I know readers, this is not what you expected to read today, but I was touched by a special memory and wanted to share a little something about myself today and why I am the way that I am (hehehe, if you can figure that out from this post, you are truly a gifted psychoanalyst). I got my first spanking behind a pair of beautiful red patent leather Mary Janes. It was a badge of honor, an early sign of my fortitude and most importantly, this skirmish set my style - RED SHOES MAKE AN OUTFIT!!! Red shoes are an attitude, they are a way of life and for some women, a sign of empowerment. You can wear just about anything and suddenly feel better when you slip your feet into a pair of red shoes. My favorite is a pair of red patent leather Stuart Weitzman’s. They are the definition of hot. I even have a special pair of Stuart Weitzman’s in red patent leather with gold stiletto heels, those are my wedding shoes. Oh yes…wedding shoes. Don't ask, my mom purchased them for me and then added the information that Stuart Weitzman's stores will apply crystals to the bottom of your shoes with yours and your prospective groom's monograms that the wedding date, but, I digress.
I cannot tell you when my love of red shoes began. Perhaps my love affair with red shoes began when I first saw Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz wearing those fabulous ruby red slippers, I do not know. But I can point to a defining incident in my history when I decided that every good day could begin with a great pair of red shoes. Mommy, I apologize in advance, but if you are reading this, you already know what story I am about to retell. As a child, I got a spanking for being a little fashion visionary in love with a particular pair or red patent leather Mary Janes. I was 2 or 3 years old and my mom had taken out a lovely little navy blue and white polka dotted Christian Dior frock. My mother had a vision in mind for what she wanted me to look like, a little doll dressed in all navy blue and white. She had taken out a navy blue coat, purse and shoes. While not a bad vision, it was just on the bland side in my mind. I needed to make a statement, and what statement does not begin with red shoes. I saw that blue polka dot dress thought to myself…this outfit needs RED!!! (Ok, yes, I am a Delta, I am the Crimson & Cream Diva and have a decided love for crimson, but I would love the color regardless of my Greek affiliation. Now, back to the story.)
My mom did not know she had an icon in the making, but when she left my room to go get something, I went to work. First, I snatched up the offending navy blue accessories and removed them from the bed. I went to my little closet and got out my favorite red patent leather Mary Janes, a little red purse and pulled down a little red wool coat that had a matching bonnet. (I keep emphasizing the word LITTLE because even as an adult, I am only 4’11,” so if I am considered diminutive now, at the age of 3, I was a daggone refugee from Lilliput. But, I digress.) And, did I mention that I had little red ruffled bloomers? Anyway, when she returned, I had on my bloomers, socks, shoes and was busy putting on my dress. My mom made her return and helped me put on my dress. After which, she got to work taking off my beautiful red patent leather Mary Janes, red and white ruffled socks and bloomers, found the navy and redressed me. However, she made a grave miscalculation, she left me alone to finish her toilette. Ha. I quickly divested myself of the OFFENSIVE and blah navy blue, put BACK on the red accessories and the red coat, buttoned it up and sat myself on the sofa, ready to go to church. Well, to keep a long story from being longer, she saw me, spanked me and removed my beloved red. In my mind, this was not the look of a fashion icon (Calvin Klein, please forgive me, I had not accepted minimalism, yet). I saw that I was about to become an offender and let loose a torrent of screaming, screeching and crying that would have awakened the dead. For those reading along…I did not cry during the spanking or when she took off the red, but I fell out, cut up and acted a plum fool when she tried to put me back in the navy blue. My grandparents heard the ruckus and saved me from what was about to be a VERY bad situation. I’m not talking about the spanking, I could have cared less about that, but my Granddaddy saved me from being bland and boring by telling my mom to let me wear the red shoes.
I cannot tell you when my love of red shoes began. Perhaps my love affair with red shoes began when I first saw Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz wearing those fabulous ruby red slippers, I do not know. But I can point to a defining incident in my history when I decided that every good day could begin with a great pair of red shoes. Mommy, I apologize in advance, but if you are reading this, you already know what story I am about to retell. As a child, I got a spanking for being a little fashion visionary in love with a particular pair or red patent leather Mary Janes. I was 2 or 3 years old and my mom had taken out a lovely little navy blue and white polka dotted Christian Dior frock. My mother had a vision in mind for what she wanted me to look like, a little doll dressed in all navy blue and white. She had taken out a navy blue coat, purse and shoes. While not a bad vision, it was just on the bland side in my mind. I needed to make a statement, and what statement does not begin with red shoes. I saw that blue polka dot dress thought to myself…this outfit needs RED!!! (Ok, yes, I am a Delta, I am the Crimson & Cream Diva and have a decided love for crimson, but I would love the color regardless of my Greek affiliation. Now, back to the story.)
My mom did not know she had an icon in the making, but when she left my room to go get something, I went to work. First, I snatched up the offending navy blue accessories and removed them from the bed. I went to my little closet and got out my favorite red patent leather Mary Janes, a little red purse and pulled down a little red wool coat that had a matching bonnet. (I keep emphasizing the word LITTLE because even as an adult, I am only 4’11,” so if I am considered diminutive now, at the age of 3, I was a daggone refugee from Lilliput. But, I digress.) And, did I mention that I had little red ruffled bloomers? Anyway, when she returned, I had on my bloomers, socks, shoes and was busy putting on my dress. My mom made her return and helped me put on my dress. After which, she got to work taking off my beautiful red patent leather Mary Janes, red and white ruffled socks and bloomers, found the navy and redressed me. However, she made a grave miscalculation, she left me alone to finish her toilette. Ha. I quickly divested myself of the OFFENSIVE and blah navy blue, put BACK on the red accessories and the red coat, buttoned it up and sat myself on the sofa, ready to go to church. Well, to keep a long story from being longer, she saw me, spanked me and removed my beloved red. In my mind, this was not the look of a fashion icon (Calvin Klein, please forgive me, I had not accepted minimalism, yet). I saw that I was about to become an offender and let loose a torrent of screaming, screeching and crying that would have awakened the dead. For those reading along…I did not cry during the spanking or when she took off the red, but I fell out, cut up and acted a plum fool when she tried to put me back in the navy blue. My grandparents heard the ruckus and saved me from what was about to be a VERY bad situation. I’m not talking about the spanking, I could have cared less about that, but my Granddaddy saved me from being bland and boring by telling my mom to let me wear the red shoes.
In the end, I looked cute. That navy blue polka dress was adorable, but those red patent leather shoes just did something “extra” to the outfit. I don’t know exactly...wait a minute, I’m lying, yes, I know exactly what those red shoes did - they took me and my outfit to another level. They transformed a bland look into something iconic - navy blue with touch of red. If you think that I’m lying, check out almost every look from Ralph Lauren (who I adore and if there was a way that I could travel back in time, I would snatch up one of those gorgeous white wool signature blazers with the gold, blue and red crest, grab some elephant leg navy trousers, a navy scarf that I could turn into an ascot and a pair of D’Orsey red patent leather shoes…oh let us pray that Heaven has a Ralph Lauren boutique). I may not have been the first 3 year old wearing it, but I wore it with panache and style and a sense of pride in that I fought for those red shoes and that day, I won. Since then, everytime I think of getting ready for a battle, I take out a pair of red pumps and feel a sense of victory coming on.
