STYLE FILE WITH ANNA VLACH

It’s safe to say I wasn’t feeling the “love in an elevator” (thanks Aerosmith) when I got stuck in one the other day. But in those 25 minutes I was reminded of three style truths. First, pay a compliment when it’s due if you want to buy it too (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery). Louisa, who was trapped with me, was wearing retro-inspired red wedges with cute little cut-out triangles. Waiting for someone to fetch us I admired those fetching red wedges and thus found out they were from Nine West with the not-so-fetching name Wayno. BTW, the second style truth is that the red shoe is your go-to. It makes almost any outfit look red-hot and you don’t need to match it with anything – Louisa was wearing all black – apart from your lipstick and or nails if you are so inclined. And there is a red shoe for everyone:

Well-heeled ladies who like classic designs will love Stuart Weitzman’s Midondas mid-heel evening pump in dark red.

Wittner’s Ramon in red suede will appeal to on-trend girls who love this season’s must-have mules.

Vegans and animal lovers will love the VW Ballerina fantastic plastic flat in red gloss which is part of the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa collection.

They’re all a step up, no make that 50, from the 50 shades of grey (read well-worn) very unsexy flats I was wearing when I got stuck in the lift.

Lastly, Louisa reminded me of the third style truth when she said of those red wedges: “I’m a girl who loves her shoes ... I have to wear fabulous ones all the time.”