100 Days of Shoes - Day 12 - Tacky. Gucci. Love.

Day 12 called for more Italian...today's weapon...GUCCI (gucci bandanna gucci gucci bandanna).  I purchased these at the Saks sales Sophomore year (wow I feel old).  Patent leather has never looked so good! Yeah they are a bit tacky...but let's be real...it's Gucci.  I fell in love with these sneakers because of the holographic Gucci printed stripe in the middle...clearly I could not figure out how to take a picture of a hologram but rest assured...they are impressive.  

These shoes are classic Italian statements, and they barely left my feet when I was living in Roma. I traveled the world in these shoes.  From Norway to Egypt, these reflective beauties kept me fashionable in any environment!

Today threw on my grey Burberry jeans and a fitted black waffle shirt from Affliction.  Their brand can become a little heinous like Ed Hardy from time to time, but I found this subtle top at Buckle down in Florida.

Peace. Love. and Travel.

Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 11 - Paisley Meets the Great Outdoors

Day11 caught me feeling a little outdoorsy...thus leading me to a mountain-man-chic look....although I was freezing without a jacket.  I still don't understand the concept that it can be sunny in the North without being warm?  Guess I'm still a Southern boy at <3.  

Today's shoes were you average run of the mill camel suede desert boots from Clarks Bostonian.  Standard, but a winter classic for sure.  I paired them with some grey cords from Club Monaco, a gingham shirt also from Monaco, and a bright green down vest from American Eagle...I feel so Maine. Anyone want to go for a hike?

 

Must admit that these outfit pictures are a little old.  Since that day I have reinvented these simple boots through my Sivad Custom Hand Painted shoe line.  Adding this custom paisley pop was exactly what these shoes needed to liven them up and make them memorable.  This is one of the first Sivad shoes that I created and they get compliments constantly.  It is amazing to have people recognize your hard work and appreciate your craft!

 

 

Custom paisley pattern on these suede desert boots.

These babies are on sale on my website!

Classic. Yet still make a statement.  This is what shoes are meant to be.

 

 

Be Creative.

Live Life.

 

Love. Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 10 - Singing in the Rain!

Day 10 and Winter rain has struck again in Baltimore!  But I have no need to worry.  I just reached in to my closet for yet another pair of rain-boots and yes...yet another Burberry rain jacket! My boots of choice on this gloomy day?  Marc Jacobs of course!  These are the perfect rain boots for an otherwise dull day.  Bright Happy. and CHEAP at only $28 you can afford a pair in every color.  Make sure to check back at the store often for these unisex beauties as they often change colors.  Oh how I miss having a Marc store just two blocks away when I lived on Newbury Street in Boston...now I have to drive to DC for any hope of new fashion!

Make a statement even in the rain!

To add to my little Spring-esq Winter outfit, I threw on some cropped pale yellow (I adore this color!) shorts I found in Dublin and the classic Burberry golf rain jacket...wearing this jacket is the only time that I deem it acceptable to 'pop my collar' ... yes it makes me look like a tool...but at least a British tool :)

In Baltimore it's not a huge issue, but it seemed nearly impossible to find an umbrella that would hold up in the excessive Boston winds.  Every hazy evening after a long rainy day finds the streets of Boston littered with a grave yard of broken tiny umbrellas.  After months of search I finally found the answer to wielding a heavy duty 4 foot long umbrella.  The Nike Golf umbrella available at City Sports is the answer to all of our problems! It is a mid sized but completely wind proof with its double canopy design.  I highly suggest in investing in one for home and one for the office!

Another amazing rain moment earlier this year in Seattle with @megturtle !

Stay Dry!

Find something to keep you sane on another dreary day!

Love. Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 9 - Is it too late for some Christmas spirit?

Day 9 After a few days of dreary cold weather I decided to do a little dress up with a nod to my love of winter and Christmas.  These Jhung Yuro high tops are the perfect.  Premium leathers and suedes died green and hand stitched in brilliant red.  I love the contrast...and wear them year round even if they look a little like Ninja Turtle's.

 

And here comes the fierce wintry hot mess.  Starting with these brown plaid pants from Zara it was only going to get more crazy from there.  Next I reached for my fitted, military inspired, fur lined blazer from Ann Taylor...don't hate that I'm the perfect size 0 and you are not.  To top it all off I decided on these oversized vintage red sunglasses that I found at a street market in Rome....don't worry, I didn't leave the house in this getup...something tells me Baltimore is not ready for this look...HA!

Peace. Love. and Shoes!

Sivad

100 Days of Shoes - Day 8 - I'll be your sunshinnnnee :)

Day 8 and I decided it was my duty to be Baltimore's sunshine since the real one is insistent on hiding behind the clouds these days. To accomplish this mission I started out with these INSANE high tops from Emporio Armani.  My mind was blown the second these caught my eye walking through the Copley mall in Boston.  Minutes later they were mine :).  At first I wondered...how many venues can one really wear neon Armani high tops in?  But don't you worry!  I have found dozens of venues.  Just when there is an event or evening where they seem inappropriate; that's when I've needed to seize the opportunity to proudly unveil them to the world.

 

 

Obviously I needed to pair these with an equally offensive neon City Sports Baltimore T and my skinny black Love Moschino's so I could tuck them in and not block any part of these beauties from being seen.  And yes I know that wearing them to the club makes them dirty but honestly if you cannot afford to wear your fashion you shouldn't be buying it! Fashion is wearable art; not to be kept on a shelf, but to be displayed on ones body as you meander your way through the world.

 

 

 

Never let your star fade.

SHINE BRIGHT.

Love. Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 7 - The first Sivad and New Balance Collabo

Day 7 finds me working bright and early at City Sports Harbor East in Baltimore.  Whenever I work opening shifts I have to wear vibrant shoes to get myself excited to get out of bed.  It takes a lot of energy to socialize with every customer that comes in the store so I have to pep myself up before I get there...and my triple tall gingerbread frappuccino isn't always enough!

For today's shoes I went with my very first design collaboration with New Balance.  This is actually the first time I've ever worn these kicks.  They have been displayed on my ever expanding shelf for the last year and half; but, it was time to take them off their pedestal and give them some action!  All throughout the day customers were commenting on them.  It is so rewarding to have strangers appreciate your designs.  Even if it doesn't lead to a sale, just having the validation that people like the direction you're heading in is enough to keep me inspired to open The Shop by Sivad.

When designing with New Balance I had to start of with the base shoe NB US574; part of their "Made in the USA" collection.  Any one that knows me can attest to the fact that I have an infatuationf with America.  Growing up a Navy brat, and traveling the world, I have learned one thing...the US is only country I will EVER call home.

Everyone gets a kick out of the color combination I chose for these shoes.  New Balance has a tendency to be quite reserved, so people are shocked to see such a vibrant pair with laces and accents that pop at every angle.

I LOVE how they customized the heals for me.  Nosirrah Sivad was nothing more than an entertaining thought when I customized these shoes, and now it is poised to dominate the Baltimore sneaker game in the next year.  I am proud and excited to watch my concept grow and come to life!

As always I'm rocking Thorlo socks.  If you haven't ever run in Thorlo's you are missing out.  They have incredible padding in the toe and heal, while the arch is constricted to keep your foot in proper form and avoid arch sprains.  If you are the least bit serious about your running, do yourself a favor and try them out.  You will not be disappointed.

As far as the outfit for the day I kept it simple...I think the bright shoes and pink hair is enough for our morning customers lol.  I threw on some new AllSaints jeans that I picked up in Boston over New Years, my City Sports Staff T, and my go to Burberry fur collared vest.

 

Live your dreams.

Make them a reality.

Love. Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 6 - Let's Go Ravenss!!!

Day 6 is full of more pride.  This time my focus is the Ravens.  In the past few months I have come to fall in love with Baltimore's infectious love for its sport teams.  This city is always on the edge of its seats when either the Orioles or the Ravens are playing.  You can sense the excitement in the air as game-time nears; and it absolutely becomes a ghost town while either team is playing.  Everyone is glued to their TV's or at a local bar decked out in some heinous outfit the is composed either entirely of bright orange or offensive purple...as I cannot bring myself to dress from head to toe in purple I find my own little ways to support the home town team as they inch closer and closer to the Super Bowl!

For the big game this afternoon I chose to wear my incredible Officine Creative Rugby shoes.  These shoes always get amazing reactions when I wear them out...and while they are heinously uncomfortable, this is one case where the fashion statement outweighs my need to be comfortable.  I was a very lucky boy to find these shoes during my travels through Italy.  You may notice that they shoes seem to be slightly different colors and to have worn differently; that is because they are legitimate game used rugby balls.  That's right, Officine Creative struck a deal with the European Rugby League to claim several of the game used balls from the Final match of the 2006 Championships.  They then turned those balls in to a very limited number of these amazing shoes!

When I head out in these shoes I try to keep the rest of my outfit fairly tame as to keep them being the center of attention...though we all know that "fairly tame" for me can mean A LOT.  For today's game I chose to go with some skinny Zara check pants (Spain), a vintage electric blue v-neck found at a thrift store in Lyon(France), and my always subtle brown leather button up AllSaints dress shirt.  I highly suggest that any skinny mildly fashion forward male gets one of their leather dress shirts.  It's always a great conversation piece at parties and is incredibly warm!

Even little Steve gets in on all the Ravens love...though she rocks purple much better than I do!

Lets go BIRDS!

Love. Sivad.

100 Days of Shoes - Day 5 - Rain or Shine. Fashion Prevails.

Day 5 started off on the wrong foot for most Baltimorians...rain.  But I never fear a day of tragic weather...I actually secretly look forward to them, as I need a reason to wear one of my endless collection of weather specific boots.  This rainy day called for my favorite rain obsessions, short lace up Hunter boots (currently on sale for $89)!  As 3 of my very closest friends can attest, I nearly had a seizure when I saw these beauty's sitting on the round display tables in Niemans.  I had mentally already purchased them before trying them on...thinking of where the closest ATM was since I didn't have an AMEX at the time (thank god that problem has been fixed!)

I love that these boots have the ability to be cute, stylish, not bulky, and yet still protect you from the elements just as well as the tall Hunters...though as anyone knows with Hunters there is not much insulation and they have yet to make little warmers for these ones yet. *cough cough* I'm still waiting!  To go with the outdoorsy green color I decided to rock some maroon flannel plaid from AllSaints and grey skinny's...in a look I like to call the "Metro in the Great Outdoors."

Of course as any proud fashionista knows...NO RAIN OUTFIT IS COMPLETE WITHOUT BURBERRY!!!  To fulfill this requirement I went with my fitted moto style jacket rain jacket.  What is most amazing about this jacket is that it folds up in to its own pocket which doubles as a carrying case for travel.  If only all my clothes packed themselves!  I topped off the look with my crocodile bag from Zara...yes it is imprinted pleather, but it definitely is works.  Why buy the real thing?  Honestly how often can a man rock crocodile?

As a reminder...and I've said it once and I'll say it a hundred more times, THERE IS NEVER AN EXCUSE FOR BAD FASHION! WEATHER INCLUDED!!

 

Stay dry and fashionable.

Love.

Sivad

100 Days of Shoes - Day 4 - How one pair of Dunks led to the creation of Sivad

Today I returned to my old school roots and rocked some Nike Dunks (I have quite the collection that is about to explode all over this blog in Spring).  I got these amazing copper textured dunks with dyed laces as Bodega (Boston) ... if you don't know where or what that is ... honestly you are reading a shoe blog ... WTH is wrong with you?!?!? [but I will be nice and show you the secret spot if you holler :) ]  Bodega is an incredible sneaker store in Boston's Back Bay filled with beautiful limited edition and hard to find sneakers. 

 

Since moving down to Baltimore I have been longing for a sneaker store of the same caliber, and have found NOTHING!  Other than Footlocker this area has NOTHING!!!  This has led me to start writing my business plan to open The Shop by Sivad.  The Shop is going to be Baltimore's PREMIERE sneaker and apparel shop for anyone that loves to have unique footwear.

 

Today was absolutely a comfy day as I rocked my olive Comune Jeans (Gilt), a floppy AllSaints sweater (Boston), Fingerless Marc Gloves (a winter staple of mine and @ $3 a pair why not? I have 5 pairs), and my teal Burberry sunglasses (Boston).

 

PEACE. LOVE. AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

Sivad

 

100 Days of Shoes - Day 3 - Soldes boots to DIE for!

Today is a glorious day!  I get to wear my new polished boots from Emporio Armani!  I got these amazing boots when I was up in Boston last week for New Years.  As my fiancé and I trudged around our old stomping grounds in the snow and freezing weather I was inspired to collect four more pairs of shoes (aka there were amazing sales!!!).

The incredible view from Burberry on Newbury Street :)

Getting  a little help ringing in the New Year at Club Café!

As with any Emporio shoe, Armani paid great attention to every detail with this pair.  From the black polish stains done by hand on the toes and heals, to the aged leather, to the spiral contrasting laces; I am in LOVE!  One thing I've always respected about Emporio's shoes is that they want the owner to love them past just being fashionable.  As you will see I have acquired many of their works of art that I will display in future posts.  At a $360 price tag you might ask why I keep going back.  Simple.  They are one of the few luxury designers that consider comfort in their designs.  The thick black sole adds to the look of the shoe on the outside, but on the inside its cushioned  and shaped expertly so you can parade around town for miles without getting sore as you would with most fashionable boots. 

New Emporio Armani Boots at 60% off!!! I DIE!!!

I also NEED to point out that Emporio is one of the few luxury brands that's not embarrassed to have a sale; and AMAZING ones at that.  At the end of every season Emporio has a 60% sale to make room for the next seasons ware.  This is always and excellent opportunity to grab the clothes literally off the mannequin that you've been staring at every day on your way to Starbucks in the Copley Place Mall.  The sale is currently still on!!!

 

I have found myself wearing a lot of black and neutrals lately with the addition of my vibrant pink hair for New Years (complements to the Floyd's 99 staff for doing such a great job!).  Its important when you are making any fashion statement to let it speak for itself and not make a several statements all over your body.  For my subtle look, below my neck, today I rocked a black Emporio Armani undershirt (Boston), patchwork AllSaints button up (Seattle), black Burberry check belt (Boston), black Zara skinny jeans (NYC), and my new black Nike Fuelband (Towson - Such GREAT motivation!!!).


And just for fun here is a gratuitous shot of Steve and I.  She is such a helpful little worker and is definitely not camera shy!

Rescue a Pit!

Love,

Sivad

100 Days of Shoes - Day 2 - One of many British Invasions

Today I was on that London vibe.  I have visited the great mother city of our forefathers 5 or 6 times in the last couple years, but it has been far too long since I've made the trip and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.  So I rocked Britain from head-to-toe.  If you know me, you know that I never think one can be wearing too many flags and can never be too prideful!  Love who you are and where you're from and rock it to the fullest! [disclaimer...I am not English I just like their colors :)]

I chose to start off my ensemble with one of my boldest patterned shoes.  My Union Jack Clark's desert boots (bought in Natick, MA).  I purchased these beauties after one of my long stints abroad.  There's just something so bold, yet classy, about the British flag.  After all we were all British at one point right (or at least we've all faked the accent in vein trying to be sexy)?

These shoe's deserve nothing but the best so I had to go with a whole outwear and office look to support them.  I believe fully in getting dressed from the bottom up; and it is incredibly evident when your shoes were the last thing you threw on, on your way out the door.  You just look sloppy! 

 

To the left I went with the skinny dark grey Zara dress pants (Rome), simple grey AllSaints v-neck (Boston) for some more British appeal, a vintage blue cardigan I got in Lyon, France, a black check Burberry belt (Boston) and topped it all off with the limited edition over-sized grey cashmere check scarf from Burberry a few seasons back.

To the right there are even more layers of London pride.  I adorned last years sensational and brilliant navy puffy coat with orange lining from Burberry (it even has real raccoon fur on the trim! I die! *cough cough sorry PETA cough*).  I'm also rocking the limited edition teal square sunglasses from Burberry's last spring line as well as an original vintage Pan Am bag from Lyon. No this is not the Marc Jacobs knock off! 

 

-From London with Love-

Sivad

100 Days of Shoes - Day 1 - Introduction to Bally

So anyone that knows me, knows I have an unnatural love of shoes.  Bright, dark, tall, short, sporty, dress...it really doesn't matter; if it fits my foot I will buy it and find a use for it later.  As my collection continues to skyrocket every time I leave my apartment I have been inspired by similar blogs that do "1 Shoe 7 Ways" sorts of stories to wear my entire collection.  I have decided that a "100 Days of Shoes" series might help quench my shoe thirst and possibly get me to slow my roll on new purchases and actually allow me to enjoy my current collection...although since I have more then 140 pairs I know picking just 100 will be awful for me!....so here it goes :)

The first day of this journey starts off with a simple yet iconic pair of vintage brown leather Bally dress shoes.  I love these shoes for their classic look and slight heal that gives it a little something different.  The braided leather accent is one of my favorite Bally designs.  The leather on these shoes ages beautifully and they look better every time I wear them.  I love adding a pop of color to my outfits; so the brown with dark plaid pant was really not doing it for me so I had to throw in some bright teal socks to offset the norm.  I got these shoes at one of my favorite second hand stores, Le Frock, in Seattle.

To go with the shoes I wore dark brown plaid pants from Zara (Boston), a brown Coach belt (Boston), a black Armani T (Atlanta) and a heavy zip up sweater from Zara (Spain).  It's not all about labels, it's how you wear them.  I tend to spoil myself for working hard so this blog will be filled with a lot of labels I have collected during my travels around the world, but a label means nothing if you don't know what your personal style is and how to use it!

Here's to the next 99 Days friends!!!!

 

[YES! This is a revamp of my old blog :)]