Beauty & Fashion

Fancy Shoes For Femmes & Fetishists

Kate Sloan

When my amigos at Sex Toys Canada told me they were starting a shoe site, I got reeeeal excited. Because, as a femme, I love ridiculous shoes. I may not wear them very often (in fact, hardly ever), but when an occasion arises that requires an out-of-control, over-the-top pair of shoes, you just gotta have ’em.

I combed through Shoe Freaks ogling pumps and boots (my life is so hard, am I right?!) and picked a few of my favorites to highlight for you. Now let’s all revel in fancy femme footwear for a while…

I didn’t fully recognize Minnie Mouse as a femme icon until my 3-year-old cousin became obsessed with her and started rocking her merch 24/7. And yeah, girl is a hella cute mouse. These Funtasma flats are a subtle homage to Minnie and would pair beautifully with an all-black ensemble or a little red dress. (And they’re only $19! Score.)

These Bordello Teeze boots are fantastic. If I am ever fortunate enough to be invited to a Goldmember-themed party, I will seriously consider making these a part of my costume. They would look bangin’ with some white booty shorts and maybe a gold sequinned halter top. And they have stretchy tops and a side-zip closure, so even chubby-thigh’ed folks comme moi could probably squeeze into them.

I have desperately wanted marabou slippers ever since seeing Renée Zellweger prance around in them in a dance sequence in Down With Love. They are pretty much the most glamorous thing you can put on your feet, especially for loungin’. This Fabulicious pair has a manageably low heel and a cushioned inside, so you could potentially bum around in them at home all day without traumatizing your feet for the sake of beauty.

These Demonia sandals are like what Dana Scully from The X Files would wear if she was dressing as a Spice Girl for Halloween. ’90s vibes out the wazoo. And I love that ankle strap, because it means this shoe would actually stay on your foot while you were out chasing aliens or dancing to “Wannabe” or whatever else Scully Spice does in her spare time.

 

A pal of mine is getting married soon, and I’m one of her bridesmaids. I think these bridal pumps would be right up her alley. They’re girly and fun but still sophisticated, and the side cut-outs are classically sexy. I also love the idea of your wedding shoes being your “something blue”; if that’s your jam, Pinup Couture makes some blue glitter pumps that kiiiinda give me heart palpitations. (Maybe I can convince my friend that these need to be our bridesmaid kicks…)

If Dorothy Gale grew up to be a drag queen and/or a stripper, she would absolutely wear these Pleaser sandals. And they would look fucking fierce on her. There’s no place like home, baby!

What shoes do you put on when you want to feel like you own the goddamn universe?

Dildoface: Rainbow Amor

Kate Sloan

Dildoface: Rainbow Amor from Girly Juice on Vimeo.

Pride is one of my favorite dress-up occasions of the whole year. It’s common to see Pride spectators and participants wearing eye-gougingly bright colors, over-the-top kinky ensembles, or sometimes nothing at all. For a fan of the outrageous, it’s a beautiful time to be alive!

Inspired by Pride weekend here in Toronto, I decided to make a video. It’s the first in what’ll hopefully be a series of DILDO-INSPIRED MAKEUP TUTORIALS! (How did I never think of this before?!)

In this video, I show you how to do an obnoxiously bright rainbow eye look, inspired by the Fun Factory Rainbow Amor. It’s one of the cutest dildos in my collection, and even featured prominently in a strap-on selfie I took this morning. What better dildo to evoke an eyeshadow look?

If you want an Amor of your very own, you can get one at SheVibe. The rainbow version has been discontinued (boo!), but you can still get one in pink, orange, or black. Adorbz!

Let me know what you think of Dildoface: should I do more videos like this? What dildos from my collection would make for good makeup muses? I’m all ears!

Party Essentials for Foxy Femmes

Kate Sloan

It’s that time of year again: FEMINIST PORN WEEK! And you know what that means: I am going to zillions of events.

Seriously. My schedule is so crowded this week that I had to make a spreadsheet to keep track of the time and location of each event, how to get from one to the next on public transit, and what I plan on wearing to each.

I promise I will have a full and juicy wrap-up for you next week, complete with outfit photos – but for now, I’m still meticulously working out my schedule and throwing ensembles together. In that spirit, here are some things I think every femme ought to have in her arsenal for times such as these…

A pair of gorgeous shoes you can dance in

Define “gorgeous” however you please. My favorite shoes in the world are my Frye harness boots: thick black leather, a slight heel, incredibly comfortable, and just sliiiightly sexual (the harness on the side looks like, well, a dildo harness). I happily wear them everywhere except the most formal of occasions, and they serve me very well.

I also recently found this pair of cherry-red Sofft T-strap pumps at a thrift store for $10.50 (CAN YOU BELIEVE?!?) and they are surprisingly danceable. I plan on wearing them to the Feminist Porn Awards gala on Friday.

If comfort and mobility are what you’re after (and they should be), I recommend a Mary Jane, T-strap or ankle strap style. The extra support will keep the shoe on your foot more securely, making it easier to walk, run, dance or whatever without too much pain. (To be real with you, though: I’ve never met a pair of heels that didn’t hurt at least a little. I consider them a worthwhile/necessary evil for how cute they make me feel, however.)

A long-lasting lipstick that makes you feel radiant

Few things can light up your face like a well-chosen lip color. For parties, make sure you go with a longwear formulation so you can drink and/or kiss to your heart’s content. (Depending on the formula, some color might end up on your glass or your date, but if you choose well, it’ll stay on your face nonetheless!)

For parties, I tend to go with either a classic red or a hot pink. Kat Von D’s “Outlaw” is a total vixen red and Bite lipstick in “Violet” is the creamiest shocking pink I’ve ever found. If you like something a little subtler (or cheaper), trot down to your drugstore and grab one of those Revlon “balmstains” that look like oversized crayons; their balm-like formula can be worn lightly or heavily for different effects, and they really do stay comfortable and colorful all night long. (I think “Smitten” is the prettiest shade.)

A convenient bag containing everything you’ll need

By “convenient,” here’s what I mean: it should be small and light enough that you won’t be annoyed or in need of a massage by the end of the night, but it should be big enough to carry your crucial stuff. It should have a strap (shoulder, crossbody, or wrist) so you will have full use of your hands all evening (FUCK CLUTCHES, am I right?!). And, convenience aside, it should go with your outfit – which is why most of my “party bags” are an easy-to-match color like black or silver.

Here’s what you should pack for a party: your phone, a couple pieces of ID, whatever you need for travel (Metropass, car keys, etc.), slightly more cash than you think you’ll need, debit/credit cards, a camera (if your phone’s camera doesn’t meet your photographic standards), your lipstick, any other cosmetics you might need to reapply, a small mirror, condoms (even if you don’t need one, someone else might), and any medication or other necessary objects you need to have with you for safety reasons. You can bring more than that, if you want, but it probably won’t get used, so you might as well leave it at home.

Cute underwear

This is for two reasons. Firstly, you never know when someone attractive might see you in your skivvies. Secondly, you will feel more confident and adorable if you’re dressed well under your clothes. (Just ask Tori Amos if you don’t believe me.)

Fun hosiery

There are few things more delightful than having a new pair of kneesocks or thigh-high stockings to rock. Good legwear brings something extra to an outfit and is worth investing in, if you are femininely inclined.

American Apparel does my favorite stay-ups (which actually STAY UP, even on my chubby thighs! Hallelujah!) and I hear wonderful things about the socks and tights at Sock Dreams. I’m also ride-or-die for Hue opaque tights, which come in lots of fun colors and are just the best-quality hosiery I’ve ever found (I have pairs that I’ve owned for years without rips or runs!).

Fellow femmes: what clothes and makeup do you always have in hand in case of a Party Emergency?

What Aesthetics Turn You On?

Kate Sloan

Isn’t it weird how attraction works?

There are sometimes specific reasons you can point to: clear answers to the question, “Why am I attracted to this person/quality/feature?” And sometimes the answers are less clear.

It can have to do with our formative experiences. I’ve had a thing for fauxhawks, particularly dyed-purple ones, ever since my first girlfriend at age 15 rocked one in the Facebook profile photos I pored over during many a lovelorn late night.

It can have to do with what makes us feel sexy. I know my predilection for staring at 1950s-inspired lingerie is all about my hyper-femme identity: when my eyes roam all over babely pinup models in product shots, I get turned on not because I want to fuck those women but because I want to be those women. And I know I feel beautiful when I wear what they’re wearing.

The line gets blurry a lot. I have occasional days when all I want to wear is impeccably tailored pants, beautiful silk neckties, crisp collared shirts, and shiny lace-up brogues – and I’m not sure whether that comes from my own gender fluctuations or from a fundamental desire to fuck people who dress like that. It makes me happy to tart myself up like a dapper dandy from time to time, so I don’t question it too much.

I have a vision board (also known by its technical name, “a corkboard with a bunch of pictures pinned to it”) which I created to evoke the feelings of my ideal relationship, and how my ideal partner would make me feel. It’s covered in pictures of cute people (boys, girls, androgynes, and others) variously wearing geek glasses, plaid flannel, leather jackets, V-neck cashmeres, Pucci bowties, and sharp blazers.

But I also get dark stirrings of something like lust when I see feminine ladies rocking thigh-high socks, bouncy pigtails, tight striped sweaters, fit-and-flare dresses, perfectly-applied red lipstick, platform wedges, and/or neat little hair bows. I’ve never particularly wanted to date or fuck a rockabilly femme in real life, but they own permanent property in the fantasy-visuals sector of my brain.

Oh, who knows why we like what we do?!

What aesthetics turn you on? What clothing, accessory, or hairstyle makes you want to climb someone like a tree? And do you know where those feelings come from, or are they just sorta random for you?

Image credits, clockwise from top left: Beautiful illustration by Cameron Stewart. Leather-and-gingham street fashion photo via Costin M. Photo of Andy Samberg and Joanna Newsom (babeliest couple ever?!) from the Independent Spirit Awards via People StyleWatch. Screencap of Olly Alexander from the God Help the Girl movie (watch it, it’s visually and sonically stunning). Santiago and Diaz illustration by Celeste Doodles.

Talismans for Sex Appeal, Confidence & Foxiness

Kate Sloan

I’m fascinated by the idea of talismans: pieces of jewelry or other items you wear on your person often (maybe every day) that hold some significance to you, that give you some kind of power or magic or important reminder.

A friend of mine wears a rose quartz point necklace daily because she feels its love energy is good for her. Another friend has a tattoo of a favorite literary quote in her bestie’s handwriting, as a reminder of books and pals she adores. My mom wears rings stacked on her fingers because a fabulous, beloved late aunt once told her rings would make her feel empowered.

As for me – I have a golden snitch necklace that reminds me to be brave, a ring made of blue topaz (the “writer’s crystal”) that I swear boosts my scribe powers, and a rose quartz female symbol necklace to invoke lady-love and femme solidarity.

Here are some talismans that could bring a little sex magic and foxy focus into your life…

As I mentioned, rose quartz is said to be the best crystal for increasing love and compassion – both toward other people and toward yourself. By that token, I think a rose quartz massage wand would make a fantastic dildo! (I wondered if vaginal fluids might dissolve quartz, but my crystal-addicted friend tells me no. You could always put a condom on it just to be safe, though.)

If your head gets cold in the winter and you hate the patriarchy, A Darling Knits has got you covered. This “feminist” beanie would be a terrific daily reminder of your values, while scaring off gross misogynist dudebros for you!

Tonya’s Collars sells some beautiful stuff. Whether you’re shopping for a meaningful gift for your sub, seeking a collar your dominant can ceremonially put on you, or you just want to advertise your kinky heart, something like this heart collar would be lovely.

Along those same lines: lately I am loving how leather handcuffs look as an everyday accessory. These blue ones are real stunners, and with a little confidence, you could play them off as simply high fashion and not, you know, bedroom tools. (And then you could come home and have your partner lock ‘em together and get frisky as fuck.)

If you love being a lady, or you just love and respect ladies, this female symbol necklace could be a gorgeous way to broadcast that fact to the world.

Red jasper, according to folks who believe in the power of crystals, “stimulates your sex drive and prolongs sexual pleasure.” Plus it’s just a badass-looking stone. I love the bold look of this ring.

Okay, how brilliant is this period-tracking bracelet?! You can have it custom-made to the length of your usual cycle, and you move the moon bead around the bracelet to track your body’s phases throughout the month. So much more glamorous than a period tracker app!

Make sure you only wear these when it’s appropriate (and consensual), but… these cufflinks are awesomely saucy.

Show off your enthusiasm for oral sex with this “eat me” necklace. If a conservative type asks you what it means, you can always tell them it’s just an Alice in Wonderland reference!

If you’re all about that 1950s sex kitten aesthetic, stick this Bettie Page compact mirror in your purse and pull it out any time you need to touch up your lipstick. Bettie’ll watch over you like the patron saint of glamour!

Okay, brace yourself. You can order a realistic vulva ring. And if you send the seller photos of your actual vulva (or the vulva of someone you love), they will custom-make your ring to look like the pussy in the pictures. Ahhh!!! There are not enough exclamation points in the world to express how amazing this is!!!

But let’s not leave penises out of the equation… This phallic pendant is surprisingly elegant for what it is. It makes me think maybe I need to start wearing a penis around my neck…

Do you have any meaningful jewelry or other little tokens you wear on a regular basis? What do they mean to you?