The Freestyling World Of Pumpcat

[Shafted]

Repeating an earlier comment... Don't really care for the heel, but that's not what counts. If you like them, go for it.

I have to agree here. Regardless of whether I like the heels or not, I must admire the spirit.

[Steve63130]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you like it, go for it! Thanks for sharing, Ashley! Steve

[Curt]

As you guys know, I like to wear boots a lot. I like pumps too, but pumps seem to just slip off my feet because of my narrow ankles. I went to the cobbler and he installed maryjane straps on my pumps. Amazing! They stay in place. I can walk all day in them, just like boots. I'm going to get this done to my other pumps. Ill send I pic as soon as I get one. They look quite elegant. Iike girly looking plat-pumps.

[Impala]

I really like the look of maryjane straps. Could we see some pics?

[Curt]

here are a few pics of my modified shoes. they are so nice to wear now.

[Shafted]

Great casual style!

[Curt]

Something cool has happened lately. As you guys know I like to wear loud heels, I mean really loud piercing heels with a stiletto click. I find when a walk at a pretty fast pace(I'm really good at walking in heels, when I'm sober) people seem to start moving out of the way. Almost like I'm some rude celebrity. But I'm not like that at all! I don't take over the sidewalk, open doors for people, etc. Most people don't even give me any double takes anymore. Maybe because I can walk with confidence, or I really look like a woman. I know I'm not, but if others think I am then that's fine. I'm not trying to turn this into some transgendered thread, but I just like how women have so many different choices of clothes to wear, anbd how the clothes improve the looks of their bodies. More power to them. I've made peace with myself in the respect that I can dress anyway I want to. I used to worry how people view me, nnot anymore. Some might not like it, but others might like it, it might even make other guys realize that they can dress like this as well. I don't quite have the classic styles that others have here like Jeff B or sleekheels, but I think I have my own style and like to take the time to put some nice things together. Fashion isn't about what is current, but what you like. This site is something I like to check out everyday to see what others are doing. If I have any advice for anyone, it would be: be yourself and make yourself happy whether its heels,clothing or anything else you do. I thing for the most part, fashion is genderless. What I do is: look in the full length mirror before I go out. If I feel I look good, then there is no reason to change into other clothes. My clothes and style are a part of me.

[Shafted]

. Fashion isn't about what is current, but what you like.

I was beginning to think I was the only one that knew this. I think the are a lot of people confused by the difference in meaning depending on whether it's used as a noun or an adjective.

[seafashion]

Great looks pumpcat, you look very natural and stylish...just my opinion.

[JeffB]

Pumpcat: Fashion is what you make of it. Don't try to emulate me or anyone else here, forge your own road, go your own way, discover and cultivate your own style and you'll be happy.

[Curt]

i have a few new pics for you guys. i know its been a while, but i have been very busy with work lately. im also in the process of designing a pair of kneehigh boots that are going to be unbelievable. all i can say at this point, they are going to be a little bit rockstar glam and a lot goth. but they definently wont be any any flat creepers. heres a clue: combine the fluevog volunteer boot with the styling of the grand national boot, without the cloven heel, but with a 4.5' curved in chunky heel. ive been playing around with eyeliner lately maling a cateye look. well, without the extended winged look. i know these pics have no heels involved, but just try to invision some heavy platform boots with this look, and hopefully with 5 or 6 inch heels. i think ill add a few pics of some cool boots to go with the made uo look. tell me what you think. maybe ill eventually start putting some skirts with it as well.

[Shafted]

Man I do love that patchwork coat. Nice piece.

[JeffB]

Man I do love that patchwork coat. Nice piece.

I also like the coat. Very stylish.

[Curt]

Thanks Jeff!

[Curt]

Isn't it amazing how many women can't walk in heels. There are a ton of them. Most women ask me: how to you walk so well in those heels? I just say practice and heel to toe, and stay relaxed. That's it. I was strutting in 6" heeled boots in a shoe store last week. The sales lady said: I don't know how you do it! Most of the women that tried these boots were falling over! And you can run in them. I should of asked her if she had a boyfriend! But I find if the heels are too low, I can't walk as good. They have to be at least 4" to make it worthwhile and have that sexy sway of the hips. That's why we wear heels, right? I have to wear them everyday. Its such a joy, wear them for the same reasons women do. Empowerment!

[mlroseplant]

Isn't it amazing how many women can't walk in heels. There are a ton of them. Most women ask me: how to you walk so well in those heels? I just say practice and heel to toe, and stay relaxed. That's it. I was strutting in 6" heeled boots in a shoe store last week. The sales lady said: I don't know how you do it! Most of the women that tried these boots were falling over! And you can run in them. I should of asked her if she had a boyfriend! But I find if the heels are too low, I can't walk as good. They have to be at least 4" to make it worthwhile and have that sexy sway of the hips. That's why we wear heels, right? I have to wear them everyday. Its such a joy, wear them for the same reasons women do. Empowerment!

Yeah, I'm with you there, Ash. If my heels were not at least 3 1/2", and preferably higher, I wouldn't even bother.

[WhyNotMenToo]

You may wish to check this out, times are changing as you will see in this link http://www.paulduane.net/style/#comment-1941 also take a look at this http://www.paulduane.net/show/ and Youtub http://youtu.be/rd9aXkZzrf0 Hope you like this.

[Curt]

Thanks for posting that. Thats what its all about. You have to be true to yourself.

[JeffB]

You may wish to check this out, times are changing as you will see in this link http://www.paulduane...e/#comment-1941 also take a look at this http://www.paulduane.net/show/ and Youtub http-~~-//youtu.be/rd9aXkZzrf0

Hope you like this.

Well, he's certainly an interesting fellow. I'm most impressed with how he does what he likes and is enjoying himself to boot. Bravo to Mr. Duane!

[Curt]

I usually don't post of my day outings because I wear heels everyday. Heels are just a usual footwear choice for me. Flats just hurt my legs. Anyway, I went to fluevog shoes today and pickeed up my leeward boots( kneehigh with 4.5" heels), I got them stretched a bit. While I was there, I tried the malibu wedge boots(6" heels, 2"plats). Just amazing to wear. The girls there asked me: how do you walk in those so easily? I've seen a bunch of women that can't even stand up in them! I just try to walk very relaxed. If you walk like you're hiding your heels, then you can't walk gracefully. One of the saleswomen said: you have no choice than to wear heels! You just look so elegant in them. She also said: as soon as you put on the 6" high heel boots, you have a huge smile on your face! Any guy who can wear really high heels is just awesome. Don't let society tell you different. See guys, there you have it! Women dig guys in heels. Well, maybe not all of them, but some. Heels were made you guys In the first place. It was a mens of status. Royalty only, peasants were forbidden. Just think about that when you kick of your punps or boots! That's all the encouragement you need. Heels are empowering. No wonder women have a ton of heels. Shoes, boots and clothes should be genderless. Not fair that we are stuck with ugly, shapeless clothes. There's no point in building a great body, and covering it with shapeless clothes. Women show off the body, men hide the body. What the hell for? What do you guys think?

[Steve63130]

I think you are right! We do hide. It wasn't always so. Men were the peacocks 225 years ago, wearing colorful statins, lace, high heels, silk stockings, wigs, and more. After 1800 it all went away and men have disappeared into the shadows except for a brief time in the early 1970s. We do need to wear more colorful clothing, leg wear, and heels! Bravo on the compliments you received! Steve

[Curt]

I had another compliment today at the restaurant I go to. A woman that wasn't my waitress came over to me and said: sorry for looking at you every 10 minutes, but I just love your high heel boots. Just beautiful! Its just a joy for you to come in here and look so glamourous. I told her thanks, and that the boots are just too nice to hide under jeans. That was the best compliment a ever got. For me, heels are my go-to footwear choice. We only live once. Dress the way you want to. We have to be true to ourselves. Heels aren't a fetish at all, except maybe 6"+ knee-high boots with patent leather. Probably the same with women. You guys should check out the Rad Hourani fashion shows on you tube. The clothes are totally genderless and seasonless. Guys and girls are doing the catwalk in the same skirts, leggings, and high heels. So awesme. That's how it should be! We are always judged by others in a negative way. How can they do that! And be so rude? I wouldn't tell anybody how to dress or expect someone to be stuck in the sloppy, shapeless clothes they want us to be in! I figured something out: mens clothes are no different than clothes designed for plus-size women. They have it hard too, and the skinny women don't make it much easier too. I probably don't make it very easy too, being 5'10" and a size 0. I'm just born that way. I'm not out to look like a stick-thin model. But nevertheless, I like how I look. I'm lucky to be as tall as I am as I was only 3 pounds when I was born. Sorry I havnt provided many pictures lately, its hard to post pics on my blackberry. But I will post some pics later this week. Talk to you guys soon.

[JeffB]

Good for you, pumpcat! It's always great when perfect strangers come out of left field to give you a compliment on your footwear/attire. Keep up the great work, my friend!

[freestyle75]

You guys should check out the Rad Hourani fashion shows on you tube. The clothes are totally genderless and seasonless.

seasonless... and pretty much shapeless (sorry - not meant to offend you).

I tried on one of his jackets at a boutique in London, and the jacket just looked as if I had taken a (leather) bag, put a zipper and a hole in it and put it on. Pretty much square/rectangular cut - truly genderless, but also not very interesting. Rad's heeled boots are ok (his trademark is the square toe box), but I found a pair by Acne that looked similar, but nicer overall.

If you are into Rad's clothes, you might wanna take a look at designers such as Anne Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh or Julius. The main issue I've got with all of them is that they pretty much produce "luxury" goth clothes. All in gray, black and dark gray-brownish colors. No other color - and most of the time also not *that* much of an innovation from season to season. Whether you pull out a design from 2010 or 2013 - it all looks very similar.

Back in 2010/11 I bought a couple of their clothes, but I changed to some more colorful stuff, as I couldn't stand the constant "black" anymore.

[Curt]

seasonless... and pretty much shapeless (sorry - not meant to offend you).

I tried on one of his jackets at a boutique in London, and the jacket just looked as if I had taken a (leather) bag, put a zipper and a hole in it and put it on. Pretty much square/rectangular cut - truly genderless, but also not very interesting. Rad's heeled boots are ok (his trademark is the square toe box), but I found a pair by Acne that looked similar, but nicer overall.

If you are into Rad's clothes, you might wanna take a look at designers such as Anne Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh or Julius. The main issue I've got with all of them is that they pretty much produce "luxury" goth clothes. All in gray, black and dark gray-brownish colors. No other color - and most of the time also not *that* much of an innovation from season to season. Whether you pull out a design from 2010 or 2013 - it all looks very similar.

Back in 2010/11 I bought a couple of their clothes, but I changed to some more colorful stuff, as I couldn't stand the constant "black" anymore.

thanks for telling me all that! My favorite designers at the moment are: jil sander, camilla skorgaard(not spelled right I know) and charlotte olymipia. What do you tgunk of these three?

[freestyle75]

Camilla Skovgaard and Charlotte Olympia do focus on shoes only - I was referring not only to shoes, but also to the clothing the designers make, as I am always looking for something that looks stylish (posh/classy), but not conservative - both in shoes, but also in clothing.

When I hear Charlotte Olympia, I always think of the platform on her shoes first, like this one. The type of platform she uses could be found on boots from the 70s, but of course with a chunky heel instead of stilettos. Personally, I am not sure whether I like her designs. It's clearly recognizable on the street (geez... I noticed that I have learned to spot the designer of a shoe just by looking at a picture of the shoe...), but it's not that special. There are shoes that have an extraordinary design (e.g. Giuseppe Zanottis heel-less shoes, or the ice-skater boots by DSquared), which may be recognized as being "last season", but nonetheless will always stay extraordinary. For Charlotte Olympia, it doesn't tick any of my boxes - I don't like the design particulary, they are not a must-have in a collection... I am not convinced.

Camilla Skovgaard was a new one for me. I had seen her shoes before, but first had to google her name to see the different designs. Saw the designs, liked one, looked whether it is available in my size...yes... even on sale... MUST RESIST BUYING IT... (that shoe in a non-peep-toe design and I would have bought it right-away). Definitely like her designs.

Jil Sander: Here we have to differentiate. JIl Sander pre February 2012 was driven by the designer Raf Simons - I really liked his 2011 fall/winter wedge boots so much that I bought two different types. Since Feb '12, JIl Sander has taken over the lead of the brand Jil Sander again.

Shoes - well, not such a big fan of her fall/winter 2013/14 designs. For me, they look a bit too bulky, almost like Jeffrey Campbell's boots - I am not a big fan of the latter.

When it comes to clothing, Jil Sander tries to be bold but misses the last bit to go through with it. For her womenswear items, the collar has been designed in a typical, feminine large style, which I really like. In the menswear, she injected a larger collar as well, but didn't have the boldness to attach it to the jacket or coat - making it removable. I would have bought the jacket if she only had given it a larger collar similar to the women's version. All in all, her designs do include some new stuff (even in menswear), but the last bit is missing. Still, I am considering buying stuff from her F/W 13/14 collection this year. Might check her boutique in Dusseldorf in August/September.

So.... Charlotte: nope, Camilla. Yes, Jil Sander: depends.

[Curt]

Thanks for your reply. The camilla shoes I really like are the tall pumps with thee saw blade sole. I like prada for suits. Fluevog for a midrange pricewise designer. They had a boot called the grand national, with a cloven heel. I have a variation of it, the la malibu, 6", 2" plat inverse wedge heels. The two things I want are: womens flare dress pants with a 35" inseam. And flare laether pants, like what cheryl crow would wear. She has an amesome look. I love the sexyness of it. I would look awesome in leather pants and scorching high heels. A lot of women said I have better legs than them. Anyway, I've always liked the sexy rockstar look.

[Curt]

Going out with my friend tomorrow downtown. We hang out and go to guitar shops, record stores, vintage clothes shops, pubs, and so on. I said: let's stop at fluevog shoes first, I have to pick up a pair of boots. He probably knows what kind they are, I'm always pushing the fashion envelope further and further! I getting into that rockstar look that cheryl crow has, with leather pants, kneehigh boots, tight tops, funky coat, and a ton of eye makeup. My friend doesn't care, he's into 70s glamrock like david bowie and t-rex, but would never dress like me. He said he doesn't have the body for it, but he at least has the long hair down his back. I've never been able to grow my hair that long! My hair grows so slow from heat damage from the straightiing iron. Straight hair has always been my thing. And of course eyeliner! It makes my eyes look amazing. Nothing crazy like avril laviene, but tastefully. Mostly on the waterline on the lower lid. Why can't you look like a rockstar when you're not one? I've got to be me! I'm picking up my 6" high heel wedge knee high boots. He has an I-phone, so he will take a picture of it. Ill then post it here. So cool to hang out with your friends in hooker boots! Ill let you guys know how it goes. Then we are going to the studio to play some music. We both play various instruments and sing, and his brother just plays guitar. Just so you know: I've played the drums with 5" heels on before. But I play keys mostly. I just learned bennie and the jets by elton john. Such a cool song! All about booze, drugs, and listening to a live band. Quite tame for the early 70s. But I'm not pro-drugs in any way, but music and style was so awesome back then.

[Shafted]

Lay off the straightening iron if you want to grow your hair out. As the length gets longer, it will naturally straighten out under it's own weight. I know this sucks, but get it long first then you can consider straightening it if need be.

[Curt]

Thanks stafted! But I don't want it too much longer than it is now. Its just at shoulder length and the bangs go to the middle of my nose. My me, I just don't like curly hair. I know I'm into myself too much.