I follow Stephanie of Even*Cleveland on Twitter and am therefore not totally and completely out of the loop on everything. Case in point: her calling to my attention Mrs. P Hicks, the "better half" of the American-made tie maker Pierrepont Hicks. Other than the fact that Mrs P Hicks makes great-looking classic rugged shoes for women that are Made in the USA, the label's founder and creative director, Kat McMillan, also hit on a point that simply states exactly why I wanted to start this blog two and half years ago. She writes:

"I have always gravitated toward the men's style of fashion, especially in footwear. I love the Chukka, Wallabee and Desert Boot. Soon I came to wonder: Why were women's versions of these designed so often with additional frilly details that made them 'feminine'?"

Exactly. Why does a cutesy or non-functional detail make something more feminine and desirable? I don't want a Desert Boot with a heel and a flower detail. I want a Desert Boot, period. Femininity isn't a color scheme. Thank you Mrs P Hicks for getting that and executing it with such style.