Bootking Posted May 8, 2009 Posted May 8, 2009 Love the Freditas and they look good with the tights! I was on the way to the gym this morning and in the same shopping center is a college. What caught my eye was a woman walking into the college wearing footless tights and a (probably) 3 1/2 - 4" block heel ankle strap pumps - damn it caught my eye! The shoes/legs that is!!!!! HappyFeat, what makes you think that your outfit didn't get the same reaction from other people??? It's all about the heel!
HappyFeat Posted May 8, 2009 Author Posted May 8, 2009 Nice looks HF, as always. That's cool talking to the guy about baseball and no bad response to that. Keep it up! Yea, that was pretty cool for me. I think I have the confidence to go about anywhere and do about anything while wearing heels. But isn't that what its all about for us anyway? Wow HF, at the rate you're going, dressing in your men's clothing will be the exception. Also another good point. I think I am becoming an official freestyler or interdresser or whatever. I think with the exception of work, I am pretty much to the point of incorporating clothing marketed to both genders in my everyday wardrobe. A year ago if somebody told me I would be this comfortable, I would have thought they were crazy. HappyFeat: You certainly do know how to push the envelope! That first outfit was pretty darn wild! I applaud your imagination when it comes to fashion! Bravo, my friend! Bravo! 50 outings in 2009, eh? Wow! Doubly impressed! Yes, I think I broke the 50 outing barrier with my recent outings that I will be posting soon. You could say imagination is my fashion! Now that I have been able to be out so much, it really has allowed me to play around and discover the possibilities that freestyling allows. So, Jeff, when do we get to read about another "jaunt." I don't think I am the only person here who has missed your experiences. Love the Freditas and they look good with the tights! I was on the way to the gym this morning and in the same shopping center is a college. What caught my eye was a woman walking into the college wearing footless tights and a (probably) 3 1/2 - 4" block heel ankle strap pumps - damn it caught my eye! The shoes/legs that is!!!!! HappyFeat, what makes you think that your outfit didn't get the same reaction from other people??? Well, I don't know that I didn't except that there weren't many people around when I was wearing that outfit. Looking at the pictures, I think the skirt wasn't terribly flattering and the tights made my feet look HUGE. But I digress...I a my won worst critic. Besides, if it isn't obvious from the pictures over the last year, I have put on about 20 pounds that I need to drop. It would be realy cool to get to a size 10 or 12 (from a 14 or 16) to just see what options I might have. However, that would say good-bye to Lane Bryant for me...LOL I am however that the look caught your eye.... I will be posting a few more outings in the near future... Style is built from the ground up!
JeffB Posted May 8, 2009 Posted May 8, 2009 Yes, I think I broke the 50 outing barrier with my recent outings that I will be posting soon. You could say imagination is my fashion! Now that I have been able to be out so much, it really has allowed me to play around and discover the possibilities that freestyling allows. So, Jeff, when do we get to read about another "jaunt." I don't think I am the only person here who has missed your experiences. Yeah, I know it's been awhile since my last outing, March 5th to be exact. As the late John Lennon was famous for having said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans". But I hope to get back out and about real soon. I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
RonC Posted May 8, 2009 Posted May 8, 2009 HappyFeat, thanks for the continuing story line. I always look forward to a new post, and only wish it was me with the bravado to do what you are doing. One thing I do miss of late, however, is.that the pictures you had been posting with each outfit (those with pants that is) where you lift your pant leg to show the full shoe. It always made me appreciate the "un-lifted" photo a bit more when I could get a good look at the heels you were wearing. Without that, it is difficult to see just what the heels look like. So if I could make a small request, it would be to again include a "pant leg lifted" shot as well as the normal shot in your posts. Thanks again!
HappyFeat Posted May 8, 2009 Author Posted May 8, 2009 ... One thing I do miss of late, however, is.that the pictures you had been posting with each outfit (those with pants that is) where you lift your pant leg to show the full shoe. It always made me appreciate the "un-lifted" photo a bit more when I could get a good look at the heels you were wearing. Without that, it is difficult to see just what the heels look like. So if I could make a small request, it would be to again include a "pant leg lifted" shot as well as the normal shot in your posts... Since I have been getting out a lot recently, I haven't been doing the shoe shots because of the limit of attachments. I have given some thought to doing some Photoshop work to combine the images, which I may give a try. I am glad you like them and since I am a true believer that any or all of my outfits start from the "ground up" I will start doing it again in the future. I have noticed that the shoes become difficult to see in most of my pictures so your point is well taken and appreciated. However, for my most recent batch of outings, I did not do shoe pictures, so please forgive me this time. Tuesday night - After making it out last Tuesday morning, I decided to check out Tuesday night Karaoke. I wore a an Alfini white linen jacket, a pink Polo oxford shirt, Lane Braynt Capri pants (maybe they are gauchos because they have a fairly wide leg) gray nylons, and Steve Madden "Curtsey" pumps with a 3 inch heel. The bar was slow, which I expected, but I did have a nice chat with a couple of people. One girl who is always loves my shoes sat with me for a while and kept trying to get at why I wear heels, but don't go full femme. I have gotten this line of questioning from a lot of people actually. I just kept saying over and over again that for me it has nothing to do with gender or even sexuality, it is all about fashion. I don't think she ever got it, but she does accept me for who I am and loves my look. Later another young woman who I talk to a lot came in wearing with a friend, and they were both wearing evening gowns. They just decided that it would be fun to dress up for no reason at all. Of course I know all about that! I danced with them and really wished I had my small camera so I could get a couple of shots of us together, but I haven't been able to find it for some time. Wednesday- Like the girls the night before, I decided that I wanted to overdress on Wednesday. I had a late start for the day I wanted to take full advantage of my free time, so I went to some of my favorite shopping haunts. I went with a "nautical" theme for my outfit - Navy blue classic blazer with gold tone buttons, pink Polo oxford, off white wide leg Lane Bryant trousers, and navy blue Bandolino "Sneakpeak" pumps with a small (less than 3 inch) heel. Though my choice of outfit was far too dressy for a shopping outing, I felt great and had a lot of fun with it. My first stop was the Lane Bryant outlet. A couple of weeks ago, I had tried on a little cotton black and white dress, but decided to pass on it then but after giving it some thought, I decided to treat myself. I went in the store, browsed a bit, found a nice pair of trousers on the clearance rack and headed to the dressing room with the trousers and the dress. The trousers fit great but I may be too tall for the dress. The clerk came to check on me and we discussed the fit in front of the three paned mirror, she agreeing that the fit wasn't quite right. But I wound up buying it anyway, figuring nobody would comment on the fit where I would be wearing it. Next, I went to the Nine West outlet, promising myself that I wouldn't buy anything - just look and try. Well I didn't succeed. The manager was in, the store was slow so we chatted for a while then she brought me several pair of recent arrivals to try. I tried a great pair of sandals with fabric cris-crossed straps but I really had no use for them. I tried a pair of open toe sling backs with a very high heel, that I absolutely adore, but they were still priced on the high end. I wore them around the store for 20 minutes or so as I looked at other stock. I found a pair of slides with a 3 inch heel that I had tried before, but they were a new markdown so I tried them out - again. I decided to buy them in a gray color called warm clay. Also, I found a pair of dark brown leather Mary Jane's called "Kickline" that I have wanted for some time, but now they too were marked down. I asked the manager if I should get the Mj's or the slides in black. She told me that I usually don't do open toe often so I should get the MJ's - which is what I did. Though I promised myself I wouldn't buy anything, two pair of Nine West shoes for under $45 was too tempting to pass up. Also, I did something I had never done before - I wore the slides out of the store. The weather had turned nice, so I decided to free my toes for a bit. Next I went to Macy's at a mall about a half an hour away. It started raining so, I put my blue pumps back on. I needed nylons for my new dress. It seems that I have run out of black, but also I wanted to get something special. I bought two pair of black patterned nylons - one in a micro fish net and another with vertical stripes as well as a couple pair of tights out of the clearance bin. The store was not crowded but busy and I was getting a lot of looks, but didn't really pay much attention. I looked around a bit before I decided to take a stroll down the mall. I had left my glasses in my car but had my sunglasses. Even though they were dark, it was better than not seeing where I was going. When I put my dark glasses on an interesting thing happened - I noticed people making every effort to check me out - even one guy who passed me and I could see him turn to walk backward! Maybe it is because people couldn't see my eyes or make eye contact, but I did see that I was getting more attention than I had ever noticed before. I went into the Lane Bryant store. At this mall, they haven't been very accommodating to me, never asking if I wanted to try anything or even being of much help. However, one of the clerks was trying on stuff and she would come out and model it. Only after one comment from me, she continued to try giving me my own little fashion show. It was fun, though she never said anything about my outfit, she must have liked my fashion sense to value my opinion. I stopped in Baker's, but they didn't have any 11's that I liked. They do give good service. One of the clerks went to the back, checked all of the 11's and gave me a walk trough of the few styles that had in. I looked around DSW on my way to work, but nothing there struck me either. My last stop of the day was to check my e-mail at Starbucks where I ordered a frapachino and played on the computer. I got a lot of long looks from the patrons coming in and out and of course the staff always seem to greet me with smiles. Thursday - After Wednesday's outing, I was ready to go again on Thursday. Since I was a bit overstated the day before, I went with tall LB boot cut jeans, a red dress shirt, and a black blazer...however I picked my Enzio Angoli "Mylist" peep toe sling backs. If it could ever be said that a pair of open toe, open back shoes were designed for a guy, these may be them. I love these shoes! I went to yet another mall, tried on shoes at Bandolino and Aldo, browsed JCrew and Banana Republic and looked at the clearance rack at Macy's. There was nothing I couldn't live with out, but had no apprehension about trying on shoes in the crowded stores. The clerk at Aldo kept bringing me 40s when I asked for an 11 - not the 41's which sometimes work, but that was the only drawback to my time at the mall. I needed to find a book for a gift, so I went to Borders where the clerks were quite helpful and Barnes and Nobel. Neither place had by book, but I did learn who the author was, which was good information to have as it turns out. I went to lunch at Panerra, mostly because of the free Internet access where I leisurely ate and played on the computer. The place was VERY busy and I was in the middle of the store at a table on full display. When I sat down I walked past a young man in a suit who followed my shoes with his eyes. I sat down behind him and I could tell he wanted to turn and look again, but he never did. I made eye contact with a woman in her 40's who was having lunch with her husband and she kept looking my way. I smiled at her and she smiled back, and kept looking and smiling, and looking and smiling. I was there for over an hour, getting up to refill my drink, go to the restroom, etc. Each time people glanced and looked with reactions ranging from quick glances to long double takes. I am very confident in these shoes and love it when people react to my look - no matter how they do so. On my way home, I decided to stop at one more book store. Besides I really wasn't ready to take off my heels. I can actually say that I would wear these shoes to almost any place without even giving it second thought. I went in the store, and found my book! A college age couple saw me, both giving me approving nods. The clerk checking me out said "great shoes" and I thanked her. Thursday night - A day like this was just too good to end! I decided to break out a pair of my new striped nylons and combined them with a black skirt, red candy striped Hathaway oxford shirt, and classic Nine West "Glaze" sling backs with an open side - which I thought was perfect for my nylons. Since it was chilly, I wore a white Lane Bryant jacket and since I had no pockets, I grabbed a small, white Coach leather bag. I was off to Thursday night Karaoke. I think one of the reasons that I like going to this place is because everybody accepts my style and even enjoys seeing me in what I put together. It is a great place to try new things. I don't know if I will ever regurally wear outfits like this outside a safe environment, but if I do it is because I had a place like this to really help define my style. I chatted with a couple of guys, one of which asked me if I wore pantys, but I told him there was no need with nylons. The other was a guy who used to bartend at a club I used to frequent that went out of business. We caught up, etc. had had a very relaxing evening. Several people came in and teased me about "making out" with the girl a few weeks back. Its funny how a couple of kisses evolved into something much more after a trip through the hen party gossip machine. She didn't come in, however for those of you who might be curious. I did dance a little and stayed until closing, which I hadn't done in ages. One the way home, I went into a donut shop for a hot chocolate and was quite drew a whole lot of attention from the college aged drunken crowd. Somebody needs to shake them up a little! The one bad thing that happened was in a futile attempt to keep my nylons straight, I did end up pulling them too much and running them. I was pretty sad about that! As I am writing this I am out in my new black sandals. Tomorrow night I am planning on wearing my new dress. But those stories will have to wait... Attached are the pictures of my outfits from the outings above. No shoe shots or out and about shots this time, but I will work on it. Style is built from the ground up!
Bootking Posted May 9, 2009 Posted May 9, 2009 Ah; the pumps with the capris - now that's a look! It's all about the heel!
danielp6406 Posted May 9, 2009 Posted May 9, 2009 Greatings HappyFeat :-) Another successful and busy week ! I agree with Bootking: I like your outfit #1: the gaucho pants and gray heels (You got nerves, indeed...) BTW, I hope you keep a backup of all your posts, just in case there is a server crash here at HHplace. Remember you have more than enough material to write a book... It is funny you mentioned the sunglasses. I also noticed others are looking at me more when I wear mine. (or maybe it is because I can look around more easily...) Can't wait to read your next post !
JeffB Posted May 9, 2009 Posted May 9, 2009 HappyFeat: Love the new pics! Patterned hosiery with a skirt! WOW! That's outrageous! And the gauchos/pumps combo was slick! You certainly have become quite the fashion trailblazer! Bravo, my friend! I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
HappyFeat Posted May 10, 2009 Author Posted May 10, 2009 I was going to wait until later to post these outings, but I just got in from my Saturday night outing and needed to tell somebody... I will start with Friday for the sake of continuity. Friday - My outfit consisted of a blue and white striped Clayborne sweater, Lane Bryant flare jeans in a long length and Report "Hudson" platform sandals. Mainly I went to lunch and did a little Mother's Day shopping. I had attempted to give myself a pedicure with white nail polish but only succeeded in botching the whole thing, so my toes were less than outstanding, but I will try again. At lunch, I posted some earlier adventures on HHPlace...it is so interesting to write about an outing while I am on an outing. I think they are getting used to seeing me in heels because the staff really doesn't even react to me much anymore. I went and did some shopping at a couple of kitchen stores to find some requests for Mom, but my jeans covered - and flattered my shoes so well that few people would notice unless they were actually looking. I finished the day by going to Starbucks for a frapachino, where I sat and flipped through a magazine, but the store was slow, so I really didn't pay much attention to other people. The look - platform sandals with flare jeans has been one that I have wanted to try for a while and I think it will be a common theme for the summer. Also, the shoes were a bit tight so my feet were pretty beat up by the end of the day. I was so excited to finally find them in an 11 that I just more or less convinced myself that they fit fine when I bought them. I knew it as dumb of me then and I know it is dumb of me now. However, I will get them stretched out.... Saturday- I finally got a chance to go out of Saturday night again. It seems like it has been forever so I was really looking for it. As I posted earlier, I bought a dress that I had been looking at for some time. It has a white top and a black skirt with a faux patent three buckle belt and a high waist. It doesn't fit me remarkably, but it was really cute and I liked it on me so I got it and wore it. Since it kind of had a bit of a "school girl" look to it, I wore black micro mesh (fishnet) pantyhose and Steve Madden patent Mary Jane pumps with a 3 inch stiletto heel. I also carried a black coach bag and wore three rings and a bracelet. Its a bit more than i usually do, but I wanted to take it up a notch so to speak. The club was actually fairly slow. I talked to a very cute lesbian couple, one was wearing a black silk suit with cropped pants and slides with a 3 inch heel and the other was wearing a red top, knee length skirt and black knee boots. I asked if they would pose for a picture with me, though they agreed, I forgot to put a memory card in my camera. I chatted with a guy who is an artist for a bit. He kept telling me that my look was very Andy Whorhol, which is actually sort of what I was going for. He took my name and number to invite me to a gallery opening in New York in August for a friend of his. I told me that my look would fit right in for the event. We'll see if I hear anything, but I may be in town Kneehighs! Then my evening hit a high and eventually a low...I started talking to a really beautiful blonde woman. She was wearing a red patterned halter top, low rise jeans and very nice red leather slingbacks. She offered me her shoe to try on (she is a size nine) and I obliged. We flirted, heavily, held hands, kissed a little. It turns out we have a lot in common...she commented on every piece of jewelry I was wearing, we both are mature photographers, etc. She is recently separated from her husband of 11 years, has a son, etc. She said she didn't like my shoes because of the round toe, but loved my look and that I had killer legs. We shared a few drinks at the bar, but she was pretty getting pretty drunk. I really wanted to take her home, but she was such a wonderful person I didn't want to screw up anything that seemed so right. At one point, she took her bracelet - a souvenir shell bracelet form some place in Central America and put it on my left wrist. She told me to keep it...and I did. Then a guy sets down on the other side of her, she starts talking to him and then he orders her another drink. After about 10 minutes of her talking to him, I simply got up and told her to "enjoy herself." Which is sincere on my part. I guess I refuse to play games anymore. It was a nice evening, I felt great, but I simply refuse to take advantage of a drunk woman who deserves more respect that cheesy lines at a bar. So far, this is the closest I have come to meeting somebody while wearing heels (or a dress for that matter.) I keep going over and over it in my head about how I could have "closed the deal" but it wasn't in the cards tonight. But I will always have her bracelet as a souvenir of a really remarkable encounter. I have posted pictures of both outfits. I think I will give myself 24 hours to enjoy some goo old fashioned self pitty... Style is built from the ground up!
JeffB Posted May 10, 2009 Posted May 10, 2009 HappyFeat: Once again, you impress me greatly. The striped sweater from the first pic was quite eyecatching, and the dress in the second pic was fetching. As for your adventure in the club, I found it highly intriguing, especially your interaction with that woman. I found it refreshing that some men still have standards like you have. Big ups, my friend. I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
Bubba136 Posted May 10, 2009 Posted May 10, 2009 Same goes for me, Happy Feat It is a known fact that good triumphs over "sleaze" every time. Congratulations on a super outing. Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.
radiodave Posted May 10, 2009 Posted May 10, 2009 I agree with Jeff and Bubba, and congrats on your outing. Interesting experiences in the club, thanks for sharing!
Maximilian Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 A great outing indeed. Bravo! It hardly matters that you haven't "closed the deal". You still had a nice intimate conversation with a gorgeous woman who accepted your fashion style. Heck, you even made out with her! It just shows that accepting women are out there. Who knows who you'll meet at the club next time. This outing certainly took you to the next level.
Bootking Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 HappyFeat, another raise of the bar again - with intimacy too; WOW!!!! It's all about the heel!
HappyFeat Posted May 11, 2009 Author Posted May 11, 2009 OK, perspective has returned to me since last Saturday night. Thanks so much for all of the posts helping me keep my focus. After reading your posts and having some time to revisit the evening, I am more thrilled about heeling than ever before. Guys, not only is it possible to meet women that are cool with a guy in heels (and more), there are women who actually will be drawn to a guy in heels. To me, this is what Kneehighs has been writing about for years as well as all of you lucky men who have wives and significant others who share your passions. Not long ago, I read about the concept of "peacocking." The basic idea is that a guy will add some "conversation piece" to his attire in an effort to attract women and make a conversation easy to start. More traditionally, it is a hat, jacket, pin, jewelry, etc. but what gets a woman's attention more than shoes? Part of peacocking is having a story that goes with the item. This also reminded me of Kneehighs and his collection of stories, lines, etc. Now, I am not saying that this is what I am doing or what anybody else is doing because I know that I am all about the fashion regardless of the situation, and many of you have expressed similar opinions in other discussions. But in the situation I was in the other night, it seems to apply...a woman who may have never noticed me, let alone spoke to me was drawn to me because of my choice of outfit. So, I would argue that heeling is more benefit to meeting people than something that keeps them away. Now that being said, when I go out I never really have the idea of meeting somebody in mind. I may pay lip service to it, but it isn't the primary reason I go out. With the encounters that I have had in the past couple of weeks, I need to simply keep the possibility that somebody might actually want to get to know me better, may want to be intimate, or maybe just maybe want to actually go out and see what happens. In many ways, heeling has made me more confident and appealing - it is as if embracing this part of my expression is actually strengthening my personality - I think these opportunities will only increase in the future. As for the actual events the other night, I never dreamed that another guy would force his way into an intimate situation between another couple. I know I would never do that at least. Part of having some scruples is also being a bit naive, I think. Also, in retrospect, if her head could be turned that quickly, why would I be interested in her anyway. A lot of it brings back memories of junior high school dances, and I just choose to be a bit more evolved than that. In the end, I had a wonderful experience that I would never have dreamed possible. Normal, real life things can happen while you are dressing and doing as you please. I know there are many guys out there who love to wear heels and would not think such things possible - but they are. I know when I joined HHPlace, it was great reading such accounts, but didn't think they were possible for me. But I have real proof that they are. So, I met a woman who I really liked, shared some quality time and have a bracelet as a souvenir. And who knows, maybe we will meet again...maybe not, who knows, but I do know that life in high heels is better than life without. As per RonC's request, I am trying to post pictures of my shoes I wore with outfits, especially the outfits where the shoes may be hard to see in the pictures. I have the pictures of the Report "Hudson" sandals I wore on my outing Friday. As posted before, I forgot to put a memory card in my camera on Saturday's outing and missed some wonderful photo opportunities from my night at the club. So maybe next time I will get that right too! Again thanks for all of the feedback and comments. Keep 'em coming. Style is built from the ground up!
danielp6406 Posted May 11, 2009 Posted May 11, 2009 Greatings HappyFeat :-) I'm glad to hear it went well for you. It is like a dream coming true. You are now an inspiration to all of us... Happy heeling !
Puffer Posted May 12, 2009 Posted May 12, 2009 ... As for the actual events the other night, I never dreamed that another guy would force his way into an intimate situation between another couple. I know I would never do that at least. Part of having some scruples is also being a bit naive, I think. Also, in retrospect, if her head could be turned that quickly, why would I be interested in her anyway. A lot of it brings back memories of junior high school dances, and I just choose to be a bit more evolved than that. ... Yes, HF, in retrospect it is perhaps a little naive to think that unwanted interventions like this do not happen. But I think you put your finger on it in concluding that a woman who allows herself to be diverted in this way (influenced by alcohol or not) is not worth fighting over. (Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt!) Sometimes they see the error of their ways and return contritely to the fold, but not always. And you certainly needn't feel bad about behaving like a gentleman - even if you don't dress like one! There will be other chances before long, I have no doubt; good luck.
RonC Posted May 12, 2009 Posted May 12, 2009 Thanks for the additional "shoe" shots, Happyfeat. I greatly appreciate being able to see your fine collection of footwear. And I hope that you eventually have success with finding a woman that will share your passion. That is the ultimate but, alas, one that I will never attain with my wife.
RonC Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 After your discussions of the Bandolino shop in your area, I decided to give the one in my area a try today. It is in a mall, so I picked early morning in hopes that the stores would not be crowded, and I was in luck on that, as I was the only person in the store. I selected a few pairs (Bandolino often has styles that I like, so it wasn't difficult) and asked of she had them in size 11 or 12. No 12's, she said, but I probably have them in an 11. SHe went to find the shoes I selected and came back with three pairs. I said that I would need to try them, and if that would be a problem. She said no, and in fact there is another guy that works in the mall that comes in all the time to trry on shoes. She handed me some footies and off I went. I'm still not real big on waltzing around a shop in the mall, but I did try on and walk some in all three pair, as well as one that I asked for later, and ended up buying the first pair pictured. Thanks, Happyfeat, for without your discussions here, I probably would not have ever gone in there!
HappyFeat Posted May 15, 2009 Author Posted May 15, 2009 ahhh, Peacocking! It seems we might have more things in common than we realize. Absolutely! I think that if we ever got together, it would be considered an illegal assembly! ...And you certainly needn't feel bad about behaving like a gentleman - even if you don't dress like one! ... I think I am going to use this bit of reflection. I like to say that it takes a man to wear a dress...but this quote really adds some punch. Thanks so much for your kind words. After your discussions of the Bandolino shop in your area, I decided to give the one in my area a try today. It is in a mall, so I picked early morning in hopes that the stores would not be crowded, and I was in luck on that, as I was the only person in the store. I selected a few pairs (Bandolino often has styles that I like, so it wasn't difficult) and asked of she had them in size 11 or 12. No 12's, she said, but I probably have them in an 11. SHe went to find the shoes I selected and came back with three pairs. I said that I would need to try them, and if that would be a problem. She said no, and in fact there is another guy that works in the mall that comes in all the time to trry on shoes. She handed me some footies and off I went. I'm still not real big on waltzing around a shop in the mall, but I did try on and walk some in all three pair, as well as one that I asked for later, and ended up buying the first pair pictured. Thanks, Happyfeat, for without your discussions here, I probably would not have ever gone in there! Thank you for your post RonC! One of my goals for keeping this thread is to share my experiences so that more guys get out there and simply do as they please. As an advocate for fashion freedom, the fashion is fun but the power comes from the freedom. Also, I love the shoes you bought. I actually considered buying the same pair in the black and white spectators! Hope you enjoy them. Style is built from the ground up!
HappyFeat Posted May 15, 2009 Author Posted May 15, 2009 Here are my latest set of outings... Tuesday - I needed to get "back in the saddle" so to speak after last weekend. However, I had plenty of time this day to heel, the weather was one of those "in-between" days - cool in the morning, warm by afternoon, with intermittent rain. These days always are tough for me to dress. This combined with the fact that I hated most of my wardrobe while trying to make a selection made for a late start. I eventually settled on a mauve-ish dress shirt, a black blazer, LB boot cut jeans in a tall length, and Nine West "Glaze" slingbacks. Since I have rediscovered these shoes, they have almost become my standby pair - if nothing else suits my fancy, then they are what I will wear. My first stop was a high end consignment store south of the city. This is the kind of place women in BMWs bring their "old" Louis Vouton bags to exchange for a used pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. I had been meaning to check it out for quite a while, but never think about it until I have driven past. I went in, browsed for a while, no shoes in my size, but I did find a couple of cute skirts that were not marked down yet. I will go back and check on them though. The store was packed, and consignment shoppers are agressive to say the least. I was just competition in the ailes and racks, nothing more. I just got in the spirit and fit in nicely. Next, I went to the mall where the Bandolino and Aldo stores are located. I was just there last week, but thought I would make another spin around the stores. A different girl was working at Aldo, who actually brought me the right sizes. She was a young fashion design student at the Art Institute. We talked about fashion, shoes, her studies, etc. as we tried on shoes. Nothing fit, however it was a lot of fun. At Bandolino, they had a bunch of new things in. I tried a couple pair of sandals and chatted with the staff about other brands, etc. I wound up giving directions to the Nine West store to another customer even. Again, a pleasant relaxing experience. The highlight of my day came at another shopping center about a mile from the mall. I went into a store called Footloose, a high end store that sells shoes and clothing. Here I started browsing the clearance rack, though nobody came to help for a long time. Eventually a tall raven haired beauty in a black peasant skirt came and asked if I needed any help. I asked if they got many 11's and she kind of made "that face." She went in the back and brought out all of the 11's they had on clearance. They were all kind of frumpy and totally unappealing. I told her that I really wasn't looking for anything in particular, but when I saw what I was looking for I would know. I asked her about a pair of spectators on the floor, and she told me that they didn't get any of those larger than a 9. Then she took me on a tour of the store, showing me all sorts of shoes SHE liked, but kept saying that the only come in 10, they only come in 10, etc. Though she was wearing flip-flops, she was almost as tall as me in 3 inch heels! She said she only wore heels when she went out and that she couldn't wear them shopping all day like I was doing. Eventually, she had shown me everything and we were just chatting. She said she was sorry that "nothing caught m eyes" and I replied that no shoes caught my eye, but she did. She blushed, I told her that she was beautiful and quite helpful and I hope that I see her the next time I came in. She said that would be nice and hoped I came back soon. I think I will next week. My next stop was a late lunch. I went into a quaint little sit down place, ordered a bowl of suop and read. The waitress noticed my shoes, but never made any comment, though she was a bit friendlier than a waitress normally is. My last stop was Starbucks for a Frapachino. Again, I sat and read in one of the easy chairs, attracting some glances from people coming and going. It was a very nice day and I think my mojo is on the rise. Wednesday - A brief outing after work. I wore a navy blue suit jacket, a yellow nylon tee shirt, LB boot cut jeans, and kitten heel Navy Blue Steve Madden "Vespa" Mary Jane pumps. A pretty casual look. My goal was to go to Lane Bryant to look at their additional markdowns on clearance. Though they have never been terribly helpful at this store, I decided to be a bit more assertive and asked for a fitting room. I tried on three skirts and a pair of pants, but the skirts were too small. The clerk looked for a larger size for me, but they didn't have them in the store. I walked around the floor in a really cute navy blue a-line skirt that was just too snug in the waist and got very positive comments from other clerks and patrons. The skirt was fantastic with my shoes and I was a bit heartbroken that they didn't have it in a larger size. Thursday afternoon - I decided to try an experiment. I wore my brown Nine West "Gaffer" pumps which hav over a 3 inch heel with average length jeans. This exposed a lot of my shoes, more than I normally do with jeans. I didn't find the look terribly comfortable, not because my shoes were more visiable, but I think high shoes need longer inseam to look right with jeans. I had a couple of hous planned, but wound up spending most of my time in the Nine West store. They had gotten a lot of new things in, so I tried a few things, but didn't buy anything. I had a nice visit with the manager for most of my time in the store however. She said they are getting more larger sizes. I asked if she was getting any more male customers. She said no, other than me the few guys who buy for themselve pretend that they are not for them. I got a chuckle out of that. She gave me a couple of coupons for this weekend and one for the month of June as well. Thurdays Night - I went to karaoke night, wearing a black sweater, white jacket, gray skirt, black nylons and Nine West "Aleena" peep toe pumps with a vary high heel. It is almost required that I wear a skirt to Karaoke night now. The place was very slow, and I had a nice evening, though no real deep conversations except for one girl who was with a date that told me that I was "hot" and that she would kill herself in my shoes. Pretty typical. I cathhed with a guy about the basketball game (Houston-LA game 6) and left after about two hours. It was nice to get back to the "scene of the crime" from last Saturday however. Attached are pictures of my outfits and a picture of the shoes I wore on my first three outings. My heeling time looks like ti is about to slow down for a couple of weeks, however. But you never know... Style is built from the ground up!
RonC Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 HappyFeat, another group of nice outings for you! As I can tell we share many likes in terms of heels, I am not surpirsed to hear that you almost bought those Bandolinos as well. I too like the black and white version, but I felt a bit less conspicuous in the all black style, if you know what I mean. They are enjoyable shoes and I love the look. The heel is high enough to enjoy, but not so high as to make walking difficult. Thanks again for returning to a "shoe shot" in your posts. I like them all!
JeffB Posted May 16, 2009 Posted May 16, 2009 Yo, HappyFeat: Congrats on your latest outings, and pics! I must say you certainly do know how to work a blazer, they really do enhance your overall look! I absolutely MUST give a blazer a try myself! And you know how to wear a skirt as well! Bravo to you, my friend! You continue to impress me with your fine sense of style! I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
SandalFan Posted May 16, 2009 Posted May 16, 2009 ... one girl who was with a date told me that... she would kill herself in my shoes. Is it just me, or does that seem to be the consensus among a lot of women who don't wear heels? It just strikes me as funny, heels are the one thing we street-heelers most often admire about women, and most women don't even like them. Case in point - where I live, I can walk into my local Hy-Vee, in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, and be the ONLY one wearing heels... Go figure... "Basic instincts, social life... Paradoxes side by side... Don't submit to stupid rules... Be yourself and not a fool... Don't accept average habits... Open your heart and push the limits..." - Enigma
roniheels Posted May 16, 2009 Posted May 16, 2009 HappyFeat... Great outings, great outfits, and pretty high heels. I really like your style. I wear suits or slacks with sport coats with my high heels. I am going to try the jeans and sport coat look on my next high heel outing. Once again you have inspired me as well as others here at High Heel Place and I thank you.
HappyFeat Posted May 17, 2009 Author Posted May 17, 2009 HappyFeat, another group of nice outings for you! As I can tell we share many likes in terms of heels, I am not surprised to hear that you almost bought those Bandolinos as well. I too like the black and white version, but I felt a bit less conspicuous in the all black style, if you know what I mean. They are enjoyable shoes and I love the look. The heel is high enough to enjoy, but not so high as to make walking difficult. Thanks again for returning to a "shoe shot" in your posts. I like them all! I own a few pair of Bandolinos, though I have many more pairs of Nine West. They are owned by the same company. The Bandolino manager told me the difference is that Nine West are more fashion forward while the Bandolino styles are designed more with comfort in mind. For example, most Bandolinos have lower heels and padded insoles, which do make them really great shoes for guys who heel. Both brands are great for me, since the 11's normally fit nicely and they are quite attractive. I understand the issue of how conspicuous a shoe can be. Though I am not a guy who really cares to "fly under the radar" as a rule, there are times I like to wear more understated shoes. I am sure this is true for anybody, even women, when matching heels with their outfits - the choice of shoes depends on the outfit, where you are going, what you are doing, and what your mood is that day. I also understand as a guy that wearing inconspicuous heels makes you feel less obvious. However my experience has taught me that here are times I can go out in a block heel loafer and everybody seems to notice and other times I can go out in a stiletto sandal and draw minimal attention. Color is the one variable I have found in how much attention you get, and the black and white spectators definitely would turn some heads. In the end, you made a fantastic style choice for your comfort level. You should be quite proud of the entire process. Yo, HappyFeat: Congrats on your latest outings, and pics! I must say you certainly do know how to work a blazer, they really do enhance your overall look! I absolutely MUST give a blazer a try myself! And you know how to wear a skirt as well! Bravo to you, my friend! You continue to impress me with your fine sense of style! That means a lot coming from you JeffB! I have gotten quite comfortable wearing a skirt. I feel natural and sexy...not to mention powerful in a skirt. I have even given some thought to wearing a skirt with guy shoes, just to see how it goes over. I continue to be amazed at how comfortable they are and even how easy they are to wear. And I never fail to get comments about my legs. Isn't thsi what fashion is about...feeling great and looking good? Is it just me, or does that seem to be the consensus among a lot of women who don't wear heels? It just strikes me as funny, heels are the one thing we street-heelers most often admire about women, and most women don't even like them. Case in point - where I live, I can walk into my local Hy-Vee, in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, and be the ONLY one wearing heels... Go figure... I was talking to a couple of girls while I was out recently about this very thing. They were both wearing heels and I was commenting that it was nice to NOT be the only person out on a Saturday night in heels. Though the places I go don't attract a lot of fashion forward women, you would think there would be more footwear variety on a night out than flip-flops and sneakers! I do see many more women wearing heels while I am shopping recently. However, if I do talk to a woman about my shoes, about half the time they are asking the "how do you walk in those" kind of comments. I really think that there is a certain backlash against fashion in general and high heels specifically in certain parts of American culture. Ironically, there are many women who are just afraid of going out in heels as there are men. HappyFeat... Great outings, great outfits, and pretty high heels. I really like your style. I wear suits or slacks with sport coats with my high heels. I am going to try the jeans and sport coat look on my next high heel outing. Once again you have inspired me as well as others here at High Heel Place and I thank you. Thanks for the feedback Ron. I have noticed since I started posting my outfits in my album that I really do wear jeans and a sports coat look a lot. For me it is casual, but still clean and fashionable. Also, women's jeans do not have great pockets, so the added places to carry things doesn't hurt. Like you I stated heeling wearing man's suits and slacks most often. It seemed logical - heels tend to be dress shoes and those are my dress outfits. It is a fantastic look and I still do it on occasion. Then my logic shifted to what is a comfortable look, something I like, and can wear most anywhere. That's when I started with jeans and a jacket. I started wearing women's jeans most of the time and got some with a tall inseam to provide a bit more coverage of the heels. I liked this look on women, so I decided to try it when wearing heels. I liked it and now it is pretty much my signature look. I am glad that my experience show that a guy can not only wear heels, dress how he wants, and enjoy doing it...but the world woun't spin off its axis when we do. You are also and inspiration to me Ron...as well as JeffB, who has really helped me find rotating in a skirt or two is also pretty cool! Style is built from the ground up!
JeffB Posted May 17, 2009 Posted May 17, 2009 That means a lot coming from you JeffB! I have gotten quite comfortable wearing a skirt. I feel natural and sexy...not to mention powerful in a skirt. I often feel the same way. I feel bold and strong when I wear a skirt, like I'm smashing the old school conventions regarding what men can and can't wear. I'm shouting out my independence from the tyranny of traditional men's fashion. And it's a whole lot of fun too! I have even given some thought to wearing a skirt with guy shoes, just to see how it goes over. Guy shoes??? In a word----EEEEEEEK!! Say it ain't so! To quote Marlon Brando from Apocalypse Now, "the horror, the horror". Heh! I continue to be amazed at how comfortable they are and even how easy they are to wear. And I never fail to get comments about my legs. Isn't thsi what fashion is about...feeling great and looking good? I'm jealous! No one's complimented me on my legs! Argh! I am glad that my experience show that a guy can not only wear heels, dress how he wants, and enjoy doing it...but the world woun't spin off its axis when we do. You are also and inspiration to me Ron...as well as JeffB, who has really helped me find rotating in a skirt or two is also pretty cool! Glad to have been of service! I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!
danielp6406 Posted May 17, 2009 Posted May 17, 2009 Another nice outing HappyFeat :-) Can't wait to read more about your encounter at the Footloose store...
HappyFeat Posted May 19, 2009 Author Posted May 19, 2009 Here are the highlights from my latest outings: Saturday - I went out to my regular haunt on Saturday night, so I did what comes natural for a Saturday night out, I wore a skirt! My outfit consisted of a Black blazer, a white french cuff dress shirt, a gray Lane Bryant to the knee skirt, black nylons, and my black Bakers "Kamilla" platform pumps. I also wore the shell bracelet that the woman I met last week gave me, just in case I ran into her again. I didn't however. My regular place was D-E-A-D, but I did get to talk to a couple people that I hadn't seen in months. I went to another club in the area after a couple of hours where I talked to three young women on girls night out and met a woman who was quite sexy in a mini skirt, thong mules, and a very nice one-sleeve tank. She was from Florida and in town to visit her in laws. We shared a couple of drinks, discussed my attire and had a very nice hour or so together. Sunday - I decided to go to Nine West to use a 20% off coupon that the manager had given me. However, I wound up not buying anything since I am waiting for the pair of shoes I really want to be marked down. I wore a burgundy short sleeve slik shirt, linen draw string pants, and red Nine West "Tomcat" sandals. It was warm and sunny so I was feeling a bit "beachy" so to speak. The store was way too crowded to talk to anybody working. All of the other customers seemed to pay me no mind. After about an hour of wandering around the mall, I left. It was a quick outing, but it was nice to get out again in some strappy sandals. My other activity Sunday was doing some work on my photo studio. I built a floor unit that should show my heels better than the carpet I have been standing on in all of my other pictures. I am still having troubly with lighting, but that's the next task to undertake. Monday - I took a brief break from house cleaning to go to Lane Bryant to check their clearance sale. Of course there was nothing in m size, but I did have a nice visit with my friend who works there. Actually most of the visit was just the two of us talking and getting caught up. She and I my go see Star Trek next week if it is still out and she said she would like it if I wore heels if we get to go. Bummer that she is married though. It was chilly on Monday, so I wore a charcoal suit jacket, gray nylon ribbed tee shirt, black wide leg LB trousers, and gray Steve Madden "Curtsey" pumps. This was the first time had have worn these shoes without stockings of any kind and they were kind of rough on my feet. They fit tight and have a very pointed toe. With stockings, they seem to do ok, but this day they gave me fits. Since my feet were well on their way to making me crazy, I called it a day. Another short outing, but it was again nice to have a break. Style is built from the ground up!
RonC Posted May 19, 2009 Posted May 19, 2009 HappyFeats, I like the cleavage on those Maddens. If you typically wear an 11 and they are tight, I'd be in trouble, as most any manufacturers shoe in an 11 is snug for me. The Bandolino's are snug for sure with bare feet, not so bad with nylons. One of the pairs I tried on actually did fit quite comfortably in an 11. I just didn;t like them as well. If I was actually intending to wear them out and about for an extended time, I would have bought the comfortable pair. But for brief outing, the pair I bought is bearable.
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