Manolo for the Big Girl Fashion, Lifestyle, and Humor for the Plus Sized Woman.

June 10, 2008

Givin’ It Up for Your Love, Baby

Filed under: Flats,Sales,Shoes — Miss Plumcake @ 1:42 pm

Why don’t you ever do flats? Why don’t you ever recommend shoes Real People can afford? Why did you stab my grandmother in the neck when she said your silver Marc Jacobs sandals with the faceted perspex heels made you look like some sort of intergalactic crime-fighting space tranny?” Whine whine whine.

Pedro Garcia flatsHere! Here are your frickenfracken flats! They’re a great color, I love the designer, the frayed edges (don’t worry, they’re finished) and slightly Moroccan cut to the throat do a great job of keeping a potentially overly precious satin slipper from being too cutesy AND it’s on a great big honkin’ sale. What more do you want from me?

PLUS there are oodles and oodles of other cute flats from Delman a gorgeous formal skimmer from Valentino and lots of other flat-footed finds. HAPPY NOW??? I CAN ONLY GIVE SO MUCH. **dramatic faint**

Now someone needs to fetch me a cool compress for my forehead. Mama needs a nip and a lie-down.

Edit: And anyone wants to gnash their teeth about $136 still being OMG SO EXPENSUV !!11!! should feel free to visit any of the 1,04,000 sites that google says specialize in “cheap footwear” or perhaps any of the 2,230,000 under “child labor shoes.” It’s about investment.

42 Comments

  1. Thanks for finally posting some flats, but you still missed the boat – they’re $136. Just because I’m a big girl doesn’t mean I have a big wallet.

    Comment by Jen — June 10, 2008 @ 2:07 pm

  2. Amen Sister Jen

    Comment by Kimiks — June 10, 2008 @ 2:23 pm

  3. Then perhaps <i>a href=”http://www.haband.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/category.content/categoryID/6b347083-e71e-43be-9354-ca1b37551ce7/”>this site might be more to your liking. There is cheap and there is superfantastic. Never the twain shall meet.

    Comment by Plumcake — June 10, 2008 @ 2:25 pm

  4. I agree. Never the twain shall meet. You’re haute couture while it seems we, your lowly readers, are merely your average bargain basement shopper. But thanks for the link to the cheap shoes.

    Comment by Shay — June 10, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

  5. And just because I’m a woman of size doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to spend money on my shoes. Some folks find $136 not unreasonable, and some of us just like looking at a pretty shoe, period. There’s room for everyone.

    Comment by anon — June 10, 2008 @ 3:11 pm

  6. Plumcake, I’m with you!

    Also, a word about flats: on many feet they just look God-Awful. If one supinates or pronates, it is HIGHLY apparent in a pair of flats. Also, on ladies of the more ample variety (of which I am one, but I have NEVER owned a pair of flats for the reasons stated and also because I have never found a pair that doesn’t cut me painfully across the top of the foot), one gets what I refer to as “muffin-topped” feet syndrome. The flats will squeeze all the lumpy-squishies out over the top of the shoe. The ladies don’t look particularly comfortable, either. They just don’t offer the support of a more substantial shoe (the exception being the ‘hidden wedge’ varieties, but again these often cut painfully across the tops of one’s feet).

    Comment by teteatete — June 10, 2008 @ 3:19 pm

  7. I’m with Plumcake on this one. As somebody who has a little fashion blog for my notoriously poorly paid friends in the academy, I wound up turning off the comments because of all the whining about how I wasn’t putting up shoes that somebody with corns/a bad knee/bad childhood memories of the color lilac/could only spend $50 could buy. A fashion blogger is NOT a personal shopper for your needs. They aren’t miracle workers. If what is posted is outside your price range, that sounds like your problem to me–a problem that requires you, not everybody else, to get creative about where you look to buy. I personally don’t want to come to a website that equates “big girl” and “cheap.”

    There are nice fashion blogs out there for people who want cheap. The Frugal Fashionista is a very good one. She doesn’t have a lot for big girls, but she regularly posts inexpensive shoes, and flat shoes. The Fashionable Housewife often posts shoe sales and highlights Naturalizers and Aerosoles which are not superexpensive. Heel Candy often has cheaper shoes.

    For my blog, I get a lot of flack for posting Ebay finds. People think it’s gross to buy secondhand clothing or shoes. Virtually all of my designer shoes are used or they are window/demonstration pairs that I acquire on Ebay with steep discounts. I grew up on secondhand clothes and have yet to catch the plague or die….or exceed my personal budget.

    Comment by Chaser — June 10, 2008 @ 3:19 pm

  8. “A fashion blogger is NOT a personal shopper for your needs. They aren’t miracle workers. If what is posted is outside your price range, that sounds like your problem to me–a problem that requires you, not everybody else, to get creative about where you look to buy.”

    Well-said, Chaser! There is no need to berate a fashion blogger for posting something you don’t like or can’t afford. Manolo’s blogs do not purport to be about the cheap merchandise, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s a big internet — you can always look for a different blog that more adequately meets your personal needs.

    Comment by Cat — June 10, 2008 @ 3:59 pm

  9. i agree that a fashion blogger should be able to post what they like, but being flat out rude to your readers isn’t the best way to go, IMO.

    another thing to keep in mind is that yes, this may be a fashion blog for rich fat people, but there aren’t many fat girl fashion blogs out there, so throwing a bone every so often to those of us who aren’t as monetarily fortunate might be in your best interests. if you want more readers, i mean.

    Comment by sonia — June 10, 2008 @ 4:07 pm

  10. Oh please. To anyone who thinks Plumcake is rude, you need to get over yourself and learn a bit of sarcasm/facetiousness/sassy superfantasticness.

    As Cat says, “it’s a big internet.”

    To me, this blog is about showing people what’s out there. If you can’t afford it, admire it as a piece of art and then go to a different blog (perhaps one who like Steve Madden?) to find a more inexpensive knock-off. Don’t throw a hissy-fit.

    Also, just because one buys more expensive items does not automatically make people rich. Many people like quality over quantity and will wait and scrimp and save until they have enough for ONE superfantastic pair of shoes/bag/coat, etc.

    Now put on your big-girl (ha! a funny..) panties and deal with it, and leave the wonderful Plumcake alone!

    Comment by teteatete — June 10, 2008 @ 4:11 pm

  11. http://community.livejournal.com/fatshionista

    I suggest them for those needing fashion on the cheaper side, though the snark can come close to unbearable, I’m unfortunately addicted.

    Comment by missy — June 10, 2008 @ 4:13 pm

  12. i frickenfracken LOVE it when plumcake gets into a lather and breaks out the ALL CAPS. there’s a big fat muffin-topped divide between RUDE and AMUSINGLY PARODIC, my plump peeps.

    plummy, baby, DON’T EVER STOP.

    Comment by marjorie — June 10, 2008 @ 4:23 pm

  13. No, it’s probably not good to be rude to your readers, but…come on, folks. There is a lot of STFU on the internet, and, well, I like my divas with spice. Fat women get a lot of pressure to be “nice” and “giving” and “polite” and as somebody who is often none of the above, I find Plumcake’s willingness to let her edges show refreshing.

    Look, you can define the problem here in multiple ways (as with most problems). Is the problem that a blog isn’t posting items you can click and buy on whatever budget you have? Or is the problem that you are not using the fashion blog to say “Oh, I lurrrrrve that look….what can I do to find it cheaper?” That’s why I think the Frugal fashionista is so fab; she’s creative but shows how time after time, you can get close to a celeb’s look for much, much less. (She does use knockoffs and whatnot to get there.) One bottom line difference between having resources and not having resources is that you have to connect the dots for yourself a lot more when you don’t have resources.

    If you want specific help on a specific item, then you should also be specific about your price range. If you notice Manolo’s Friday column, he often has readers that say “I need something for under $80 or under $100.” As another (lesser) fashion blogger, I am not spending my time thinking about “gee, what can anon afford”…I’m thinking about what I like, what’s interesting, what’s new, what’s useful, etc, in addition to price, because I have enough of my own budget problems to worry about–I can’t go divining what others can or *are willing to* spend.

    Comment by Chaser — June 10, 2008 @ 4:35 pm

  14. Plumcake, Mrs. Hendricks has been reading you for awhile now and thinks you’re just the cat’s pajamas! And she abhors high heels! She guesses she’s just too much woman to carry around on them. But she gets a kick out of the photos, and the clever storytelling and writing.

    Flats are ugly on her feet, so she completely agrees with teteatete on this. How does Mrs. Hendricks get around then? With a very moderate heel, on a cute shoe (i.e. some style in detailing or in color) with built in support, most often Clarks or Munro. They are not sexy like Plumcake’s shoes, but Mrs. Hendricks gets her fair share of “Cute shoes!” Go figure!

    Comment by Mrs. Hendricks — June 10, 2008 @ 5:06 pm

  15. OK- While I can and do admire beautiful, well made shoes and clothing, I do find it interesting that $136.00 satin slippers are offered up as affordable. The average American Woman would find these shoes completely out of her price range. To pass along the snark because it is pointed out that $136.00 is a bit out of reach for a pair of shoes for a lot of people just strikes me as odd.

    I will agree that it is necessary to pay for quality and to not support the abuse of small children for our own fashion loving egos; I do think that there are a lot more women in the world who cannot readily afford $136.00 for a pair of satin slippers than there are women who can. I think the bigger issue here is that there is a serious deficit of well made, fairly made, fashionable clothing. This deficit often forces people to compromise either their principles or their fashion sense. Unfortunately, way too often, people choose or are forced to compromise their sense of style.

    It would be grand if we could all afford to pay the big bucks for well made, fairly made garments. I would love to see the major houses come out with well made, fairly made, fashionable garments that the majority of women could afford. At the end of the day, part of what makes us drool over really expensive and or fashionable clothes is the twinge of envy we feel knowing that we will most likely never be able to afford them. I would love to see a revolution in the fashion industry that takes the average professional working woman who is trying to make all ends meet and still look good without harming small children seriously. I would love to be able to get a well made, fairly made skirt and blouse to go with those very well made shoes all for $136.00. That would be refreshing.

    It is a challenge to purchase fair trade, fair made, fashionable clothing, but at the end of the day, most woman- thick or thin- simply cannot afford all of the designer looks we see on this blog. We come here to be inspired; we come here to laugh, to know that there is hope for the big girl with a sense of style. We come here to look because it is safe for all women, rich, poor, size 2 or size 42 to come and enjoy good gossip, good style and good fun.

    I find that the snarkiness surrounding the request for flats that are affordable to be a little out of line with the welcoming nature of this site.

    Getting off of the soap box.

    Comment by Kimiks — June 10, 2008 @ 6:17 pm

  16. Never met a pair of purple shoes I didn’t like. I have absolutely nothing to wear them with, but I buy them every time I see them. Do they have meds for that? Also, that’s my favorite Delbert McClinton song in your title, so I’m happy. I give this post a 10 and say chill out and ignore the Romanian judge.

    Comment by gemdiva — June 10, 2008 @ 6:27 pm

  17. This post is not so much amusing as it is condescending. I can afford the shoes, but I don’t like them. I often dislike the fashion choices made on this site. They’re usually something my grandmother would wear. I have to disagree with Shay, this site is not haute couture.

    I would also like to point out that just because a shoe is on the expensive side doesn’t mean that their workers were paid fairly and allowed to work reasonable hours(even if they say it’s so). When a factory is outside of the U.S., labor laws don’t always apply. Perhaps, with a brand like Prada you are assured of that, but other, lesser designers? Who knows.

    Comment by Angel — June 10, 2008 @ 9:06 pm

  18. “It is a challenge to purchase fair trade, fair made, fashionable clothing, but at the end of the day, most woman- thick or thin- simply cannot afford all of the designer looks we see on this blog…I find that the snarkiness surrounding the request for flats that are affordable to be a little out of line with the welcoming nature of this site.” – well said, Kimiks.

    Plumcake, your edit was rude, condescending, and totally out of line with this site’s vibe. Now that it’s almost summer, I’ve been looking to get outside more and cut down on my time spent online; thanks for giving me one less site to visit. I surely won’t miss it.

    Comment by Jen — June 10, 2008 @ 9:34 pm

  19. Plumcake, you are awesome: hilarious and insightful.
    Is this blog ‘geared towards’ me? No. I’m a size two, and you and I have different tastes in shoes.
    BUT, this blog is on my ‘everyday list’ for a reason.
    You are ENDLESSLY stylish (whether it’s also my style or not), literate, fascinating, and delightfully witty.
    And the prices of the fashion you post are VERY middle of the road.
    Don’t change a thing; you aren’t for everyone, but when Will Rogers said “I never met a man I didn’t like” all I could think was that he sounded stupid and not terribly discerning.
    Every town has a Walmart, so I’m pretty sure ‘cheap’ is fully represented in everyone’s life.

    Comment by holls — June 10, 2008 @ 9:53 pm

  20. Really folks..Plum is pretty fair, y’all just like to whine, I love some stuff here and hate others but I know *one size does not fit all..ever*
    She blogs, suggests, points out, she does not magically force you to break your personal budget which is not known to her or anyone here, to purchase shoes she likes…come on now, really?
    Plumcake…thanks for pointing out the SAK’s sale..I got the wedges by castaner, a peeptoe red and the cool blue round toes…love them!!
    80 bucks a pair…

    Comment by pammy — June 11, 2008 @ 12:28 am

  21. “bad childhood memories of the color lilac”

    Heh.

    I think all the shoes are sexy, Plumcake, even if I’ve already exhausted my shoe budget for the month on wedding shoes. Thank you for taking the time to find and post them.

    When I get back from the latest trip, I may well waltz into Saks and try them on, acting like I’m going to buy them.

    Comment by littlem — June 11, 2008 @ 12:39 am

  22. A couple thoughts… while I’m with Plumcake on the general idea, I’d note that just because shoes are expensive, doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t any child labor involved. Country of origin probably matters more than anything else… and if you can find a union label, you can be certain that someone is actually able to afford to earn a living.

    I like to see the fancy schmancy shoes that I can’t really afford, and when I can I pick up something on sale or something with some of the same characteristics of a more expensive shoe that I’d love to buy… if I want to see only things in my price range, I can just go shopping wherever I’d normally go.

    I don’t know if it is my fashion sense or my desire to have a feeling of power that I can only seem to achieve by increasing my height… but I don’t much want to see flats very often either… but for flats, these are cute.

    Comment by Catherine — June 11, 2008 @ 4:03 am

  23. I’m sure there are at least a gazillion “Save the little Guatemalan orphans forced to make shoes for the nasty old Americans” blogs on the Internet. And occasionally I choose to visit one or two. HOWEVER, this is a site about fun and fashion for women of luxurious size, so can everyone please take their PC attitudes to the nearest “We Are the World” site and leave the rest of us in peace. Or better yet, start your own blog and we can all choose not to read it. Love Ya Plumcake!

    Comment by gemdiva — June 11, 2008 @ 6:16 am

  24. Ladies, this is not a shopping site. This is a fabulous blog, full of humour, fashion written by three smart, witty, gorgeous divas. I’ve never felt so good then I do after reading this blog. After decades of living with a chronic illness, but thinking that my weight was what was holding me down, I’ve realized that despite both these issues, the biggest problem is in my head. Superfabulousness can be achieved no matter what your weight, your health or your budget.

    Comment by Christine — June 11, 2008 @ 8:44 am

  25. Working in theatre, non-profit, and the public school system, I rarely have money for the items shown on this and other Manolosphere blogs (Basement of the Bargains rarely has anything for less than $150 – which is about 1/5 of my bi-weekly paycheck). However, I find the ideas inspirational. I LOVE the color of these flats, and the clean shape, but most of all the line at the vamp. I will be keeping my eye out at Payless, Target, Old Navy, DSW, Off Broadway, Ebay, and Good Will for shoes that have those qualities that I adore.

    Comment by Leah — June 11, 2008 @ 10:41 am

  26. I’m fine with most of what’s featured on the site being far, far out of my price range; after all, as noted above, this isn’t a personal shopping or bargain basement site. I do find the edit troublesome, though–many of us simply don’t have a hundred dollars to spare for things like, well, car repairs or dental care. I agree that $136 isn’t particularly expensive for nice shoes but . . . it’s $136 that I don’t have. I find the implication that not having money means I’m happy exploiting child labor insulting.

    Comment by Fellmama — June 11, 2008 @ 11:13 am

  27. I’m completely with those who say that it isn’t Plumcake’s job to find a pair of shoes that’s affordable for every single person on the planet. Pretty much everything is too expensive for somebody, and it’d be nice if the early responses to these things weren’t so often along the lines of “But what about MY needs?!” But I still would’ve liked this post a lot better without the irritated edit. But it isn’t Plumcake’s job to please ME every time out, either.

    And they’re very cool purple shoes.

    Comment by Bridey — June 11, 2008 @ 11:40 am

  28. Love these flats! Will purchase and wear to my next peace rally. They will be adorable with jeans. More flats please!!!!

    Comment by Peaches — June 11, 2008 @ 11:46 am

  29. The name of this site is “M*A*N*O*L*O for the Big Girl” not “Payless for the Portly”…If I want to look at ultra cheap shoes, I’ll go to Goodwill. And gemdiva-I can’t pass up red shoes…

    Comment by Jennie — June 11, 2008 @ 11:58 am

  30. Those are beautiful shoes. I personally wouldn’t pay $136 for purple flats (for the perfect pair of versatile black pumps or leather boots, sure, but purple flats just aren’t practical enough for me to justify spending a lot on) but that’s okay, because I don’t consider this site a place to get practical recommendations for clothes. I consider it a place to discuss fashion. For people looking for practical recommendations, I second the suggestion of the Fatshionita LJ community.

    I feel the update was insensitive and unecessary though. I understand being irritated with people asking you to write about what they want you to write about instead of what you want to write about. And I understand the defence of investing in well made, good quality items against those who like to self-righeously sniff about how spending $100+ on shoes is oh so wasteful. But the fact is, $136 for shoes is just plain out of reach for a lot of women. $136 is a week’s worth of groceries. If a woman has to choose between feeding her family for a week or a pair of superfantastic shoes… do you really think she should choose the shoes? If she chooses the groceries and a pair of shoes from Payless instead, does she really deserve to be shamed for using child labour and not being super fantastic?

    Comment by Becky — June 11, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

  31. Ah, the joys of being a blogger — you can’t be all things to all people, and no matter what you do, some people will complain. So Plumcake my darling, follow your heart and blog about the shoes, fashion and ideas that make you happy, or else your heart won’t be in this, and it will show.

    Now, go make yourself some tea and smell the spring flowers. You’ll feel better.

    Comment by La Petite Acadienne — June 11, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

  32. While I’m neither a fan of purple, satin, or flaty-flat-flats, I concur that $136 for shoes that you will wear many, many times and that will make you smile even when you just pass by the closet is a better investment than the knockoff, ill fitting pair you bought for $19.99 at Payless, which you only wore once before they gave you blisters or fell apart and now sit in the landfill, destined to decompose after a millennium or three. Though our styles and waistlines differ, I am a big fan of Plumcake’s wit and sass. For those looking for a politically correct, say-something-nice-about-everything-and-please-everyone “fashion” website please go elsewhere and take your whining with you.

    Comment by SusanC — June 11, 2008 @ 4:30 pm

  33. Flats and heels aside, it’s really the fact that shoes are discussed on here so much at all. Yes, I know it’s a Manolo blog, but shoes don’t overwhelm Manolo for the Brides, for example.

    Title of this blog is Manolo for the Big Girl: Fashion, Lifestyle, and Humor for the Plus-Sized Woman. I love you guys – you’re very funny, but I would love some more non-shoe talk. If I want shoes (and I do!), I read Manolo. I want my plus-size love and fashion here.

    Comment by sara — June 11, 2008 @ 4:53 pm

  34. Sigh!!! No matter what the short sighted, nay sayers do or comment, I LURVE you and this blog and all of the fine, refined, and brainy comments, snarkiness, and elevation of taste that all of the Manolo family bring. Merci beaucoup mon amies! Muah! Muah! and Muah!

    Comment by Jennie — June 11, 2008 @ 7:46 pm

  35. Wow, I usually love this site and it is usually very calming after a long day, but all of this back and forth is making my head hurt. Sadness.

    Comment by Nanabanan — June 11, 2008 @ 8:55 pm

  36. “Payless for the Portly” That’s freaking HY-larious. :-)

    If I could afford those shoes right now, they’d be in my closet. Luckily for me I’ve got a birthday next week, and now have something to hint at!

    Comment by AmazonPrincess — June 11, 2008 @ 10:06 pm

  37. I am not feeling it. The snark about flats as bad style is one thing but the snark about price is more than I can take. Yes $136 flats are probably more fantastic than cheaper ones but not enough to make the difference for me. If “superfantastic” can only be achieved through that level of spending I am not interested. Truly not interested. For me fashion is more about creativity and style than mere purchasing power. Most of the well dressed people I know combine bargain hunting and some splurges. None would claim that you absolutely can’t have style without paying a lot. My 401k is an investment. Not shoes. Off to find a new fat fashion blog.

    Comment by m — June 12, 2008 @ 1:00 am

  38. Just want to clarify- I really enjoy this blog, the Plumcake, Twistie and Francesca are all witty, intelligent and overall Super fantastic.

    The snark here is what surprises me. Last time I checked this is not a partisan blog. We are all able to express our opinions on life and fashion. We should be allowed to oppose an idea as long as we do it in a respectful manner. I seriously did not expect all of the snark.

    You all surprised me

    Comment by Kimiks — June 12, 2008 @ 6:52 am

  39. Have all you divas had your nip and a lie-down? Snarkadelic!

    Comment by dcsurfergirl — June 12, 2008 @ 8:05 am

  40. Paying $136 dollars (and that’s on sale) for a pair of ugly flats that probably won’t last (fashion or quality wise) is not investment – it’s stupidity.

    Say what you want about child labor – my Payless shoes have lasted over six years. My “designer” items have shredded within six months.

    Comment by Sarah — June 14, 2008 @ 6:10 am

  41. Um, this is a rather interesting string of comments.

    For all of you who are bothered by the price of the shoes, guess what? No one is making you buy them. I don’t wear flats (they make my feet look like wide, ungainly boats), but I do buy nice shoes. I accept that the shoes I want are expensive. Bitching that the shoes on the blog don’t fit your personal requirements, be it money, style or source of labor doesn’t add much to the discussion.

    I really don’t understand the hostility that broke out here, and I hope that the snotty commenters who pouted that they were off to a new fat fashion blog have moved on – the rest of us would like to return to enjoying the show.

    Keep fighting the good fight Plumcake!

    Comment by Grace — June 17, 2008 @ 2:07 am

  42. The rest of your post, the rest of your blog, was great until I read the really stupid jibe about child labour. If you think the cost of your fancy designer shoes is in any way protection money that guarantees they’re being made in different factories from the cheapo knockoffs, you need to do more homework. Too bad, you had seemed like a smart woman up til then.

    Comment by cait_sidhe — June 27, 2008 @ 4:14 am

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