It's another round of reader questions! Not wedding advice, just … QUESTIONS!!

Thanks to mingaling for submitting this shot to the Offbeat Bride pool!

i don’t understand the deal of moustaches. i’ve seen it done many ways in the offbeat world, i just don’t the hows or whys of this fad. -Amy

Offbeat trends often echo subcultural trends, and the mustache thing is definitely the dominion of American Hipsterism. Think skinny jeaned tousel-haired 20somethings in Brooklyn, NY or the Mission district in San Francisco. Hipsters love their irony, and ironic 'staches have been all over the place for a few years. There's a whole silly website dedicated to Hipster Girls In Mustaches. I think the trend has gone from the ironic to whimsical as the trend has evolved from '80s throwback mustaches to dastardly vintage-style mustaches-on-a-stick. I'm not sure if I can get into WHY. I suppose I could make something up about young adults searching for meaning and authentic expressions of self in a post-9/11 media-saturated culture, but I'd just be talking out of my ass.

That said, who cares about the hows or whys. Is it silly? Totally. It it rational? Absolutely not. Does it make me laugh? THEN, SCORE!

What show are you a closet fan of? -Alisha

Continue reading "What's up with mustaches; TV; namesakes for me and my kid; and fashion" →

It was really only a matter of time before my taste in loud wedding shoes led us here, ladies … and now here we are, stomping down the glittering, campy road of sparkly-ass wedding shoes.

Really, your wedding day can feel like doing a form of drag — the fancy dress, the up-do, everyone staring at you. So why not take it a half-step over the top? Even if you're wearing a more conservative white dress, a twinkle under your hem can add a wink of camp to even a formal church wedding.

Sequins! Rhinestones! Glitter! Because if it's too loud … you're too old.

That in mind, I give to you my favorite glittering wedding shoes…

Continue reading "Sparkly wedding shoes" →

Another week for me to geek out on wedding shoes!

Last week, I heard from several readers who were like, "Yeah sure cute — but what about those of us who want to wear flats?" While I make a point to include flats in every batch of shoes I feature, as someone who can't walk in a heel over 2 inches, I got nothing but love for the ladies who want to rock the flats on their wedding day.

And so, without further ado, here's my collection of lovely low wedding flats that will make you feel 10 feet tall:

Continue reading "Wedding flats for brides who hate heels" →

Ooh, it's time for another edition of Foot Fetish, where-in I inflict my questionably loud taste in special occasion footwear uponst my willing offbeat victims!

This week, I'm focusing on veggie-friendly heels. From as best as I can tell, all these shoes are all made with non-animal products — most of them are rubber, synthetic, or satin uppers with man-made soles and insoles. The advantage of man-made materials? Yes they're nicer to our animal friends, but they're often also cheaper than leather. The disadvantage? Sometimes quality ain't forever-wear awesome — but that's the joy of wedding shoes: hopefully you only need to wear 'em once!

So, without further ado, let's dive into some crazy/fabulous cruelty-free wedding footwear. As always, click on the shoe picture to view more information, as you imagine these fabulous-but-animal-friendly beauties peeking out from under the hem of your wedding dress:

Continue reading "Veggie wedding heels for daring-but-cruelty-free brides" →

Now when I say "green" I mean the color — I'll be focusing on vegan/veggie shoes next week. This week is all about BRIGHT! GREEN! WEDDING! SHOES! The kind that make your guests go, "Wait, did I just see a flash of green glitter under that white — naw. Couldn't be."

Again, my omg shoeth!! posts are a reflection of the fact that I like my fancy-time shoes LOUD (I wore mis-matched Camper twins at my wedding). That said, I tried to go for a range of styles here — everything from heels to all-stars to destination wedding beach wedges to sparkling Ziggy Startdust/Wonder Woman platform boots for your winter glam rock loft nuptials.

Anyway, to learn more about a particular shoe, just click zee photo below…

Continue reading "Imagine these green shoes peeking out from under your wedding gown" →