कृति सेनन और करिश्मा तन्ना का हुस्न देख हो ना जाना घायल, फैशनेबल अंदाज देगा स्टाइल गोल्स March 17, 2021 at 07:50PM

कृति सेनन और करिश्मा तन्ना को मुंबई के एक मशहूर रेस्ट्रॉन्ट के बाहर स्पॉट किया गया। इस दौरान दोनों का ही लुक ऐसा था जो स्टाइल गोल्स देता नजर आ रहा था। एक ने जहां अपने लिए जींस-टॉप चुने थे, तो दूसरी ने स्किनफिट आउटफिट पहनी थी।

The Unexplainable Allure Of Shoes That Make Your Feet Look Big

In February, among Fashion Month’s many monochrome matching sets and hygge puffer coats, were shoes of epic proportions. Tokyo-based streetwear brand Ambush put the models for its fall ‘21 collection in round, bulbous rubber boots. Hardly a streetwear person, I was surprised at how drawn to them I was. It was like seeing the Bottega Veneta Puddle Boot for the first time. Later, similarly oversized footwear debuted at PH5, though they were clogs rather than boots, and Vivienne Westwood, in the form of patchwork Oxfords. I immediately began thinking up ways in my head to incorporate them into my wardrobe.

Since I can remember I have been drawn to what some would call “ugly” fashion. As a kid, I shopped in the boy’s department at the Gap because that was where my brother shopped, and I idolized him. There, I chose baggy cargo pants over fitted mini skirts and bulky sneakers as opposed to ballet flats. In middle school, I styled Nike running shorts with washed-out T-shirts instead of skinny jeans and Abercrombie tops; in high school, while others shopped for black boots at Topshop, I wore Birkenstocks with tube socks. The particulars have continued to change over the years, but my overall penchant for fashion marked unattractive by conventional standards has remained a constant. 

In recent years, this has culminated in my footwear. In 2019, while at Ganni in Stockholm, I spotted a pair of black, lug-soled sport loafers. The fact that they were chunky, heavy, and bound to give me shin splints were all part of their allure. The shoes, now sold-out, weren’t crafted out of satin, like something out of Carrie Bradshaw’s unrealistically large West Village closet, nor were they designed to make my butt look good in jeans. (In actuality, they probably made my butt look worse, not that I care.) I stomped around in them for months, wearing them to work, dinners, and bars with actual people in them. I rented a Totême blazer month after month on Rent The Runway — just to wear with my chunky shoes. 

Right before the pandemic, I splurged on another pair of similarly minded shoes: platform Gucci loafers that I bought secondhand from Vestiaire Collective. Though vastly different in style, my reasoning for buying them was the same — the substantial size and shape was a far cry from the more elegant loafer offerings that the Italian brand is known for. They made my feet look big, on purpose. The effect was clown shoes, but Gucci-approved. I loved it. 

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Though this isn’t scientific, what entices me most about shoes that take up space is their ability to add a statement to an otherwise boring look. Add a pair of bulbous shoes to an oversized, black suit, and suddenly, the once-blasé outfit becomes interesting. But it’s more than that: Big shoes, like heels, are a confidence booster. Be it a heavy platform or a skinny stiletto, you walk taller when you’re 3” to 5” inches up. In my Gucci loafers, I walk tall. 

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Tara Gonzalez, a style writer at InStyle, agrees. “Chunky, platform boots are my favorite because they make me more confident than any other shoe,” she tells Refinery29. According to her, it’s because they allow her to “tower over everyone.” “If I feel like my outfit needs a little extra something, a platform boot instantly adds edge,” she says.

Shelby Ying Hyde, a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar and The Zoe Report, says chunky shoes give her outfit “an instant lift without having to rely on high heels.” Ying Hyde used to rely on heels to streamline her outfits, but after moving to New York, and realizing how hard the city can be on both your feet and your shoes, she turned to chunky loafers and boots instead. She also credits the nostalgic look of platforms for their rise in popularity: “I think it has a lot to do with the industry’s affinity for vintage style from the ‘90s and other past decades. Everyone loves a good nostalgic fashion moment.”

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Instagram, too, is heaping with too-big shoes, be they from social-friendly brands like Pêche and Source Unknown or major fashion houses like Prada and Burberry. Marta Cygan, also known as Life of Boheme, paired her oversized Prada loafers with big trousers and a corset top. Lashaunae Steward’s big shoes — also Prada — were paired with a fuzzy mini dress and a matching Telfar bag. Courtney Trop of the fashion blog Always Judging chose to go a more casual route, wearing chunky sneakers from the outdoors brand Salomon, which she paired with an equally voluminous skirt from Issey Miyake and a leather vest. In all three looks, the shoes were the focus.

So why are many are choosing to wear big and bulky shoes, to the point of discomfort at times (count the blisters)? Maybe, it’s the confidence thing. After all, a platform physically elevates you; the large silhouette takes up space. Nostalgia and edge, too, likely play their part in the appeal. Regardless, it takes putting on a pair — be it a boot, clog, loafer, or sneaker — and seeing the world from a few inches up to understand the appeal. Once you do, you’ll want every shoe to be a big shoe. If I had my way, every shoe would be. 

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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पापा के साथ कुछ इस तरह के कपड़े पहनकर निकलीं श्रद्धा कपूर, जो कमेंट्स करने को कर देगा मजबूर March 17, 2021 at 01:13AM

गर्मियों के मौसम में फ्लोई सिल्हूट पहनना जितना अच्छा लगता है उतना ही जींस पहनना भारी लगता है। बेहद गर्म दिनों में जींस न केवल मुश्किल का सबब बन जाती है बल्कि इसकी स्टाइलिंग के लिए भी ढेरों आइडिया सोचने पड़ते हैं। हालांकि, श्रद्धा कपूर इस मामले में बहुत हद तक आपकी मदद कर सकती हैं।

अनन्या पांडे निकलीं योगा क्लास से, तो बैकलेस टॉप देख थम गईं सबकी नजरें March 16, 2021 at 11:44PM

​अनन्या पांडे को योगा क्लास के बाहर स्पॉट किया गया, तो फ्रंट से तो उनका लुक नॉर्मल ही लगा, लेकिन जैसे ही वह अपनी कार की ओर बढ़ीं, तब उनका बैकलेस टॉप लुक देख नजरें ऐक्ट्रेस पर ही जा थमीं। इस एक सिलेक्शन से अनन्या ने अपने वर्कआउट लुक में भी हॉटनेस का एलिमेंट ऐड कर दिया था।

क्रॉप टॉप पहन कृति खरबंदा ने खींचा ध्यान, लग रहीं बेहद स्टाइलिश March 16, 2021 at 11:11PM

बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस कृति खरबंदा (Kriti Kharbanda) भले ही पब्लिक में कम नजर आती हों लेकिन एक्ट्रेस जब भी घर से बाहर निकलती हैं, उनका स्टाइल एकदम टॉप पर होता है। ऐसा ही कुछ हमें आज भी देखने को मिला जब कृति को मुंबई एयरपोर्ट पर स्पॉट किया।