Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Anti-Minimalism

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A couple of months ago, I wrote down a quote that supposedly came from Wallis Simpson: “Choose a rainbow, not a uniform.” It seemed very appropriate because, at the time,  I was admiring these cheerful Swedish Hasbeen boots.

These make me so happy. Click to shop.

Now there are Swedish Hasbeen boots that are even more rainbow-y.

Honestly? These are so crazy I might need them. Click to shop.

I felt like the rainbow quote was the perfect antidote to “capsule wardrobes” and other ultra-controlled and, in my opinion, pleasure-denying clothing ideologies. I wanted to check the quote’s authenticity, but can’t find any evidence online that Wallis actually said that. I still love it. To me, sobbing rainbow ecstasy seems a lot more fun than self-denial.

Rest assured that even if I’m wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, there is a rainbow in my heart!

UPDATED TO ADD: If anyone is daring enough to taste the shoe rainbow, the boots are on Amazon at a discount. They only come in full sizes, of course, and I’m a 6.5!

UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD: This vintage Jean Varon dress is a rainbow with MAY-JAH sleeve action. (It was sold before I saw it. Otherwise I might have been tempted!) I feel like a recent designer did something very like this. Was it McQueen?

Sold by Rare Vintage. Click for source.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. For me black will always be the new black because black works! I have a pair of Swedish Hasbeens samdals and they are the most uncomfortable shoes ever. The leather is so hard it rubs the bejesus out of my poor feet. I have tried everything to soften the leather and it just won’t. I hate them with every fibre of my being!

    • Bummer! I’m very fussy about how shoes fit and I reject 99% of what I try on for comfort reasons. So I’ve given up on ordering shoes online. The returning part is too predictable and kind of a drag. I hate schlepping the stuff to the post office. So as tempted as I am, unless I see these boots in person somewhere, I won’t be trying them!

      • Well the boots may be different as you can wear socks with them to stop the rubbing. Surely somewhere in New York City has them so you can try on? As I live in Australia, I have no choice and buy nearly all my shoes (and clothes) online. I have had a few clothing disasters and had to send back but with shoes I’m good.

  2. okay those are really freaking awesome. but SEVEN HUNDRED PLUS DOLLARS?! but i guess for rainbows and happiness, and not to mention how rainboots are generally just awesome (i could write an essay on this. and in fact i plan to) it’s totally worth the price.

    damn now i really want rainbows and happiness on my feet on a rainy day.

    ape-z.blogspot.com

  4. These boots really do create such a happy vibe! And they are absolutely adorable. Added to my wish list. 🙂

    Have a lovely sunny Sunday!
    x

  5. I try every now and again to stick to a certain limited set of colors

    It never works. I end up back with all kinds of colors. Peole have stated they wouldn’t have bought some of the bright, colorful or patterned shoes I’ve bought because they’d have nothing to wear them with. That seems so silly. I always respond with “If you love them, you’ll find something!”

  6. The black and white ones would be a fetching and Beetlejuice-esque touch to your black shirt and jeans combo! Though not as “Taste the Rainbow” as the pastel striped…

  10. I always try on shoes too. I only buy them online if I am really familiar with the shape of that companies lasts. Shoes that don’t fit are miserable.

    I don’t fit YSL either. I have 4 pairs that I have found in charity shops etc, and bought to try and persuade my self otherwise, but… nope. They are narrow in the wrong places.
    And… I love colors. I always have a rainbow in my heart, and I never ever wore black till i realized it was the best way to make people look at bright colored shoes was to wear all black.

    And yes! fashion is FUN. And you should wear what makes you happy. I guess discipline is not a big enjoyment of min..

    • I have two pairs of YSL shoes from over five years ago and since then no YSLs have fit me…including the Tribs *sob*

      Louboutin doesn’t usually feel comfortable for me either.

      Prada nearly always fits me.

  12. Like the concept, but doubt you’ll ever pry me away from a mostly black wardrobe with a splash of color occasionally. Call me morbid, but so much easier to mix and match.

    PS. Didn’t Mrs. Simpson wear mostly black too?

    • Yes. I thought it was a strange quote from her, so I wanted to check it. It was in a magazine article and in a moment of craziness, I threw the article away thinking the quote would easily pop up on Google. Alas!

  14. I saw this post early in the morn when I got home and couldnt wait to comment when I woke up! I love myself some technicolor too.

    I think we were both obsessed with the Ferragamo Rainbow Wedge for a bit, I still wouldn’t mind wearing them :0

    The strange bit though is that I find myself wearing bright colors and patterns less and less. I just dont see them anywhere anymore. And it’s kind of hard since I’m not really thrift shopping anymore. Inside my heart there is a rainbow waiting to get out. But when it’s cold, on the outside I’m a dark cave!

  15. Gosh these boots are like mood lifting pill, soon as I scrolled down the page and spotted them I started smiling.
    Colour=joy!
    xoxoo
    Marian

  16. Ah, thank you very much. I am certainly not a minimalist. I spent the last week (was on vacation in NY) in a wardrobe consisting solely of black, navy, gray and white — in an effort to pack as little as possible — and was absolutely miserable! I need color! I need over the top jewelry! I need layers! (And I possibly need a pair of lime green clog boots!)

  17. Love this post – of course, because I love colour! I really would love some swedish hasbeens, but I don’t buy shoes online without having tried an identical pair on somewhere first. I’m a half size too and have narrow feet, too many bad experiences with stuff not fitting.

  19. I probably wouldn’t wear a rainbow if my life depended on it. However, I never say never. Because I’m prone to wearing things I made fun of. Rainbows are tough for me though, coz unlike you, I don’t have a rainbow in my heart..

    But I do like seeing it on people. Sometimes.

  21. Sorry, I posted my comment to this post on the wrong post! FAIL. Anyway I wrote that Hasbeens come up small so the 7s would probably be just right for you! Which is definitely some sort of sign that you should own them xxx

      • I would categorise them like Doc Martens, all of my most comfortable shoes are really stiff at first and then they end up fitting my feet just right. I am not a many-shoe person though, so I wear them in quite quickly because they are worn so often.

  22. Hey, I enjoy a rainbow as much as the next dreadlock-sporting wood nymph! But at the same time I’m finding all of this decluttering and minimalism a bit refreshing and serene. And….pleasurable. [/Frank-n-Furter]

    • You may be decluttering but I think that’s because you’re developing more of a “wear what you want not what you feel you should wear” policy! So you don’t count as one of the ascetics in my mind!

  23. Are you thinking of this McQueen dress?

    http://www.fashionpeach.com/images/alexander-mcqueen-dress1.jpg

    or this one

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L4h3U5F3tMQ/TQZRTFK37nI/AAAAAAAAArY/OLK1yR38apA/s1600/Alexander%2BMcQueen%2BRainbow%2Bshipwreck%2Bdress%2Bfrom%2BSpring%2B2003.jpg

    or Herve Leger

    http://geniusbeauty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/lindsay-lohan-herve-leger-rainbow-bandage-dress.jpg

    or Herion

    http://www.herion.us/rainbow_dress.html

    but I could see you liking this Thierry Mugler dress from 1990 (it’s for sale too, maybe a bit big for you)
    http://fashion.1stdibs.com/archivesB/avl/9/2/XXX_boy_5058.jpg

  24. Ahh, I love the image of these Swedish Hasbeen boots. I would definitely like to own them all, just imagine what an exciting shoe cupboard I would have then! Thank you so much for my blog post, I think everyone has been inspired by Grease at one point or another.

    Carol x
    http://www.mystylisms.blogpost.com

  25. your post made me so happy! I’m so sick of reading about purging closets and minimalist clothing on the blogs. What happened to the crazy rainbow sparkle 6 inch platforms of the 90’s clubkid’s limelight/tunnel days?

  27. You know, you could always double up on socks and go a half size up! Think of the sock rainbow possibilities! Then you could not only have the cheerful clooets (clog/shoes/boots) but you could have a rainbow of another sort on the inside.

    (I’m refraining from making a rainbow wallet joke here.)

  28. Oh my god, I love Swedish Hasbeens! The most difficult thing is trying to figure out which ones to buy. It’s hard to narrow down.