By Alvin Valley
I designed the Tati four years ago and introduced the Jacobs two years later. They have become our best-selling shoes—and an essential part of the way I dress women.
I conceived these wedges with the whole silhouette in mind: the waist, the hip, the length of the leg and the way a woman carries herself. With the Doyenne jean, the shoe completes the proportion.
Why I designed wedges for the Doyenne jean
The Doyenne sits at the waist, shapes the hip and falls into a long bootcut. Underneath it, the Jacobs or Tati wedge adds height while the denim creates a continuous line. The result is the illusion of longer legs—what I think of as the supermodel-leg effect.
For petite women who want to wear a long jean, that combination can be transformative. The fit of the jean and the elevation of the wedge work together to create the allure of height and scale. It is part of the thinking behind what I call the miracle jean.
Discover the Doyenne Dark Wash jean.
Five inches of height, two and a half inches of effective pitch
The wedge gives you five inches of height, but the raised platform reduces the effective pitch to approximately two and a half inches. That means the angle under your foot is gentler than the overall height might suggest.
Comfort is central to my design process. The platform, the proportion and the way the upper frames the foot all matter. Individual fit and comfort vary; our team can help you choose a size before ordering.
The instantly recognizable rubber sole
Our signature rubber sole has a sneaker-inspired bottom. I wanted a practical foundation beneath an elegant shoe, with Florida's tiled floors very much in mind. It is a distinctive part of the design, from the first glance to the way the shoe feels underfoot.
Jacobs or Tati: choose your resort silhouette
The Jacobs wedge in Ivory brings its signature crisscross upper to a luminous neutral. Jacobs in Navy Blue makes a refined partner for ivory and indigo denim.
The Tati wedge in Ivory offers an open toe and ankle strap. For a stronger color statement, choose the multicolor Tati or the mustard, coffee and talc Tati. Keep the rest of the look simple and let the straps become the accent.
How I wear the idea in Palm Beach
Women in Miami, Boca Raton, Naples and Palm Beach have embraced these shoes. For resort lunches, I love a Doyenne jean, a crisp blouse and a neutral wedge. For evening, a richer finish or a multicolor Tati brings personality to the same silhouette.
Try the jeans on with the wedges before deciding on your finished hem. The denim should fall smoothly over the shoe without dragging or catching beneath it. Petite women may still need a professional hem; the right length is part of the effect.
These are shoes for spring, resort and a wardrobe built around beautiful denim. Pair them with the Doyenne, and the proportions come together as I intended.
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