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Poppy Barley at Alt Summit (And Why You Should Go Too)

6-minute read

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014 Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

If you've been following us on Instagram over the last few weeks, you know that we've been travelling. Two weeks ago, we were in Salt Lake City, Utah, for Alt Summit, one of the coolest blogging-business-conferences in North America. If you haven't heard of Alt yet, you need to. If you're a creative thinker, this thing is for you. If you're a blogger, a designer, or a young brand looking to connect and collaborate with super cool, like-minded people, you need to know everything there is to know about Alt Summit--and pick your dates accordingly (conferences happen in SLC, New York and San Francisco every year).

Kendall, Poppy Barley's co-founder, and I (Caroline) were thrilled to make Alt SLC our first trip of 2014. What a way to kick off the new year! Every aspect of this conference is bursting with creativity and outside-the-box thinking. From one room to the next (wearing our Poppy Barley boots and flats, of course!), we were continually immersed and mesmerized by interactive, inventive design--whether it was a cooking class, a lunchtime table setting, a theme party, a gift bag display or business cards. No detail was overlooked. It was thoughtful, beautiful, and, to say the least, inspiring. And the ideas. We learned a lot from the breakout sessions and heard from some of the best in the biz (like Pinterest co-founder, Ben Silbermann!). We've done a photo round-up of just a few of the people, blogs and businesses that got us excited. Read the captions to find out what each photo is about, and click through the links to explore the awesomeness further; you might make some new friends.

Kelsey Nixon of the Food Channel at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

The first night there, we attended a cooking class with Kelsey Nixon, chef and host of Kelsey's Essentials on the Cooking Channel. Kelsey has a contagious energy and had us cooking up five recipes from her new book, Kitchen Confidence (we were some of the first to get a copy!). Highlights: The decor and that birthday cake.

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Garance Dore at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Garance Doré (!!)--fashion photographer, illustrator, blogger, all-around inspiring woman--was the opening keynote speaker at Alt. As expected, she was humble, charming and lovely. She spoke about developing a thick skin and focusing on the "good" in your work (one bad comment shouldn't deter you from being yourself! You're never going to satisfy everyone, especially as your blog/website grows). One of the coolest parts about Garance's appearance was seeing her sit on the couch in the lobby of the Grand America hotel all day, speaking one-on-one with fans and answering questions. Talk about down-to-earth.

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Camille Styles at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Camille Styles (far right) was on a panel called, "The Business of Blogging" and we were so happy to meet her in person after collaborating with her early this year! We can't say enough good about Camille's aesthetic. Wonder woman.

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

On of our most informative sessions was with Janette Crawford, a stylist and writer from Sun + Dotter and Fashion Loves People. Her roundtable discussion was all about "Purchasing With Purpose" and ethical fashion. Given all the positives of made-to-order shoes and Poppy Barley's manufacturing transparency, we had a lot to talk about.

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

If you want to become your own full-on lifestyle brand, or become a professional in the blogosphere with a team of contributors, you need to take a look at Brit + Co. and Apartment 34. Brit Morin, left, and Erin Hiemstra spoke about their respective websites in a session called, "Investing in Your Blog" and we were so, so excited to grab coffee with them after their session, where we discussed the future of blogging and shoe shopping (naturally!).

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Susan Peterson of Freshly Picked at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

This is so cool. We met Susan Petersen, CEO and founder of Freshly Picked, at the cooking class, and she hosted one of the 11 themed hotel room parties on the same night her appearance on Shark Tank was set to air (yes, she got investment!). Susan and her team make the most adorable leather baby moccasins, with a line-up of celeb clientele including Beyonce and The Kardashians. We also loved her session on Growing Your Community and the Freshly Picked Instagram feed (follow!).

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Video. Integrating it into your online business is crucial. We've done a few videos in the past, but we got tons of tips from a session about building your video brand, hosted by the super-fun and vivacious duo behind Girls With Glasses, Summer (left) and Brooke. This likely means that they are destined to be on TV, but we really, really want these girls to be our friends. For even more sass and fun, check out: The Alison Show.

Christy Turlington at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

The lunchtime keynote panel was lead by iconic supermodel Christy Turlington (who, if you can imagine, was even more beautiful in person). She spoke about her charity, Every Mother Counts, and the team she's gathered since, including the women behind DwellStudio, Minted, and Dooce. Take a moment to read what it's all about, and watch the documentary.

Poppy Barley at Alt Summit 2014. Poppy Barley offers made to measure custom shoes, sizes 5-12 and widths standard, narrow and wide

Closing the event, and closing this post, are the sister-co-founders of Alt Summit, Sara Urquhart, left, and Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom, with Ben Silbermann, co-founder of Pinterest (fun fact: we're pretty sure Ben was staying in the hotel room next to us, and we were scheming ways of "accidentally" running into him! They didn't pan out). It was just a few years ago that Ben was attending Alt Summit with the IDEA of Pinterest (although it didn't have a name, then; it was his wife (then-girlfriend) who came up with the name, and he didn't like it initially!). Who knows where your idea could take you in just a few year's time...

To view more (lots more!) photos, go here.

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The Harley Heeled Sandal Ankle Size Guide

How To Measure:
The Harley Heeled Sandal: Take a tape measure and wrap it around your foot, right below your ankle bone as that is where the strap will sit (see product imagery and fit video for a visual demonstration). This measurement is based on the last adjustment point on the strap.

Size Strap length will accommodate an ankle measurement up to the size below
5 26 cm
5.5 26.5 cm
6 27 cm
6.5 27 cm
7 27.5 cm
7.5 27.5 cm
8 28 cm
8.5 28 cm
9 28 cm
9.5 28.5 cm
10 28.5 cm
10.5 29 cm
11 29 cm
11.5 30 cm
12 30 cm

The Esther Heeled Sandal Ankle Size Guide

How to Measure:
The Esther Heeled Sandal: take a tape measure and wrap it around your ankle, above the ankle bone, as that is where the strap will sit (see product imagery and fit video for a visual demonstration). This measurement is based on the last adjustment point on the strap.

Size Strap length will accommodate an ankle measurement up to the size below
5 23 cm
5.5 23 cm
6 23 cm
6.5 23 cm
7 24 cm
7.5 24 cm
8 24.5 cm
8.5 24.5 cm
9 24.5 cm
9.5 25 cm
10 25 cm
10.5 25.5 cm
11 26 cm
11.5 26 cm
12 26 cm

Belt Sizes

Natural Waist Measurement Typical Jean Size Belt Size for High‑rise Pant Belt Size for Mid‑rise Pant Infinite Belt Size
23-25" 23/24 26" 28" 1
25-26" 25 28" 30" 1
26-27" 26 30" 32" 1
27-28" 27 30" 32" 1
28-29" 28 32" 34" 2
29-30" 29 32" 34" 2
30-31" 30 34" 36" 2
31-32" 31 34" 36" 2
32-33" 32 36" 38" 3
33-34" 33 36" 38" 3
34-35" 34 38” 40" 3
36-37" 36 38" 40" 3
38-39" 38 40" 42" 4
40-41" 40 40" 42" 4
42-43" 42 44" 46" 4
43-44" 43 44" 46" 5
44-45" 44 46" - 5

Sizing Note: For the most accurate fit, measure around your body where you plan to wear the belt. Choose the closest belt size to that measurement.

Belt Diagram Accent Belt and Complement BeltThe Accent Belt, The Polished Belt and The Complement Belt size measurements start from the beginning of the leather to the middle hole.

Belt Diagram Infinite BeltThe Infinite Belt size measurements cover the entire length of the leather.



Belt Measuring Guide

Belt Measuring Guide

A - High-rise style:

If you plan to wear your belt around your natural waistline, wrap a measuring tape around the narrowest part of your midsection. Then, add 3” to determine your high-rise belt size.

B - Mid-rise style:

If you plan to wear your belt lower than your natural waistline, you will require a dierent size. If you have a particular pair of bottoms you intend to wear your belt with, wrap a measuring tape through the belt loops while in a relaxed position.

When wearing your belt in your preferred style, it should fasten in the middle hole. The belt will relax with wear allowing you to cinch it tighter, as needed.

If you plan to wear the belt in both the high and mid-rise styles, you have two options:

  1. Select your high-rise style and fasten it more loosely when worn in the mid-rise style.
  2. Select your mid-rise style and fasten it more tightly when worn in the high-rise style.