I love the butterfly silhouette on this Prada Perforated Platform Sandal, which was recently worn in black by Amanda Peet at the Sex and the City 2 premier in NYC and in nude by Scarlett Johansson at the 61st annual New Dramatist’s benefit luncheon.  You can get these pretty sandals at Barneys for $795, but there’s a similar look at Aldo.com for less:

The Aldo Secrest looks much like the Prada pair in shape and form, but it features laser cutouts rather than perforation.  It also costs much less at $90.  Here are some additional shades that are so spring-ready:

To top it off, you can get free shipping with no minimum at Aldo for a limited time, which saves $5.

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Anticipation is already high for the Sex and the City sequel and it’s sure to grow to a full-on frenzy the closer we get to the May 27 premiere, a mere week away.  As a SATC fan, I’m certainly counting the days until it’s out and, of course, I’m looking forward to checking out the shoes.  Let’s face it, Sex and the City just wouldn’t be the same without all of the fabulous footwear.  Even though the movie isn’t out yet, we already know we’ll see plenty of Christian Louboutin featured, but I got an email from someone who wanted to find out where to buy the Vivienne Westwood shoes that are a part of the film.  It’s the strappy brown gladiator sandal with multiple buckles that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in one of the official movie posters (pictured above) and it has extra-long straps that hang down from the side.  It’s definitely one of those to-die-for kind of shoes. 

According to Vogue UK, this particular pair was originally made for the Vivienne Westwood spring/summer 2009 Gold Label collection to show on the runway and it was never produced to sell.  But, due to demand generated by the movie – referred to by Vogue as the “Carrie factor” – the label has decided to make them and sell them at select Vivienne Westwood boutiques so that SATC fans have the “opportunity to own a piece of memorabilia featured in the movie.”  But, if you don’t have a boutique near you, you can also pre-order the Sex and the City 2 shoes online at hervia.com, which is the website of UK’s leading retailer of Vivienne Westwood products.  They have the shoes on pre-order for £425 and, if my calculations are correct, that translates to roughly $610 with shipping available worldwide. 

Don’t forget, Vivienne Westwood was the designer of Carrie’s wedding dress in the first Sex and the City movie and the knee-length version Net-a-Porter offered sold out in a matter of hours, so act quick if you must have these limited-edition stunners or they could be gone for good.  The expected ship date is 5/24/10.

Update: Sold out.

SATC2 image from sexandthecitymovie.com

The sixth and final season of MTV’s The Hills is currently underway and, of course, we’ve already experienced enough drama and antics in the first couple episodes to last us well through the end of the show (and far beyond for that matter).  It’s a show that’s always straddled the line between fiction and reality, but this season gives us even more reason to ponder what’s real and what’s not: Drug rumors, uber-extreme plastic surgery, people literally losing their sanity, Ryan Cabrera on yet another reality show - yes, we’ve seen it all. 

Spencer: It boggles the mind

I have to admit I’m a bit sad that it’s almost all over, but maybe it’s time.  Clearly, we’ve come a long way from the innocent, wide-eyed early days of the show when Lauren Conrad was just trying to make her way in the world.  And if Spencer and Heidi really are as crazy and out-there as they seem, they probably don’t need a platform to exhibit it to the world any more than they already have.  Of course, we know they have a history of playing things up for the camera, so Spencer’s super-aggressive, controlling, crystal-toting tendencies and Heidi’s blank, passive tolerance of him (breathe, Spencer, breathe) could be just for attention.  If so, it still indicates a bit of craziness on their part, don’t you think?  I mean, who does that?  I must say, however, that Spencer might just have better acting chops than I would have guessed if it’s fake - those bulging neck veins we see displayed during his many angry rampages are pretty convincing.

The good news is that the girls are getting along relatively well, aside from those pesky drug-use accusations Kristin receives in the first episode after not hanging with the ladies one night in Miami.  Kristen and Audrina, who were prone to bursts of yelling and name-calling last season, are now practically BFFs and even go shoe shopping together in one episode.  I guess it goes to show that time - and shoes - heal all wounds.  Justin Bobby being out of the picture doesn’t hurt either.

Audrina and Kristin try on some noticably cute shoes together at Madison in L.A. and I happened to find some of them.  Since these girls tend to love their high-end luxe designers, I also found some similar shoes that cost a lot less for those of us not on a MTV-star budget.  Let’s check it out:

Kristin Cavallari tries on the YSL Criss-Cross Ankle Strap Sandal, available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $795.  For lower-priced alternatives, try these:

Bebe Stacy for $149 in black or brown at Bebe.com.

Steve Madden Averry in cognac, black, olive or orange for $89.95 on preorder at Steve Madden.  Coupon code FF25 takes 25% off and adds free shipping, which makes them $67.46.  The expiration of the code is unknown.

Audrina tries out Givenchy Open-Toe Ankle Boots, which you can get at Saks for $790.  Here are some similar, but less expensive options:

Aldo Goodsite in black or cognac for $59.98 at Aldo.com.

Dolce Vita Lee for $201.25 at 6pm.

BTW, Audrina wears tan Prada knot sandals with her peach dress while on the shoe shopping excursion.  You can find one size available at Shopbop, but I haven’t seen them elsewhere or any close lookalikes.  Her dress is the Amanda Uprichard Joan for $194 at Piperlime.

Kristen also tries on a pair of black platform sandals, which we’ve seen her wear more than once.  For instance, she wore these shoes on the MTV After Show with her black lace one-shoulder dress.  They are the Miu Miu Swirl Platform Sandal, seen here at Polyvore:

It looks like they are sold out online.  Here are some similarly swirly pairs that are available now:

Max Studio Soraia sandal for $118.95 at Nordstrom.

Jessica Simpson Genaviv in black for $46 or in cognac for $36.80 at 6pm.  Additional sizes and colors are available at Amazon for $72.90 - $88.95.

Update: The platform sandals she wears while shopping are the Jimmy Choo Nixon, which are available in limited sizes at Bluefly, My Theresa and the official Jimmy Choo website.

In a promo pic for The Hills, Kristen wears a metallic wedge heel that looks like this Seychelles Kick Up Your Heels wedge:

It can be found at Endless.com for $89.95 with free shipping.  Sizes are limited in pewter.

There’s also the Season 6 promo video for The Hills that features some of the cast hanging from puppet strings, as well as a pair of beige zip-front shoes.  These shoes look really familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite place them (or find them).  Update: These are the Christian Louboutin Zipette, which are sold out online.  But, here are some lookalike pairs:

Calvin Klein Elise for $99 at Lord & Taylor.  Apply coupon code BIG for 15% off at checkout through 5/23/10.

Jessica Simpson Gobow for $89 at Macys.  Get free shipping with coupon code JOURNEY until 5/19/10.

Steve Madden Nanciee for $99.95 at Steve Madden.  Use code FF25 to drop them to $74.96 with free shipping (expiration unknown).

Any other shoes from the cast of The Hills you’d like to know about?  Let me know!

Images from MTV.com and OK! Magazine.

Clogs are all the rage this year and we’ve seen many modern updates on the classic style, like this Miu Miu Studded Platform Clog, which is available at Barney’s for $490.  This slingback style, seen worn by Kristin Cavallari of The Hills and Jessica Simpson recently, features a super-high platform, studs and interesting cutout/shape details.  While browsing the new shoes at Steve Madden, I noticed that they have a lookalike version of the Miu Miu clog available:

This is the Steve Madden Melrow, a close replica that is listed as being handcrafted.  The allover pale neutral color used here is different from the contrast provided by the darker wooden heel and studs on the Miu Miu clog, plus there are a few other small differences, but the shoe is clearly inspired by Miu Miu.  Stevemadden.com has this pair on pre-order for $149.95 and coupon code rmn15f will take 15% off and give free shipping, reducing them to $127.46.  They are expected to ship 5/28/10.

Wedges are extra-hot this year and the gladiator look keeps going and going - in various shapes and forms - so the Cynthia Vincent Roma wedge is a great option for incorporating these trends into your wardrobe in a more subtle, but highly stylish way.  Plus, the multiple straps, metallic accents and knotted detail add even more trendy appeal.  This pair is available in brown at Piperlime, in black at Bloomingdale’s or in brown or black at Jildor.  Free People also has a cool multicolored version and all are priced at $350.  But, if you can’t splurge that much on one pair of shoes - no matter how fab they are - we have more gladiator-inspired wedges that look very similar, but cost much less:

I wouldn’t call the Steve Madden Tuscaan a knockoff of the Cynthia Vincent Roma, because it isn’t an exact copy or replica, but it is an inspired-by version with a very similar look.  The best price I’ve seen is at Shoes.com for the cognac pair.  They have it for $89, but coupon code VISA takes 20% off at checkout, which drops them to $71.20 with free shipping (Visa payment may be required).  The code expires 6/30/10.  I’m also digging the other color options available, like blush and white, at Stevemadden.com for $89.95.

The price falls even lower at GoJane, where their Strappy Knot Slingback Wedge is available in black, cognac or brown.  This one looks like a very close copy of the Steve Madden pair, so I guess you’d call it a “knockoff of a shoe inspired by a designer pair” (that’s a mouthful).  Whatever you want to call it, you can get it for just $23.80.

There you have it: Three similar shoes, three price points, three options for what fits best into your shoe budget now.

The cast of The City has returned for Season 2 of the MTV show (technically Season 3, but whatevs) and, as always, I’ve got an eye on these ladies’ style, particularly their cute shoes.  We haven’t seen any of those shoe close-up shots they’re known to do on the show so far (after the first two episodes anyway), but I do know that some people are interested in the shoes worn in the promo pics for the show.  They definitely have some standout pairs going on in these photos and I’ve attempted to find out which shoes they are and lookalike versions that are also hot, but cost a fraction of the price.  Here’s what I found for Whitney:

Whit looks really amazing in this shot.  She’s got legs for miles and they end with one of the hottest designer shoes of the moment, the Fendi Cinderella:

Fendi somehow manages to make a huge clear platform heel look, well, classy and  Whitney is donning a gorgeous light blue version of this frothy concoction.  There were many colors featured in the Fendi Spring 2010 show, but the only one I’ve seen for sale is the blush version at Net-A-Porter.  It’s $1,195 and nearly sold out.  There’s also an alternate version of the Fendi Cinderella at Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,140, but it’s almost sold out as well.

Now, it’s not an easy thing to find anything that remotely resembles this shoe.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see a knockoff at some point, as we usually do, but I haven’t seen anything so far.  However, I did find some shoes that incorporate some of the elements of this pair resulting in a similar look:

The Bebe Scarlett Scarf Sandal reminds me of the Fendi sandal more than anything else I’ve seen, even though the colors are bold and bright rather than subtle and soft (it would still rock with a white outfit like Whitney’s though).  It comes in black or pink at Bebe for $179, but unfortunately they are almost sold out.  However, they do re-stock styles from time to time, so hopefully we’ll see it available in more sizes again.

The Touch Ups Celine Heel is available in black or silver for the base and it comes with four different multicolored scarves so you can change up your look.  You can get these for $69.99 at Shoebuy and coupon code MOM takes 20% off for a limited time, making them $55.96 with free shipping.

The Colin Stuart Canvas Lace-Up Sandal is sold at Victoria’s Secret for $68.

The pretty Zigi Soho Fabulous in black is dramatic and airy, making it a viable alternative for the Fendi pair.  Get it at Journey’s for $49.99.  You can also check out the somewhat similar and even less expensive Patent Ruffle Lace Heel at GoJane for just $21.80.  It comes in a wider variety of color options.

Update: I ran across the Aldo Nelton and it also reminds me somewhat of the black Fendi Cinderella in wedge form, minus the super-high clear platform of course.  It’s $80 at Aldo.com.

Update 2: Check out these shoes from Bakers for more options: The Scarfy WP (pictured above) for $59.99 in ivory or black, the Star for $49.99 in black or the Tonya for $49.99 in orange, turquoise, white or multi.

Whitney also rocks a good-girl-gone-bad look in another promo photo, which features the Giuseppe Zanotti Zip Cuffed Jewel Sandal, available at Neiman Marcus for $1,360 or Zappos for the same price.  Here are some similarly sexy looks for less:

ZiGiny Erratic for $199.95 with free 2-day shipping at Endless.  Update:  Here are a couple more lookalikes for this pair that are much more affordable, the Black Strappy Stud Ankle Heel at Americlubwear for $25.99 and the Celeste Yama-10 Jeweled Open Toe Sandal at Urban Originals for $28.90.

Nine West Inquisat for $129 at Ninewest.com.  Get 20% off at checkout until 5/9/10, which drops them to $103.20.  They ship 5/18/10.

ALDO Tinder in black for $69.98 at Aldo.com, reduced from $90.  It also comes in beige for $59.98.  Use coupon code FSNEWMAY10 for free shipping.

ZiGiny Gaga for $53.95 at Karmaloop.  Apply coupon code CLINTON to take 20% off, making them $43.16 (list price $180) plus shipping.  That’s the best price I see, but sizes are limited.  Amazon also has them for $77 with free shipping.

Of course, we also have the cage heel Whitney wears in the intro of The City, during the opening credits where she’s stepping out of a taxi cab.  This promo was shot quite some time ago and the shoe may have been the Dolce Vita Cher, which basically isn’t available any longer, but luckily this kind of caged, ghillie tie style is still popular and available from other brands. Here are a few I’ve seen:

Chinese Laundry Lucky Strike for $80 at Shoes.com.  Apply coupon code MOMSAVE20 for 20% off, making them $64 with free shipping.  The coupon expires 5/9/10.

Nine West Jemmia for $89 at Ninewest.com.  They qualify for an extra 30% off and an extra 20% off at checkout until 5/9/10, which reduces them to $49.84 with $5 extra for shipping.

 GoJane Laced-Up Cage Heel for $22.60.

Finally, we have the shoes Whitney wore for her Whitney Eve fashion show in Bryant Park.  According to Whitney’s blog, her outfit is Whitney Eve and the shoes are from Lanvin. It looks like this Lanvin high-heeled sandal for $430 at YOOX, but this one is in black and only one size is left.  Here are some alternatives:

Betsey Johnson Gemma in gold leather for $86.25 at 6pm.

Luichiny Gal Lop in champagne for $45.87 at Amazon.

Nina Clova in gold satin for $79 at Shoes.com.  Coupon code MOMSAVE20 takes 20% off until 5/9/10, making them $63.20 with free shipping.

Next time, I’ll talk about more shoes from Erin, Olivia and Roxy from The City, plus shoes from MTV’s The Hills.

Photos from MTV.com

The addition of chains on shoes is an ideal way to exude a bit of rocker style and edge in a way similar to studs, but it’s a bit more of an unusual detail to find on footwear.  That’s why I’m loving this Christian Louboutin Chain-Embellished Wedge, which has a nice mix of silver hardware and raffia, along with a solid black heel for contrast.  If I had $625 to spend, I’d totally work the chain look this spring and summer in this pair.

Since I don’t have that much dough to spare at the moment (and there’s only a couple sizes left anyway), I’m happy to report that there’s another pair with a very similar look, but it costs way less.  This is the Dollhouse Dazie and, while it isn’t an exact replica, it definitely appears to be inspired by the Louboutin pair.  Plus, it’s just $49.99 over at Journeys, which is about $575 in savings.  I’d say that’s off the chain (and, yes, the pun is completely intended).

Note that the Dollhouse pair is currently backordered and is expected to be in stock on 5/8/10.

Update: Here’s another lookalike, the Bebe Thea Chain Espadrilles for $129 at Bebe.