What to add to your spring wardrobe? Item #2 is...

A pair of espadrilles.  They are back, and better than ever!  There are SOOOO many styles and colors to choose from, it can be daunting.  Let's break it down by heel height.

Flat Espadrilles

These can be a ballet-flat-alternative that look great with jeans, cropped or ankle length pants and then with skirts and shorts in the summer.  They will be something different to throw on your feet as soon as it warms up, and will put a little spring (literally and figuratively) in your step.  I have a couple of favorites for this category.

This cute Michael Kors pair is part ballet flat/part espadrille, but at $69, it's a steal!  They come in tangerine, gold canvas, navy, and tiger print.  Here's the tangerine - a hot color this summer.  Pair it with all of your navy & white items.

Photo from zappos.com

I'm not a big fan of Sperry shoes (why the Topsider?), but they made this cute, flat espadrille in stripes!  And only $65.

Photo from bloomingdales.com.

Heeled Espadrilles

Ok, this is where my heart really is this spring.  I purchased a gold pair of Castañer, open-toe, wedge espadrilles last summer, and wore them to DEATH, with jeans, white pants, dresses, skirts, you name it.  I never had a pair before last summer, and now I'm not sure how I lived without them.  The Castañer ones I own are a gold version of these, which are currently for sale at Calypso.  

Photo from calypsostbarth.com.

(I'd like to take a moment to talk about Castañer as a company.  Founded as a formal company 1927 in Spain, its roots go back to 1776 with some of the first espadrille makers, including Rafael Castañer.  In the mid-1960s the company was considering shutting down, until Yves Saint Laurent asked Castañer to make a high-heeled espadrille.  A high-heeled espadrille hadn't been made before, it took off, and the rest is history.*)

Having worn them so much last summer, I'm looking to expand, and maybe find a pair that would work in the cooler months of April and May, using a closed-toe or a heavier material to help make the transition.  Here are some examples of what I've seen.

These arrived by UPS a few evenings ago, and I must say, I might be in love again.  J.Crew did a great job with these Seville espadrilles, and they come in black, flax (color I purchased), and red.

Photo from jcrew.com.

These Dolce Vita ones from Nordstrom are suede, which would work well as a 'transition' shoe because of the heavier materal.  I'm partial to the 'Cognac' colored ones, but there are 3 other colors that are cute too.  $78.95 is a great price on these.  Get your pedicure on.

Photo from nordstrom.com.

This Franco Sarto one at Nordstrom is a great buy at $79.95, and you can go neutral with the 'Cloud' color, or go bold with the 'Red'. (PS - you might think these look like a heel, but with the platform in front, the pitch is really only an inch and a half or so.)

Photos from nordstrom.com

And I might be jumping ahead to summer with these (ok, I am), but I simply love the lines of this Tory Burch Adonis espadrille.

Photo from toryburch.com.

So, when you are trying to update your casual look for spring, think about adding an espadrille or 2 into the mix.  They pair well with jeans, both white and blue, dresses, cropped pants, skirts, just about anything. ~ JH

* As read in "The One Hundred - A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own" by Nina Garcia