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There is not necessarily a universal wrong shoe for every look, the Michigan-born personal stylist explains over Zoom.
Morgan Maher
The idea of the wrong shoe is just to push beyond that first instinct.
Instinctively, you may reach for aballet flator maybe a kitten heel.
Something demure and conservative.
Allison Bornstein
But what if you reached for something different?
Something that feels, well, wrong?
To me, that wrong shoe would be a vibrantly colored sneaker.
Allison Bornstein
To you, it might be athong sandal.
Theres a chance you hate the combination, in which case, skip it!
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If only I had more money, then Id have my dream closet, we might say to ourselves.
I wish that was true, but its not, she Bornstein of the money myth.
you’re able to do so much if you know what you like.
You dont have to buy anything expensive.
Its all about just finding things that feel genuine to you, and theres no price on that.
Easier said than done, but thats where Bornstein comes in.
It was also around this time that she began doling out personal style advice on TikTok.
That was the idea for the book.
Rather than conscript her audience to a new aesthetic a day (Cottagecore!
), she held up a mirror and asked: Who do you see?
You have to be willing to be vulnerable.
You have to be willing to face your insecurities perhaps and really figure out, Who am I?
What do I want to project to the world?
What does that even mean?
Naturally, Bornstein has the answer in the form of various style hacks, particularly the three-word method.
(Bornsteins three words, in case youre curious:classic, 70s, elegant.)
Shes since demystified the personal style of dozens of style icons.
Its just putting language to something that we already understand subconsciously or intuitively, she says.
Or maybe we see a look on somebody and are like, What is making that look so cool?
Below, Bornstein shares her beginners guide to putting the wrong-shoe theory into practice.
you might also preorder her bookhere.
But adding it with a little something sexy is really nice.
With mini hemlines, the shoe creates a long line from thigh to ankle thats unobstructed by unwieldy straps.
Needless to say, this isnt your grandmas kitten heel.
Try instead the maxi.
Theres something kind of sexy about that.
I love a sneaker with a trouser, says Bornstein.
Office dwellers, take note!
(Hi, mom!)
Something thats more casual than the ballet flat, which can feel a little bit prim or classic.
Crew Zoe Ballet Flats
J.
But maybe thats a little…on the nose?
Instead, Bornstein suggests adding chunky boots to a more traditionally feminine outfit.
I love a black, chunky, heavy lug sole with a pair of white denim, she says.
