Grown Women Wearing Mary Janes
because we're all trying to get in touch with our inner child
Okay so in the past year (or 2) you may have noticed a shift in footwear. As far as current looking shoes you’ve probably noticed the always and forever classic penny loafers, some sambas, 90’s looking kitten heels, and then.. oh wait.. Mary Janes… on adults! Yes the Sunday school shoe has made a return to the cultural zeitgeist at a moment when we seem to be craving these feminine details.
My thoughts around Mary Janes? I love them. I own a few pairs and each has qualities that are unique from the others. One pair is a low heel, with double straps and are patent blue leather, one is beet red suede with a square toe, two of my others are of the Italian slipper variety, and my final and funkiest pair are a t-strap with an enlarged buckle almost to play up the the whole children’s shoe thing. When wearing them, I find that they are the perfect styling antidote to a few different types of looks:
-tomboy outfits: to provide the perfect feminine contrast
-beachy outfits: to add something unexpected and more structured than sandal/ to make it more city-appropriate
-baggy jeans: similar to the tomboy reason, they provide a nice contrast and a closed toe option that suits the summertime.
-mini skirts/ mini dresses: When it’s summer and I want to wear a little skirt or little dress to run around in, I want to play down the “mini” aspect, so I wear the very innocent looking Mary Jane in contrast.
-Anytime an outfit feels almost too on the nose: I may swap out my shoes for a pair of Mary Janes for a bit of relief in the outfit, or to just make it look more interesting!
-Feeling french: and for when I am feeling particularly femme and wearing something pared down and euro looking, a pair of patent mary janes is just the shoe for the occasion.
Although I use them as a dose of femininity to many of my outfits, did you know that the Mary Jane was originally a menswear shoe? It was actually called the Buster Brown shoe and was name after a character in a comic strip who often wore them. Their original popularity dates because to the early 1900’s and by the 1920’s you could see them on more women and men. By the 1960’s they were very famously worn by many of the decade’s “it” girls. Now, in 2025 we see them again being worn by many of the women (and some of the men!) that would be considered the “it girls” of today. For me, knowing that they were originally a men’s/boys shoe makes me like them even a little bit more- kind of cool right?!
I wore the above outfit today and it’s partly what got me thinking more about the current Mary Jane phenomenon. I just love them because they’re adorable and fun! Take the outfit above, if I had worn a pair of my penny loafers or brown leather sandals the outfit would have been put together and totally fine, but maybe lacking that little extra personality. With my Mary Janes I can portray a sense of playfulness, especially with the raffia texture and the pop of orange on this specific pair.
If you’re feeling a little stuck on how you would Mary janes, fear not! I have made a Mary Jane mood board for you with images that have inspired my own styling of Mary Janes.
When I look at this collage I really take note of how diverse the styling of Mary janes can be. Want to look like an indie cool girl? Wear Mary janes. Want to feel like a sexy french woman? Wear Mary janes. Want to pull off an effortless “ I just threw on this oversized shirt” kind of look? Style it with Mary Janes! There are so many reasons for you to give this shoe a try this summer. I’m personally planning to even bring my raffia pair to the beach for an extra adorable non-sandal option!
So now that I’ve totally convinced you to take the plunge and try Mary Janes your probably not sure wear to shop for a great pair (that’s not ZARA or H&M!)? Here are some of the brands I’ve shopped or lusted after for cute Mary Janes:
Ann Mashburn (duh) - theres a really cute pair of leather handwoven ones right now! She also carries Vibi Venezia.
Tory Burch (the toryssance is alive and well)- they just came out with a jelly sandal mary jane that I am totally lusting over for summer.
It’s the year of the Mary Jane so enjoy your new favorite shoe!!!
Cheers,
xx Taylor