to four pairs total is usually an ideal number, but if you prefer skirts, you can skip these!

Casual skirts
Worn over leggings, skirts have an amazing spring vibe! Try adding two or three to your wardrobe this season.

Legwarmers
Leftover from your winter wardrobe, legwarmers are great for layering over jeans, pants, or even tights. One pair should be perfect!

Depending on where you live, that's a spring shell wardrobe! (Copying down this list, be sure to check off items you already have, and cross off items you don't need.)

As a final reminder, this is only a shell wardrobe. Like the cake frosting, you make it your own! That means adding scarves, vests, jumpers, fun hair pieces--anything else you already have in your closet! Spring is also a great opportunity to try new styles, so get together with your fashion sister and start experimenting!

Happy spring!

The Fashion Sister

         

          
 

Having a fashion sister is amazing! It's like being a celebrity with a professional stylist, while at the same time getting to be a stylist for a famous celebrity (her) every time the two of you go shopping together! A fashion sister is basically that one person in your life who always just knows what dress or color of fuzzy sweater will look amazing on you. She's also been friends with you long enough to recognize your style right when she sees it--even if it's still on the rack! Awesome galaxy leggings?  She's going to make sure she shows them to you! Sassy t-shirt in her size? No way are you not going to have her try it on!

A fashion sister can be anyone, an older friend, a younger friend, a really cool cousin, even an actual sister! What makes her special is that she's always there for those moments when you try on a pair of jeans or earrings and just aren't sure if they look good on you. She's someone who can be really honest if those jeans look too tight or too baggy on you, or if maybe another pair of earrings might look better with your face shape.

The Tween Style Hotspot is a blog where you can find all kinds of fun facts about fashion, DIY style hacks, clothing fit guides, tricks to shopping for particularly tough to find items, and even how to manage your wardrobe budget; but having a fashion sister is something much more special! It's sometimes difficult to read about a new trend and know how to experiment with it yourself, but chances are you can read about a fun trend and then style an outfit for your friend based off of it! That's because when we help others pick out an outfit we often feel more creative than with our own wardrobe, so reading this blog with a friend and then trying out the techniques together is going to be absolutely awesome for both of you!

But what if I don't have a fashion sister?? Well, finding one is actually a lot easier than you might imagine! Just think through all of your friends: which friend has an amazing sense of style and has maybe helped you make a fashion-related decision before? --"definitely wear that skirt with those leggings, it will make the colors stand out!"-- Who's a friend that really admires your personal sense of style? --"I like your backpack! I think it's neat that you like flowery patterns!"-- All you need to do is start small. Ask that friend to help you pick out an outfit for school or a party the next day. Ask them to tag along the next time you and your mom go clothing shopping because you can always use a second opinion when picking out dresses! Or even just ask her if she wants to be your fashion sister and then show her this post!

P.S. Thank you so much to our two, very talented and beautiful models who picked out their own outfits (aren't their outfits so chic and snazzy?!) and took their time to draw the colorful butterflies in the background of the first photo. We went through a lot of chalk (and everyone had it all over their hands and sleeves!) but the butterflies turned out gorgeously, and no one would be on this blog, reading this post, if it weren’t for them! So, a huge thank you to both of you! Working with you was truly an honor and I am so appreciative of all your help!