Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Melissa.

My new Vivienne Westwood for Anglomania Three Strap Flats. Yay.

I've waxed plenty poetic about my plastic footwear obsession, Melissa Shoes. Made of the Brazilian company's signature Melflex material, they are uber-comfortable, weather resiliant, urban all-terrain shoes. A friend who does business in Brazil brought me back a pair after my very first ones broke after two straight spring/summer seasons of near-daily city wear. My first pair was a flukey find on the shelves of Old Navy for $19.99, and my second pair was a gift of my angel of a friend, so I had no idea the company's goods usually go for $80 and up and aren't so easy to find in The States. I've been dreaming of them more lately now that it's sockless season, and I think someone up there was listening because last night in my daily email update from The Cut, there was news of joy...a Melissa Shoes sample sale in Chelsea! Thank you Fashion Fairies!

The sale was phenomenal and got me to part with $140 of my hard typed/filed/envelopes licked/phones answered/earned money for three pairs of awesomeness. There were plenty of styles and sizes, and prices ranged from $20 to $150 (originals from $40 to $300). There were deep discounts on great collabos from guest designers Zaha Hadid, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexandre Herchcovich.

My new plastic Flatastics.

I can't say enough about how well these shoes wear and how good of a buy they are. I'm sure the sale will be stormed as the weekend comes, but you still have a few days of weekday-worker free shopping left. The sale is on through May 22nd at 520 West 27th street, from noon til 8. Go, buy, love.

Ankles Away.

Coco Rocha rockin' her ankles on The Sartorialist.

A new fashion highlight zone has arrived this summer. It's the ankle. I'm sure many of you have been a fan of the thinnest part of your legs for a nice, long time, but fervent ankle adoration has reached a fever pitch of late. The City streets are filled with rolled pants cuffs shortened just so they reveal that sexy, sinewy spot. There are also a plethora of cute little flats with ankle ties, straps, and other adornments in shop windows and on all the hip kids.



Chinese Laundry flats from endless.com, $59.95

While the ankle strap shoe is certainly a holdover from the gladiator sandal trend, it is a pleasant, slightly more sophisticated break from those ubiquitous, buckle-happy, leg-climbers. Here are some hipper-than-thou (or perhaps not hipper than you!) ankle fans snapped by The Sartorialist.

The thing about ankles is that most ladies have gorgeous ones. I know, I know, there are some of you who insist that you have dreaded cankles, but mostly this is a very forgiving, flattering feature on women. So decorate those ankles, show 'em off, and strut 'em proudly. Me and my big girl thighs couldn't be happier about this trend! I love showing a little leg, as long as it's close to my foot...ha.