Finally bored of the mini-glads and wedges which have shod me through all my adulthood summers thus far, I'd decided that, this year, a sandal with a touch more personality was in order (and, according to at least one trusted glossy source, trussed up to the knee was the place to be). An exhaustive Google Shopping search, however, threw up naught but ugly, overpriced and/or ill-fitting exemplars from the usual high street suspects... Turning to eBay to sate my craving, I was drawn to these gold lace-up beauties as a moth to a flame, but couldn't help but worry whether they would work outside a fancy dress party...
Well, who should come to my assistance in my hour of sartorial need but Kourtney Kardashian, in the fitting form of a Roman deity? Despite being a kard-karrying dash doll, I'd somehow failed to notice the repeated airings of her Chanel Resort 2011 knee-high gold gladiators over recent weeks, months and years, proving that (a) yes, they do work minus the toga, and (b) £23.24 (with free international delivery) for a near-indistinguishable pair from eBay was a flippin' steal!
Gladiator Sandals: eBay (Available Here), Playsuit and Feather Necklace: Both Primark (Past Season), Long Necklace: Peacocks (Past Season)
By the time I'd feverishly tracked their cross-continental journey all the way to my door (they arrived 9 days after I submitted payment, which isn't too shabby since they hail from Beijing!), a Kourtney-inspired floaty floral combo was right at the top of my to-try list, topped off with some tribal-esque jewellery to draw out my inner warrior and contrast with the ditzy print. Having sniffed out the original Chanel runway shots, I'm definitely feeling inspired to put together a few more glad-centric ensembles, though - watch this space!
