JeffB

I don't know if jealous is the correct emotion, but I have often been told, "You walk in those heels better than I could."  This is in reference to my 5" stilettos on my thigh boots.  It has often made me wonder how badly these ladies walked in their heels.

I've gotten that very same comment from women from time to time. And, it's not too hard to detect a certain level of....envy in their voices to boot.

Jaunt #264, 5/16/2014:

After a two week or so hiatus, I'm back in the saddle for a new outing. With temps forecast to climb into the low to mid 80's, I dressed for the occasion in a pink tank top, my knee length, button down skirt in dark denim from Sears, the Payless "Nicole Chopout" platform wedge sandals and my favorite black handbag. Pairing the light colored top and dark colored skirt with a wide, white belt proved to be a nice touch. Overall, the outfit was nice and summerlike, especially with the addition of the sandals, the only shoe I considered wearing, it just seemed to be the most logical choice in terms of footwear as nothing else came to mind, and it felt good to wear them, ditto for the button down skirt which has also become a favorite, in fact, I have that same skirt in three other colors which I'll trot out in future outings. As for the pink top, I had been eager to wear that, and, like everything else, I enjoyed wearing it, heck, it was fun to wear pink!

Anyhoo, I headed into town, stopping at a branch of my bank in the University City area to tap an ATM for some cash, then it was off for downtown, after parking little over a block from my friendly, neighborhood comic book shop, I put five bucks in the meter for two hours worth of time, then strolled to the shop where I spent a good twenty minutes, chatting about sports and comic book movies. Then I headed down the street to the Rittenhouse Square area, packed as usual with people, thanks to a weekly farmer's market which attracts big crowds, but no one paid me any mind, despite the pink top, skirt and high heeled sandals, while it was cool to go ignored, admittedly, I still find it a wee bit odd for that to happen, still, I don't complain. After some twenty minutes in the store, I left the store, crossed the street and entered the park which was quite full since the weather was sunny and nice, giving me an opportunity to stroll about and be seen, finding a bench, I sat, crossed my legs and read a magazine I bought, other than the puzzled stare from little kids, no one paid me any attention, as usual. With fifteen minutes left on my meter, I packed up and left the park, returning to my car which was little under half a mile away and drove off.

From there, it was over the Ben Franklin Bride and into South Jersey, I had a hankering for a Chick-Fil-A chicken salad sandwich, so I headed to the store near the Moorestown Mall. There was a good crowd in the store, as usual, I got a stare or two from little kids, but nothing more than that as I got my order, sat and ate in peace. Next was Best Buy, also plenty crowded where I spent a good half hour, chatted with a salesperson about Apple laptops before heading to the register with the Blu-Ray version of Escape From New York. My last stop of the day was at Barnes & Noble, as I approached the store, I opened the door for an older lady who looked at me, smiled and said, "That's a pretty skirt. It looks nice on you". I smiled back and thanked her, as it's always good to get a compliment on my attire. I would spend nearly an hour reading Sci-Fi magazines with a tall glass of lemonade before leaving with four manga titles, then headed home. I had idly wondered what sort of reception I'd get from wearing a pink top, but, like all my other outings, it raised no hackles, I was just another person enjoying the nice weather to be out and about like everyone else, and, at the end of the day, that was good enough for me. More to come....

My, my! You've sure been busy of late, TBG! Bravo to you and your latest ensembles! You continue to be quite the fashionable fellow!

This was such a comfortable outfit I went to my favorite thrift store, Meijers, Sams and Remkee with the same outfit minus the denim vest and the addition of a necklace.  I did get a lot of looks and a lot of looks ignoring me.  By late afternoon it was too warm to exert much effort with my boots on but just walking around was fine.  I had a grand time wearing a dress (and it's all JeffB's fault).

Of course! It's always my fault! HA! Glad to read you had a good time in that outfit!

Well, I'm sure glad you followed my sage advice. Well done, my friend!

Everything's just fine, Kilty. Just been busy of late, perhaps I'll do a jaunt this coming weekend. We'll see.

Just received these Sexy 20's from Pleaser. I love this style. Fit is pretty good. I now have these in black, black patent, tan, and red. Color is a deep red, photo appears a bit pinkish but they are candy apple red.

Well done! Those are sharp looking shoes! Hope you enjoy your purchase!

Hey there, TBG! How's things in your neck of the woods? That ribbed dress certainly looks interesting, from the pics you posted, I think it can work well either way, but I like it more as a dress than as a top, accessorizing is important, that said, I think it would look great with your thigh boots.

Ah, yard work. I'm sure it was quite satisfying. Meanwhile, kudos on your latest outings, looking good as always.

 My new to me Red suede like pumps by Style& Co  4 inch heel 1/2 in platform size 10

 

Now to get brave and ware them out some day

Nice shoes there! I've worn red pumps out in public, red patent in fact, no one raised so much as an eyebrow. Go for it!

That's quite an interesting style, miro! Good luck with your new shoes!

Very nice outfit with the longer skirt, TBG. You shouldn't have felt disappointed because your favorite clerk wasn't around, you should dress for yourself first and everyone else second.

I'm surprised it hasn't happen already.  A few years ago you would have expected it every time you saw a kid, but this new crop seems to have leaned some tolerance from their parents.  In fact, a few years ago you would have expected it from the parents. 

I agree with that. Still, I'll admit to being a tiny bit unnerved whenever some little kid gives me the hairy eyeball, mainly because I expect him (or her) to yammer out loud about me for all to hear, but I'm always relieved when that doesn't happen since they do appear to have learned tolerance, and, more importantly, manners from their parents.

all kids' peers wear skirts nowadays, so it's not such a big deal (Yung Thug, Jayden Smith, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa to name a few), not to mention kilts as well. And if you're looking good in your skirt, you're less likely to end up on Twitter or Instagram as the more clumsily dressed examples

But someone as smartly dressed as Jeff will rarely have this issue

Quite true, Kilty, quite true. Being smartly dressed is the only way to go in order to avoid being embarrassed on social media.

Meanwhile, it was two years ago today that I last wore jeans while on a jaunt. When I decided on a whim to wear only skirts for the spring and summer, then the rest of 2013, I had no idea that would lead to my wearing them on a permanent basis on my outings. I had become so enthralled by skirts and how good I looked in them, I couldn't bring myself to wear anything else from the waist down, and that feeling has only grown stronger, especially since I've added dresses to the equation. I've come to take tremendous pride in my skirt wearing, making sure I properly pair them with the right tops and shoes to assemble outfits that make me look my very best while in public as I've evolved from being a mere heeler to a full-blown fashion freestyler. As I've said here many times before, it's no longer just about the shoes, for me, it's about the complete image from head to toe, and wearing skirts has resulted in that altered mindset. I feel that my journey as a freestyler has only just begun and the best is yet to come, needless to say, I'm excited to see where that journey takes me next.

Kilty: Thanks for the kind words on the top. Once upon a time, I was not a fan of brown, but I've come to appreciate it now.

TBG: Kids are funny with how they stare at me in abject curiosity. Sometimes, I'm amazed they don't point at me and yell at the top of their lungs, "Mommy! Why is that man wearing a skirt?" I suspect that scenario will actually take place one day. Meanwhile, I appreciate your compliments on my outfit, even if you couldn't bring yourself to like the new shoes. Heh!

bluejay: Glad to read you liked the outfit. The tan skirt is just a great color for spring and summer and I plan to wear it more. Sorry to hear you're still plagued by cold weather, I hope you'll get to wear your springtime attire soon.

Great look JeffB.  The black necklace tops things off nicely. 

 

I'll bet the gal at Boston Market wouldn't have let you off so easily if you had had your thigh boots on.

Heh! You might well be right! 

Jaunt #263, 4/26/2015:

As everyone knows, I'm something of a nut when it comes to numbers regarding my adventures, so, with April coming to a close, I decided to head out today, both to take advantage of the nice weather, and to reach double digits on jaunts after the first four months 2015. Wow! The year is one-third over already! Anyhoo, with plenty of sunshine and temps tickling the low 60's, I headed out in my trusty denim jacket over a beaded brown tank top, the Old Navy beige twill skirt, a brown handbag and, much to the consternation of Thighbootguy (Heh!), my new Payless "Omalley" platform wedge slides in natural. Having never worn slides before, I was eager to see what it was like to wear these shoes, and I'm happy to report that it was a pleasant experience. The deceptively high four inch platform wedge heel was very stable, making it quite comfortable to stand and walk in, and I enjoyed the shoes right away. Can't wait to take the black versions out on a trip!

Anyhoo, I headed west into Springfield, making a stop at Acme to buy a couple of odds and ends, the store was quite crowded at just before 11 a.m., but no one paid me any attention as I spent a good twenty minutes there. From there, it was off to Best Buy, there was a good crowd in there as well, but I went about my business without any muss or fuss, spending well over thirty minutes in the stores before checking out with a Blu-Ray copy of Dracula Untold (which I plan to watch tonight). Next up was a stop down the road to Arby's for lunch, walking in, I did get a long, curious stare from an eight or nine year old boy who was ahead of me in line at the register, no surprise there, it's almost always young kids who give me stares, but I'm used to that. After enjoying a Beef & Cheddar sandwich and lemonade, it was back in the car and off into Philly to see if I could spend some quality time in Rittenhouse Park. I spent nearly half and hour looking for a place to park, but I did find a spot three blocks from the park, after putting enough cash in the meter for an hour and a half, I strolled down the street to the park which was jam packed with people enjoying the sunny and mild weather. Finding a bench, I sat down, I brought my nook™ with me to do some reading, but left it in my purse and just chilled out and watch the world go by. Scores of people walked by and no one gave me any stares, which was cool by me. It was a most enjoyable experience, simply relaxing like everyone else in the park.

By around three thirty, I was back in my car and headed back home. Spending Sunday afternoon in the park as part of a jaunt is a lot of fun, and something I plan to do more often as spring continues and summer is on the way. More to come....

Jaunt #262, 4/25/2015:

On Wednesday, spring was rudely interrupted by an unplanned return of winterlike conditions as temps dropped from 72 that afternoon to the mid 50's the very next day and remained breezy and nippy clear into yesterday, but that didn't stop me from going out, I simply dressed for the occasion, sporting my black faux leather jacket over a magenta long sleeved scoopneck t-shirt, a 21 inch denim pencil skirt, black footless tights, the Payless "Tara" boots and a handbag. Even though temps were only in the mid 50's when I headed out, I was warm and comfortable and, more importantly, properly stylish.

Driving downtown, I parked a block away from my friendly neighborhood comic book shop, and while there were a goodly number of people out and about, including kids, no one paid me much if any attention. After some twenty minutes in the shop, I indulged in a stroll to Rittenhouse Park, down Walnut Street which is always packed with people on a Saturday morning, it was nice to mix with the populace and go as unnoticed as everyone else, and the park area was more crowded than usual because of the weekly bazaar with numerous stands attracting lots of people, again, no issues, but then, I never expect any these days, and I found that most enjoyable. In the park itself, there weren't all that many people seated on the benches because of the less than springlike conditions, but I sat down on one and chilled out (pardon the pun) for some twenty minutes reading a newspaper. With ten minutes left on my parking meter, I returned to my car and motored into South Jersey and my favorite haunts near Moorestown Mall.

Lunch was at Boston Market as they were advertising barbecue pulled pork and I wanted to give that a try. After placing my order and finding a table, I was taking off my jacket when one of the store's employees, a black woman in her twenties approached me and, with a smile, said she liked my boots and said she's like to have them. Returning the smile, I said I didn't like going around barefoot, she suggested a trade as she was wearing Dansko clogs, I shook my head and said they weren't stylish enough for me, and that got a giggle out of her. A fun little exchange with someone who liked what she saw and let me know that she did. Guess I must be doing something right. After lunch, I retreated to the nearby Barnes & Noble where I roamed the aisles and read The Silence of the Lambs on my nook™ for nearly an hour before going to the register with a couple of magazines. My last stop of the day was to Home Depot to buy a couple of new flashlights that I keep around the house for emergencies and such and that was my day.

I find it mildly amusing, even a little ironic how people tend to notice my footwear more than my skirts, as if either are commonplace attire for a male, but hey, that's just how it goes I suppose. More to come....

Nice outfits, TBG! Good to see you can successfully work flats into your ensembles and still look nice. Well done, my friend!

JeffB -

 

Back in 2008 I posted this thread about a Guy's progress in heels (now locked).  It still seems relevant today.  Everyone progresses at their own speed and stops on the path where they are happy.

 

I think I find wearing skirts as much an expression of my feminine side as it is a counter culture fashion statement.  Regardless of which statement, skirts are a fun and comfortable garment to wear.

 

TBG

Wow! That essay of yours was right on target, TBG! Everything you wrote about resonated with me to perfection, and while my personal path stopped at "Wearing outer garments in public with confidence", that's more than good enough for me, that's where I want to be in my journey as a fashion freestyler.

My desire for stiletto heels will keep me wearing them even after my mortal demise, as far as I am concerned. This idea that we are wearing gender labeled items is part of our social brain-washing. The item(s) of apparel that strike your fancy and you find them pleasing to have on, are outward expressions of who you are. This is the natural aesthetic properties of what attiring is suppose to accomplish. Using clothing to classify or segregate people is a demeaning habit society has developed to promote its man-made ideals for caste or role playing type systems. So wear the fancies of your desire that you are pleased with having on for the intended occasion.

Well said, Histiletto! Well said! I couldn't agree more! Thanks for your comments, everyone!

Looking good in the short skirt Jeff.

Thanks for the kind words, my friend. Much appreciated.

In case no one has noticed, a fair number of HHPlace members like myself, Thighbootguy and others have migrated from wearing pants and jeans with their heels to skirts, and I find that a curious sort of development. When I first wore a skirt in public back in late summer of 2008, it was simply a lark then, a desire what I would look like, and when I decided that I did like my appearance, I started wearing skirts more and more, leading to the point where I'm wearing them full-time on my public outings today.

Time for an admission: I suspect that if I hadn't made that migration to skirts, I might well have lost interest in heeling. In terms of fashion, jeans and pants are rather limiting, boring even, but with skirts, the variety is nearly infinite: from minis to maxis and everything inbetween; denim, leather, wool and other fabrics; A-lines, straights, pencils and pleats, not to mention all sorts of solid colors and patterns, the sky is literally the limit. It's great fun for me to spend quality time pairing skirts with tops, hosiery and shoes to put together outfits, and the combinations when it comes to fashion are legion compared to pants and jeans. Having fully committed myself to being the most fashionable freestyler I can be, having the sort of options skirts gives me are important. A long time ago, I said that just wearing heels were no longer enough for me, it's the whole package from head to toe or not at all.

So, to others here who've migrated to wearing skirts, either in public or at home, what was your motivation? What drew you to them, what do you like about wearing skirts? And do you think that it's a common or natural thing for some heelers to progress to wearing skirts? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Hey there, TBG! Enjoyed the bike riding outfit. Bravo to you, my friend!

bluejay: Yes, I've quickly come to enjoy the new slides I bought, especially in the natural color as I put together a few outfits to go with them. I'm most eager to take them on a trip in the real world.

Things I learned in my youth come to mind like: "Well if it makes you happy..." and "If you cant say something nice...".  Recent learnings are more like: "Being comfortable in what you wear starts from liking what you see" and "I can wear anything I want".  I do, however, agree with your previously long held assessment of slides.

HA! Well, you can't please everybody! It's kinda hard to explain, but something about those shoes, well, attracted me, so, I went ahead and made that purchase, and I was pleased with the new acquisitions. Just like any woman, it's good to have lots of choices when it comes to shoe styles. You could say that I'm branching out, and that's not exactly a bad thing.

Welcome to the wonderful world of slides, Jeff! I currently own about 15 pairs of sandals, and all of them are slides. The particular design you bought doesn't look impractical at all. I have several that might be considered impractical, but maybe I like them *because* they're impractical. I like a challenge.

No, the new shoes didn't at all look impractical, and that was why I was interested enough in them to buy them, and I was happy I did. I can see myself wearing them in purely casual settings when I want to dress down, but still wear heels, and, at four inches, those slides give me all the height I want while maintaining a good sense of comfort.

Hey there, TBG! Thanks for the kind words. I must say I certainly enjoyed wearing the five inch thigh boots, and being that tall sure did put me head and shoulders above the crowd, Heh! Oh yeah, matching them with my black miniskirt made for a winning combination! However, I'm glad you liked the more casual outfit I wore to the supermarket that morning. As for that "screaming need", with the weather as nice as it was that afternoon, it would've been a shame NOT to have gone out on an outing, and I was most eager to take advantage of the nice weather.

Well, yesterday, I went and bought a shoe style I thought I'd NEVER buy----a slide! Yes, I'm sure I've mentioned a few times here and there that I've never been a fan of slides, calling them impractical because of the open back, but for the last few days I had been intrigued by the Payless "O'Malley" platform wedge slide, so, out of curiosity, I went to a store a mile away from home and bought not just one pair, but two as it was buy one pair, get the other at half off, so I got those shoes in black and natural which was a sort of beige. The four inch platform wedge was quite stable, comfortable, easy to stand and walk in, and yes, they go well with my skirts, from a mini to a maxi. In short, these slides have style, and I liked them! Who'd a thunk it, right? Nevertheless, I can't wait to take these shoes out for a jaunt!