Ever since moving to a place that consists of mostly sand, my shoe game has been an interesting challenge to tackle. One one hand, my heels are lasting far longer, as there are fewer opportunities to wear them. On the other hand, insisting on wearing my normal rotation of dresses has required a little more thought when it comes to my bottomest part. Yes, there are ankle boots, for which I am eternally grateful, but if I were being totally honest with myself (and my inner child), my main shoe choice of the season is probably still the sneaker.

Now, hold on. We all know normcore has come and sort of gone - at least in a name, that is. In dressing and style, its mark remains. And as with all trends, it has also evolved. Sorry Jerry Seinfeld, but it’s just not all about you anymore. These days, sneakers with everything has gone back to the mainstream. And while the cool thing to do might be to loudly write off anything mainstream, the truth of the matter is that I just don’t care if they're cool or not. Sneakers are comfortable, they look great, and I love them. So I'm going to wear them. End of story.

So how to keep them on the chicer end of things? Here are a few little tips to keep in mind:

When in doubt, go slip-on: They look more like a loafer, and the lack of laces will make them go with more things in your wardrobe. Like almost everything in your wardrobe.
Don’t pair them with anything too young looking: Sure, I might indulge in the occasional high-hemmed romper, but chances are I won’t be pairing it with sneakers. The trick to keeping yourself from looking like you're on your 20th go at the 5th grade is to keep the rest of your look on the more grown-up end of things
They look great with more dramatic pieces: From midi length skirts to long billowing trousers, sneakers are a great way to take the seriousness out of a statement piece - making said statement piece not only easier to wear, but a little less self-important. It also adds a touch of light-heartedness, and even humor, which I personally believe is incredibly important when it comes to fashion. Because while you probably won’t win the Nobel Prize for pairing sneakers with a midi dress, it could actually make your day better. Trust me, because it did for me!

xx,

Tienlyn

DRESS / SHOES / BAG / BRACELET / RING / SUNGLASSES

Photos by Nikko DeTranquilli

HOW TO WEAR SNEAKERS WITH EVERYTHING