Fash Fix

Flats are fine and wedges are with-it, but the key footwear trend for women this spring and summer is the high heel.

It’s not unusual to walk into department stores and boutiques and spot heels as high as 5 or 6 inches. Some say the high heel’s renewed popularity is related to the dominance of the dress in current fashion.

There seems to be a pump for every outfit and every occasion this season. There are gladiator, T-strap, and ankle-strap styles, slingbacks, peeptoes, and designs with rounded toes, architectural heels, or floral appliques.

They’re drenched in color, from neons and metallics to colorblocked and Pop Art-inspired combinations.

Plain is out—dramatic is in.

But with the dizzying array of options, it can be daunting trying to figure out how best to match them with clothes. Celebrity fashion stylist Gina LaMorte offers these tips:

• Wear bold-colored pumps with clean, minimal outfits — consider beige, taupe, gray, and other neutrals du jour—so that shoes and clothes don’t compete for attention. Pumps in a solid color can help ground floaty, bold-print dresses and skirts, while white pants are a good complement to shoes in saturated neon shades.
   
• Colorblocked shoes play well against denim, monochromatic outfits, and a neutral bottom paired with a top in a color from the shoe. They also look good with flirty floral dresses, and a black-and-white pair is hot with a white suit.
   
• Pop Art-inspired shoes, characterized by mod motifs or funky patterns, go great with bohemian looks held together by a common color. Whimsical, playful accessories complement them, or you can look more sophisticated in metallic color.
   
• Gladiators are a natural to team with Grecian goddess-style dresses, ikat prints, and African, Indian, or Eastern tribal looks. Leather gladiators play well with flirty floral dresses and other feminine looks, while metallic styles update a biker jacket worn with a peasant blouse and skinny jeans. If you’re heading out for a party at night, make that short shift dress or floaty frock pop with red gladiators.
   
• Architectural styles made of natural materials, such as leather and wood, look good with light blue denim and earthy florals. Metallic styles complement ’60s couture-inspired shift dresses and some goddessy evening dresses. 
  (Toledoblade.com/Walking Tall: High Heels are Hot for Summer/LaMONT Jones/ News Block Alliance)