And the gold goes to...

...Tahari and Winners, for having moments of fabulous style synchronization.  Twice now, I have bought a pair of Tahari shoes from Winners, and twice, there has been snakeskin print involved.  The second time came yesterday when I spotted a pair of gold snakeskin print Tahari Clemintines:

My first thought when I saw these was that it reminded me so much of a pair of razzle dazzle gold glitter loafers my friend had bought not too long ago.  Funnily enough, my dad had encouraged me to look for a pair of loafers this summer (and as I've said before, I trust my dad's fashion opinions implicitly).  At first I was turned off by the seemingly very rectangular toe box, which I thought would be aging, but I decided to try it on a whim.

Turns out the toe box is hardly aging at all, but in fact extremely sleek and chic.  My mom took one look and called it "classic", which definitely sealed the deal for me.  The Tahari Clemintines are made of faux leather, making me a little apprehensive, but considering the insides seem to be made of suede and how difficult it is for me to find shoes I'm willing to buy, I may let this one slide.  Especially once the price is taken into account - $60, with $10 off for a minor scratch - I would be willing to accept synthetic material (although it may be worth mentioning that my first pair of Tahari flats has a leather inside, upper, and sole, and still only cost $60).

What I like about this pair of loafers is how it has staying power, despite it being covered in gold snakeskin print.  It's not a glaring gold; it's a muted sheen that gives the shoe a humble burst of life.  Only up close do you see the threadlike diagonals of the snakeskin print - and if you know me, you know I love the little details.

Another pair of shoes to add to my estimate of the 20 pairs of shoes I already own.  Being a shoe lover and a university student is hard on the bank account, but at least I can take solace in that feeling you get whenever you walk out of Winners with a great buy - the feeling of a champion and a true winner.

Image Source: Polyvore, Piperlime