brown suede espadrilles, aquazzura here / high street similars, River Island here

I'm house hunting at the moment and using it as a fantastic excuse to have one hell of a clear out. I don't want to take anything I don't really need into our new home. Having already done a "round" of editing, throwing out and selling at the beginning of the year (Vestiaire Collective account here) I knew I needed some extra help.  I always felt like I went as far as I could go without feeling disappointed I'd thrown something out... So, I took the advice of the masses and read Marie Kondo's Spark Joy. 

brown suede espadrilles, aquazzura here / high street similars, River Island here

I'm possibly the most cynical "it's just a fad" person in the universe, so if I say a book changed my perspective it's a very good sign. But it really has. The basic concept is that if something doesn't "spark joy" in your wardrobe, home or even your life then it needs to go. I took a big look at everything I owned and very happily parted with half of it (well, it's currently bagged up ready for a combination of the tip, charity shops and eBay/Vestiaire). It feels exhilarating. That said, Marie also teaches you to spot the gaps, and I realised I needed to invest in a pair of good espadrilles. 

image from Jules' blog post here / brown suede espadrilles, aquazzura here / high street similars, River Island here

The ones of the moment are without a doubt the Aquazzura Belgravia (here).  I don't own a pair (yet) so I've had to scour the internet for inspiration...  Having tried them on several times in several stores I really do think if you have a spare £300 to spend on a summer shoe then they should be your choice. They're sturdier than they look and they really are the perfect summer shoe. I'd go with a brown here or black here, although I really do love Pandora's multicolour ones here (paired with our friend's Pampelone dress, here) - part of me thinks I need to ditch all plans for neutral colours and be a bit more fun with my choices... 

image from Pandora's blog post here / Pampelone dress, here / Multicoloured Aquazzura pumps, here

Before I make an investment I've been searching for a high street equivalent so I can test how much I'd wear the style... The first pair I've found I am completely torn about, here. They're just so similar to the Aquazzura's I'm not sure if I agree with it. They're from River Island and are £24, I love everything about them but feel slightly guilty about them (they also have a similar copy-cat pair of Valentino laced espadrilles, here) - what do you think? ASOS have a style called the "Jessica" here too, which comes in multiple colours including multi here, yellow here, white here and leopard print here. Finally Topshop's entry is a strong one at £24 with these. I can't decide...

Here is a round up of all of the espadrille options (disable your ad blocker to see the carousel, or use the links underneath).
multicoloured, here / brown suede. here / black leather, here / yellow canvas, here / multicoloured, here / blue canvas, here

The great thing about having done the "stuff cleanse" is that I dont feel at all guilty about making new purchases, because I know I need them. And if I don't keep them forever, it's ok - it doesn't mean it was a waste of money or time. I may do an entirely separate post on the pieces I'm going to part with (let me know if that would be useful/appealing) and how Spark Joy helped me part with so much of my stuff. But in the meantime, I'm plotting what else to throw to raise funds for the shoe of dreams...