With summer officially here, there’s one shoe you must have in your closet, and it’s the strappy high heel sandal, according to celebrity stylist Maeve Reilly.
“I’m very obsessed with the strappy sandal. I can’t get one of my lovely ladies out of this awesome, affordable Femme LA heel. We literally have them in every color,” said Reilly, who is responsible for the street style and red carpet looks of clients Hailey Bieber, Megan Fox and Ciara, among others.
Though the go-to sandals may not be easy to walk in, Reilly admitted, the silhouette is a great style hack when looking to elevate any outfit. “Even with jean shorts in the summer, wearing a strappy, sexy sandal is super hot and it elongates the leg. It is very flattering,” she said.
Bieber has been a prime example. Last month she was seen in Paris, for instance, wearing a cutout knit LaQuan Smith dress with a halter silhouette, paired with her go-to Femme LA vegan sandals that retail for just $189.
Other shoe brands Reilly can’t get enough of are Amina Muaddi and Bottega Veneta.
One trend she isn’t jumping on, however, is the divisive flip flop. “That’s a big no for me,” she said, noting that slide sandals or sport sandals that offer a bit of an edge are doable.
Although, when it comes to fashion, it is not about following trends, Reilly added.
“That’s what I love so much about what I do — each of my clients are totally different girls and what one loves the other doesn’t. And it’s my job to make sure that I’m paying attention to what each of them want to wear and who they are as women,” she said. “My girls dress for themselves and what they find to be the most flattering for them. Wearing what you’re comfortable in and what is best for your body is always my go-to recommendation.”
Besides the strappy sandal, Reilly said using color in ensembles this summer is a must. “Even if it’s just the bag and the shoe and the rest of the fit is really neutral, that pop of color can be really sexy. A bright toenail, too, is an easy and simple way to embrace color,” she said.
While Reilly often has the top designers at her fingertips, she is a fan of mixing high and low. And to show her followers and fashion fans how easy it is to break purchases into smaller more manageable amounts, the stylist partnered with PayPal to use the company’s Pay in 4 feature, in order to pay in increments. To top it off, she is then styling her favorite summer pieces together and will be sharing the final outfit next week.
A post shared by Maeve Reilly (@stylememaeve)
According to research by PayPal, while the return of heels and dressing up again is having a comeback, 60% of Gen Z and Millennials are rethinking what items they need and how they plan to pay for them. With that in mind, more consumers are leaning towards the “buy now, pay later” trend, with 57% feeling it’s a smarter way to shop.