In These Shoes: J.Crew crystal wing ballet flats

While thus far in this series I've featured exclusively high-heeled shoes, believe it or not, I do wear flats. One major time of the year I do this is at Thanksgiving, when I go to Boston to visit MW's family. Flats are pretty much a necessity in Boston due to the cobblestone streets--how anyone wears heels in that city is beyond me. Boston is also home to umpteen universities, so there are always a lot of students walking around in appropriately preppy fashion. So it's fitting that the new J.Crew holiday catalog recently arrived in my mailbox, because Boston is a J.Crew kind of town. True, under the creative direction of Jenna Lyons, the chain has become a little more feminine and fashiony, but at its heart lies sweaters, khakis...and ballet flats. Even for a platform-loving gal like me, J.Crew's flats always make me do a double-take, and these crystal wing ballet flats are no exception. True, they are softer, prettier, and slightly more conservative than what I normally wear, but what J.Crew does so well in its catalogs is sell the J.Crew lifestyle--slip into these and you, too, can spend your holidays drinking hot toddies and exchanging chicly wrapped presents in some grand old estate in New England. More literally, I like the combination of suede and satin, as well as the fancy crystal embellishment, which makes them look vintage, but better. They're elegant, but they look comfortable too, and they might just help me blend in this weekend. As they say, when in Boston...

Use code TURKEY for 25% off your $150 purchase (which covers these beauties) at JCrew.com through midnight on 11/28. Consider it my Thanksgiving treat for you.