The iconic shoe that never went out of fashion.

In the 1967 French film “Belle de Jour” directed by the great Luis Buñuel, the actress  Catherine Deneuve plays a rich bourgeoise who secretly works in an elegant “maison close” (a brothel) during the day when her husband is at work. Her demure and elegant look is still so compelling today, but the most enduring part of her look are her killer shoes!

Luis Buñuel directing Catherine Deneuve in “Belle de Jour” in 1967

We are lucky girls because rather than buying four pairs of average shoes you can still buy this shoe today at Roger Vivier and it will be your best wardrobe investment! By the way, the “nude” hose is making a big come back, very elegant and sexy!

Let’s dissect the power of this shoe and why it still works today. Although the “Belle” shoe comes in many colors, if you can afford just one pair, I will make the case for the patent leather one:

“Belle” shoe by Roger Vivier

First: the height of the heel: just perfect for running around town and still enough lift to create a lean leg. Second: if you buy the patent leather version, it goes with everything: skinny or wide trousers, jeans, long or short skirts, day and evening! Third: this is a sexy shoe! The square angles are sharp and confident, the buckle so simple but prominent, a real feature that makes this shoe also immediately recognizable. Four: you can NOT knock off this shoe, like a Hermes “Kelly” bag, it’s either the real McCoy or nothing! Sorry girls…

To finish, just a last look at one of Catherine’s looks from the film “Belle de Jour”:

Pretty unbeatable, don’t you think?