I know that I am very passionate/borderline annoying about my love for Chanel— shoes, to be exact! Over the past three years, I have built a mini-collection and cannot imagine a better uplevel to my wardrobe, so I thought it would be helpful to share which styles have become my go-to’s and how I incorporate them into my daily style.

It is also very important to say that two of my five were purchased secondhand, so together don’t even equal the price of one pair retail. Additional Disclaimer: I know how expensive luxury goods are, so please trust that I have not completely lost the plot. I firmly believe in buying a few wonderful things rather than a whole heap of junk.

So let’s just get into it!

Chanel 1— My first purchase was in fall 2022 when we were at peak shipping disruptions/supply chain chaos and Chanel shoes were at an insane premium! Chanel had not been on my radar kind of at all until a girl strolled into my Manhattan nail shop in fuchsia tweed pumps, and weeks later one of my best dressed girlfriends showed up to my birthday in a similarly perfect UES pair. FF to me jetting from the 5th Ave. Chanel boutique to Bergdorf’s to Saks like an escaped mental patient (a theme on this blog!) I landed the last tan leather with black grosgrain toe in the city and launched my LuckyGirl Era™️. These are my favorite pair because they are abundantly classic and make any outfit look like $1M. I cannot wait to hand these down to my future daughter and tell her the mad Manhattan story behind it!

Chanel 2— Ok, so that scene of me bounding around town like a crazy person went overseas just six weeks later during my NYE 2023 trip to Edinburgh/London. That first pair triggered a need for tweed! I landed at the Bond Street location with the sweetest sales associate who did not blink an eye at my antics. My second pair were slingback flats in the most perfect snow-white tweed interspersed with swaths of pastel ribbons. Though the classics are my favorite, the tweed is my most versatile and I am constantly wearing these out at night. They are divine with miniskirts (seen for a SoHo House night!) but also work well with oversized pants. Also, the flat vs. heel makes them seem more cool-girl, so they fit into many different scenarios!

Chanel 3— Cut back to London a mere six months later and I was able to play it a bit more coy. I was playing with house money as they say in the poker world! I have two perfect pair so who gon’ check me?! My only goal was to uncover a pair of classic ballet flats in leather– and this time, I was only going to look at consignment. The key issue with online Chanel secondhand is the wild pricing, sometimes higher than retail because the inventory is so sporadic. Therefore, I knew I needed a good IRL vintage/consignment experience. Sign of the Times nailed it! I found my wardrobe-staple Chanels in the form of oxblood and black leather ballets for $500. RIP to the 2023 dollar on the pound These are my sneaker-Chanels, meaning they go places most luxury items have never ventured, such as Pilates class with grippy socks, the doctor’s office paired with overalls, under bikeshorts for a bar sit date, or running out to the car. The absurd list goes on and on! I love them because unlike my princess tweeds, they are not precious. They remind me of my favorite vintage pieces, like an old boss’ 90’s Gucci shopper, that are a bit battered, yet very wonderful.

Chanel 4— These are the girls that sent me back into my tweed tizzy! My BG Ladybugs! We’ve read the story (why is there always a tale!?), so I won’t go into that again but I am obsessed with my lucky #4 because they are the superstar pair of the collection. The most perfect Coca-Cola red with a look-at-me patent leather toe. I have maybe only worn them half a dozen times, but they represent for me wanting something and fucking going to get it. **NYC looking at me– Isn’t that always you, Mimi? They are killer for work looks because it’s giving Carly Simon’s “Let The River Run” in Working Girl.

Chanel 5— So quickly jumping back across the pond (the themes!), I was not only chill about a new pair of Chanels, I was the most chill about abstaining from yet another CC purchase within a six week period (the themes!). Well, sometimes fate has a different plan for you. I stumbled on my ultra-vintage blue denim and white pumps at Loops Generation in Chelsea London and couldn’t believe the < $500 price! They are in pristine condition and represent a bygone era when women bought well-made pieces at slightly reasonable prices to last a lifetime. I could imagine a British granny dropping off a stack of immaculate lux goods and getting a chuckle at the Chanel pumps she bought and wore once. I play into the blue and constantly pair these with denim, all-black and all-white. They are great for work meetings because they are fabulous, but not total show-stealers like Big Red up top.

My tips for investing in high-ticket items:

1. Only buy what you are stark-raving mad over. If you wouldn’t barrel into a designer boutique as if your life depended on it, then maybe you should save the money. Fashion = Passion!
2. Once you have the classic piece, go for something wildly different in color, shape, texture. The ultra-minimal look is not my aesthetic, but do I rely on a basic style formula (tiny top, good denim, fab shoe) so that requires a little pop of a moment, usually through a great accessory.
3. For Chanel specifically, don’t rely on universal sizing! These are handmade, Italian shoes so literally every single style is sized differently. The leather is looser and the tweed is tighter, so try them on whenever you can.
4. Always ask to look in the shoe closet if you are at a Chanel boutique– that’s where they keep that good, good shit! I’ve mentioned this before, but it is key to finding those 1OAK styles.
5. Don’t save your designer wear for special occasions. I love pairing my consigned lux pieces for really casual moments because it provides some friction to the look– oh, you thought we were just wearing leggings to Whole Foods? Enter vintage Gucci!
6. Make friends with your sales associate, especially at a great department store like Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s (59th Street) or Liberty London, and let them scout for you! They are the subject matter experts.
7. Consign like crazy! While I love TheRealReal and Vestiare, my favorite secondhand experience is always in-person. Visit your local vintage shop or antique warehouse and just make an afternoon out of the dig!
8. Also, mother-daughter GOALS!

Ok, that’s all for now! Thank you for always indulging my Chanel mania– as you can see, they are my beloved wardrobe staples and have elevated every look for the past three years! What’s yours? Xx