A(n augmented) rainbow of about-town flats

In part because so many of you seem to favor flats, in part because I realized through an admission to a friend on Friday night that aside from these which have recently developed two symmetrical half-dollar sized sole-holes that I myself have nary a pair of the non-Summer sort (and probably should), and in part because it's been more than six months since I put forth my last colorful array of heel-less footwear, I decided to update - and augment with a couple of nice animal-prints - the last collection by assembling the 16-strong selection you'll find below.

Enjoy.

Bodacious bow flat by Two Lips ($74 at piperlime.com)

Patent bow flat by Prada ($229.99 at bluefly.com) Pisces ballet flat by All Black ($79 at barefootess.com)*

Abbie suede ballet flat ($150 at jcrew.com) Treasured suede flat by Poetic License ($86 at revolveclothing.com)

Cutie suede ankle strap flat by Jeffery Campbell ($74 at lorisdesignershoes.com)Bow-front ballerina flats ($12 at asos.com) Theories snakeskin flat by Steven ($109.95 at stevemadden.com)

Carmen chain flat by Sam Edelman ($94.95 at nordstrom.com)*Bindi t-strap flat by DKNY Shoes ($135 at shopbop.com)

Cap-toe Mary Jane flats by MARC by Marc Jacobs ($295 at shopbop.com)

Mirror flat by Shelly’s London ($52.95 at zappos.com)

Charleen metallic flat ($19.80 at forever21.com)

Moritz-28 snakeskin flat by Dolce Vita ($98 at shopkitson.com)*Limon flats by Betsey Johnson ($230 at betseyjohnson.com) Zebra ballet flat by Scoop $165 at scoopnyc.com)
*your Editrix's top picks

Because I don't wanna hear a flip nor a flop past October 1st... (pt. II)

Even though I strongly believe one should wear the same shoes on one's way to and from the office one intends to wear at the office, I understand some of you - the majority of you, actually - are sticking to your guns on this one, be it for comfort, principle or some other reason my appearance-first-practicality-last priority set can't quite comprehend.

As we begin to transition away from treks to the pool and the rooftop happy hours of Summer and move toward long-sleeved runs and the grande pumpkin spice lattes of Fall, so too does our footwear need to undergo a reshuffling of seasonal sorts. The ground will soon become colder, the precipitation less refreshing, the wind less a relief, all of which will have the tops, sides and tippy-ends of our feet begging for shelter, not exposure.

On the one hand, I'm very excited about Sunday, the first official day of Fall. I love opaque tights and rich autumnal colors like wine, gunmetal and of course, black and brown. I love thick, fitted sweater dresses, structured military-style coats and seeing more women rock the short dark nails.

And then, of course, there are the boots. Like most women (and all men), one of the great joys of the crisper air is the emergence of those tall, slim, sleek cold weather boots.

But you all seem to want flats from me, so fine, I've put together a small collection thereof, nearly all of which - save for the Marc Jacobs pair, oddly enough - are aesthetically pleasing enough to pair with any upmarket professional ensemble not just for the commute but for the entire day.

What did it take for a flat to make my short list? Well, for starters, the material needed to be of a thicker, sturdier, more weather resistant variety. I like suedes (provided you use a good weather protectant), patent leathers, hearty matte leathers and yes, in one instance, even a jelly. After material, the next most important factor in a good cool weather commuter shoe is the sole. I can't tell you how uncomfortable I was this past weekend in the chilly high-40s of the Upper Midwest in my favorite t-strap flats because the wafer-thin soles were so wafer-thin I could actually feel the steely cold of the ground underfoot with every step I took.

Not to mention every crumble of gravel.

Finally, I chose only those flats I thought complemented the Fall color palette, most of which I previously mentioned.

So here below are nine very pretty pairs of flats that will help make the 'goodbye' to Spring sleevelessness and Summer suntans a bit more palatable.

Enjoy.

Minetta flat by Matt Bernson ($165 at barefootess.com)

Jelly mouse shoes by Marc Jacobs ($155 at net-a-porter.com)

Peaches patent tap shoe flat by Loeffler Randall ($375 at shopbop.com)*

Simona patent flat by Calvin Klein ($97.95 at nordstrom.com) Gumdrop t-strap flat by Oh Deer! ($95.99 at amazon.com)

Adelle lined flat by Kate Spade ($248 at lorisdesignershoes.com)**

Cutie suede flat by Jeffery Campbell ($74 at lorisdesignershoes.com)*Skyler Mary Jane by Poetic License ($92.95 at zappos.com)Gillian flat by KORS Michael Kors ($98.95 at zappos.com)

*your Editrix's top picks
**only acceptable if snow is on the ground and your other flats are at the cobbler's

Because I don't wanna hear a flip nor a flop past October 1st...

I'm working on a piece (to be posted later this evening) that will both explain the reasons for and provide a colorful, bountiful selection of for-Fall commuting shoes.

Because if you thought there was nothing worse than seeing a woman in a suit showing off her French pedi in a pair of thick-strapped, thick-foamed Reefs, try a woman in a suit showing off her French pedi in a pair of thick-strapped, thick-foamed Reefs whose toes are tight and blue from morning chill.

Yeah, not so good.

Until then, enjoy a few of the little (anticipatory) pleasures that have been putting a smile on my face as of late...

"Le Disko" by Shiny Toy Guns

"Last One Standing" (premieres on the Discovery Channel on Oct. 4th)

Lust, Caution (rated NC-17, opens in limited release on Sept. 28th)

If I had a sugar daddy...

Patent T-strap ballerina flat by Chie Mihara

$295 at neimanmarcus.com

Since I don't (yet)

I like it T-strap flat by Nine West

$29.99 at ninewest.com

City-walking Summer sandals

"Help! I need a good pair of city-sandals in a neutral color that'll look cute with dresses, shorts and jeans. I want them flat and 'barely-there,' as you often say. Thanks!"

How fortuitous, I was just putting together such a group of perfect-for-walking-the-city-streets Summer sandals!

There's nothing more sigh-worthy than waking up on a sunny Saturday morning, slipping on an eyelet mini, an upbeat Oldies iMix (Everly Brothers, Cat Stevens and CCR required) and finally, that favorite pair of gladiator flats that firmly says to the world - in direct contrast to your diva-black pedicure - "I think with my heart, not my head!"

Since you didn't give me a specific price-point, I took the liberty of providing both an "If I had a Sugar Daddy" and a "Since I don't (yet)" option for each of the neutral - i.e. brown, white, black, silver and gold - colors.

Go on now, get your walk on in one of these delicious pairs of barely-there Summer sandals.

4306 by Belle by Sigerson Morrison ($225 at piperlime.com)

Gavi gladiator sandal by KORS Michael Kors ($129 at eluxury.com)*
Falvie sandal by Jill Stuart ($268 at ronherman.com)
Naïve sandal by Matisse ($99.95 at nordstrom.com)

Valerie patent sandal by K. Jacques St. Tropez ($175 at net-a-porter.com)
Flat strappy sandal ($28 at urbanoutfitters.com)
Xanadu sandal by Report ($178.95 at zappos.com) Capri sandal by MIA ($46 at lorisdesignershoes.com)*
Oval sandal by Stuart Weitzman ($198 at zappos.com)

Athens-4 sandal by Dolce Vita ($70 at shopdolcevita.com)

*your editrix's top picks

Spring Essentials (pt. IV): bronzer and round-toed flats

Bronzer
There are few beauty products on which I am willing to spend in excess of $20. In my world, clothes, shoes and Montesquieu are the top three budgetary appropriation priorities. $60 for foundation? $300 for facial moisturizer? $35 for mascara? $18.50 for eyeliner? $165 for under-eye dark-circle minimizer?

Please.

I recognize I'm fortunate to have been born with not-too-dry, not-too-oily, not-too-affected-by-inexpensive-products skin. I also recognize most women are reluctant to rely on a drugstore-cosmetic-only regiment for fear of breakouts, allergic reactions or just an overall poor beauty performance. The decision to allocate a larger portion of your income to expensive lotions, concealers, non-hypoallergenic brushes and cellulite-reduction creams is one I greatly respect and one I won't try to change. We each have our vices, and for me, makeup and toiletries are high on the list but far, far behind the aforementioned trifecta.

There is one shimmery exception to this rule, however, and that is my precious bronzer.

Bronzer, bronzer, bronzer -- what would I do without my portable, non-wrinkle-inducing, natural-looking suntan in a compact?

Bronzer, contrary to what you may think, is not a Spring/Summer-only cosmetic. Like your favorite vamp-it-up red lipstick or your feeling-sassy-today cobalt blue eyeliner, this bit of sunkissed goodness is only a swipe away *all year round.* As long as you do your homework, take a full day of test-drives at the makeup counter (I like the ladies at Nordstrom best for their honest opinions without the Saks attitude) and choose one that matches your skin-tone, you have the potential to look bronzed throughout all 12 calendar months.

This is not to say one of these items listed below will make you look July-brown in February - let's hope not, anyway - but they will definitely supplant your Winter pastiness with a pre-Spring contouring glow. And for that reason, I deem bronzer more than any other item in my at-home, travel or special-occasion makeup bags, worth the sorrow in channeling money away my shoe fund to pay an inflated department store price.

On a final note, I have yet to try a bronzing gel, so I can't authoritatively testify to their effectiveness or ineffectiveness, but according to several beauty outlets such as Allure, InStyle and my always perfectly made-up friend in London, gels like the Trish McEvoy one shown above, for their glossy sheen, their ease and quickness of placement and moisturizing benefits, are the bronzers of the future.

Recommend bronzers:
1. Bronzing powder by NARS ($28 at sephora.com)
2. Sun by Stila ($26 at sephora.com)
3. Brazilian bronzing sheen by BECCA ($26 at sephora.com)
4. Powder bronzer by Tarte ($28 at tartecosmetics.com)
5. Bronze shimmer brick compact by Bobbi Brown ($38 at nordstrom.com)
6. Bronzing gel by Laura Mercier ($30 at lauramercier.com)*
7. Poudre Sôleil by Lancôme ($34.50 at saks.com)
8. Highlights bronzer by Trish McEvoy ($32 at saks.com)
9. True bronze bronzing gel by Clinique ($18.50 at macys.com)
10. Hoola by Benefit ($26 at sephora.com)

*shown above right

Round-toed flats
I love my sense of style, but if there's one thing I love even more than writing about what I think looks good, it's communicating to you what I think you should give up forever (square-toed shoes), take a chance on (walking to work in skinny heels) and covet as much as I do (Monica Bellucci smoking on a rock).

That being said, If I'm feeling repetitive in writing about certain wardrobe components - cute flats is chief among these - you must be getting bored, too.

So instead of my blathering on about how dressy flats are the grown up flip-flop, how perfectly they complement a pair of skinny or straight-leg jeans, and how they are your safest and most effective tool for injecting into your ensemble that punch of bright color, click here and then here, and then check out my recommendations below.

Oh, one quick note: the only reason why I advocate the round-toe over any other style when it comes to flats is simply because flats are for feeling and looking a sophisticated brand of cute, not sexy, not powerful, not come-hither but cute. A pointy-toed flat, in addition to looking like a couple of Ferretti yachts, conjures up one of two things -- (1) a PTA-Mom who along with mascara and an identity has given up on heels or (2) a poor soul who broke both heels mid-way to work and had no choice but to scrape her way into the office as is.

Just stick to the ballerina style.

Recommended flats:
1. Plus by Steve Madden ($56 at lorisdesignershoes.com)
2. Social climber by Seychelles ($60 at lorisdesignershoes.com)
3. Reva ballerina flat by Tory Burch ($225 at toryburch.com)
4. Maddie by Luichiny ($75.95 at zappos.com)
5. Twillo by Steven ($99.95 at zappos.com)
6. London-7 flat by Dolce Vita ($109.95 at nordstrom.com)*
7. Carrie t-strap flat by Sam Edelman ($135 at bloomingdales.com)
8. Lagoon flats by Repetto ($168 at anthropologie.com)
9. Garter snake flats ($138 at anthropologie.com)
10. Papeete flats by Delman ($74.95 at anthropologie.com)

*shown above right

Since I don't (yet)

Athens t-strap thong by Dolce Vita
$77 at pinkmascara.com

A rainbow of about-town flats

Today was a lazy afternoon of sun-lit reading (i.e. suntanning while occasionally flipping a page in my hardcover), lounging on the patio of a 17th St. cantina while nibbling on veggie enchilades and knocking back a couple of longnecks, and doing pretty much nothing else but check-in obsessively with Monte's father to make sure our nascent joint-custody arrangement was in his best interest (it was) and praise Allah for nice weather on a day when I didn't have to be behind my desk.

When I finally collapsed on my couch around 7 o'clock after no fewer than three straight hours of walking up and down DC's abandoned downtown corridors - crossing the streets strategically, of course, so as to keep equal sun-time on each of my right and left sides - I unhinged the delicate buckles on my gold Grecian-style sandals, slipped them back into their home on the bottom shelf of my shoe display and said out loud, "It's true, sometimes a girl really does need her flats."

In that spirit, enjoy this collection of about-town flats I've assembled for all of you about-town girls:

Top to bottom:

1. Carlyn flats by Sam Edelman ($128.95 at zappos.com)*
2. Nest flat by Bettye Muller ($310 at piperlime.com)
3. Moritz-3 by Dolce Vita ($100.95 at zappos.com)
4. Celine flats by Sam Edelman ($80 at lorisdesignershoes.com)
5. Sweet emotion flat by Joie ($155 at shopbop.com)
6. Nicole flat by Jeffery Campbell ($62.95 at nordstrom.com)
7. 4106 by Belle by Sigerson Morrison ($205 at zappos.com)
8. 7533 by Janet & Janet ($196 at lorisdesignershoes.com)*
9. Ankle strap scaled leather flats ($105 at shopintuition.com)
10. Striped skimmer by Jeffery Campbell ($88 at urbanoutfitters.com)
11. Asheni flat by Adidas ($84.95 at nordstrom.com)
12. Perry ballet flat by Tory Burch ($225 at toryburch.com)

*your editrix's top picks