Inspired by the Real Thing: Madden Continues to Copy Louboutin

If Steve Madden is going to keep knocking off the maestro, Christian Louboutin, I'm going to keep bringing it to your attention, dear readers!

On the left, we have the Steve Madden Larrk which retails for $129.95. On the right, we have Christian Louboutin's Caracalo Patent Zip Pump which sells for $910. While $910 seems a lot for a shoe, my personal experience tells me that this is the better buy than the Steve Madden copy.

Inspired by the Real Thing: Marc Jacobs Stam

Since its debut in 2005, the Marc Jacobs Stam Bag has been a must-have for fashionistas. Inspired by Chanel with its quilting and chain handle and named after model Jessica Stam, the Stam looks great dressed down with jeans or dressed up with a classic dress. With a price tag of $1,350, a real Stam is out of the price range for most of us fashionistas who weren't born with a trust fund.

Luckily, Banana Republic has clearly been inspired by Marc's usage of chain and structured top handles on a frame bag and released their own version. At $198, I think the Banana Republic Fillmore deep satchel is a charming take on the Stam and a great addition to your Fall wardrobe.

For my fellow New York fashion chicks: I would highly recommend taking a trip to the Marc By Marc Jacobs store at 403 Bleecker in the Village. I bought the adorable dress below for $50 marked down from $378 yesterday! The dress is a bit sheer so I will be wearing mine with the white tank slip you see underneath in the picture. There were plenty of sizes and the dress was also available in white. Pair it with flip-flops and you have the perfect casual and easy dress for a Labor Day barbecue. Happy shopping!

Louboutin Inspired: Part 3

Those fabulous Christian Louboutin shoes that were designed for Roland Mouret's recent RM fashion show have been knocked off by Steve Madden. Compare and contrast...

Christian Louboutin Emily Shoe Boot $925


Steve Madden Chap $149.95


Is imitation the greatest form of flattery? Or is it the best way to profit off of someone else's talent? I can't say for sure. I think we all know that when you purchase a knock-off of a designer shoe, you may have something that looks like the real thing but won't be made with the quality of the materials and the craftsmanship of the original. But the reality is, how many of us can afford a $925 Christian Louboutin shoe? And Louboutin has so taken over the shoe world recently that it seems like everyone is knocking him off. Those stunning heels you're wearing right now could be a Louboutin knock-off and you don't even know it. I will leave it up to you to decide based on your budget and fashion needs what you will buy.

Inspired by the Real Thing: Christian Louboutin AGAIN

Christian Louboutin's dazzling heels continue to inspire the good people at Nine West. So take your pick: nearly $600 Louboutins or a $115 close facsimile.

Christian Louboutin Iowa Mary Janes $595

Nine West Rebecca $115

Yves Saint Laurent Inspired

Everybody is talking about the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Jane pump. That includes me. While you can now pre-order your own pair of the "it" shoes at Saks, I would not recommend doing that. Not that I'm opposed to spending $660 on a pair of shoes. If you have that kind of disposable income or if you like to treat yourself, go for it. But I think for most of us regular fashionistas, a $660 shoe is a big splurge and we don't spend it lightly. While a classic shoe that with proper care you will wear for years to come might be worth it, I don't think the YSL Tribute is a "new classic" shoe. Like Uggs boots forever remind me of the year 2003, the YSL Tribute is very "of the moment." Spending that kind of money on a shoe that will be so over this time next year seems silly to me. So now that I've talked you out of the YSL's, you can still get your peep-toe-platform-stiletto-Mary Jane-Tribute-ish fix with a lower priced brand.

Left: Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Mary Jane Pump $660

Right: Jessica Simpson Miami Mary Jane $64.99 (on sale!)

Miu Miu Inspired

Lindsay Lohan loves Miu Miu's patent leather Mary Janes. She's frequently photographed wearing the black version and she wore the blue ones in the Spring 2007 ad campaign for the brand. I can't blame her for having these shoes on heavy rotation in her wardrobe since they're such a pretty, feminine style and they work with a variety of outfits. Lindsay wears hers with short dresses or skinny jeans. Here's where you can get the real thing or Steve Madden's near identical "inspired" version.

LEFT: Miu Miu Patent Mary Jane $430
RIGHT: Steven by Steve Madden "Playful" $110

Louboutin Inspired

Christian Louboutin makes exquisite women's shoes. He's a celebrity favorite and a must-have for the affluent, stylish shoe lover. With many Louboutins priced at $600 or more, they are out of the price range of the average fashionista. Luckily, lower priced retailers such as Steve Madden and Nine West often have "inspired" versions of some luxury brand styles in their collections. Here's a way to have that Louboutin look but at a fraction of the price.


LEFT: Christian Louboutin Peep Toe Patent Pump $710
RIGHT: Steve Madden Lesson Pump $99.95

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Iowa Zeppa Mary Janes $710
RIGHT: Steve Madden Brytni $99.95

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Cork Platform Pump $595
RIGHT: Nine West Liatris Pump $89

LEFT: Christian Louboutin Canvas Platform Espadrilles $310
RIGHT: Steve Madden Maritime $69.95