So, 2016 is the year of the mule. It’s back in a big way. [Carrie Bradshaw style lovers exhale with relief.] And this makes me laugh for several reasons:
- There was a time, not so long ago, that I vowed never to wear mules again. “They’re soooo passe! And they don’t do anyone’s legs any favors!” I exclaimed authoritatively, willfully ignoring the truth-known-to-all-women: what comes around goes around. And damn it if I’m not kicking myself for chucking a few pieces I considered “flash in the pan” that have since come back in vogue.
- My Dad has, for many years, referred to any shoe he does not care for as, simply and uncomplicatedly, and regardless of shoe style, “a mule.” It could be a pointy-toed stiletto or a flat sandal. If he doesn’t find it attractive, he’ll refer to it as “a mule.” I find this incredibly charming for many reasons–first, that he’s crafted his own masculine lexicon for referring to fashion that makes sense to him, and second, that, at some point in his life, he somehow learned the word “mule,” far as it is from his day-to-day life.
- In college, during a particularly heated game of “Battle of the Sexes” (have you played that game? You essentially ask the guys questions about “girly things” and girls questions about “manly things” — sorta reductive and I feel probably very passe/”in poor taste”(?) in 2016). One of my husband’s best friends was asked a question: “In fashion, what is a mule?” His answer: “The woman who helps prepare models to walk down the runway.” LOLOLOLOL. What creativity. [This, and we still lost because we couldn’t remember the name of a Phillips screwdriver.]
So, in honor of these hilarious anecdotes, I introduce the shoe of 2016: le mule.
Some ways to get the look:
+I saw a super chic lady sporting these Balenciagas (on sale for $592) along with a simple black leather jacket and black skinnies and she was ROCKING at life.
+This pair from Raye are Balenciaga lookalikes, but way cheaper ($177).
+These embellished Fendi mules ($900) are giving me life. How fun with a simple LBD? Love a statement shoe.
+Mansur Gavriel recently branched out from its cult-inducing bucket bags to tackle footwear, and these sueded mules in a rainbow of colors have been flying off the shelves. I like them best in red ($475) or nude ($475). The chunkier styles (shown above, in the 2nd-to-last snap) are also raging — score one of the last pairs here for $625.
+This pair of banded mules from Rachel Zoe ($206) is perfect for the season.
+And, of course, there’s the Gucci Webby crossover mule, shown twice above, which have grown on me in such a major, inexplicable way. At first I was skeptical. Then curious. Then obsessed. I like them in gaudy, outlandish gold ($595 — VEGAS, BABY! But also, Reese Witherspoon wore them and they look ahmazing) or neutral ($595).
+For those intrigued by the Webby but not willing to shell out the big buxxxx, there’s this pair of lookalikes from Jeffrey Campbell for $135.
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