last winter, i had a serious need for a pair of desert boots with heels. i had long been a fan of the classic clarks flats, but i was looking for something a little less clunky and a bit more fashion forward. unfortunately, my hunting turned up with a bunch of shoes that were either way out of my price range, or just out of stock! i wrote this post about the few shoes that i came up with back in january, but since then, i am amazed by the selection available for the upcoming fall season. there are so many to choose from that i’m having a hard time picking my absolute favorite and might even end up with two pairs. maybe a heel and a wedge in two different colors. so i thought i’d share with you some of the contenders.

seychelles bismuth, steve madden dessertt, marc by marc jacobs, steve madden vaku, madewell sandstorm boot, bc footwear atmosphere, sam edelman effie, indigo by clarks water row

i’ve been feeling a bit hesitant to post my favorite fall collections that have been coming out from smaller designers lately because i know that they make their rounds on a lot of blogs that i already read, and therefore, are looks that you may have already seen. but i decided that if i’ve taken the time to pick out my favorites and make a little gallery like the above, then it’s worth posting on my blog as a record of all of the things that are inspiring and intriguing me. so, hopefully these posts aren’t too redundant for you!

or maybe you haven’t seen the a.p.c. fall 2010 collection yet! i pretty much always want something from each and every a.p.c. collection. the quality alone is enough to get me interested, but the styling is beautiful. i love all of the simple and classic separates in fresh colors that are perfectly cheery for fall weather. and once again, i’m inspired to continue my hunt for more flat shoes, because these ladies are looking pretty darn comfy in those cute loafers.

oh, and what’s better (or worse), is that i’ve heard the murmurs in a press release that the madras collection is going to be hitting urban outfitters stores pretty soon here. making a.p.c. all the more accessible to my poor little wallet. i wonder how much longer i can resist their lofty price tags!

i should probably first point out that i’m not engaged, nor do i have any plans for a wedding of my own any time soon! but in celebration of the ruling that prop 8 (the ban on same-sex marriage in california) violated the constitution, i thought i would post some beautiful wedding dresses. though i should probably also mention that i don’t just browse around for wedding dresses on a regular basis… truth be told, i found out about these dresses because my sister recently got engaged, and she told me that she was looking for a 50’s style silhouette in a tea length with a boat-neck. well, she doesn’t know what she wants for sure, but i’ve been having a bit of fun looking for vintage and vintage-inspired dresses for her.

so this is the fancy new york spring 2010 collection. they also have a fall collection out, but i much prefer these spring styles. they are so perfectly vintage-inspired, and the best part is that most of the dresses come in sizes 2 to 20. wedding dresses for the masses! and literally, since a whole portion of the population will no longer be banned from getting married. ok, i know there’s going to be a big fight before it’s all over, but here’s to hoping!

with the amount of shopping around i’ve been doing for fall boots, i could probably do a post on shoes every single day! since i know some of my choices are probably going to be pretty predictable and in line with what’s in style (i.e. desert boots, clog boots), i thought i’d share a style that might not be the biggest trend, but certainly on my wishlist for fall: jodhpur boots. they’re also called chelsea boots or paddock boots. they originated in the victorian era as a riding boot and were adopted by the mods in the 60’s as a fashionable style. but i think they’d also incorporate quite nicely into a more modern wardrobe. perfect worn with skinny jeans sans socks!

marais usa chelsea boots $120
these are my top pick for chelsea boots because of the clean line across the top. they are the ultimate in simplicity, and the style is perfectly casual and cool. the two photos of the girl are also from marais.

aigle boots jodhpurs $119
if you live in a place that gets a lot of rain, these aigle jodhpurs are actually made to look like leather, but you get the functionality of rubber, which makes these perfect all-weather boots for the winter.

asos alfie leather chelsea ankle boots $75.80
if you’re budget is a little slim, these clock in at a slightly lower price and they come with a bit of distressing so they’re already perfectly worn in. and asos has a lot of sales, so you can probably get yourself a deal if you keep your eye out!