SimplySoles Says…

...August Abandon Leads to September Surprise
August 20, 2005

August is an interesting month. Where we live (Washington, DC) it’s the hottest and most humid month of the year, also making it the stickiest. Being from North Carolina, I happen to love this weather...strange I know, and freely admit.

But I also used to live in Rochester, New York . I remember one particular day when there was 48” of fresh snow on the ground (atop 24’’ inches of old) and it was literally -15 degrees. What was most memorable was not the fact that I was still required to go to work (as a financial advisor) when a state of emergency was declared (I’m not kidding!). What was most memorable was the experience I had with a woman I met in the elevator. After walking in briskly from the bitter cold, she turned to me with her chapped (practically bleeding) lips, smiling and said “I love this weather. It makes me feel so alive”. In shock, more from her comment than the weather, I simply smiled, and promptly went to my desk and updated my resume. I was DC bound just a few months later, and never got the chance to thank her.

Why August is interesting though is because it always seems like it’s the quiet before the storm. August is mellow. September is madness. DC is practically deserted in August, not because of the heat, but because Congress is out of session. Everywhere else, everyone seems to have (or take) some part of every week off. And my dog, Molly (which I lovingly describe as a linebacker on speed), has never been so still and so silent. While Molly’s recent change in demeanor is more concerning than interesting (the last time she did this I found two pairs of my favorite lingerie half-eaten tucked discreetly under her dog bed), it seems clear that the rest of us are resting, relaxing, and gearing up (at least mentally) for the flurry of September.

Those of us here at SimplySoles are doing much of the same. Rebeccah just returned from the largest shoe convention in the world (in none other than Las Vegas), getting ideas for our Spring 2006 collection, while I’ve been focusing on fall, and putting the final touches on the season.

We have lots going on, which we thought we’d share with you in advance, since we consider you, our loyal SimplySoles newsletter subscribers, to also be our friends.

1. Our fall/winter catalog is hot off the presses, and will be appearing in mailboxes soon after the Labor Day holiday. Though we try not to pick season or shoe favorites, just between us, we think it’s our finest catalog to date.

2. Since the popularity of our website is growing, and we love our catalog but prefer to keep more trees in the ground than in our mailboxes, we are adding a feature to our website that allows the catalog to be prominently displayed, in an interactive flip-book version. You can turn the pages of the catalog with just the click of a button. It’s super cool, and we can’t wait to see what you think of it.

3. For those of you who live in the DC area or happen to be visiting, we are having a trunk show with Terre Peck on the evening of September 15th. Terre will be sharing with us her extensive Fall 2005 collection, showing us Spring 2006 styles available for preorders, and she’s even letting us be privy to some of her sketches for Fall 2006. We’re very excited! Please email us if you are interested in attending.

4. And finally, our top secret, security clearance required summer project has just been completed. As you might have noticed, many of the summer shoes that were on sale have disappeared from the site. Of the shoes that weren’t sold, they now have a new home: www.SolesonSale.com. This is a new website we created for our older merchandise. It’s fun because all the shoes are on sale, and there’s free shipping to boot. But it’s not our first love. We like being on the front end of fashion, as do many of you, which is the goal of SimplySoles.

5. Oh yes, and on a more personal note, I'm nearly five months preganant with my first child, which should make for an interesting winter season. For someone who likes the heat as much as me, I understand that for once, this winter, I’m actually going to be warm…and I couldn’t be happier!

So that’s what’s going on with us. Perhaps not as exciting as what some of you have experienced or have in store, but exciting enough for us.

If you ever have a question or comment, please drop us a line to customerservice@simplysoles.com Otherwise, enjoy resting in the rest of August.

Warm Regards,

Kassie

PS – Rebeccah, a Buffalo, New York native (who's a size 0), has just now admitted to me that she secretly takes guilty pleasure in pretending that she loves the cold and snow. I'll remember that if I ever find myself living again in Upstate New York.

PPS - The Featured Sole on Sale for the first time in months (perhaps ever), features two closed toe styles appropriate for cooler weather and the office.