fashionablefun

Is this the ad you we're referring to?

http://www.shoplocal.com/bap-51329_adid719076_adr16758_ct2_p1.fp

Ahem!! What about me?

Kneehighs has met with so many he can't remember them all, including a meeting with me.

Thanks for the translation. That helps.

cb17 Thanks a million for that gem of a find!!! Lets go show our support at the blog and add in our own two cents in the comments section.

The response in the comments section seems good too!

That will make a great addition to the myspace bulletin as well. Wonder if there are any spanish speaking members here who can take the time to interpret the passage for us?

Anybody got this translated yet? I'm really curious whether the tone of the article is mocking, deferential or supportive.

KH, you've got to get this on the myspace page. When I Googled "heels on men" I saw that the Mirabella blogger had offered original photo scans to Bryanboy. Maybe she would offer the same to you, which would be much better than the scans from the printed magazine.

I have to admit, I really like these photos. The combination of true heels coordinated with fashionable clothes, photographed with style is unbeatable. These need to be more widely distributed.

Great find there fashionablefun. Thanks.

Some of those outfits pictured there I would wear without hesitation. Have I/we started a trend, inspired someone, or is it just a coincidence?

Perhpas the answer to your question is in the response from someone at The Fashion Spot. I posted the Acne Jeans photo link there (as well as here) and someone responded:

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, if you ask me."

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f48/ballet-flats-39043-102.html

The ever androgynous Acne Jeans feature some shoes that will interest Heel-D at the very least, and I rather like them as well: (Scroll down slightly, and check out the other pages as well)

http://www.fashioninsanity.com/ss2008runway/acne_jeans_menswear_1.html

Here's a another blogger (with Candy in the name) who has both me and Kneehighs together:

http://hipcandy.blogspot.com/2007/03/style-verdict-hetero-men-in-heels.html

This is the first time I've seen the Holly Candy blog, but it's not the first blog I've seen with my photo on it. I've seen myself in the same photo on a few other blogs. Youv'e probably seen them as well, but I am a bit surprised at how many there are. I sometimes wonder if I'm the right individual, or if, in fact, I want to be the "poster boy" for the movement. I frankly think Kneehighs is much better suited for that job. Nonetheless, I like the idea of congreating the links in this thread. Keep it up Kneehighs.

I rather liked the way Bob Dylan was dressed here in 1965, with the boots, skinny jeans, blazer -- just a cuban heel perhaps, but it looks good:

I agree with Kneehighs AND Flavio. You don't have to like them to be open-minded about things.

I went to out to eat at fast food restaurant in this very outfit earlier this week, with a busy downtown weekday lunch crowd and then off to FedEx/Kinko’s to ship a package. While standing in line at FedEx, I noted a woman copying nearby with basically the same outfit, differing only in jacket color. I purposely positioned myself for good views of each other, though no exchanges were made. In fact, it was all rather uneventful, except perhaps on the way back to my car. Construction was going on in the building lobby and the normal flooring had been removed. The sound of my heels on the bare cement echoed through the cavernous, unfurnished lobby like gunshots. Though relatively empty of people, one gentleman turned to see just whose shoes were making such a racket. We caught only a quick glimpse of each other, but I can’t help but wonder if he was surprised, confused or intrigued. The footwear is fully described in photo number 6 in this thread.

I had a funny experiece last week when I wore a similar outfit to the public library: the same pointy, stilletto boots (described more fully with a different view in Photo 6 of this thread), jeans, but a different jacket. Though I'm pretty comfortable in public with whatever my choice of footwear, I had not been to the library before in heels. So I walked in confident, but very conscious of the boots I was wearing. I noticed a young man working behind a computer with spiky, pink hair and wearing a tank top. A few minutes later I saw the rest of his outfit: white belt and low rise jeans tucked into 4" high, chunky heeled, white platform boots. And that's not all. Attached to the top of the boot was stringy, white fringe, about 5" long, they swayed as he moved. The entire ensemble was so outrageously over the top (at least for a public library, in the middle of the day), that I had to laugh at myself, to even think that what I was wearing would gather inappropriate attention -- or any attention at all. It was a little much for me, but he clearly could care less what people thought. I went ahead with my own business, sittting down at another computer, completely exposing my heels, but not giving an instant's thought to my own outfit again.

This is what I would call a classic (freestyle) fashion look: jeans, white shirt, black jacket and pointy black stilettos. It has the formality of jacket and heels paired together with informality of jeans. Despite the heels, it’s not an attention grabber and when I wear the outfit, no one seems to pay any particular notice. It’s the same boots as photo number 6 in my Fashionably Fun collection thread (where a view of the heel is much more evident than this photo). http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/guys/5763-fashionably_fun_collection.html I wore the exact combination around town earlier this week, as described in the same thread.

I went to out to eat at fast food restaurant in this very outfit earlier this week, with a busy downtown weekday lunch crowd and then off to FedEx/Kinko’s to ship a package. While standing in line at FedEx, I noted a woman copying nearby with basically the same outfit, differing only in jacket color. I purposely positioned myself for good views of each other, though no exchanges were made. In fact, it was all rather uneventful, except perhaps on the way back to my car. Construction was going on in the building lobby and the normal flooring had been removed. The sound of my heels on the bare cement echoed through the cavernous, unfurnished lobby like gunshots. Though relatively empty of people, one gentleman turned to see just whose shoes were making such a racket. We caught only a quick glimpse of each other, but I can’t help but wonder if he was surprised, confused or intrigued. The footwear is fully described in photo number 6 in this thread.

Not excepting the intricacies of trigonometry, I think it might be more interesting to know both height and shoe size. Inasmuch as there is certainly a relationship, we might guage how different we are from the norm. For instance, I'm 6 feet, and take a size 9 (US men's) or 10.5-11 (US women's). I think that's small for my height, but I'm not certain.

As others have mentioned, I have almost never had any of my footwear repaired. They go out of fashion; I toss them and get something new. There was an exception just recently however. I decided to repair a pair of riding boots I’ve had for 13-15 years. When I took the boots in for repair I was wearing new, brown, round-toed, 4-inch, thick-heeled boots. You can see the riding boots in my Fashionably Fun Collection photo #17 and the boots I was wearing in #18. http://www.hhplace.org/discuss/guys/5763-fashionably_fun_collection-6.html#post120007 A stylish, older woman was being helped at the counter. She first looked at the riding boots I plopped on the counter and then glanced down at the brown boots I was wearing, then up to my face, and back down to the floor again. She didn’t say anything -- but I think she liked them (or at least I choose to think so). The shoe repair guy certainly thought nothing of either pair of boots.

I like the way the brown sweater coat fits beneath your sport jacket. It creates a nice white "V" shape near your waist and near your chest, which looks great. Plus, the whole layering effect is coordinated well.

Great outfit.

Thanks Kneehighs. I always like to show my belt. The sweater with the zippers going both directions allows that. For similiar reasons I ilke short shirts and jackets that reveal the belt -- particularly when the belt is coordinated with the footwear.

I mentioned to Kneehighs, when we went to dinner together a few months ago, that I was interested in pair of round-toed, sturdy heeled boots (though at the time, we we’re both wearing stilettos). I had found these at Nordstrom’s soon thereafter and had them with me at the Halloween New York Heel Meet, where I was in town attending a conference. I tried to hook up with the group, but we didn’t make connections. Nonetheless, I strutted through Grand Central Station in the exact outfit you see here: slim, straight, black jeans from Express, brown sweater and jacket and my new brown, 4-inch boots. I took the subway down to SoHo and shopped around for a couple of hours with no one even taking a second glance, as far as I could tell. Went into a few stores and tried on a few outfits to see how it looked with the new boots. I like them with the slim jeans, where they are much more visible. Under boot cut jeans, the boots just seem invisible. These are brown, 4-inch heel, size 10, B.P. brand, which is Nordstrom’s house brand. I tried them on in the store, first asking for a size 11, but to my surprise they were too big and bought the 10.

Here’s a tucked-in-pants outfit I rather like with my riding boots (that I describe in detail in photo #17 in my Fashionably Fun Collection thread), but here paired with a sort-of military looking jacket. I’ve worn the boots in public, tucked in as shown, but haven’t yet paired it with the jacket – but I’m sure I will.

This #17 from the Fashionably Fun Collection is one of very few that I’ve had for a long time. These riding boots are 13-15 years old and they were replacements to other, similar pairs I’ve had before. I recently decided to repair the worn heels and try them out again. The boots come up high on the leg, but the heels are only half-an-inch high. I doubt that I would ever wear 4 inch heeled boots tucked into jeans (though I regularly wear them otherwise). These flat boots are another matter, however.

I remember tucking them into my pants years ago. I recall when I was in a fraternity in college (which was, indeed, years ago) I wore riding boots tucked into a pair of corduroy pants at a fraternity meeting in our frat house. During the meeting, I was called to the front door of the house to respond to two attractive females who had come to personally ask me out to a sorority party. I distinctly recall being very conscious of my footwear and the perceived attention there from, only to be all the more spotlighted, as I strode up to the front door to talk to the two young women in my completely exposed boots.

I’ve worn them again since repairing them just last week. This photo shows the exact outfit I wore to breakfast at local bagel restaurant on Thursday. The boots are black, size 11, from a (perhaps now defunct) women’s store called Pappagallo. The jeans are white, a slim and straight model from Express, paired with a black jacket. Not surprisingly, no comments from anyone in the restaurant. Not certain if anyone even noticed.

This is certainly one way to explain that overwhelming sense of liberation that some of us feel when we are able to confidently stride the streets in high heels. Put on a pair of heels. On kicks the anima, suggesting that our behavior is somehow wrong. If the anima wins, then we bury our freestyling desires in the closet of shame. If the conflict between the anima and the desire to freestyle is resolved, we achieve through individuation a tremendous inner sense of self-realization. I hope everyone on this forum discovers their own unique form of individuation and unleashes the freestyler within.

Most here readily acknoledge a pull between our masculine ego and the feminine anima, but it seems to me that most are missing the more important point to kneehighs essay: that achieving individuation through self-realization liberates us from the conflicts we sometimes feel.

Tonight I wore a new pair of round-toed, 4-inch heeled boots while teaching a class to 13 college students. Not always perhaps, but most of the time I feel I've achieved what kneehighs postulates.

Thought it’s time to upload a couple photos for the collection. I’ve got some newer ones that I haven’t shot yet, but theses are a little older and I’m not certain I even like them anymore. This Number 15 in particular is a little odd—some kind of combination athletic shoe and high heel, I guess. Last year we were remodeling our kitchen and every time I visited the place making our countertops I wore a different pair of heels (#6, #3, #. I never got any response until about the fourth visit when I was wearing this pair. The guy helping me, about a 45 year old male, said “Those are some cool shoes” as he strained to get a better look. I just said thanks. They are Dollhouse brand, size 11, bought and tried at a Journey’s shoe store in the mall.

These are a pair I bought on a whim at for only $5 at a Famous Brands help-yourself style shoe store. They are suede, round toe, size 11, some meaningless brand. I was trying them on in front of everybody so when I went to the cash register to pay for them, I was sure the young male clerk was going to ask me about the boots I was buying when he said, “Can I ask you something?” Sure, “I said.” “Where did you buy your jeans?”

I too enjoyed our dinner and conversation, but after reading of your experiences after we parted, I would hardly call our dinner the highlight of the evening -- you indeed had fun. If I only I were young and single again...

Thanks for the defense at the Fashion Spot!

Did you know that membership there is now "by invite only?"

Your welcome Kneehighs. Your post at The Fashion Spot wasn't getting much traction, so I thought a bump would help it. I didn't know it now requires membership. Maybe it's good we got in when we did (though I don't post often.)

I’ve got a few more photos coming, but first a story. This past weekend I was in Hollywood for a conference. After the conference was over, I spent a couple days shopping and sightseeing, much of it in heels. I brought a couple pairs with me for that very purpose. I mostly wore my black stiletto Nine West boots (#6), together with my Seven jeans (# 2 & 5) black blazer (#9), white dress shirt. I feel when wearing heels, it’s appropriate to be a little more dressy, even when paired with jeans. I walked up and down the famous sidewalk of stars, who’s names are embedded in the cement, just clicking my way right over the top of all of them. It was early evening, not yet dark, but very crowded with people. As others have pointed out, when it’s crowded, even fewer notice. There are just too many people in the way.

I did go into an Express store to try on some skinny jeans with my heels. A female sales associate helped me locate my size, but a male sales associate was running the changing rooms. After trying on my first pair of jeans, I walked out of the changing room to show them to the sales associate and asked him for another pair in a different fit. He didn’t blink an eye as he looked at the fit (and obviously my heels) and retrieved my request. I didn’t end up liking the skinny jeans – just too tight around the ankles. I thought the straight or mild boot-cut were better. Just for fun I also went into a Hot Topic, a gothic store and asked if they had my size in this round toe, black patent, 4 inch heel:

http://www.hottopic.com/store/product.asp?LS=0&ITEM=397167 But they didn’t. A 9 or 10 years old boy in the store was the only person I saw all day that took any note of my footwear, with a double take or two.

The next day I went shopping at the Beverly Hills shopping mall with the same outfit, but with a T-shirt instead of the dress shirt. I got to the mall early; not realizing the stores didn’t open until 11:00. I first bought some food and sat at a high stool table. All the better to see someone’s shoes – but no one seemed to. I had more time to kill, so I walked over to a couch, sat down and called someone on my mobile phone. I also couldn’t help but notice a tall, attractive female sitting on the same couch wearing heels. I intentionally sat down just opposite her while carrying on my phone conversation. My heels were in full exposed view, just a few feet away. After I was done talking on my phone, I thought she might say something about our mutual footwear, because we did have a short conversation while I relaxed for a few minutes -- but we only talked about when the stores would be opening up. She was certainly friendly, very fashionably dressed and couldn’t have missed what I was wearing, but no comments.

When the stores opened up, I went into the Nine West store (wearing my Nine West boots) and asked to try on a pair of 3.5 inch high-heeled loafers that I saw. They only had them up to a size 10. I tried them on, but the fit was tight. The female sales associate offered to search for a larger pair on their computer and happily provided me the results of where I could get my size. It was so normal you’d think guys were always shopping in their (women’s only) store wearing 4-inch heels.

I visited a few other convenience stores in the same outfit. It was all fashionably fun.