Spring Arrives in Florence: Sandals and Hats

One of the surest signs of spring is the decoration of the designer store windows with the latest sandal offerings and a special show at the Pitti Palace dedicated to women's head wear, The Hat Between Art and Extravagance. Both experiences demonstrate the beauty, imagination and creativity of those in the fashion industry here.

The sandals truly offer incredible eye candy for those of us who have to clump around town in walking shoes in order to survive the uneven pavements and centuries-old worn cobblestones that surprise the walker with deep puddles. Sadly, no confections for us and so this makes the designer sandals from Ferragamo, Dolce and Gabbano, and all the other brilliant cobblers of Italy even more worthy of moments spent longingly gazing at the windows. Here are some of my favorites.

My favorites from D&G--note the columns as heels!

The other spring event is the show at the Pitti presenting the most amazing hats from the 20th century designed by Italian fashion houses. These hats truly are works of art--beads, feathers, ribbons, veils, flowers--and a grand extravagance! A few of my favorites below--these almost make me wish that hats were back in style.