Black Heels Are Fine, But in France, Everyone Knows This Shoe Colour Looks Better With White Dresses
You'll never hear me say a bad word about black heels. In my closet live about 20 pairs of heels, and if I had to guess, I'd say that 85% of them are black. But just because they're good—timeless, versatile and easy—doesn't mean that you should only wear or buy black heels. There are other, more exciting colours to test out, and in France this summer, everyone seems to be in agreement that one shoe colour alternative to black is especially worth styling with white dresses. The hue in question? Burgundy.
For proof, just see some of the chicest looks from the Jacquemus show at the Palace of Versailles during Paris Fashion Week. In particular, both Laura Harrier and Alexandra Saint Mleux styled their white dresses with burgundy heels, a perfectly unexpected way to wear every French girl's favourite summer frock. Unlike black and white, which can end up looking harsh together, burgundy is softer and more natural, making it a prettier complement for bright white. Bonus points if your bag is burgundy too.
On Laura Harrier: Jacquemus dress and shoes
Specifically, Harrier and her longtime stylist, Danielle Goldberg, chose a textured, high-neck, sleeveless maxi dress from the French label, pairing it with a burgundy, leather top-handle bag and matching point-toe kitten heels with a delicate bow on the toe. She completed the ensemble with a pair of '90s-inspired black sunglasses.
Meanwhile, Mleux, who watched the Monaco Grand Prix alongside Jacquemus founder Simon Porte Jacquemus earlier this summer, wore a low-back, scoop-neck white gown with peekaboo burgundy heels. She then added oversized gold earrings and a sculptural black clutch purse.
On Alexandra Saint Mleux: Jacquemus dress, shoes, bag, and jewelry
Clearly, all the fashion girls in France have a thing for heels of the burgundy variety, and it's about time everyone else catches on. Below, shop the best burgundy heels and white dresses on the market this summer.
Shop white dresses and burgundy heels:
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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