The Happy Feats of HappyFeat

[RonC]

HappyFeat, I also vote for Door #1. The color is fab! I would like to find a similar pair but maybe with a bow. I am a sucker for bows, as nothing (besides the heel that is) says feminine like a bow!

[danielp6406]

Very nice outfits HappyFeat !

Is it hard to carry a 50 pound bag of basement sealer while wearing heels ?

I plan to go to Home Depot to buy two bags of sand: Should I wear heels or not ?

[HappyFeat]

Is it hard to carry a 50 pound bag of basement sealer while wearing heels ?

I plan to go to Home Depot to buy two bags of sand: Should I wear heels or not ?

Well, I did have a cart, so I only had to lift it to put it in the cart and then take it out of the cart to put in my car, so it wasn't too much of a strain...LOL

To answer your question...you should wear heels any time you want any where you want. So, go for it!

[HappyFeat]

I have had several outings since my last post. Though I have been able to get out a lot more than normally, I just have been to busy to do my pictures and post my experiences. Since I have a bit of a backlog, my posts my not have the amount of detail that I typically like to include, but I do want to offer them for feedback as well as posting the pictures. I like the comments and discussions that outings tend to offer, so anything left unposted is kind of lost in the ether.

Of these five outings, 4 were jeans and heels. Maybe it is the early autumn, but I very much liked the look of jeans not to mention getting to wear some of the many jeans that I have bought (and continue to accumulate) over the past year or so. One of the things I have discovered about freestyling is that the wardrobe expands quickly, and sometimes some of my favorite items get lost in the "back of the closet abyss," so to speak.

Wednesday September 16 - I went to the South Hills Mall wearing a sports jacket, a short sleeve silk Murano mock turtleneck, Lane Bryant straight jeans, black knee high stockings, and black Nine West "Appleaday" loafers with a 2 inch heel. Though I browsed several stores, my primary purpose was to return to the Limited to try the jeans on the clearance rack. However, since it had been a few days since my first stop in this store, many of the items I liked were gone and those that were left were in my size were short length. I did find one pair, as well as a couple of other items. The clerk, much to my surprise asked if I wanted her to "start a room for me" and of course I said yes! There were three clerks working, all quite attractive younger women who gave me fantastic service, even coming to look at the items when I put them on. They treated me very well, like I was any other customer. When I decided to buy the jeans I found, I had a long discussion with another clerk about their different fits and styles. I think I have found another store to add to my regular rotation!

Thursday September 17, 2009 - I made a trip to the other end of town to visit the Ross Park Mall. The funny thing about Pittsburgh is that it is small city, getting from one part of town to the other can be a bit difficult. When you have bridges to cross and tunnels to deal with, it can slow you don a bit. Ross is my favorite place to shop because it is a bit higher end, and there are heels everywhere! I wore a sports coat, a yellow dress shirt, the new Limited 917 jeans I bought the day before, cream colored trouser socks and brown Nine West "Kickline" Mary Jane pumps. I walked around the mall a bit before stopping in a store, and of course my first stop was the Nine West retail store. The clerk was a young woman, who was quite helpful though the store was busy. Without hesitation she told me to let her know if there was "anything I would like to try." I found a pair of pumps in the clearance section and asked for an 11, bust she said they didn't have too much in an 11, but she would look. She brought out six pair of shoes, saying they were all of the 11's they currently had. Then she set on the floor in front of my and started taking them out of the boxes. She got a good look at my shoes and asked if they were "ours" and said sh remembered them from a couple of years ago. She stayed with me even as several other customers came in, as I tried them and walked around the store. I was very tempted to buy a pair of Studio 9 strappy sandals, but even on clearance they were $60. Though works of art it is tough to justify spending that right now on a pair of shoes I really wouldn't get much use from. I asked her to hold them for me as I thought about them. She asked me my name and I told her, saying that I bet she doesn't get many guys to which she answered, "you would be surprised."

I went on to Aldo, where the clerk asked me if I was looking for a gift, and I said I was shopping for myself. She was a bit taken aback, and I was surprised as well that she hadn't either had a man buy heels before or didn't look at my shoes. The store was full of upper middle class college girls who were behaving poorly and the general chaos of the store really didn't make for a nice shopping experience. I went on to Banana Republic and looked at clearance items and got some strange looks from the clerks, one of whom asked again if I was looking for a gift and again I replied that I was looking for myself. Twice in one afternoon. Strange, I thought.

Anyway, I ended the day at lane Bryant. I had a wonderful interaction with a college age girl after I complemented her on her flat pumps. We had wonderful conversation about shoe shopping, her studies, etc. I tried on a few things and bought a skirt that I had had my eye on for some time. All in al it was a very nice experience, though I don't think the mall there sees many guys in heels.

Friday, September 18 - This day I wore a more understated outfit for a trip to the DMV to get my new driver's licenses. I wore a pale pink dress short, gray Banana Republic jeans, blue patterned knee high stockings, and blue patent Bandolino "MacDougal" loafers with a little over a two inch block heel. Though these shoes are not 4 inch pumps or peep toes, they do geta lot of attention. While waiting I was sitting next to a woman in heans and great wedge sandals. I told her how much I liked her shoes and she told me that she owned the ones I was wearing in black. I told her that I had them in black as well as brown. We talked about shoes, shopping, and she even recommended a place to get a good pedicure. It was a very nice and casual interaction.

Afterward I had to go to my old place (since I am in the process of moving) to do some work. I drove down and on my way I stopped at the Lane Bryant store I used to frequent to get caught on with the clerks who work there, many of whom I got to know quite well. Though I didn't try anything, it was nice to see those that were working.

Saturday September 19 AM - I spent the night at my old place doing some work. In the morining I needed to meet with a real estate agent about either selling or renting the place. SO, I decided to wear heels to the meeting. Though not friends, the agent is somebody that I have had intereaction with in the past. We met for breakfast at Panera. I wore a sports jacket, a white tee shirt, Lane Bryant dark denim trousers and brown oil skin Nine West loafers with a 3 inch heel. Of course I got a couple of looks from other customers, and when my agent arrived, she was wearing a denim skirt and black knee boots. We hugged (she is a bit of a flirt, though married with 3 kids) and exchanged "you look wonderful" pleasantries. She asked me if I was wearing "high heels" and of course I said yes, to which I got a big smile. I complemented her on her boots, etc. We had a nice meeting discussing my options, which are still up in the air. Afterward I returned to do some more work at the house.

Saturday September 19 PM - After a day of packing and cleaning, I tool a long hot shower. I then decided that i was time to shave my legs again. I had let the hair grow back over the summer, but really like the smooth feeling of bare legs, not to mention that it allows wearing a skirt to be an option once more. I know, I am a guy and all, but I just don't like the look of a skirt and heels with hairy legs. Though it was getting late at this point, I loved the look of my now hairless legs and decided to go check out the club I used to frequent. I put on a white dress shirt, a jacket, black Lane Bryant gauchos, sheer black Berkshire nylons, and black Nine West "Glaze" slingback pumps. I thought it looked pretty nice, though when I got there, the place was pretty dead. I only stayed about an hour having very limited conversation with a few people I knew vaguely. However it was nice to visit an old haunt and get out with exposed legs once more.

I have attached pictures of my outfits. As I mentioned above, I have several more recent outings (that are a bit more exciting) to post, but who knows when I will get to that. It has been a pretty good couple of weeks.

[Mr. X]

I always look forward to reading your posts and viewing your pics. Alot of what you wrote this time rang true here. My wardrobe is definitely expanding because of the freestyling. Probably not nearly as much as yours is by the sounds of it. But now when I buy new clothes I definitely think more about what else I own that I might be able to wear it with. Or what shoes I own that I might be able to pair them with. You also mentioned that you turned down some nice shoes because they were $60 even on clearance. I did the same thing at Aldo the other day. As nice as a pair of shoes they were, they were 80 some odd dollars and then 30% off. That it still pricey for me. As nice as any shoe may be I usually can't justify spending more than about $50. Especially on heels like you said. Which for me may see action once in a blue moon or sometimes not at all.

[JeffB]

HappyFeat: Great outfits all, my friend! I must say you certainly know how to work a blazer! You wear them very well! Of course, my favorite pic of your latest batch was number #4. Damn nice looking skirt if I do say so myself. Your style, be it with pants or skirts continues to impress me considerably as you know how to put an outfit together well. Keep up the great work!

[danielp6406]

HappyFeat :-)

Again, nice outfits and outings.

I also like piture # 4. The color and style of shoes are perfect with the jeans.

[roniheels]

Once again I congratulate you on your outings and your chice of wardrobe and high heels. Many of my outfits I wear with my high heels are inspired by your fashion choice. I thought the last outfit was very nice and looked comfortable and casual. Thank you again for sharing your experiences with us. As I have said before, you inspire me to continue to wear high heels in public and to go toplaces I've never been in high heels.

[Bootking]

And the winner is Door #2; great looks HF!

[Steve63130]

Happyfeat, All of your outfits look so well coordinated and not just thrown together. I tend to think that your body size and shape really go best with thicker heels, such as the loafers and loafer-style pumps, rather than the stilettos. To each his own, of course, but I really love the thicker heels on you with those outfits. Thanks for sharing your accounts of your outings with us. You're an inspiration! Steve

[HappyFeat]

Happyfeat,

All of your outfits look so well coordinated and not just thrown together. I tend to think that your body size and shape really go best with thicker heels, such as the loafers and loafer-style pumps, rather than the stilettos. To each his own, of course, but I really love the thicker heels on you with those outfits. Thanks for sharing your accounts of your outings with us. You're an inspiration!

Steve

Thanks Steve! I agree that I do better with more of a block heel, but stilettos are just so much fun!

WALL OF TEXT ALERT!

This may be the longest posting I have ever written! Maybe one of the longest in HHPLace history. For that please forgive me. However, I had maybe my best series of adventures ever and I am still reveling in the fun that I had. It has taken me four different settings to finish this post, which is fantastic because I have truly reveled in remembering these events. It is one of the great benefits of HHPlace I think, not only being able to share experiences, but being able to document them and remember them as you do.

Recently, my outings have been pretty run of the mill. I have been able to enjoy them, but most have been shopping related since I have moved. My weekends have been consumed with house restoration projects, deliveries of building material, and all too frequent trips to hardware stores. I really haven’t had much chance to engage in social outings and have yet to find a really great place for interactions even when shopping. Last weekend, I did try to go to a club that I visit a lot, but it was dead. However, like all good things, I have found that heeling is a bit like fishing – most of the time you set with your hook in the water with nothing really going on except just being able to enjoy the water, the woods, and the experience. However, sometimes you get more bites that you can count on. Like all good fishing trips, the ones that you fill up the boat with your limit are the ones you always talk about. This may be a fishing analogy, but my latest outing are no “fish tales!”

Sunday September 20 – A casual day, but since I had worn many nice outfits with jeans over the past few outings, I decided to go out in the very first pair of women’s jeans that I even bought, a pair of Bill Blass bootcut jeans that I bought several years ago off of a clearance rack at TJMaxx. Though the mornings had become cooler, the afternoons had warmed up considerable, which allowed me to opt for a slightly different look. Instead of a jacket or blazer, I wore a brown v-neck Banana Republic sweater as my top. I wore my Rampage “Klassy” brown wing-tip pumps, with patent highlights and a pair of brown ribbed trouser socks to compete the outfit.

My outing was totally impromptu, since I basically dressed for the drive from my old house to my new house, about 40 miles. Also, I have been having so much fun getting out, I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity when presented with one. Usually, I don’t like to go heeling on weekends, because the crowds are bigger, thus more chaotic, and to tell the truth, there are just more kids out and I find children annoying while I am on an outing.

I only made three stops. First, I stopped at a shopping plaza that I used to frequent and went to the Shoe Dept. store. One of the clerks who I had been friendly with, an older woman, saw me and came from the back of the store asking where I had been, what I had been up to and said she had asked the other girls if I had been in. What set me back even more was that she gave me a little hug. I had no idea that I had become such a favorite (or celebrity) in that store. She took me straight back to the heels, showed me several new things that had come in and we chatted about my new house, the store, etc. Alas, there was nothing even remotely interesting in a size 11, but it was a nice visit. Afterward, I went to Panera for lunch. The store was busy, but mainly over 65. I did get some glances from people and an extended chat with one of the women working while I putzed on my computer, but she never mentioned my shoes. Afterward, I went to Macy’s at a smaller mall on the way home. There I browsed the clearance racks and picked up a couple pair of tights (purple and light blue.) The clerk was quite friendly and we chatted about the brand of tights and how much we loved the colors. I pretty easy going outing and a lot of fun for a Sunday afternoon.

Non-heeling experience on Wednesday, but a fun related story – The previous weekend, I had shaved my legs. Typically I only shave in the fall and winter, but since it was cooling down early, I figured that I would just go for it early. I had wanted to get out in a skirt, etc. and besides, the hair was making me a bit crazy. I may keep them shaved from now on. Also, the previous evening I had (finally) got a pedicure – it was my first in 10 weeks and my feet were looking pretty awful.

My previous stylist had gone on maternity leave and I was having a difficult time finding a place where I wanted to go. I found a very nice place near my new house and though I didn’t wear heels to the stylist, I did war a pair of Lane Bryant Capri pants and flip flops with my bare legs. When the stylist asked me if I wanted a buff or clear polish, I told her that I get color, her eyes lighted up and she excitedly took me to the kiosk for me to select the color. Though we hadn’t discussed my love of heels, we did talk a lot about shopping, shoe brands, etc. All of the places we discussed sold women’s clothing and shoes exclusively. I dropped that I found Nine West to fit nicely and Bandolino to be very comfortable, and though I love the service at Aldo, they tend to run a bit small. We had a wonderful talk and I was quite relaxed.

Afterward, I set in the waiting area while my nail polish dried and we talked some more. Her next client came in and begun to soak, and the three of us talked. Form the client there was no indication of a guy with shaved legs, bronze toes, and Capri pants was remotely out of the ordinary. Finally, when the stylist was getting ready to start her next pedicure, she bent down, checked my polish to see if it was drying, and carefully slipped my flip-flops back on. After this fantastic experience, I made an appointment for October, to which she said that “we will do the purple next time.” Next time I may wear heels into the store, though for a pedicure it may not be practical. However, maybe I will schedule a haircut…

Thursday September 24 – After my FANTASTIC experience with my pedicure, and a little about getting hugs from clerks who “miss me,” I decided it was time to go up a level from my recent outings. My outfit for this evening was a wool blazer, pink Polo button-down, Oxford cloth shirt, a blue Denim Lane Bryant straight skirt that came to the knee, and brown patent Bandolino “MacDougal” loafers with a gold buckle and block covered heel. Even though my legs are far from tan at the moment, I decided to go bare legged, just because I wanted to. I went to the outlets, where I had been a regular at Nine West for the last year or so, but they have had a lot of staff turnover and now I only know one clerk and don’t get the level of service I used to. The clerks this night were total strangers and offered me reluctant help and only after being in the store for 15 minutes, most of which was as the only customer. It was a bit disappointing, but people move on and things change, and they didn’t have anything I liked at a reasonable price in a size 11 anyway. That too was disappointing.

Next I went to Lane Bryant, where I was greeted by an enthusiastic clerk asking “Where had I been?” Again, a very enthusiastic welcome. I chatted and browsed for a while, even tried on a few things, modeling them for the clerks. However, I didn’t buy anything. Next I went on to Jones New York where there wasn’t too much happening and then on to Kasper. The clerk there was quite happy to see me again and helped me browse the clearance racks. I tried on an apricot suit, that fit quite nicely even but we both decided it was “too girly.” We caught up and she told me that in a couple of weeks they would be getting in several truckloads, which meant a lot of their current inventory would be moved to clearance and that I should stop by “more often.” Of course I plan on doing that. Finally, I stopped at Starbucks on the way home. I went in, got plenty of looks from the largely female clientele, a few chuckles and some nice smiles. One of the girls, a late adolescent blonde in a thin dress and flip-flops passed me going to the restroom. She smiled, I spoke, but you could tell that she was really working to contain a chuckle. I thought it was silly, but she was at least polite. When I was leaving, she was setting next to a young boyish looking girl, engage in what appeared to be flirtatious behavior. The other girl looked at me and smiled, obviously being cued from her friend. I waved back at her and she gave me a thumbs up. I waved again and winked. It was a silly ending to a fun outing.

Friday September 25 Afternoon – Since I had been having so much fun recently, I just couldn’t resist taking another chance to get out in heels. I really didn’t have much time, like last Sunday I was making the trip between my new place and my old place, so I really didn’t have much planned. Again, I wanted to expose my legs and heels to the world, so I chose a maroon Alfini short sleeve sweater, olive double breasted jacket, denim Lane Bryant gauchos which come right below the knee, and Nine West “Kickline” Mary Jane pumps. Of course, I went bare legged again.

My one task for the day was to drop off a tip for the girl who cut my hair a couple of weeks ago when I was out in my red peep toes. I bought a thank you card to hold the cash, my plan being to stop at the mall and drop it off. Well, when I got to the mall, she was just finishing up and was taking her lunch break and I was asked to wait for her by an older woman with a thick Latin accent. The woman working the desk gave me a very strange look as did some of the other stylists (mainly young women, oozing uptight vibes.) She was very happy, almost shocked that I thought about her tip and gave me a hug. She was cute in a cut-off denim skirt, horizontal striped tights and Chuck Taylors. Again, saying to me that I am not allowed to dress better than her (which is how she greeted me the last time.) She said she was just going for lunch and asked if I had time to join her. Of course I agreed.

We went to a diner outside the mall. The only comment she made about my heels was she asked me if we could walk that far. I said walking is no problem (except for the mid 60’s temperatures and the fairly strong wind.) Though the lunch was completely plutonic (she is married with a daughter) we did have a nice chat and I did get a lot of looks from people. The looks were longer that I was used to and the waitress did ask me where I found my skirt. I told her they were gauchos actually and they were Lane Bryant , which wouldn’t carry her size. My lunch “date” and I talked about shopping (she is very much into thrift stores), the girls she works with (who are all in their early 20’s, uptight, and shallow) and my job as a teacher. She did ask if I ever “dressed” for work, and I told her no – though I had one female student ask if I polished my nails because I keep a high buff on my fingers. After lunch, I walked her back to the shop, we hugged and she thanked me again. I told her that I would be in a few weeks for another trim. Since I had spent more time than I had, I headed on to my destination to get to work packing, cleaning, moving (which will be another few months, honestly)

Friday September 25 Evening – All day, I was quite excited about the lunch “date” that afternoon. Since I was at my old place and still had a large portion of my wardrobe there, I decided to go out that evening. I had gone to the club I used to frequent the previous Saturday night, but the crowd was thin and the conversation limited. The dance floor was even empty that night and I figured that the place was beginning to become passé and was headed toward oblivion as is prone to happen. But since I was pretty excited from earlier in the day, not to mention the other recent outings this week, I decided to give it another chance.

Again, I decided to show my legs. I had bought a short black skirt (which actually had a junior size) a few weeks back. It is really too short for me to wear on a typical retail outing, so I figured that I would give it a try at the club. My primary apprehension was wearing it on a potentially slow night would be uncomfortable, but I decided if it was too dead that I would just come home. Since I had just got my toes done, I knew that I had to wear open toe shoes, so I picked my Naturalizer “Courtney” t-strap peep toe pumps and finished off the outfit with a white French-cuff dress shirt that I left untucked and sans cuff-links. I grabbed my small black Coach bag and headed out.

The place was packed this night. Early in the night, the dance floor was not busy, with the exception of the frequent line dances, which I don’t (typically) participate in. However, there were several people there that evening that I hadn’t seen since July. One woman bought me a beer or two, a chatted with a guy friend of mine and even met a few new people. I always find it interesting that few of the people I converse with regularly when out at the club ever make a comment about my outfit other than telling me I look nice, etc. It’s as if that’s what I do and that’s just me. One of the things I like about meeting people in a club scene are folks give very strange looks and the others who seem to gravitate toward me immediately with very positive tidings. It seems that people in this environment either one extreme or the other, but seldom in the middle.

As I was mingling, a group of women in their early 30’s came into the bar. They were all dressed nicely, but still conservative. However, they did catch my eye. They had come to dance and I knew I would follow them to the floor later. When the dance floor finally became active, I went out to join the slowly gathering crowd. And I danced with each and every woman in that group. I had my eye one on in particular; she was wearing Lane Bryant jeans and a pair of brown mules that looked like boots when covered with the jeans. However, the jeans were too big for her and I had a feeling she had recently lost several pounds.

I danced several dances with one of the woman, an olive skinned brunette wearing Capri pants and casual wedge thong mules. She appeared to be the “leader” of the group, which made it a whole lot easier to meet the others. Also, she didn’t really seem to care where my hands strayed, which I found quite liberating for dancing. After several songs, and not wanting to be “too available” I took a break and went back to the bar where my female friends were setting. For some reason, people always seem to be surprised that I can dance.

Anyway, I was introduced to a couple they knew – a very hot blonde wearing jeans and FANTASTIC black patent stiletto pumps that had to be at least 6 inches and her boyfriend, a sloppy guy who had to weigh 400 pounds. A very strange couple indeed. She was fascinated with my legs – telling me how beautiful they were and it was a good think I was a guy because if I were a woman with such great legs she would hate me immediately. She kept touching them and when I told her it was OK, she took full advantage – feeling my legs from the straps on my shoes to under my skirt. This seemed to have almost a hypnotic effect on her, but she asked me how I got them so smooth and that mine were smoother than most women. Not being in a court, I took that at face value and asked her if she had sampled most woman’s legs, but I let it pass. She loved the fact that I had my “toes done” as well. After a few minutes of this, it began to be a bit uncomfortable, especially since it was right in front of her date, so I thanked her and went back to the dance floor.

Again, I danced with several people but eventually migrated back to the group of women I had danced with before. They were still fun, but not as friendly as they were before. From experience, I know that they were trying to “figure me out” so to speak. However one of my female friends from the bar came up during a selection of disco songs. Since she is slightly older than I am, we both knew how to disco, though she did refresh me and teach me a couple of new (old) moves. However, she did most of the leading, which is fun since I was the one wearing heels. Though it was far from “Saturday Night Fever” we did burn up the floor through about 6 songs. However, during this interlude I did lose the attention of the group of women that I was flirting and dancing with who seemed to have take their own break from dancing.

I scouted around and noticed that they hadn’t left, which made me feel much better. I returned to the dance floor soon after they had left. This time I danced with the brunette from before but made my way to the woman in the mules and the Lane Bryant jeans. We danced for a few minutes then she turned and looked up at me and I obliged her with a long kiss on in the middle of the dance floor. She grinded my leg a little bit to a hip-hop song and then went back to her friends. At this point, I figured that that was it and I was content because I had had my fun. When they called last call, they women left the floor and headed back to their table. I headed to the restroom. When I smiled and waved, they were gathering up their stuff and asked me, “Are you coming?” To which I asked where? They said they were going back to Lisa’s for a bit and I should follow them. Feeling game, I agreed and followed them.

At Lisa’s (the girl in the mule’s and the LB jeans) I found out that they were celebrating Lisa’s divorce becoming final. They all worked together at in a physician’s office and had planned this night for weeks. There were six women total and we sat around and drank some wine and talked. Lisa who was a bit drunk, more so than the rest of her posy, told me that the rest of the women thought I was gay, but she knew I wasn’t because I wasn’t acting like a girl. I told her that by gay you mean happy, I was, but not in any other sense. They all loved my shoes and took turns trying them on while the brunette and I danced some more. It turned out to be a rather silly evening, since it was nearly 4:00 AM at this point, but when I was ready to leave, I wound up being convinced to stay sharing a king sized bed with the brunette on one side and Lisa on the other. However, nothing more than a bit of petting and a few kisses were shared. When the sun came up, I slid out and made the early morning “walk of shame” back home.

I thought that I had some wonderful nights out before, but this one topped all of them. And if you add my lunch with the stylist from earlier in the day I think this day will be the greatest day of heeling I have ever had!

Saturday September 26 – I am never content to let sleeping dogs lie, so to speak. Lisa and her friend seemed to be fired up about coming to the club the next night since I told them that if they liked what I wore last night they will LOVE my outfit the next night. However, I don’t think they were feeling much like another night out. I decided to go all out – at least for me. I wore my black knit dress, the very first dress I ever wore. It is black with a wide collar, long sleeves with buttons running from the neck down one of the sleeves. Since I was wearing a dress, I wore very nice sheer black nylons. For shoes, I took JeffB’s advice and wore my black patent Nine West “Thyme” with a great 4 inch cone, octagon heel. Since the dress has no waist, I wore a brass chain (that I have worn with dresses before) as a belt, though it broke early in the evening. I topped it all off with my black Coach bag. Though the outfit wasn’t nearly as flashy as the one from the night before, it certainly was classic. Come on, if you are going out on a Saturday night, classic is the way to go I think.

I knew that I was going to dance. Hell, tonight I didn’t care if I danced by myself all night, but I was going to dance. I was a bit worried because the crowd was much smaller than the night before and was mostly guys. Other than the staff, I knew only one other person there during the early going, though there were some people I recognized. In any case, the other patrons did not seem to be terribly friendly. Eventually a group of attractive younger women came into the bar. They were all college age and out for a night on the town, all wearing jeans, great tops and heels.

One guy, a bit older than myself and dreadfully dressed in a sweatshirt, shorts and sneakers, came up and introduced himself and started asking me a bunch of questions. Normally, this is about par for the course, but he kept phrasing the questions as “Everybody wants to know…”, “Some of us were talking…”, and the tone of his questions was turning a bit judgmental, “You are really a handsome guy, why do you…” My answers became shorter to the point of terse. I was really annoying me. Since I am a nice guy (nice enough to not take advantage of drunken women for example) I have trouble putting off people until I reach the threshold of anger. Finally he asked me since everybody (again) was trying to figure out if I was gay or straight, and I shot him a look. I had not seen him before and I replied the I have no idea who everybody is, but since I have been coming here dressed in a very similar fashion, it is likely that he is the one who is curious and not “everyone” and that my sexual orientation would have to remain a mystery because in no way would he strike my interest, no matter which team I played for. I don’t know why I got so bitchy, but I had had enough and that seemed to seal the deal.

Afterward, some people came in that I knew and I was warmly greeted and took some time to chat. During this time, I noticed the guy who was questioning me talking to the girl who appeared to be the leader of the group of young women. I had been watching here because she was running around with the digital camera taking pictures of the member of her party. Though she was attractive and wearing great open toe sling backs that I had guessed were Nine West, she occasionally shot me less than approving glances. However, some of her friends were more friendly, though I wouldn’t call them inviting. But at this point, I was pretty sure who everybody was.

Anyway, I didn’t let a few snide glances deter me. When the dance floor began to fill up, I joined in. I enjoyed watching the girl in the Nine West shoes move her party away from where I was dancing, basically thinking that she somehow perceived me as a threat to her alpha status. However, it didn’t work terribly well because one of her friends danced with me on and off – a tall thin young woman with auburn hair, fantastic boot cut jeans that were tight at the knees and cute open toe pumps with a bow on the vamp and a three inch stiletto heel. Though she kept her distance she did make eye contact and smiled widely at various dance moves. It was friendly and fun, but a far cry from the women I met the night before. The behavior of groups of women in social situations will never cease to amaze me. I makes me think of the concept that Kneehighs brings up every now and then of “social proof.” If you win the approval of the alpha, then you gain the approval of everybody. However if you don’t you are ostracized. If I understood the concept better I think it would merit a thread in this section of the forum onto itself.

I am not one to let any of this bother me, of course. When I took a break from dancing a very cute Lesbian couple came in. The blonde was very cute, wearing Capris, three inch thong mules, and a nice long sleeve, low cut white cotton blouse. Her partner, a soft-butch, had nice short hair cut that was designed to appear that she didn’t care, a nice long sleeve top , jeans and sandals. The blonde introduced herself saying that we had talked at the other bar a couple years ago and introduced me to her partner. We had a fantastic chat, talked about their lives, vacations, jobs, etc. We talked about my wardrobe and fashion choices and how nice it is to just be able to be yourself. The blonde equated my dressing in public (I had told her that I wear heels anywhere I like) to her coming out at the age of 25. For a night at a dance club it was a very nice, mature conversation and I began to truly enjoy myself.

However, I was there to dance. I went to the dance floor with my new acquaintances, but the blonde wasn’t much for dancing, and she did only a little at a time. Her partner stayed on the dance floor and the blonde watched as her partner and I “dirty danced” to a couple of hip-hop songs. When the DJ switched to disco, I put my new moves to work and taught them to the blonde’s partner while she sat watched and cheered on. After a few numbers, she took a break and I danced with another girl who had been just setting and watching most of the evening. Finally, I was back to dancing with the couple and ended the night with a flourish to a final disco number.

Afterward, I went to an all-night diner with the couple for a bite and to wind down from the evening. At the diner, I did attract a lot of attention from other patrons, most of it positive, but some of it teetering on hostile. It was OK though because I was feeling great and was with other people who wouldn’t let anything happen to me. We laughed, joked, took turns flirting with the cute, perky waitress. After eating, they “walked me to my car” and we exchanged hugs and phone numbers.

This may be my best weekend of heeling ever. I do not count on events like these happening again, especially over such a compact period of time. However, I absolutely loved it and will keep my mind open to the possibilities of how much fun can be had in heels!

If you read the entire post, I applaud you! I tried to remember as much detail as possible to share and there was a lot. Attached are the pictures from my heel outings (however, my Capri pants/blue flip-flops that I wore to my pedicure was not included.)

[Thighbootguy]

I read all 9,996 of the words and thoroughly enjoyed each one. I’m hard pressed to select one outfit I like more than the other, the all look great. Thanks for sharing.

[danielp6406]

Greetings HappyFeat :-)

That was a very long post but worth reading.

(Again I hope you will write a book about your outings someday...)

That friday night was amazing. I am sure you will remember it for a long time

You never know what wearing heels can lead to isnt-it ?

Well done

[Bubba136]

Greetings HappyFeat :-)

That was a very long post but worth reading.

(Again I hope you will write a book about your outings someday...)

That friday night was amazing. I am sure you will remember it for a long time

You never know what wearing heels can lead to isnt-it ?

Well done

I agree that any book would be a great read. But really all that he would have to do is copy his entries onto paper, copyright them and send the entire package to a publisher.

HF, great reading of your experiences. I, too, found them to be first class and I thank you for the effort.

[roniheels]

HappyFeat ... I also read every single word and enjoyed every minute of the read. I had a not-so-good moment at a dance club (I was wearing men's dance shoes with a 2" heel) and I told my blind date about my enjoyment of wearing high heels. The night ended abruptly, but, oh well. One of my goals, thanks to you and your posts, is to wear my stileto high heels and go dancing in a (straight) dance club. I continue to enjoy every one of your posts and you continue to inspire me to go heeling in places that I have not done so. Please keep the posts coming and thank you for sharing.

[Bootking]

And the winner is ........... door #5!!!!!!

Great look HappyFeat and truly remarkable adventures - oh you single guys have all the fun!!!!

[Bubba136]

Hmmmmm! After taking another look ---- there aren't any losers. They are all winners, in my opinion. :w00t2:

[HappyFeat]

Thanks to everybody to "went all the way" through my last post to this thread. I had such a good time on those outings, I seemed to have all sorts of detail burned into my memory, and believe it or not, I could have written more. The outings the followed were not nearly as exciting and actually more typical in their interactions. However, I did continue to have fun and made some interesting observations.

Tuesday September 29 - My outfit for the day was a blazer, my white GAP turtleneck, Limited 917 bootcut jeans, and my Naturalizer peep toe, t-strap sandals. It was fairly warm and I wanted to show off my bronze pedicure. Since I was embolden by my previous outings, I didn't much care that the regular length jeans left my shoes nearly fully exposed, in fact I liked that about the outfit.

My first stop was Marshall's to see if there were any new clearance shoes, but their weren't. I did linger in the store for a few minutes browsing, but nothing at a fantastic price was either in my size or met my taste. Next I went to the bank to deposit my paycheck. There was one person ahead of me, so I went to the counter to fill in my slip, etc. It always amazes me that how much lower a counter is (or anything for that matter) when you are wearing heels. It is just one of those sensations that you never are truly aware of until you are out in heels. The tellers are always happy to see me, though I have only been in this branch five or six times. There is no doubt they remember me because we always talk about my glasses, and I was wearing a different pair this day and they told me they like the other ones better. They never mention shoes, but I know they see them.

Afterward I went to a nearby mall. When I was walking in a group of women were smoking at the bench near the entrance. They all appeared to be salon employees because they were wearing smocks. One of the women noticed, then the conversation got quite. When I got to the door, they were all giggling and staring at me. One thing I have noticed is that one on one, women tend to give a positive reaction, if any at all, but in a pack it is always giggles and stares. Oh, the sociology of heeling. I went onto the Bandolino store, which had always been one of my favorites, but when I got there they had almost no inventory. One of the clerks told me that they were closing! I was a bit crushed, since I had been heeling to this store for a while, but now they are gone. Things changes I guess. I wandered about the mall a bit, getting looks, but I really didn't care much. When I left, there were a couple of young women on the smoking bench again. As I passed, I saw one kick the other in her shin. I looked back and again, they were watching me leave, their moths hanging open in amazement.

Wednesday September 30 - Still embolden, I went back to the same mall the next afternoon. On this day I wore a pair of black Lane Bryant gauchos, a red v-neck pullover, covered by my black suede blazer, black nylons and Nine West "Appleaday" loafers with a 2 inch stiletto heel. I wanted to go to the Limited to get another pair of jeans if possible. I did find a pair, but nothing I was crazy about. Though the store was empty, none of the clerks working were ones that I interacted with. There is one young guy, who is effeminate and a bit snotty, who refuses to acknowledge my presence in the store, so I figured the other clerks were following his lead. On my way out, I walked right in front of them, getting no reaction to my presence at all. I will, of course be back. I refuse to be ignored.

Next I went to ALDO, where the really had nothing on sale. The clerk was one that I had not seen before. She was nice, but busy stocking shelves. I thanked her, she kind of giggled as I walked out. Finally, I went to Borders, got a beverage and flipped through a few books. I did get a few looks, mainly quick glances, but nothing out of the ordinary. I did approach a clerk to ask about a special they they started. She was very nice and friendly, answered all of my questions and by her reaction could have cared less if I was wearing a wedding dress. Afterward I headed home.

All of this got me to thinking...I had realized it was a year ago that I started this thread and I was very surprised that I have stuck to it to the level that I have. In fact, I think posting my activities and my outfits have actually got me to try many new things, experiment with my wardrobe, and have a lot of fun. So I took some time to review the first year. Since last October 1st, I have:

- Had 160 separate outings

- 74 I wore jeans, 46 I wore trousers, 9 I wore Capris or gauchos, 25 outings in a skirt, and 6 while wearing a dress

- For shoes, I wore pumps mostly (74 times), followed by peep-toes (25 times), sandals (23 times), loafers (18 times), boots (16 times) and oxfords (4 times)

- The colors of my shoes were mostly black: 84 times, but brown as well 32 times. However I did wear red shoes 18 times, blue 11, gray 8 as well as purple 3 times, gold 2 times, and ivory and (even) pink once.

It has been a busy year, but I hope the next will continue to be as exciting and fun. New horizons and opportunities await.

# 161 - Friday October 2 - Friday, I had a date with a woman who I had gone out with a few times in heels. She sent me an e-mail that the Bass outlet was having a "Buy 1, get two free" sale, which really sounds too good to be true. However when we got there, she needed shoes in wide sizes and I needed an 11, so neither of us had too much luck. I wore a white ribbed turtleneck and tweed jacket with my Lane Bryant Denim trousers. Since I was trying on boots, I did wear tights under my trousers. For shoes, I chose my caramel colored Nine West "Rhythm" boots with a solid block heel. I had gone out with her in the past wearing the same boots only in black, so I figured this was a safe choice. It was fun, making the young male clerk go look for sizes in the store and walking around with my pants hiked up over my knees while I looked. After the outlet, we went to dinner and had a nice evening. We made a date to go out again the next Saturday, so I will keep you up to date.

#163 - Wednesday October 7 - On Wednesdays I don't have to be to work until a bit later in the morning, so I decided to go to Panera for breakfast, something that I used to do a lot and may start doing again at least once per week. I wore a white turtleneck (I really need to dig out other shirts, this seems to becoming a pattern) my green wool double breasted jacket brown Lane Bryant "Houston" trousers with pinstripes, suntan knee high stockings, and Bass "Norra" Mary Jane pumps. I did get a few looks and when I ordered the young clerk called me "sweetheart," which may or may not have anything to do with anything, but that just doesn't happen everyday. Anyway, it was relaxing and uneventful.

#164 - Thursday October 8 - This was my "big" outing for the week. Taking a page from JeffB's book, I tried a skirt yet again. Most of the time, I have worn skirts or dresses for that matter in places where people knew that I wore them or even expected to see me wearing one. But I have made it out shopping a couple of times recently in a skirt and I think I am getting more comfortable with it. For some reason, I can go out in Capris or gauchos, which show as much leg and heel, but a skirt is still a bit different for me.

I wore a gray/green turtleneck, green cordaory blazer, a denim Lane Bryant skirt with buttons up the front, brown tights and brown Nine West "Geranium" loafers with a nice 3 inch block heel. I didn't let being a bit nervous stop me, I jumped right out of the car and went to DSW first. I looked around and even talked to a clerk about boots. Next I headed to the mall where I went to Lane Bryant, but didn't get much help. I went onto ALDO, where the clerk was very helpful though she said that they didn't even have any 11's in the store. We chatted for a bit and it was nice. When I left ALDO a young woman working at a kiosk stopped me and told me that she liked my outfit. I thanked her, but when she asked me if I liked her toe nail color, and noticed that she was barefoot, I felt a bit strange. I replied that I did like the color and asked her if her feet were cold. She said no, and we chatted for a few more seconds, before I headed on. Finally, I went to Ulta, a beauty supply store near the mall to get some shampoo. The line was long, so I browsed the store. While walking through the makeup the clerk asked if I needed some help. I told her that i had not ever tried makeup but was think about it. She offered to put some on me, but I didn't have time, and asked if I could come back and have her help me. She said of course and gave me her card. As I was standing in line to check out I heard the clerks talk about me saying something about seeing my top half, but the surprise at my bottom half. I don't know what that was about.

Anyway, it was a great experience. One thing I have learned about wearing a skirt in public. Just realize that you are going to stand out and expect it. Just relax and go from there. People will see and react as they may. It has little impact on my pleasure I get from doing as I do.

[Bootking]

Well HappyFeat, you and Jeff just continue to break down the barriers! Love the look of outing #3 but #5 is just over the top!

[Bubba136]

It is a real pleasure and always a lot of fun to read of your exploits out and about in your different outfits, HappyFeat. Wonderful reading. Both you and JeffB have to be my nominees for the hhplace 2009 Outstanding contributor award.

[Thighbootguy]

HappyFeat –

I have enjoyed and learned from your posts and thanks for sticking with it (the posting).

One of the great things about hhplace is that it provides the opportunity for heelers to share their experiences, but one of the dangers is the push that continual posting gives you to always try something new. I’m fairly sure you would have gotten to where you are with clothing and heels without hhplace, but would you have gotten there as quickly? I don’t think I personally would have.

Again thanks for sharing.

[JeffB]

Yo, HappyFeat! Once again, it was a real pleasure to read about your remarkable exploits. Just I've inspired you, you've inspired me, and you continue to shine brightly, thanks to your terrific fashion sense. Of the latest batch of pics you've posted, predictably, I liked number #5 the best! That button down skirt really looked great on you! Bravo! I'm glad you're still as enthusiastic about your outings as ever, in fact, reading your exploits gave me the push I needed to start yakking about my own, we seem to feed off each other which is a good thing, and while I don't get out nearly as much as you do, I admire you for being out there and presenting a prim and proper image of a man displaying his passion for alternative fashion. Oh, by the by, congrats on your recent date. I also hope it will be a harbinger of better things to come, my friend.

[danielp6406]

Greetings HappyFeat :-)

As usual, It was nice reading your post.

This time, my vote is for outfit #3.

And I wish you good luck with your new date !

Greetings JeffB :-)

Looks like a while since your last "jaunt" ?

I hope everything is OK with you.

I guess you go out more when the weather is warmer...

(I hate winter....Did you know that ?)

[Mr. X]

All your outings sound great. And the pics look good as always. I am a jeans guy though. So for me it is definitely pic 1 and 3 even though they are all good.

[JeffB]

Greetings JeffB :-)

Looks like a while since your last "jaunt" ?

I hope everything is OK with you.

I guess you go out more when the weather is warmer...

(I hate winter....Did you know that ?)

Not to worry, all is well with me, but at this time of year, I watch a lot of football, so I don't get out as much as I'd like. Meanwhile, I did go on a jaunt yesterday, once I update my photo editing software, I'll post pics of my outing.

[Bubba136]

Not to worry, all is well with me, but at this time of year, I watch a lot of football, so I don't get out as much as I'd like. Meanwhile, I did go on a jaunt yesterday, once I update my photo editing software, I'll post pics of my outing.

How about those Phillies??? Can they repeat?

[HappyFeat]

One of the great things about hhplace is that it provides the opportunity for heelers to share their experiences, but one of the dangers is the push that continual posting gives you to always try something new. I’m fairly sure you would have gotten to where you are with clothing and heels without hhplace, but would you have gotten there as quickly? I don’t think I personally would have.

It is absolutely true that I would have never gotten where I am, let alone my wardrobe without the benefit of HHPLace. Prior to my membership here, I knew that I loved heels and certain other items from the "other side of the store", but never had any desire to crossdress, etc. However, I knew intuitively that I could not be the only one, however it was impossible to meet like minded people. Through HHPlace, not only have I found people with the same interest, it is a place to share ideas, what works, what doesn't, etc.

Obviously, I would never have tried so many things if it wasn't for the conversations we share here. The postings not only give me a chance to share my experiences for others to (maybe) benefit if they choose, but also to chronicle where I have been and where I am be headed. At this rate, I may be in heels more than not.

Hey, congrats on your date. Good luck with whatever it is you seek to pursue with her.

Well, we had another date and are planning one for the weekend. She is OK that I like heels, but it really isn't a big deal to her. Which is great from my perspective because I don't want to be the boyfriend in heels, just the boyfriend who happens to like wearing heels.

I'm glad you're still as enthusiastic about your outings as ever, in fact, reading your exploits gave me the push I needed to start yakking about my own, we seem to feed off each other which is a good thing, and while I don't get out nearly as much as you do, I admire you for being out there and presenting a prim and proper image of a man displaying his passion for alternative fashion.

Ahhh, Jeff I think you have something here. I do think that we have a very nice thing going on here. I benefit tremendously from your "jaunts" and do learn so much. It is a wonderful thing - us book-ending Pennsylvania in heels (and skirts). I wish the Pirates could feed of the Phillies in the same way, but hey...

(I hate winter....Did you know that ?)

Don't you live in Canada? That would make life pretty rough. Though I have friends in Florida who insist they have winter there...though I don't see them shoveling their driveways....

All your outings sound great. And the pics look good as always. I am a jeans guy though. So for me it is definitely pic 1 and 3 even though they are all good.

Thanks. I think I am pretty much a jeans and heels guy myself. One of the things that I noticed in my review of the last year is that I wore jeans most often. The jeans and blazer look is really becoming my signature. Skirts, dresses, crop pants, etc. are a lot of fun, but jeans I think are my trademark.

[JeffB]

How about those Phillies??? Can they repeat?

Repeat? Of course they can! No problem! HA!

Ahhh, Jeff I think you have something here. I do think that we have a very nice thing going on here. I benefit tremendously from your "jaunts" and do learn so much. It is a wonderful thing - us book-ending Pennsylvania in heels (and skirts). I wish the Pirates could feed of the Phillies in the same way, but hey...

Don't worry, the Bucs will have their moment in the sun one day! But you still have the defending Stanley Cup champ Penguins who are no joke! Meanwhile, I'm honored that you've found my outings to have been worthwhile to you because I learn from your exploits as well as I appreciate your fine sense of fashion. I too have come to love wearing clothing from the "other side of the store" as I continue exploring my constantly evolving fashion freedom, something I find exciting. Keep on keeping on, my friend!

[HappyFeat]

Actually, I think I am actually caught up on all of my outings with this post. I had been getting out quicker than my access to the Internet (which I still don't have at my new house, and may not for a few more months) would allow. Here's what I have been up to over the last week or so....

Saturday October 10, 2009 - Yet another date. This time to a street fair with a very popular local band headlining. It was a very nice fall evening, though a bit cooler that it should have been. I wore a gray blazer, black Banana Republic turtleneck, a pair of guys Hollister bootcut jeans with tares around the ankles and black Steve Madden "Stretch Out" knee boots with a bout a 3 inch stiletto heel and a pointy toe. We browsed through some stores, got some hot chocolate at a coffee shop, and shared a bottle of wine with some locals. The band was great, we danced and had a very nice evening.

Monday October 12, 2009 - I had to give a speech later in the evning, so I wore a Tommy Hilfiger suit. I decided to go to breakfast and run a few errands before heading to work, so I threw on a pair of Bass "Alanis" oxford booties that have some suede highlights. These shoes really don't stand out too much. I got no real reactions other possibly a woman standing behind me in line giggling about nothing. Maybe it was me, maybe it wasn't. In any case, it is always nice to just run around in heels.

Wednesday October 14, 2009 - Since my last couple of outings were on the conservative side, I wanted to be just a little bit wilder. It was getting pretty chilly and raining, but I just couldn't resist pulling out peep toes just one more time this fall (OK, I will likely wear them anyway, but it *felt* like a last wear for them for a long time.) I wore black suede jacket, a gray/silver Geoffrey Bean sateen shirt, Lany Braynt Flare jeans, and my gray Banana Republic peep to sling backs. My first stop was to get a bite to eat and check the Internet. On my way into the restaurant, a woman jokingly asked me how I could wear sandals on a cold day like this. I replied that I just had to wear them one more time. She replied that she thought they were beautiful shoes, but I better than her for pulling them out on a cold day. No comment that they were heels or it was strange that i was wearing them, just that is was too cold for her to wear them.

Next, I went to the bank. The tellers asked me about my glasses again. We chatted about the weather, I made a comment about I should have worn boots, but they made no real reply about my shoes. Afterward, I went to Borders, where I picked up some books. I didn't notice any overt reactions, but I did hold the door for an attractive young woman wearing heels herself on the way out. She kind of smiled, and I am pretty sure she did notice.

Thursday October 15, 2009 - My "over the top" outing for the week was still pretty conservative. I wore a pair of Lane Bryant gauchos/capris, black tights, a black/gray striped Banana Republic turtleneck sweater, and an old pair of Nine West loafers with a 3 inch block heel. My first stop was at the outlet mall, where I actually spent a lot of time. I went to Lane Bryant, where I tried on a brown dress that I really liked, but it was still a bit on the pricey side. I did get four new pair of tights. The clerks were friendly and helpful. Next I went to Jones New York, where the clerk was nice but had a customer who wouldn't let her wait on anybody else. Next I went to Kasper, where the clerks really made no effort to help me, but did tell me that I could buy a 25% off coupon at the Lancome store, which I did. The young girl working there and I chatted about makeup a bit and I did buy some eye shadow and a mascara for my next experiment. Finally I wound up at Nine West, where I tried on about 10 pair of shoes and would up buying a pair of wedge loafers that I know I will get a lot of wear out of.

My final stop was at the consignment store I frequent. The owner insited that I try on a couple of evening dresses and she and her helper critiqued and evaluated my style. I told them that it is fun to play, but I don't see myself ever buying an evening gown. Later she said that she asked if I would be interested in a leather skirt, and I said yes, so she spent several minutes unsuccessfully looking for one she thought she got in. I told her if she found it, I would love to try it and she should be giving me a call. She also said that she may be getting in a pair of white boots. I told her to add those to my call list as well. I did but a preppy 80's vintage plaid wool skirt that I may wear this week with brown tights and boots or loafers. But that is for next week....

[roniheels]

Thank you again for another great post. I can identify with your choice in wardrobe and high heels so much it is almost uncanny. You continue to give me great ideas where to go while wearing high heels and matching outfits. Please continue with the Happy Feats.