Wednesday, August 19, 2009

...a little too 60s for me

One of my “professional” goals this summer was to perfect the perfect high-heeled strut… among other things. Three months and one broken pair of Mark Jacobs Mary Janes later, the mission was successfully accomplished. Pumping along in my pink pumps was only briefly daunting during lunchtime speedwalks to dine alfresco in Bryant Park. The magic of my now-perfect high heel strut was an accelerated accomplishment, however, due in a large part to the fact that I am essentially the only girl on my floor. Being surrounded by male co-workers means having to keep up with gentlemen who can tackle miles in their flat loafers. With each day that passed, I learned to ignore the blisters, push through the pain, and face my fears while traversing subway grates. Additionally, I find that with an extra three to four inches under my heels, I carry myself a little more confidently, and that is always a welcome trait in the corporate world. It also helps that heels make your legs appear skinnier. That is a diet I can see myself sticking to for a long time!

Unfortunately, my new love of heels comes at a high price… literally. The success of a strut only increases with the quality of the shoe. A wise woman and Thomson Reuters employee once told me, “Why buy 6 pairs of Nine West shoes when you can buy an amazing pair of Gucci boots that will last you forever and not cut up your feet in the process?” Despite the fact that this woman is a seasoned working girl with a bit more cash to burn on shoes, I took her advice to heart, and can’t imagine retreating back to the days of manmade leather. Ever. While Gucci boots aren’t in my near future, some high-quality heels definitely are: I eBay better than those “of age” Chinese gymnasts dominate on the uneven parallel bars.

Now, despite my newly shortened Achilles tendon that’s ready for action, there are days when ankle elevation makes me cringe. Cringe! This pair of Tory Burch “Amy” pumps is the solution. A chunky 2ish inch heel is the perfect limbo between flats and stilettos. No one will know that it was really a “flats day” when you sport these! When all else fails, though, and you do opt to keep you’re toes and heels on the same surface, just walk with a bout of confidence as if you were tittering on your toes. You’ll fool everyone.

In recent purchase news, I opted to return the Pocahontas Booties. Upon trying them on yesterday night, I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous they looked. (Honestly, KR: When it comes to risky footwear, stick to a pair of men’s Topsiders!) I also successfully flirted my way out of an expired receipt at Loehmann’s so I could receive some store credit, which I then used to buy a bottle of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue eau de toilette and a no-name grey dress that I plan to wear to tomorrow’s intern reception… with the highest pair of black pumps I own! I like to think I’m channeling the ginger-haired secretary from Mad Men, the show whose DVDs I just purchased on Amazon. I’m such a sucker for unavoidable critical acclaim! I won’t be rocking any garters, though. That’s just a little too ‘60s for me.

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