Since moving back into the full time work force, I am more exposed to the general population during my daily trip to and from work, and as a result, I am seeing an alarming number of dodgy ballet flats. Now i've held my tongue on this for some time, but I can't sit on it anymore and I really need to get it off my chest; Ballet flats are not ok. Full stop.Now before everyone gets all offended, let me explain further. Firstly, I'm not talking all ballet flats, as the original is a staple item, just ask Coco Chanel and Elle Macpherson. But like most classic wardrobe pieces, the ballet flat has been copied more times than Miley has danced with Molly and unfortunately as a result of this ongoing high street knock off, the quality of the shoe has depleted significantly over time. No longer are ballet flats made to look expensive, with perfect soft leather and a thin but solid sole that maintains the shoes perfect structure. Instead some fashionably challenged genius, decided to 'decorate' the shoe and thus the ugly ballet flat was born.Decorations such as the cheap oversized PU flower plonked on the toe do not look cute, nor do they look classic. They simply indicate that the wearer is happy to take sartorial inspiration from Oompa Loompas. And the stretchy, two-tone foldable ballet flats, that seem like a such a great idea, especially for the commute, because you know, they fold up so well in your bag, are in fact not a good idea and if I'm being completely honest, are the absolute epitome of being a basic bitch.

Yes I said it, basic bitch. And I'm sorry but c'mon guys, we can do so much better than this, especially right now when we are in the full throws of a huge flat shoe and sneaker trend, there's really no excuse. In years past, everyone used to have a quiet snicker at the corporate woman wearing her sneakers with her suit on her way to work, but now thanks to the Nordic's and their affinity with wearing sneakers with everything, this is a fully fledged trend and never before have we had such a huge variety of sneakers styles to pis from, so you can't blame comfort, as nothing trumps a sneaker when it comes to comfy shoes. But if you really can't do the sneaker thing (I don't know why) then get with the flat sandals trend. You see slides/birks are not only in right now but are also super affordable, comfortable and go with everything, despite what the many people who still struggle to understand the celine inspired trend say. You see it will usually be a ballet flat wearer who will laugh lightly while staring confusedly at your birks, exclaiming "Oh gosh they're not something I'd wear, but they look great on you". Go figure.

Anyway, I digress. So the point is, ladies, I beg of you, regain your discipline and say no to being basic. Ditch your fugly ballet flats (unless they're Chanel) and embrace one of the many cooler and more importantly, more flattering shoes. I've even provided inspo for you and a few of my current favs, so go on, bin the basic.