Winter cool with my Miista boots, Monoprix studded leggings, Built by Wendy sweater dress and jacket, American Apparel beret, the leopard scarf I bought on the street and my lovely Nola bag from Les Composantes

What are the effects of regularly reading fashion blogs? I estimate I’ve been a regular fashion blog reader since the summer of 2010 (yeah, I know, I’m a little late to the party) and I started to write more fashion oriented posts on this blog soon after. I’ve always loved fashion and style and never cared much for labels and trends. I think that clothes are an expression of personality and being able to express myself through what I wear has always been important to me. (If you ask really nicely I’ll show you pictures of my from high school with pink hair, wearing sparkly purple lipstick and a feather boa – yes, the original Killerfemme). Discovering independent fashion blogs is a big of a revelation because it allows me to connect with and admire others who feel similarly about dressing up and getting on with their lives.

So after a year and a half of reading fashion blogs I noticed something. Blogs are changing the way I dress and impacting my aesthetic. Let’s take, for example, shoes. I love shoes. I cannot get enough of them. But one thing I was very skeptical of was the platform shoe trend. “Impractical,” I told myself. As much as I admired Jeffrey Campbell Litas I aked myself how would I ever pull them off? Too glam rock, too disco, too 70’s, and I’m not so short that I need 5 extra inches of height, I told myself. So I resisted. Even while my fashion blogging friends rocked them and looked fabulous.

Built by Wendy Sweater dress, headband from Modcloth, Les Compsantes bag, Monoprix leggins and yes, my Miista boots!

I even went shopping one day this summer with S.G. who told me, “I just can’t embrace the modern shoe,” as we fondled some black strappy chunky platform number in a precious Greenpoint boutique. I concurred.

Then one day, I cracked. I was walking to band practice along Smith street and I walked by the drool-worthy (and wallet emptying) boutique Dear Fieldbinder. I have never bought anything there, but I loved the whole experience of the boutique. Suddenly I wanted everything in the store. And then I saw them. Black, platform, strappy, with a huge heel. The boots that had to be mine. I tried them on. Light. Comfortable. Walkable. Sold.

I could not believe myself. Was I really going to wear these? I showed them to my bandmates. They swooned. A. started calling them my “Kiss boots,” and the few times I’ve trotted them out I get nonstop compliments. I even wore them to work and nobody flinched or threw me out for being unprofessional.

I did a little research into the brand, Miista, and found out they are a small, independent company making “fashion forward footwear and accessories in Hackney,” in London. They even mentioned how excited they were to be carried by Dear Fieldbinder on their blog! With my Miista boots feel like I have something truly original, like a piece of art that I can wear. And isn’t that the whole fun of fashion?

And watch out, now that I’ve embraced the modern shoe there may well be some Litas in my life that take my fashion forwardness (or insanity) up to a whole new level.

Also, psst psst, I’ve just joined lookbook.nu, so I get a double extra fashion fix. If you are on there please “fan” me and maybe if you like this give it some “hype.” I hype back, promise.