In which heels make me less smart, obvs.

[pen_grunt]

On Friday we had pizza lunch over at the office next door; a great software company with a nicely nerdy mix of programmers, marketers and all-around geeks. My people! There are, predictably, few (2) women working there. Part of their last marketing promo included the CEO and CFO dressing up in stripper-high platform heels. The guys expressed their wonder at women wearing heels.

"No wonder no one here wears heels," said they, "And we don't understand why ANY women wear them. We like it, but we don't understand it."

The girls heartily agreed and the floor was open for speculation. The topic of wearing heels to please men only came up and there was much derision. "*I* wear heels," said I, "And it's really not for anyone but me."

You see, I *like* wearing heels. I like that they make me taller. I like the way they make an outfit look. I like fashion and the heel's place within it. I don't wear heels for men--and I like the way I look in heels sometimes (I mean, sometimes I can't be bothered...come on...) and I have a right to like how I look. It's not *for* anyone. It's for me.

I explained some of this and one of the women scoffed: "Oh yes, when a woman wears heels it just screams: Look at my brains!" The look and tone were...more condescending than I've gotten in quite some time.

Dude. I am NOT less intelligent than you* because I sometimes like to strap a 3" heel to my foot and look fabulous. Stop being a prick. I also think that anyone has the right NOT to wear heels, or shouldn't feel in the least obligated to wear heels, if they don't like it or don't want to. You're under no obligation to look any way other than you want to look--heels or no heels. Wearing heels also doesn't take away my geek cred. I look fabulous in my Star T-rex shirt, jeans and peep-toe-pumps.

I also wear makeup because I think it's fun to experiment with crazy eyeshadow colors. This is, also, not done to impress men or compete with women. I do it because I like it, Judgy-McJudgerton. Suck it.



*I mean, non-podiatrically speaking. I very much know that heels aren't the absolute best for the body, hence I don't wear them day-to-day. But on special occasions or when I'm feeling like it? Heck yeah. I also know that alcohol isn't awesome for my liver but I still like having a drink every now and then.

Comments

[grenacia.livejournal.com]

When I am barefoot, I tend to walk around on my tiptoes. When I took ballroom dance lessons, the instructor kept pushing me down and reminding me to touch my heels to the ground (my mom had bought me the shoes and the lessons, obviously I should have been in higher heels).

I certainly don't always wear high heels, but the height of the heel doesn't have a lot to do with how comfortable I find a shoe. There are flats that I can't stand to wear for two hours and heels I can walk around all day in. I know this isn't true for everyone, but it is true for me. I am annoyed sometimes at the difficulty of finding well-constructed, comfortable high heels*, but they exist, and if you're comfortable on your tiptoes, you can be comfortable in them.

* It's like a lot of shoe manufacturers said, high heels can't be comfortable, why bother trying?

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I have a bunch of heels that are super-comfortable. Oddly enough, it's often the higher ones (because they have a comfort-making platform as well).

Walking around on tiptoe (barefoot) is super-good for strengthening your arches, btw. I just had my physical therapist recommend that.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I like 1 inch heels a lot. I don't wear onesuch higher than that because I am already so tall that when I put tall heel on I become taller than everyone else. It is unsettling to be on of the tallest people. Also, I don't really care about fashion. However, I appreciate that other people do.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I appreciate when people don't want to wear heels or don't care about wearing heels. I mean, why go through the hassle if you don't love-love it?

You are quite tall. Also, I am quite short. I would eagerly take an inch or two off your hands for you. :)

[gloomchen.livejournal.com]

This has got to be a small company, or a tiny office far removed from corporate. Working on site at a Fortune 100 client, good luck finding any women who aren't in heels (outside of IT - we're a little square). OMG THEY ARE ALL SO AIRHEADED.

I mean, really. When is the last time ANYONE nodded in agreement at this sentiment? 1910?

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It is small and removed. And they don't ever see clients. We're small and removed, but we have meetings.

I was kinda baffled by the derision. I couldn't even really take it seriously.

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

I sense a nearby HaterAde spill.

I'm not gonna get riled up over a guy in a cutoff shirt showing off his abs just because I can't pull off that look. Okay, I'm lying I will. But not out loud in front of anybody else. Geez.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

It might have been a little bit of that. Or like: I don't want to wear heels and I shouldn't have to so therefore YOU wearing heels threatens my modus operendi of not wearing heels.

Or something. Like that.

Also: Guys in cutoff shirts? No one living outside of the 1980s can pull off that look anymore.

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

Somebody hasn't been watching those O-lympic sprinter dudes lately.....