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| 10-inch heels from UK designer INSA-would you believe they're made from elephant dung? |
Strutting
your stuff in a favourite pair of stilettos can make any female feel glamourous
but, as a girl of 5’10, I have to consider the health and safety risks. Taller
girls have further to fall! That and, to be quite honest, heels really get in
the way of my ability to dance (or what I call dancing) right into the next morning on a
good night out.
However,
guys still seem to prefer women in heels so this week, with our all-male fashion
panel, I have been finding out whether they actually have a preference and what
they really think of us hobbling home at the end of the night.
Unfortunately,
they generally do prefer a well-heeled girl...great. The panel accepted flats
for daywear but heels were the footwear of choice for a night-out. Our
sportsman expected the same stamina as he musters on the field and declared
they shouldn’t be “wimpy heels”,
which is, apparently, anything less than two inches . The exact phrase was, “go high or go home”, though he was still
quick to point out he wouldn’t be carrying any addional just-in-case flats for
us (don’t worry, I soon put him straight about the male gender’s role in a
relationship).
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| Mrs. Beckham certainly doesn't wimp out on her footwear, even when she's carrying fragile goods! |
The
other men agreed to heels, though over-the-top high wasn’t a general
preference, thank-god. On having researched what a kitten heel was, the
scientist decided they looked “too small
to be worth it” but a moderate size was better than too high, otherwise the
woman looks “weirdly taller than you’re
used to”.
As
for why men prefer women in heels, our musician came straight to the point;
they “make a woman’s legs stand out”. Perfectly
true, they do lengthen the legs, produce the appearance of toned thighs and
calves and give the gluteal muscles a work out...or so I’ve heard. I couldn’t
really tell you how effective they are as a substitute for the gym. Our businessman
brought up the sense of power they provide and the scientist thought they were
just classier.
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| Not exactly classy but made me smile |
Interestingly,
he referred to social convention for his reasoning behind the term ‘classier’. Heels
are associated with formal wear in the same way as men’s ties and yet neither
have a function. It just happens flats relate to a dull state of practicality
and I suppose this then reflects on the woman wearing them.
There is nothing practical about the following heels (courtesy of smosh.com) but outstanding from an artistic point of view
Whilst
stiletto clad women may look classy and confident at the beginning of the night
though, we have all seen/ been the one hobbling to the bus-stop by the end of
the evening. Can men really still find the negatives of high-heels attractive?
Gaga's Recent Trip
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| Before... |
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| ...After |
So
there you have it, pretty simple and pretty much what was already assumed; men
generally do prefer women in heels. In fact, they like them for the same
reasons that women do; confidence and attractiveness. You wonder why they don’t
start investing in them themselves but that is another of the heels’ qualities;
they highlight gender difference and emphasise femininity.
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| Heidi Platform Sandals-KG by Kurt Geiger-£200 |
Anyway,
however interesting the psychology behind high heels may be and whether or not
a pair of stilettos could actually create a bum for me, I have no intention of
forfeiting my chance to dance pain-free or risking a trip to A&E. Call me
boring but guys don’t like a girl taller than them either. So I’ll still take
flats please or heels at a dinner-party of gorgeous, wealthy giants!
xx
