Anne_Louise

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Yes, I do post on that board, just so that I can inflict myself on a wider population - why should you be the only ones to suffer?! I too noticed the coincidence, but surely she can post wherever she likes, can't she? It's not for me to say if 'Debbs' is 'Debbie', but if people are concerned the facility is there for them to ask. Love from Anne Louise on this rainy August morning!

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Just to bring this back on track - very dark brown stretch lace short-sleeve scoop-neck top, a bit 'see-through' so a black bra, gold (but slightly matte rather than high-gloss) leather short pencil skirt, Gio bronze point-heel ff stockings with black eight-strap suspender belt, black 51/2" ankle-strap stiletto sandals. Love, Anne Louise

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As one of those who tend to be long-winded sometimes I can only apologise for so often letting my thoughts run away with me.

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I would recommend Leatherworks as they have a wide variety of styles with 51/2" heels and I believe you can have them made to order in almost any colour. I love their shoes and my absolute favourites so far are style 'Charlie', rather similar to the first picture from Paul but with piping and heel in a contrasting colour. Mine are black with red piping and heel and are probably the most admired shoes of any that I have. I just love Leatherworks' very slender 51/2" heel, and their shoes are so comfortable for me that they have for some years now been my regular wear most days. By the way, I don't work for them and they don't pay me commission - though I think I deserve a discount for the number of times I've told people where I get my shoes! Love, Anne Louise

I enjoy mules in the summer and I have a red pair quite like those white ones with the narrow strap and a 51/2" heel. They are very pretty but awkward to walk in as they have a habit of going in a different direction from my feet. Whether it's a manufacturing fault or the way I walk i don't know, but I've overcome it by putting a strip of double-sided adhesive tape under the ball of the foot. It doesn't alter the 'fragile' look (or the sound, for those who are interested) but it does make them feel much more secure. Difficult to slip on and off though. Those wedges are wonderful, I should love to have some even though I usually go for stilettos. In Virginie's thread about wearing heels on the beach I suggested that wedges might be best, and those would be ideal I think. Anne Louise

I have, and it ruins the heels! On hard sand it's not too bad, but if the sand is soft you sink in even more than with low shoes. You have to put all the weight towards your toes in either case and it doesn't make much difference how high the heels are. Of course wedges of any height are much easier, but I've only worn stilettos when I've forgotten to pack anything (flipflops?!) more suitable, and only far enough to get to somewhere to take off my stockings and go barefoot. I have far too much respect for my stillies to wreck them with sand. So for beach glamour rather than practicality go for a pair of really high but not too slender wedge mules. Anne Louise

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Vanity, all that bickering following your personal loss not surprisingly left you feeling in even lower spirits. I too find the obsession with fetishism quite uncomfortable, and I've commented on it in various postings during the quite short time that I've been a member here. To those of us who simply love our heels for all the many reasons that have been discussed, and even if that love verges on addiction, the matter of fetishism is irrelevant. My impression is that though there are a few men who are 'turned on' merely by the sight or picture of a high heel, most are much more inclined towards enjoying seeing and being with women who wear heels as part of their usual dress. Those of us who express ourselves through our clothes and footwear need to be quite strong in order to withstand the influences of fashion 'correctness' and the occasional censure of friends and acquaintances, but the compliments, attention and feelings of well-being make it all very much worthwhile. I like to think optimistically that it is the kind of woman that I am, expressed in part through my clothes, that is the attraction rather than just my heels or any other individual article of clothing. I like strong-minded independant men and I guess that a man accompanying an unconventionally or flamboyantly dressed woman would himself need to be quite strong-willed, unless the physical allure of the clothes and wearer outweigh any reservations. I think that the word 'fetish' is much overused, and I should be pleased to see it removed from the forum. As I understand it something is only truly fetishistic if it is essential for the enjoyment of sex, or is a sex object in itself. As well as what I have read in the forums men have told me in e-mails and private messages that if they, and apparently many other men, were to see me in my spike heels, and especially if the rest of my outfit appealed to them, they would immediately become aroused! Does that make them fetishists? I really don't think so, as the importance seems primarily to be in the fact that the clothes are being worn, and worn in regular daily life rather than as a special favour to a partner in order to boost his ego or to enhance the sex act. I would never wear anything purely for someone else's pleasure, it would have to be something that I enjoy wearing for myself firstly. It's true that there might be a few things that I should like to wear but might be reluctant to do so unless with an appreciative partner, but I could never be persuaded into something that I didn't like or which didn't suit me. Some men are apparently turned on by the most unlikely things, sometimes purely inanimate objects which could justly be described as fetishes, more often I think by a wide variety of clothing and types of behaviour, none of which are truly fetishistic. By including the term in the forum headings, and often in shoe websites, I believe that many women who might enjoy heels as much as us would begin to wear them and visit this and similar sites. Well as usual I've written far too much, and indulged in some (very) amatuerish psychology, but I hope it has given food for thought. And, Vanity, please don't leave as gradually many others of us might be liable to follow your example. I was so pleased when I found this forum that there were quite a few women here, and even one or two in my own age group! Love, Anne Louise

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All of the female contributors here are, simply by wearing heels, expressing our sensuality openly and honestlyand flying the flag for a style of dressing which in a 'casual' age is sometimes regarded as excessively fussy or at best, eccentric. In some environments even to be as conventional as to wear a smart business suit, stockings, make-up and heels might be derided as being incongruously overdressed. It can take a little courage to go against a trend but for those of us who are prepared to withstand the opposition there's tremendous pleasure to be had from expressing ourselves through our clothes. I tend to remember comments made to me over the years, and newspaper articles and headlines which refer mockingly to those who dress unconventionally. Many years ago when the mini was in fashion, teamed with flat boots or shoes, an article referred to a woman wearing a miniskirt and 'incongruously high stiletto heels!' It stayed in my memory because as I read it I was wearing a short skirt and some lovely strappy heels. It made me feel quite superior! I suppose someone with less determination might have altered their shoe style in the face of such comments, but I'm too stubborn for that. I loved those little sandals, they were one of the few pairs of stilettos I could get at the time, and when out with friends I was often the one to be singled out for compliments even though I was probably the least good-looking! As I moved into middle-age I gained more confidence to dress as I pleased, though I have to say that expressing one's sensuality and making a statement with clothes has become easier over the years with the ready availability and acceptance of leather, p.v.c., lycra and even rubber into mainstream clothing. Of course a pair of ultra-high heels adds the final touch to any outfit, and I don't feel properly dressed until I am at least five inches taller! As for Vickie, I think it a great shame that she feels compelled to delete her contributions simply because of a very few adverse and unjustified comments about her outfits. Even if some of her outfits were in her fantasies only, by posting them here she can guage reaction and perhaps then have the confidence to actually wear the outfits when she goes out. In fact though I've seen none which could be regarded as simply fantasy and many which are not just sensual and extrovert but stylish and elegant as well. I've seen more extreme clothes as girls come out of school, but worn without that essential style that so often comes wih maturity. I've gained ideas for my own clothes by viewing her postings, just as one does from observing other women or reading fashion magazines. Vicky, come back and keep us company! I'm tough enough to withstand any brickbats here in the knowledge that there are some men who find it difficult to cope with strong-minded women. I suspect I have often frightened men off as a consequence, but even at my age I get the occasional wolf-whistle and indrawn breath of approval, as well as obviously admiring looks from men of all ages - not infrequently very young ones indeed! Drivers will often stop to wave me across busy streets, they will sometimes turn around to come back for a second or third look if I am in a less busy area, lorry drivers beep their horns, men hold doors for me and women are likely on occasion to regard me with deep suspicion - though compliments from other women are not unusual either. I must be getting something right and, Vicky, so must you be if you wear your outfits with confidence, as our styles aren't markedly different. And Vicky, I absolutely HATE all that attention, don't you?! Love, Anne Louise

Bubba, I'm so sorry to have misused your name. The dispute was, of course, between DAZ and Becky. I think a little premature senility must be setting in if I am mixing up names like that! I apologise too for the delay in making this correction. I'm usually very busy at weekends so I rarely have time for forums. Lucy, I agree with every word, and I've had many similar experiences to yours. Anne Louise

Vanity, I'm afraid I've helped to redirect things a little, and I apologise. I simply wondered why in a forum which is dedicated to a common interest there should be quite so much angst from time to time. Passion maybe, but carping, aggression and insults do seem to be out of place on such a site. Vanity, I look on you, Lucy and some others as kindred spirits, so please hang on in there, otherwise we all might gradually drift away, then it would become an all-male site! The consequences of that are too horrible to contemplate! Anne Louise