Your Stylist: The rise of the flat for spring

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Image stylist and market editor Melissa Magsaysay soothes your sartorial woes in the weekly Your Stylist post.

In this installment of “Your Stylist,” we address the down-to-earth footwear from the spring 2011 runways. It wasn’t the over-the-top heels or statement shoes that caught my eye. Quite the opposite, actually. It was the easy, casual and subtle appeal of all the flats and sandals styled with cocktail dresses; long, loose pants and cute day dresses that looked fresh and most appealing.

There was hardly a high heel at the Lanvin show, where ankle-strap sandals were worn with form-fitting dresses. The sandals took some formality out of the dresses and showed not only the versatility of each piece but also designer Alber Elbaz’s vision for a woman dressing for day to night.

Michael Kors also sent many of his models (including the men, in mandals) down the runway wearing a small platform sole clog or completely flat sandals that looked great with a lot of the pants, as well as with knee-length skirts and A-line dresses.

And at Bottega Veneta, chunky but sleek toe-ring sandals were paired with leather pants and floaty, floor-length dresses for a look that was both confident and casual.

While flats are an obvious choice when it comes to comfort, some of us (especially my fellow 5-foot-5-and-under friends) are addicted to the height a heel can give us. But if there was ever a season to experiment with the versatility of flats, spring is it. Try ditching the chunky wood wedges and tie on a pair of super ‘70s-looking shoes like this lace-up suede-and-leather sandal/shoe hybrid from Tod’s. They are great for daytime, worn with a little white dress or a white men’s-style button-down tucked into a denim skirt.

Since you won’t be gaining height when wearing flats, make sure that your skirt or shorts hit at a flattering place on your leg. Nude or light-brown sandals will keep the leg looking elongated and will also work with most ensembles. And when trying to wear flats with long and loose trousers, it’s OK for the hem of the pants to slouch a little near the foot. The look, after all, is easy and effortless.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Middle: Bottega Veneta calf sandal in nero (shown at the spring/summer 2011 runway show), $590 at Bottega Veneta, Beverly Hills. Credit: Bottega Veneta

Bottom: Tod’s suede and leather lace-up sandal, $565 at Tod’s, Beverly Hills. Credit: Tod’s

Send your style queries to melissa.magsaysay@latimes.com