Accessories From the Knee Down: These Feet Were Made for Gawking
Long gone are the days when wearing even a simple golden anklet could be considered vampy. And though jewelry from the knee down may strike some as a little unusual, the trend definitely has a toehold in the accessories market. Playing around with the jewelry, which can be found in boutiques and department stores, is half the fun.
Anklets can be worn singly or stacked just like bangle bracelets. Same goes for toe rings, which encircle the tootsies comfortably with colorful beads on elastic.
Toe rings come in a cuff style as well. (Like wrist or ear cuffs, these bangles are incomplete circles and are easy to slip on.) Designers Stefanie Blackstock and Jenifer Rouse-Barber of Malibu have created upscale toe cuffs in 14-karat white or yellow gold, with or without precious stones. Their Kiss My Toes line, retailing for $175-$300 per cuff, includes delicate flowers, hearts, bows and butterflies. Kiss My Toes designs are carried at Fred Segal Santa Monica and Melrose as well as Jennifer Kaufman at the Beverly Center.
For women who are squeamish about showing their feet, much less showing them off, Rouse-Barber pointed out that “with all the open-toed, stylish shoes, especially in the summertime, first it is important to be well pedicured. A French pedicure, for example, is a great way to have clean, understated, pretty toes.”
Adding a simple, elegant piece of toe jewelry, she said, “is a perfect way to be sexy and sophisticated in any open-toed shoe.”
Yunnie Kim, owner and buyer for the Tiara (purse and jewelry) boutique at Fred Segal Santa Monica, added: “Having a diamond cuff on your toe is a perfect way to take the attention away from whatever it is you don’t like about your feet. Feet are a very sensual part of your body. Foot jewelry to men is eye candy. Men love it. They see a pedicure and then the jewelry, and they go ga-ga over it.”
Now, kick up your (well-groomed and bejeweled) heels and sparkle.
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Candace A. Wedlan can be reached at candace.wedlan@latimes.com.
