14 December 2010

i'm just going to ask...

so uncle sugar and i went to a pretty fab party this weekend. we were kind of rushed all day, so i didn't think too terribly hard or long about what to wear: black.

there also may have been some cleavage and over-the-knee boots in a delicious caramel.




for about ten minutes, i couldn't find any tights in my sea of never-ending black. only footless. so for about nine minutes, i debated wearing those and just a little pair of socks.

like, white athletic socks. {i. know. but i was not thinking.}

luckily, i found tights. i say luckily not because something like this is important in any way, shape, or form to anyone in the world with half a brain...but luckily because when we got to the party...the hosts. asked us. to remove. our. shoes.

blink. blink.




sorry? i reverted back to my british accent. i was peeved.

here's the thing. not a white carpet in sight. it was hardwoods and slate. lots of persians, but those are meant to be trampled.

i don't get it. tell me what you think, will you? because i'm more than happy for my opinion to be swayed. eventually. right now i'm still a little bitter about spending my saturday night smelling feet.

when we left, a bunch of people gathered around to say goodbye. there i am, bent over with my boobies probably hanging out all over the place, tugging on my boots. i think i said something like thanks for having us! a great time, really!

but totally in a british accent.

still dreaming of feathers. found here.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

We had a party last weekend. I asked the husband if it was one of those that you have to take shoes off when you get there. He laughed and asked why. I told him I had to plan my outfit either with shoes or without. Luckily it was a with shoes party. I hate taking my shoes off at places. I feel naked.

Ginger said...

I am not fond of removing my shoes in other people's homes and often reply "no thank you" to the request, in a british accent, of course. My very british mother would be gob smacked by the idea of a host asking their guests to remove a part of their clothing before entering. I guess I'm saying, I'm with you... if someone is that worried about their flooring, they shouldn't host a party.

karey m. said...

NAKED! yes! that's it, k!

and ginger. EXACTLY! that's my point. if your house is too presh, don't let anyone in! right?!

ok. feeling a little less crazy now.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree. And I'm only commenting because I couldn't find tights this morning. I'm totally rockin' the footless tight and short athletic sock combo under my knee-high boots!!! Ha!

meezo said...

Next year as a hostess gift you should bring her those little paper shoe baggies that the appliance fixers where before they enter a house :) I hope she at least served expensive wine to make up for the faux pas.

meezo said...

sorry about the spelling faux pas… wear, instead of where. i need to stay out of my expensive wine.

Loui♥ said...

I am agreeing with you folks..
unless the hostess had a valid reason for requesting everyone be shoeless, then nope.. i don't remove shoes/boots. in the case of MUST remove, the hostess should at least provide booties/foot coverings..
warmest hugs..
Loui♥

la la Lovely said...

I guess it depends.. if it is super casual and slushy and yucky out I could understand but a fancy type Christmas party where shoes are really part of the outfit (I know they should always be part of the outfit or theeeee outfit) than NO way.
Where I live, in the winter I'm just used to taking my shoes off when I come inside but there are many exceptions....

karey m. said...

omg. yes! those little paper shoes. awesome. me and the sears maintenance man, coming to your party!

loui...i love the heart in your name. i want one.

anon...i hope you don't get busted with your white socks!

and trina. of course if it was slushy or muddy...or if there were carpets...but none of the above! it made no sense! it was WEIRD! and stinky. how's that baby in your belly? xo

Jenn said...

I've been to a dinner with friends where I was asked to remove my shoes upon entering. I asked why, and they told me that they both have terrible allergies, and shoes apparently bring in the worst of it. So they leave their shoes at the door. Strangely, they also had a dog running around the house, and I wanted to ask if they made him wear shoes when he went outside, so he could take them off when he came back in. But I couldn't be that cheeky in real life.

krista said...

see...here's the thing. i lived in maui for six years. in hawaii, you don't wear shoes in people's houses. it's a matter of respect. but you know that going in.
if it's a germ thing (because it is proven that most germs come into the house via the bottoms of shoes and purses) then that's wonderful but LET YOUR MOTHERLOVING GUESTS KNOW FIRST. i mean, hell, i would spring for a fancy pedicure if i knew that was the case in the middle of winter. or provide fancy house slippers for everyone to wear.
or don't be such a douchebag and expect guests coming to a fancy shindig to want to deal with everyone else's foot juice. (no disrespect to any douchebags out there.)

Megan said...

Oh you crazy Americans. Here in Canada there is absolutely no question. Shoes automatically come off... even in the summer! In fact... it's rude to keep them on. I do sometimes feel that the outfit is incomplete without the shoes. I have wondered what it's like to be American, and to get to keep your shoes on....

elisabeth said...

We're a no shoes household (the New York grime is just too yucky and I would be a total failure at keeping up with the necessary amount of floor cleaning). That said I NEVER ask people to remove their shoes and certainly not for a party. I suppose if there were a blizzard and I expected everyone to be tromping sludge all over our rugs, I would buy a huge basket of inexpensive but pretty slippers and offer those to guests. Who wants to look at all those bare winter feet--yuck! And ladies trying to look festive need heels of some sort, they just do.

Richie Designs said...

hate those people. I mean be a freak on your own time but if you have a party? all bets are off sistah!

karey m. said...

jenn. i stifled comments like that, too. i like that word: cheeky.

krista...yeah, i get cultural reasons, weather reasons, etc. BUT. none of that applied here. and i like that word: douchebags.

megan...it's super great to be american. we get to keep our shoes on any time we like. you made me giggle.

e...got it. i just prefer shoe germs to feet germs. that's probably misguided. also, i want to live in new york. may i come live with you? i will not bring shoes. xo

and my richie. as usual, you nailed it. be a freak on your own time.

i have the flu and you all are making the day way more funny. xo

Robin said...

I have 2 friends who expect everyone who walks in the door to remove their shoes. One family used to live in Thailand and the other in Maui. But they don't live there now! Also, both families have dogs and cats who, in my opinion track more nastiness around a house than my shoes will. So, yeah, I totally agree with you. If you want guests to be comfortable in your home, let them keep their shoes, or take them off...whatever floats their boat - but a hostess dictated shoe policy is just bad form.
Also, your outfit sounds lovely!

Me said...

First off, Thank God that you didn't wear the footless tights with white socks! That would have totally ruined my whole night if it had been me and I was forced to reveal them! :)

Second, there are times when my whole outfit revolves around my shoes. They are often the only fab thing about my outfit, as I have a tendency to revert to the all black look far too often. Plus, I'm short, so I don't like to be in situations where I am forced to be without my shoes!

Third, I can only imagine that this would have happened to me if I were wearing my lovely ultra-tall boots when I was pregnant . . . a situation where I LITERALLY couldn't get them off by myself, because they were too tall.

All in all, you don't invite people to a party in your home (esp. for a holiday party event where you know people are going to be dressing up) (and maybe I need to add a "in the U.S." caveat to this) and ask them to remove their shoes without advance notice. Not good hostessing in the slightest. Why make your guests feel uncomfortable right off the bat?

Shannon said...

Might as well given a pat down and a once through the x-ray scanner as a party favor. I know some that have signage on the door "please remove shoes" ewww. Nothing says, look at the lovely holiday decor like rows of strange shoes, not yours however, they sound delish.

beth said...

around here in the snow, that is sometimes a common courtesy to just remove your shoes yourself without being asked once you arrive...BUT NEVER EVER at a holiday party.....ever !!!

Emily said...

i read that and gasped!! that's tacky to the max. party hosts: if you don't expect to sweep and mop after your party, you're probably not planning on having a particularly fun party. and if you're worried about people tracking in snow? get a door mat.

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

shame on them...how vulnerable you must have felt all night. Perhaps this is why you now have the flu ~ feet should be covered in the winter months!

By the way, I've been invited to parties like these and I worried all night that someone else size 7.5 would like my shoes better than theirs...this is not a worry I need to have while attending a party.

Megan @ Pink O'Clock said...

i had to take my shoes off when i went into a friend of a friend's house earlier this year and it was awful. i walk around barefoot all the time in my own home, and i wear flipflops until they got holes in their soles, but i really don't like going all naked-foot in other people's. plus, it was the dead of winter and i hadn't had a pedicure in weeks. eek.

but really, the smelling feet thing is the worst. yuck. no.

Art Wall Katie said...

Every time I get ready for a party in the winter I say to my husband: "I hope they don't ask us to take our shoes off." I get it, but I don't like it, and I think as a gracious host, you should "resolve" to walk around with some "Resolve" the next day.

life in red shoes said...

I get it, but I don't get it. I like my shoes on my feet, I avoid homes that don't:(

dee said...

Ginormous pet peeve. Huge! It reminds me of that SATC episode when Carrie's shoes got stolen. I had to de-boot recently at a children's bday party (my first) and was wearing skinny jeans with boots and NO socks (mortifying), along with a nasty-ass, chipped pedi. I was not amused.

Katy said...

I think it's just rude to ask people in to your home and ask them to take of your shoes.

If their house is that precious they shouldn't invite anyone into the little bubble of cleanlines...and to not even have cream carpets...well!!

Totally got the British accent.

Relyn Lawson said...

You have the funniest friends. I am loving this. Loving it.

I think it's a cultural issue. In Oregon, land of frequent rain and mud, we always took off our shoes -no big deal. In Missouri, people would think you are crazy.

My Mom, though, thinks it's the rudest request in the world and absolutely will.not.do. it.

Cheeky Jenn is absolutely hilarious. I'm going to have to go and meet her.

rebecca said...

it should say on the invite:
shoes will be taken off!

but i'm a total anal... i make people take off their shoes at my apartment. (i know i know)

Matthew Celestine said...

I hosted a party a while back and indicated on the invitation that shoes off was requested. Nobody minded.

I have an whole blog about removing shoes in homes: Shoes Off at the Door, Please You might like to take a look,

muralimanohar said...

Shoes off in my house. Of course, I live in Hawaii, so it's allowed, but even when I lived in the midwest, it was shoes off. Of course, it was my mom doing the asking back then, so all these nasty thoughts were directed at HER, not me. Heh.

But duly noted. Skip the parties if I don't want dog poop and loogies on my floor. It's just good manners.