Apple Shoes

 I can't say too much about this one, as the lady in question wants to keep her outfit a secret - but I can tell you that there's a strong fifties mood and that we're looking for a pair of heels in the ballpark of apple green... but that the precise shade can be a little flexible.  Which is a good thing, because the sheer panoply of hues that could be described as 'apple' is somewhat staggering - making matching hard.  Basically, we're looking for a true green - with a fairly even blend of blue and yellow tones - somewhere on the line between lime and mint.

Which means that my first suggestion might be a little too bluey-toned. Which would be a shame, because these are rather splendid. They're by Fornarina (£89) and available on the website Yoox - a brilliant resource if you have time to spare, because they have a massive range of clothing and footwear and a fairly unhelpful search facility. These shoes have sexy retro ankle straps, a cute vinatgey grosgrain bow front, and that sexy classic heel shape. I've a bit of a bee in my bonnet about heels that go straight down from the back of the shoe: they don't support your weight properly, and more importantly, they don't enhance the undulating curve of your legs. But these are great - sexy - and they have a little silver star on the heel... it's a shame they're probably the wrong shade.

A better shade, albeit less pretty, are these vertiginous stilettoes from Ted Baker (£80) I could never wear a heel this high, but to be blunt: that's only because I'm too weighty for my freakishly tiny feet to support.  People of more normal proportions seem to do fine.  These shoes are less attention-grabbing, but I love the retro-sexy peep toe, the textured finish and that gorgeous pink lining.

My next option is all about textures.  These open-toed heels from Poetic Licence at Yoox (£59) have a lovely pale upper, a fun, slightly 'trailer-trash' cork platform, and a marvelously tacky vivid green basket-weave effect heel.  It's all very Las Vegas. Not tasteful, then - but one of the glories of the fifties look is that you can spin it in one direction and it's all Grace Kelly, and then from the other side it can be gloriously plastic and fake. Although for 'plastic and fake' we couldn't do much better than the next pair...

These shoes are defiantly inelegant, but there's something about their design that means it all works out. They're by RAS, again at Yoox, and cost £69 (also available in raspberry and the most fabulous orange, as well as predictable black).  These shoes aren't the right kind of retro at all, but they are a fun statement, and they're definitely apple green.  The multicoloured espadrille-style platform offsets both the overwhelming shininess and the uncompromising shade.  I reckon they look quite comfortable too.  The girl in question doesn't have the most conservative of tastes, so I wanted to offer her something a little left-field.

My last pair of heels is a little more expensive, but if this were my outfit, they are exactly what I would go for.  The company is Bespoke Big Day Shoes and they're a fantastic find if your requirements are specific.  Forget the 'Big Day' bit - their raison d'etre may be weddings, but these shoes could take you anywhere. Like all the styles on the site, here you can specify your own heel height from 1 to 4 inches in half inch increments.  You can also choose between gold and silver heels and then, most importantly, you can choose your own glitter colour. So - imagine the style below with silver heels and the shade of glitter called 'lime' in the chart above.  Glorious!

At this point I may have to concede that not everyone shares my barely-repressed inner eight-year-old's passion for sparkles - but that's not the only reason I chose these.  The heel is perfect, there's a slight platform for comfort and the peeptoe is sexy and retro. They're £95 plus p&p, and I want some 'sparkle'-coloured, silver-heeled ones very badly indeed.

Lastly, I found a pair that aren't on the shopping list at all, but which I think are essential.  As the evening wears on and you want to dance all night you'll thank your Auntie Charlotte for these.  Ballet pumps are perfectly period and super cute.  These ones from Boden are in perky patent, and again have a splendid pink lining.  I love the bow detailing too.  £69 is steep, and there's a wait for some sizes, but they fit the bill so well that I'd have to get these too.