Puffer

Nice evening.

Try Narcisso Rodriguez. Its a great scent. I use the homme, but occasionaly pinch a little of my wife's femme version. Very compatible the two scents. My niece didn't realise NR did the homme and though I was wearing the femme version. Same base I guess, the femme is a little more soft and cuddly.

Simon.

Is that your 'two scents worth', Simon?

Ahhh, lovely Kent, the home of the "chav" and foster home to all creatures of migration

O it gets better (or worse) I live at the chav captial, the chav birth place...... Just wearig a suite would be enough to get the crap beaten out of you in the high street at certain times lol

Despite living in Kent, I was more amused than insulted by these remarks. Kent is a county of considerable contrasts - from gravel pits and cements works in the north through some very pretty villages and orchards in the middle to the weald in the south, and with some great beaches in Thanet too.

So, Tech and Crazyewok, what do you each consider as being the 'chav capital'? I am intrigued and might just visit - suitably attired, of course.

One comment I well recall from an erstwhile colleague years ago (before I moved to Kent) was that 'the Medway is the arsehole of the British Empire - and Chatham is halfway up it!'. True perhaps, but Chatham/Rochester is full of history and worth visiting. The Royal Dockyard needs at least a full day to do it justice; a fascinating place.

Back on topic: surely there are safe heeling places in Kent - and which specifically are not?

Bought on ebay, 1.70£ ideal for summer:

[ATTACH]9071[/ATTACH]

Those are neat, simple sandals - as you say, just right for summer, for either sex.

Be aware however that 'Atmosphere' is a brand name of the UK high street retailer Primark, which sells most of its clothing at very low prices, although the quality is usually good. There are apparently a number of eBay sellers who buy items from Primark for resale at inflated prices to buyers who do not recognise the source. I think those sandals were on sale last summer in Primark at about £2 - so perhaps you were doubly lucky to get them for £1.70 (but how much was the postage?).

It's a pity, Tech, that you didn't read my comments with greater care and see the points I was actually making. You are the one who has decried unconventional appearance in an IT context yet clearly have your own rules about what is acceptable, as you are entitled, but which might seem somewhat hypocritical. My brief responses follow:

I wouldnt accept ragedy and dirty either. Our dress is mostly jeans and company branded polo & fleece.

Good - but not conventional business wear, if that matters.

Our situation must be very different to yours because wearing jeans/polo doesnt stop us unplugging lan cables, installing network cabinets, repairing laptops, servicing servers @ the data centre or any of the other intricate jobs we do, whereas nails like that, in our line of work would render you useless, and our clients would look at you like a moron if you turned up to a job and couldnt use a screwdriver or couldnt remove a server from a rack cabinet because of your "fake fingernails"

Its no different to wearing a suit if you worked at Mcdonalds flipping burgers, you would also look a dick due to what your wearing preventing you from doing your job efficiently, and the client/employer having doubts over his choice of contractor/employee, and subsequently not calling back in future....

You wouldnt expect a plumber to have nails like that, and for the same reason, you wouldnt want any tech to turn up like that either.

Its nothing to do with I.T in particular, its just a matter of being able to carry out what your being paid for, regardless of the job. If you were a drywaller/plasterer, you wouldnt last long if you didnt want to get your hair messed up plastering a ceiling, nor as a vetinary surgeon or dentist/nurse/Doctor etc etc, having long fingernails like that just doesnt work.

I don't work in IT (although my elder son does) and my observations were based on contact with IT people over many years. I quite agree that clothes and nails must permit the job - in whatever field - to be done properly; it was only your apparent reasons for condemning a worker's appearance that I questioned.

I've been out on many a job in heels, thats not a problem because I dont use my feet to install switches and routers, or strip laptops down.

I have no problem with that but, our mutual interest aside, do you think that makes you look professional and trustworthy in the eyes of the typically bigoted client who is paying for your services?

Puffer, if knowing what your doing and doing it well makes somebody a nerd, then I'm sure there are tons of nerds in every industry, not just I.T, but why do you feel the need to introduce things were not talking about, as if we were? Its as if you seem to want to butt in and take a digg, just for the heck of it, when the totally obvious is being stated?

Of course there are nerds in every field (and I'm probably one myself!) but IT was the subject here and it provides a good example of clever blokes who often flout convention in appearance (and sometimes in behaviour).

Were talking about the nails, only the nails, nothing else, and my references are relating totally to wearing anything that prevents you doing any job your employed to, no matter what that might be, and being remembered for the wrong reasons, I'm relating again to somebody turning up to a job like one of ours and not even being able to cope with a rack server, or stripping our a laptop systemboard just because of their fingernails, which is something so blatently obvious, to the point the person would not be able to actually do the job they came for, which is where you get remembered for the wrong reason.

Turn up in leather trousers or colourful shirts, heels or whatever, but in the work we do, you just have to be 100% sure you can do the job, no matter what.

If an employee wanted to wear heels, I wouldnt give a crap, but I also wouldnt want to hear any bitching about knocking off early because their feet hurt, or not wanting to climb under customers desks in case they broke a nail or they couldnt flip burgers in case they got their suit dirty!!!

You rightly challenged the practicalities of long nails but you coupled it with definite suggestions that they were objectionable on grounds of unprofessional appearance. So, be prepared for others to question your ideas of what is proper clothing etc in the workplace. That was all I did; I have no personal problem with your chosen look, although (I repeat) it is not what is normally worn 'in the office' and might raise eyebrows for that reason.

me personally?

it depends what im doing

if i go out to meet them for the first time i usually wear a shirt and tie.......if im just going to pick up a computer or deliver something then i often dont and will wear khakis and a polo shirt

It was Tech whom I was asking, scott - but thanks for confirming your own sartorial elegance!

Indeed, I'd find it somewhat unprofessional, and when it affects your very bread and butter money, then it cant be a good thing...

I wouldnt hire anybody with nails like that, male or female, and I run several I.T service companies, as this gives off the impression that the person thinks more of their nails than they do of their work.

I'd want our customers to remember us for our service and professionlism, and not for how we look

I'm don't particularly like these nails either (on m or f) and I would certainly regard a man sporting them as 'eccentric'. However, I fail to see (a) why such nails (or heels, or anything of an unusual or flamboyant nature) should automatically suggest that the wearer's ability or interest in work must take second place to his appearance; or ( what is so special about the IT business that calls for a particular attitude or look.

My contact with 'IT professionals' (whether employees or self-employed) strongly suggests that many are nerds of varying degrees of eccentricity and with a distinct lack of dress-sense and effective personal grooming. And, for reasons which escape me, this seems to be tolerated if not expected of them in the workplace. Surely, one who clearly takes some pride in his appearance, even if somewhat off-beat, is likely to have pride in his work too? At least those nails get some care and attention, as distinct from being ragged and dirty; wouldn't either be a good hint as to the owner's personality?

Do you always wear a jacket and tie, Tech, when with your clients - and never jeans or trainers or a tee shirt? If you cannot answer 'yes', then you may still look neat and smart but you will not be dressed in the 'conventional professional' manner that most businesses of any substance would expect - and would likely be remembered for all the wrong reasons, as you have yourself suggested.

... i can do everything anybody else can do........it just sometimes takes some time to adjust to doing it

... im leaving on 3/12 for business and as a rule for business trips its only white french tips ...

Two questions, scott:

1. Can you pick your nose without risking brain damage?

2. What is your line of business and what reaction to your nails do you get from business associates?

Hi Puffer, I obiously missed that post.

:online2long:They had them on the shelf. Discount? These were only £5.00 FIVE QUID. At Weston-super-Mare. England.

Shiny Black Patent with HIGH HEELS about 5+ inches and "gold" heels and platform, just a little one. There were others designs, but they caught my eyes.

I could not believe it.

Muddypaws.

Thanks, Muddypaws. Are these the shoes? http://www.pricelessshoes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product1_11051_-1_121014_11051

If so, they do not appear to be listed as available above size 9, whether or not still in stock. Curious if you found them in an 11, although the plain patent version and other courts and boots are/were available in 11. (I'm not really interested in shoes like these; I don't like platforms or peep toes on male or female feet.)

Hi all,

Forgot to add that when I was in "Priceless" last week, i saw that they have sizes up to 11 now. So things are turning our way, for you guys with larger sizes.

Muddypaws.

That welcome development has already been noted and acted upon, muddypaws, as you will see from various other postings!

Which branch was it you visited? Did it actually have any 11s in stock, or were they merely advertised as being available to order? (Last time I looked, the website seemed to suggest that the larger sizes were mostly not in branch stock and couldn't be reserved for collection there. However, the mail order option is quite efficient and extra discounts are often available.)

You may be right, bss, but the 'sole tips' shown are not round (as heelma was initially describing). But those boots in your pic look great - where are they from?

Thanks for the explanation, Slingfan. If you are in fact writing about your true-life en femme experiences, they are not really stories (i.e. fiction) so would it not be more appropriate for you to post in the 'For the guys' section? That is where others (notably kneehighs, HappyFeat and JeffB) tell us what they get up to when wearing heels etc. Just a thought - it would add credibility to your accounts.

By the way, I do very much like the slingbacks in your avatar - a very feminine classic style which should be in every closet - and come out of it regularly!

I would agree but promotions and such can be affected without the real reason being disclosed. ....

I agree totally, CassieJ - that is the reality of the employment situation, especially in the slightly-less-litigious UK. Having been involved indirectly with employment-related disputes over the years, it is pretty clear that an employer will find a way to discriminate subtly against anyone who does not 'fit' - whether on grounds of age, sexual preference, disability, potential for pregnancy, hair colour or heel height ... No legislation can totally eliminate personal prejudice, however subconscious (and why should it?).

Nice shot and nice boots ! (I must say he got quite a slim frame)

Most comments at the bottom are positive.

One comment made me laugh: "High heels aren't made for men"

Look like this guy is not a member here...

I suppose whoever made the comment might just have been expressing his regret that (as far as he knew) there were no high heels manufactured for men to wear. (Well, it would be nice to think that he did mean that ...!)

Hi guys i had to buy a new pair of shoes as the boots cme apart from the sole,so i took on all your advice,and brought theese platform shoes instead

http://www.pricelessshoes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=11051&langId=-1&catalogId=11051&productId=135502

That is unfortunate. Have you taken this up with the seller? Or indeed with Priceless (if that is where the boots did come from originally, as I suggested above - there may be markings to confirm this)? You could tell Priceless (Stylo Barratt) that they were a gift and you have no receipt. The feedback from Priceless customers seems generally very good and there are very few problems with quality.

Meanwhile - tread carefully in your new shoes!

Looks similar to jacket studs, of which the tangs or teeth are normally punched though the material then folded in.

Presumably in the case of heels just hammer them into the heel tip- smaller "stud" than tip. obviously they are thin and will need replacing possible quite often.

Al

Avoid! you hammer them onto the existing heel, but often this makes the original heel brake its moulding around its attaching pin & you lose both of them.

I'm not so sure these 'caps' are intended to be hammered in - the claws are right on the periphery so they look as though they should be crimped around an existing heel tip of the same o/d as the cap's i/d. In which case, there is surely nothing much to lose by trying them on a worn tip, assuming that they do not encroach on and damage the heel proper. If I am totally wrong, no doubt shoerepairer will tell us.

(Let us know if you do succeed - but don't even think of sueing me if it all goes pear-shaped!)

Shot of a fashion editor at Milan Men's Fashion Week in Lanvin heels.

http://stilinberlin.blogspot.com/2010/01/milan-fashion-week-outside-etro_21.html

One breath of wind and he will either take off or fall over!

You don't need to convince me, demonia!

But you've used another good word - 'approval'. Isn't that what most heelers (yourself aside) are really hoping for, as distinct from mere acceptance, tolerance, understanding etc ... ?

... i have what would be considered long nails for a guy.........today about 1 1/4 inches ...

Hi scott. Do you mean they project beyond your fingers by about 1.25" or that this is the overall length (i.e. perhaps a 0.5" projection)? Either way, that sounds pretty long to me!

Do you wear heels yourself and what is your overall dress style/appearance (i.e. essentially masculine or feminine)? What reaction do you get to your nails etc in public?

esnipe.com is the only way I've bid on anything for the past several years unless it's a "Buy it Now" at a good price. I think it cost $.01 on the dollar for each auction, but it will certainly pay for itself over and over again. So it's not freeware, but it works perfectly; and if you can't afford that, then you probably don't need to be bidding on anything anyway. Good luck..... go win the next auction!

Forgive my ignorance, devab, but can you (or anyone else) tell me whether a sniping prog can do anything that a bidder cannot do in person 'live' at the last minute? Presumably, you still have to set a max bid and all the prog does is to attempt to place it at the last minute? (I'm not challenging the technique of anyone here, only asking how a sniping prog works.)

A very elegant shoe in all respects. Not a round toe (fortunately); definitely more almond. Maybe it's an illusion but the heel looks as if placed just a little further back than it would be on a 'classic stiletto' shoe, but I don't argue with that. Louboutin heels, for example, seem generally to be even further back and, to me, spoil the line somewhat. But what do I know?

Some very interesting comment and sound advice above. It is difficult to disagree with any of it - except of course on purely emotive grounds (e.g. wearing stilettos simply because one wants to, regardless of suitability, fashion sense, public ridicule, etc.)

I've often thought that "acceptance" isn't quite the right word for what most men that crossdress or wear their heels in public are looking for. ... I guess my main point is that we all are seeking something that will make the "deviating from the ordinary" aspect disappear from general public psychic.

Perhaps the word you're looking for may be "tolerance." Acceptance connotes an embracing or at least a willingly positive attitude. Tolerance is more neutral and connotes that a person can put up with (in this case) a fashion choice, but has no strong feelings he/she is willing to express either for it or against it.

... tolerance will do until something else comes along......

When I read Bubba's first thoughtful note, 'tolerance' was the first word that came into my mind too, and is a fairly obvious one. But, upon reflection, it carries a 'grudging' connotation which is surely not what we are seeking? ('I dislike very cold weather but I can tolerate it when I have to.') In a way, it is even more negative than 'acceptance', which seems more final than just putting up with something that we would really prefer not to be happening.

We can probably not expect wholehearted 'acceptance' of male heel wearing by the public at large - at least in the foreseeable future - but maybe we can gain (in addition to acceptance and positive tolerance) greater understanding, respect, support etc. (Now, I don't put any of those bold words forward as a better one to use, but I do suggest that they help to paint the bigger picture.)

Maybe we can all think on this and perhaps there is a better word buried somewhere in the thesaurus - but my guess is that no single word will convey everything.

I finally found that I manage now to walk pretty decently in 6" heels w/o PF. ... I guess I have to order the "Scream" heels now, as the next challenge

I suspect that you are joking, heelma, but if not you might be disappointed. There have been several adverse comments about the quality of Scream heels (e.g. heel snapping off). I suppose it does depend on your weight and shoe size - I guess you are not exactly sylphlike?

There was a clip on here some tyears ago of a male member walking around quite well in Screams, however.

Very nice SH, as always, especially the shoes!

If you go in there, you too can be an object of derision:

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=7133

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=7255

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=7602

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=7680

I must go along to Asda to see if the trend has spread to Walmart's UK subsidiary! (Perhaps I ought to go in heels?)

criticism that is "over the top" isn't funny. Makes the criticizer look like a jerk.

I accept your apology.