No pedi? No problem!
Ever since our tragic middle-school science teacher wore Birkenstocks with sport socks, we’ve considered the sandals-and-socks combination to be one of fashion’s biggest sins. But after watching Anna Sui, John Galliano and Rei Kawakubo send models down their spring catwalks wearing anklets with open heels, our position began to wobble. Then Hermes and Givenchy picked up on Balenciaga’s fall tights-and-sandals concept. And a bevy of stylish celebrities -- including Julianne Moore and Jessica Alba -- started turning up on red carpets in open heels with opaque tights . . . and, then, well, we had to admit: It looked pretty good.
And that’s where things got sticky.
Just try pairing tights and sandals on your own. Patterned or solid? Black or colored? Chunky shoes or stilettos? It was worse than an organic chemistry equation. We might as well have put on our Wigwams and Tevas and headed out the door.
So we raised a hand and asked Eric Daman, the costume designer on “Gossip Girl,” how to do it right. The show is the small screen’s latest answer to a fashion glossy, and all season he has outfitted young stars Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen and Leighton Meester in a refined designer wardrobe that embodies the show’s Upper East Side socialite set. The teen melodrama’s salacious plot line is no match for its clothes, with entire websites (see gossipgirlfashion.com) devoted to who wore what.
When it comes to tricky trends, Daman knows what he’s doing. After three seasons of assisting Patricia Field on “Sex and the City,” he learned to shop with future style in mind. Though he frequently matches open-toe footwear with tights and socks on “Gossip Girl,” Daman also knows the look can be a disaster in real life.
The sole of the look
Novices should start with a simple peep-toe pump and solid opaque tight. After that, a high-heel T-strap or platform sandals work best. For formal fetes, delicate stilettos look sleek with opaque tights. But avoid this season’s popular gladiator sandal and anything with a lot of straps. Monochromatic shoes are much easier than shoes with wooden heels. Playful knee socks are another popular “Gossip Girl” look but are a no-no with thin stilettos. “It comes off a little too kittenish.”
This party needs a theme
Decide if you’re going for a sophisticated or good-humored look. For exceptionally grown-up protagonist Serena (Lively) and her best friend, Blair Waldorf (Meester), Daman uses dark colors and polished footwear to convey their 17-going-on-38 mentality. For a more amusing look, try lighter colored heels matched with textured tights. Speaking of amusing, it’s best to remember Carrie Bradshaw’s dreaded hot pants before copping a look straight from the screen; Jenny Humphrey’s (Momsen) knee socks and lace-up sandals don’t work quite as well on the set of real life.
Color wheel
Except for trusty black on black, the sandal and tights trend is one that should rarely be matching. Silver Miu Miu platform sandals provided a stunning contrast to the Wolford black tights that Lively donned during a December promotional appearance, a play that works with complementary colors such as magenta and turquoise too. Unless channeling Nurse Ratched, stay away from white-on-white, and opt for a white heel with a primary color tight.
Faux pas to no pas
Personally, we pair socks only with a trusty pair of running shoes. But like it or not, sandals and anklets are on spring’s style radar. Daman frequently outfits the Jenny Humphrey character in small socks and flirty open footwear. To make the lighthearted style work, ditch the sexpot heels in favor of chunkier sandals, wedges or kitten heel peep-toe pumps “so it doesn’t come off too trashy.” Amen to that.
Can anyone rock this trend?
“Not necessarily,” Daman warns. Done correctly, the tights and sandals thing works at any age -- though brighter color combinations are best left to those born post Reagan-era. However, anklet socks have no place on the ankles of those legally able to buy a keg. With either trend, confidence is the clear key to success. “For any look, it’s all about owning it and being happy with it.”
So the Pucci tights you put on Jenny Humphrey -- are they for the rest of us?
“As long as you own it.”
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