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The High Heeled Ruminations Of Melrose Plant


mlroseplant

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 A pair of black patent classic pumps always looks good.  As I mentioned earlier, way too high for my ability, but a very nice look.  Always my favorite (for the ladies, put a bow on the toe and it's perfect!) as indicated by my photo at left here.

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15 hours ago, RonC said:

 A pair of black patent classic pumps always looks good.  As I mentioned earlier, way too high for my ability, but a very nice look.  Always my favorite (for the ladies, put a bow on the toe and it's perfect!) as indicated by my photo at left here.

Oh, they're too high for my ability also. As I might have mentioned elsewhere, I bought them partially to see how I would fare in an over 5" single sole shoe, and to try to expand my physical limits. That, and the fact that the Poshmark algorithm kept pushing these in my face every single day, and finally I caved. But I'm not disappointed for the price, which was $25 + shipping.

I've actually only worn them twice besides an initial try-on, and I haven't left the house in them. For one thing, I can't walk in them. OK, that depends on how you define "walk." I can walk in them just fine if all you want to do is get from Point A to Point B. What I can't do is walk in them without looking like an idiot. Furthermore, this second time I wore them, I had them on for about an hour, and I was quite ready to get out of them. Both of these things need to improve by a factor of several before I would ever consider wearing them outside the house.

22 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

nicer in my opinion

If you had said anything different, I would have been concerned about your state of mental health! :wink:

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Furthermore, this second time I wore them, I had them on for about an hour, and I was quite ready to get out of them. 

Just curious, what do you believe makes them uncomfortable?  Height, width, length, shape?  

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1 hour ago, RonC said:

Furthermore, this second time I wore them, I had them on for about an hour, and I was quite ready to get out of them. 

Just curious, what do you believe makes them uncomfortable?  Height, width, length, shape?  

Oh for sure, it's the height, and specifically, the steepness. I'm not used to it. Thanks for asking!

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Practice.  since being confined I have been wearing my 6” heels again.  While I am fully accustomed to wearing my 5” heels — that I wore daily for almost 30 years —  I am not back to being completely comfortable in my 6 inch’ers, yet.   It shouldn’t be very long before I feel normal spending a day in them without problems.  As far as my 7” heels,  I never did learn to wear them for any long time.  While I have tried them again, this time I believe that I‘ll pass (at my age).

Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.

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14 hours ago, Bubba136 said:

Practice.  since being confined I have been wearing my 6” heels again.  While I am fully accustomed to wearing my 5” heels — that I wore daily for almost 30 years —  I am not back to being completely comfortable in my 6 inch’ers, yet.   It shouldn’t be very long before I feel normal spending a day in them without problems.  As far as my 7” heels,  I never did learn to wear them for any long time.  While I have tried them again, this time I believe that I‘ll pass (at my age).

I have actually made some progress in the past day or two, though a small amount. I can now walk somewhat gracefully, as long as I don't take more than about a 12" stride. It's not much, but it's something. Again, my main limitation is ankle flexibility.

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Little off the subject, but I am sorry to report that I have managed to gain 7 pounds in the last month. That may not seem like a big deal, but on a guy my size, that is fully 5% of my total body mass. I am convinced that the reason for this is due to physical inactivity alone. I am not eating really anything different than I normally would, I am not one of those people who sits around snacking all day long when I'm at home. They say (whoever "they" is) that weight loss is mostly about regulating your intake of calories, and possibly the quality of the food which contains those calories. I'm here to say that it isn't true 100% of the time. When I was at work, I would walk at least 10,000 steps a day, sometimes approaching 20,000. Our building is 1/4 mile long, our electrical room is on one end of the building, and as a foreman, I have to go visit other parts of the building on a regular basis. For the past month, my average has been more like 1,500 steps a day. I realize that our phones are not the most accurate pedometers ever, but this is for comparison purposes only. 12,000 steps a day vs. 1,500 steps a day. 7 pounds heavier. Not a coincidence, I think. Time to reverse the trend. I've already taken 3,300 steps today, and it's only 9:00. Wish me luck! I have bought way too many new shorts to wear this summer to have much of a belly.

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I missed an opportunity to wear heels to another unusual place--work. I am now actually working from home (instead of merely pretending to do so), as my Project Manager asked me to help pre-fill some paperwork for when we do get back to work, hopefully June 1. I borrowed somebody else's work computer, and struggled with it for two days before I finally called IT for help. They had me come up to the shop with it, which turned out to be the best thing I could have done, the IT guy got 'er all fixed up and working for me.

As you can imagine, my dilemma was this: Do I wear heels to the shop or not? After considering several options, I decided not. Instead, I wore my slightly heeled new-ish work boots, mentioned elsewhere on this forum, with straight leg jeans. The reason I decided not to wear heels was because I was not coming to the shop in a position of strength--I needed somebody's help to do my job. If it had been the other way, in other words, if I'd been called to the shop because somebody needed my help or advice, I would have seriously considered wearing heels.

Edited by mlroseplant
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I suppose that you could readily justify wearing heels at a meeting where your expertise was being called upon on the basis that those needing help ought to look up to you!

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As to weight gain or loss, I have lost about 10 pounds in the last couple months. I am still working, but am home for a 3 day weekend. Plus I used to be out of town 1 or 2 nights a week. We are not at a total lock down so doing some odd jobs and minor remodeling now that I have more time. That and not eating at restaurants 7-10 meals a week has helped shed some pounds. I was trying to lose a bit of weight, not trying very hard though! I am down to 175 pounds at 5'10".

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15 hours ago, Puffer said:

I suppose that you could readily justify wearing heels at a meeting where your expertise was being called upon on the basis that those needing help ought to look up to you!

Even wearing heels, there are not too many people who have to look up to me physically (at least of the male gender). I have come to find out, however, for the first time in my 25 year career, that quite a few people do look up to me existentially. I hope that my hat size continues to be 6 7/8.

9 hours ago, Pumped said:

As to weight gain or loss, I have lost about 10 pounds in the last couple months. I am still working, but am home for a 3 day weekend. Plus I used to be out of town 1 or 2 nights a week. We are not at a total lock down so doing some odd jobs and minor remodeling now that I have more time. That and not eating at restaurants 7-10 meals a week has helped shed some pounds. I was trying to lose a bit of weight, not trying very hard though! I am down to 175 pounds at 5'10".

My weight appears to have plateaued hopefully. I have been walking a lot more in the last week, in heels of course, and I am happy to report that I am back to the point where I can again walk 2 miles in heels without it being a big deal. I had lost that ability over the past couple of years.

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7 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Even wearing heels, there are not too many people who have to look up to me physically (at least of the male gender). I have come to find out, however, for the first time in my 25 year career, that quite a few people do look up to me existentially. I hope that my hat size continues to be 6 7/8.

...

I like being tall, but not because I want to look down on anyone.   But the big feet that come with my height are not an advantage when seeking heels to wear!   

I don't think you do yourself justice in terms of your status.   Going by the respect you have earned in this forum, I'm sure that what you are getting at work is not a new phenomenon, even if it has only recently become evident to you.   :king:

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On 4/24/2020 at 7:05 AM, mlroseplant said:

I missed an opportunity to wear heels to another unusual place--work. I am now actually working from home (instead of merely pretending to do so), as my Project Manager asked me to help pre-fill some paperwork for when we do get back to work, hopefully June 1. I borrowed somebody else's work computer, and struggled with it for two days before I finally called IT for help. They had me come up to the shop with it, which turned out to be the best thing I could have done, the IT guy got 'er all fixed up and working for me.

As you can imagine, my dilemma was this: Do I wear heels to the shop or not? After considering several options, I decided not. Instead, I wore my slightly heeled new-ish work boots, mentioned elsewhere on this forum, with straight leg jeans. The reason I decided not to wear heels was because I was not coming to the shop in a position of strength--I needed somebody's help to do my job. If it had been the other way, in other words, if I'd been called to the shop because somebody needed my help or advice, I would have seriously considered wearing heels.

There is validity to the point of coming from a position of power, a point I think @kneehighs has made. If you're in control, you are looked at differently. I teach at the University and I have run my own business. Employees and students have a respect for your fashion choices, that outside of those situations, may not exist. 

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8 hours ago, fashionablefun said:

There is validity to the point of coming from a position of power, a point I think @kneehighs has made. If you're in control, you are looked at differently. I teach at the University and I have run my own business. Employees and students have a respect for your fashion choices, that outside of those situations, may not exist. 

You appear to be drawing a parallel with 'the Emperor's new clothes'.   If so, I tend to agree with you - someone in authority or with superior status is allowed (indeed, often expected) to have a lifestyle or appearance that is 'different' and may appear extreme or eccentric.   And it may well promote sycophancy.   But when this involves an element of dishonesty, corruption or persecution, it is hardly desirable.   A certain prince and his associates come to mind, albeit not fashion-related.

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22 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Even wearing heels, there are not too many people who have to look up to me physically (at least of the male gender). I have come to find out, however, for the first time in my 25 year career, that quite a few people do look up to me existentially.

And you haven't been working on a ladder?   JK

12 hours ago, fashionablefun said:

I teach at the University and I have run my own business. Employees and students have a respect for your fashion choices, that outside of those situations, may not exist. 

Can you imagine your science professor coming into class in knee high stilettos? It's a non-issue after the first class. They soon realize if they pay attention to my heels they will be lost quickly. I have had quit a few women (not only students) tell me they are jealous of my heel height and variety of heel I have.

 

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23 hours ago, Cali said:

And you haven't been working on a ladder?   JK

 

If you will excuse me for a few minutes, I will go get a 4' ladder and bite your ankles! :giggle:

 

____________________________________________

UN-MERGING THE REPLIES

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I have finally managed to break in my second pair of BCBGirls Bonny mules. As I mentioned before elsewhere, my beloved Bonny sandals have become somewhat tired, and a little ratty looking, although they're still not to the point where I absolutely wouldn't wear them out in public. By chance, I wound up buying two more NOS replacement pairs, and I had forgotten how long it took to break in the first pair. The leather underneath the beading is heavy and quite stiff, which is probably why they have lasted so long, despite fairly constant use. Believe it or not, once properly broken in, these are all-day, multi-mile shoes. Admittedly, they're not great for non-paved surfaces, but that is expecting way too much of something like this. I am now working on breaking in the third pair, which is just as stiff as the first two. According to my records, I got the first pair nearly 5 years ago, so it's possible I'll be able to wear Bonnys well into my 60s.

BonnyNo3.JPG

Edited by mlroseplant
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I guess I am back! I walked over 3 miles in my Bonny mules yesterday, wearing my new Talbot's "Perfect" shorts. Whereas two weeks ago, I would have had trouble completing such a walk in heels, I've built my endurance back up to where it wasn't a problem. In fact, I was still smiling when I returned home. I know I've said this before, but it still continues to amaze me that, despite their looks, the BCBGirls "Bonny" mules really are the perfect walking shoes. You're not going to walk 15 minute miles in them, don't get me wrong, but for normal speed walking, they are good for as long as you want to go.

And now about the shorts. I bought a number of new shorts for this summer, all of them in a dressier sort of style than what I've worn in the past. This particular pair is labeled right on the inside "Perfect Short." I found this somewhat humorous, because they are NOT perfect. For one thing, even though they're size 4P, they are pretty loose on me, even in my current enlarged state. Second, the back pockets are stitched shut, which I can easily rectify, but still. Third, they are a little bit on the long side for my taste. I don't feel like I can wear longer shorts because my legs are short enough as it is, without chopping them off visually in the middle of the thigh. With modification, they might be close to perfect. Time to see my tailor!

PerfectshortsFull.JPG

PerfectshortsLabel.jpg

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I rebuilt my deck two years ago because the wood was beginning to rot away, was not high heel friendly, and needed to be replaced anyway, even without regard to high heels. When I rebuilt it, I butted the boards right up against one another, which is not standard practice, but I wanted to create a stiletto heel friendly deck, and at the time, I was not the only person who might be walking on the deck in stiletto heels. That is no longer the case, but that's another story for another time.

At any rate, in the span of two years, the boards have shrunk, and there are spots that are once again not stiletto heel friendly. The treated lumber I bought was very wet when I bought it, but that's pretty much the case everywhere you go. I don't know what I could have done, except buy the lumber in advance, and let it sit out in the weather for a year or two before using it. I'm not bitching, it's still a very nice installation for somebody who had no idea what he was doing, but once again, I have to be very careful not to ruin my heels!

HeelFriendlyDeck.JPG

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Love that shoe, brand and style please. Color looks to be light grey, want a pair. Heels look higher than your normal but perfect for me.

I've surfaced many decks over the now many years and have always butted the planks knowing they will shrink. Luckily now my current home i have a large paved brick patio, no more lumber decks.

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Might want to consider the composite deck material next time around.  They supposedly don't have shrink/expand issues and hold up longer than wood decking without the need for staining/sealing/painting.  A few people in my subdivision have re-done their decks with these products (Trex is one name brand that comes to mind) and swear by it.

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In my UK experience, very little shrinkage of treated decking boards has occurred except in the hottest and driest weather - and we rarely get enough of that for a long period!   A small gap (say 1/8" for a 4" board) is about right.   As to composite boards, the limited annual maintenance and clean appearance are plus points but the material can sag or warp and certainly does expand at end (butt) joints rather more than wood.   Its strength may be an issue too - it can be soft (watch those heels!) or prone to breaking away if edges or ends are not properly supported or reinforced.   All told, I prefer wood, and it is typically cheaper to buy.

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8 hours ago, Jkrenzer said:

Love that shoe, brand and style please. Color looks to be light grey, want a pair. Heels look higher than your normal but perfect for me.

I've surfaced many decks over the now many years and have always butted the planks knowing they will shrink. Luckily now my current home i have a large paved brick patio, no more lumber decks.

They are called Steve Madden Barbb. I have them in black and what they call "bone." I cannot remember when I got the black pair, but it was quite a while ago, probably in 2015 or 2016. Later on, I decided I wanted the bone pair also, and I searched and searched, and never could find a pair. I ended up buying a cheap knockoff pair, I believe directly from China, which are cute, but they're not leather, and they're a couple of notches below on the quality as well. Those are the pair in the middle, a sort of blush-pink patent. Right after I got the knockoff pair, I found the bone pair that I actually wanted in the first place on ebay or Poshmark or some such place.

They are exactly 4 1/2" in my size 8 1/2, and as you can see, do not have a platform. The soles are rather well padded, though. They are not paper-thin. The heels are very thin, however. They are not leather-covered, they are made of some sort of shiny plastic, in contrast to the uppers. Despite their looks, they are super easy to walk in, even for me, as that's about the upper limit of my gracefulness. I have worn them out on numerous occasions, especially the black pair.

A couple of years ago, that particular style of mule seemed to be all over the fashion magazines, so I would think you could find something similar, though perhaps it might be difficult to find something quite that high or steep. If you do find a pair, they shouldn't be all that expensive. I think the brand new asking price was about 100 USD. Hope this helps.

SMMules.PNG

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On 5/1/2020 at 3:20 PM, RonC said:

Might want to consider the composite deck material next time around.  They supposedly don't have shrink/expand issues and hold up longer than wood decking without the need for staining/sealing/painting.  A few people in my subdivision have re-done their decks with these products (Trex is one name brand that comes to mind) and swear by it.

 

23 hours ago, Puffer said:

In my UK experience, very little shrinkage of treated decking boards has occurred except in the hottest and driest weather - and we rarely get enough of that for a long period!   A small gap (say 1/8" for a 4" board) is about right.   As to composite boards, the limited annual maintenance and clean appearance are plus points but the material can sag or warp and certainly does expand at end (butt) joints rather more than wood.   Its strength may be an issue too - it can be soft (watch those heels!) or prone to breaking away if edges or ends are not properly supported or reinforced.   All told, I prefer wood, and it is typically cheaper to buy.

Even butted up to each other, no decking is ever going to be all that friendly to a very thin heel like that pictured. The slightly thicker heels I normally wear outside are still not a problem at all. I haven't had a lot of exposure to the composite decking material, except for one friend I used to visit had it on his deck, and I was not impressed. Although the flooring on the large deck (mine is definitely on the small side) was straight and flat consistently, the whole thing was always covered with a sort of chalky material, which I assume was from whatever-it-was breaking down in the sunlight. I never wore stilettos to his house (though I did wear wedges), so I can't comment on the softness of the material.

As we have wild temperature extremes here in my part of the U.S., sometimes within the span of 24 hours, shrinkage is definitely an issue. Tell you what, I'm just not going to worry about it! I'll just be careful with my very thin heels, which I ought not to be wearing out there anyhow. It will most probably never be an issue to anybody but me, unfortunately.

Edited by mlroseplant
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A point I didn't make before (because it is not really relevant in the UK) is that composite decking might well be preferable in those areas of the US (or elsewhere) where attack by insects such as termites or other pests is likely.   And, as mlroseplant says, no decking is likely to be stiletto-friendly, regardless of its composition or construction.

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1 hour ago, Puffer said:

A point I didn't make before (because it is not really relevant in the UK) is that composite decking might well be preferable in those areas of the US (or elsewhere) where attack by insects such as termites or other pests is likely.   And, as mlroseplant says, no decking is likely to be stiletto-friendly, regardless of its composition or construction.

Composite decking is not all that it's cracked up to be. Still need pressure treated framing and the composite material will feather (you'll get rubberized plastic splinters instead of wood) and fade in the UV. You'll have to replace it too. The fasteners and the decking is way more expensive up front for about twice the durability.

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I now know much more about composite decking!  Just curious, could they maybe have made advancements in the last few years so that the newer stuff holds up better?  

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