Sarah Jessica Parker May Have an Awesome Shoe Line, But Her Promo Style Is Awful

Fashion it-girls are a dime a dozen in today’s fame- and style-obsessed world, but at the end of the day, it’s the lasting style icons who are the only ones who truly matter. We’re talking ladies like Kate Moss, Anna Wintour, even Michelle Obama — ladies who can practically do no wrong, no matter what gorgeous, fashion-forward, and sometimes-risky outfits they sport. And up until recently, we thought the ever-stylish Sarah Jessica Parker fit that bill pretty well — until she started showing up at appearance after appearance wearing ensembles that even Carrie Bradshaw might look at with confusion, that is.

We were beyond thrilled when, months ago, we heard that Parker was launching her own footwear line, and were even more excited as images of the polished, cutesy, and slightly quirky designs started to trickle in. Now that the line — sold exclusively at Nordstrom — has actually launched, however, we’re feeling pretty let down. And not over the shoes, but over the outfits SJP has been wearing to promote them.

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First came the highly questionable denim overall capris that she donned on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show while talking up her SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker shoe line, which she completed with an off-the-shoulder white blouse and an admittedly adorable pair of teal suede pumps. Sure, that wouldn’t be our choice of outfit while promoting our new shoe brand on national television, but it is probably an outfit that Carrie Bradshaw would both approve of and wear herself.

The real problem arose when SJP ditched her glamorous gowns, tasteful frocks, and sleek skirts in favor of tween-tastic dress-and-T-shirt ensembles. First, she showed up to a pop-up shop event in New York City sporting a white lace crop top over a plain, long-sleeved black dress and tights, then she headed to a Nordstrom-hosted event in Los Angeles wearing a white lace dress over a black long-sleeved shirt, black tights, and the same teal pumps she wore on Ellen. The most recent disaster happened when she donned a red, lace tank dress over a puffy white button-down, sheer navy tights that stopped at the ankle, and a pair of black T-strap heels to a launch event in Florida.

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The dress-over-shirt ensemble isn’t a bad one in and of itself, as we’ve seen stars like Alexa Chung pull this look off perfectly again and again, and it can be a chic way to warm up a summer dress for cool, winter weather. But there’s simply no excuse for a woman of Parker’s sartorial caliber to don a look so uninspiring not just once, but three times over the last few weeks.

And it’s not even that these outfits are so wacky that they borderline on good (or at least intriguing), because we could understand that coming from SJP. (After all, this is a woman who’s worn a leather jacket over a ball gown and the world’s most insane headpiece to the Met Gala). Rather, it’s that they’re so un-noteworthy, average, and just plain boring that we can’t believe one of today’s living fashion legends would dare to step out in them.

Not that it’s our job to put the Carrie Bradshaw in her sartorial place, but we do have a few sage pieces of advice that Parker may want to consider next time she throws on a lace dress over a T-shirt and tights.

First, try a little statement jewelry. That white lace dress would have had at least a little visual intrigue had she traded out her tiny pendant necklace for a major bauble à la the one she wore to last year’s AOL Digital Content NewFront event.

Second, if you’re going to tuck a button-down shirt under a loose-fitting lace dress, be sure to choose a slim-fit blouse to avoid drowning in a ton of unnecessary fabric. And finally, when all else fails and you really can’t think of anything more exciting to wear, it never hurts to throw on a bright, bold red lip.

Listen, we love Parker more than your average girl, so that probably explains why her promo style is upsetting us so much. But is it too demanding to ask for one of our favorite style icons to put in at least a little effort on her latest fashion adventure? We think not.

Janetta Mackay: White shoe shuffle

A month ago, I bought a pair of white punched leather flats, which I fancied were fun. As write this, I haven't worn them, but by the time you read this I may well have succumbed. I'm experimenting by taking these sort-of-sandshoes safely out of the country, to the islands where white is always fashionable.

If I slip my feet into white shoes I will be breaking one of my own little style rules.

Where my self-imposed shackles of supposed good taste come from, I'm not entirely sure. There may have been some childhood conditioning - after I grew out of white toddler sandals - but I think my aversion springs from tribal adolescence. I wore black Dr. Martens and if you were a skanky ho - or worse still, simply had no idea - then you wore fringed white ankle boots. Of course, no one knew what a ho was back then and I hope that nowadays I'm less given to scathing and sweeping wardrobe judgments, but a boot is a no-go zone.

Fashion-forward types will doubtless consider me terribly behind-the-times avoiding white, but before I give up on being judgmental let's just say I don't get how it got "ironic" for stylists to recycle that particular look. Referential maybe, try-hard tired more like.

I do see the appeal of white summer flats on brown skin. But I don't tan.

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The lightest shoe I'll wear is nude and, even then, I'd rather not. White heels I struggle with. On me: no thanks; on others: strappy maybe, courts maybe not.

Yes, yes, I know Bianca Jagger looked fabulous in her white wedding trouser suit and matching shoes, but that's her. Hitch down your hemline. I avoided the issue altogether by not marrying in white.

Women who wear white well do impress, although surely they must carry a spare set of everything in their limos. But white - and that includes fashion's so-called essential white shirt - has never washed with me. Partly because white looks unwashed so damn fast. I know this because, truth to tell, I have previously broken my own anti-white rules. There has been numerous unsuccessful attempts to find the perfect white top and a few pairs of pale shoes to ponder upon. First, there was a pair of pointy-toed white leather flats that I admit to being quite fond of until no amount of shoe cream could save them. Then there was the op-shop find of a pair of white 60s stilettos in mint condition, but they soon scuffed their way out of my wardrobe.

I try to avoid trainers, for all sorts of reasons, but at least they can come coloured. The "white" ones are like blobs of blancmange. In defence of my wardrobe foibles, they do help reduce the clutter of choice.

But change is in the air. Those white lace-ups sit upon my shoe rack, waiting. Down the hall, rules are being broken. Last school holidays, on the drive from Melbourne airport to the city, my daughter spotted a giant billboard of a model wearing what looked like a white roman sandal with a platform sole. Turns out these flat-forms are the shoe of the season for young things, and soon we were spotting versions in every chain store all ver

town. Pester power secured her a pair.

But please, not an ankle boot!