Master Resource: General Public Discussions of men in heels

[Heelster]

5 hours ago, kneehighs said:

Thom Browne's reach and influence shouldn't be underestimated:

Thom Browne  sold 100 million last year.

70% of that income is menswear.

30%  of the sales occur in the United States

40% in Europe

30% in Asia.

In all ironic as I have never heard of this guy. Then again, I'm in the sticks where Carhart at Walmart and Rural King rule the roost.

Something came up in general discussion among a small group the other day - - - The only people we have seen lately in a 3 piece suit was the funeral director and a Baptist minister.

Yep - - I'm in the sticks!!

[JeffB]

Google "men in heels" and, more likely than not, you'll see lots of pictures of handsome, virile, often bearded men in their twenties and thirties usually wearing outrageously high, usually platform heels. Rarely, if ever, will you find handsome, virile, often bearded men in their 40's, 50's or older sporting plain, dull, but sensible three inch pumps. Heelers of a "certain age" are out there, this site is proof of that, but we never seem to enjoy our moment in the sun. Age discrimination, it's awful, guys!  

Edited June 27, 2017 by JeffB

[Cali]

On 6/26/2017 at 4:52 PM, JeffB said:

Google "men in heels" and, more likely than not, you'll see lots of pictures of handsome, virile, often bearded men in their twenties and thirties usually wearing outrageously high, usually platform heels. Rarely, if ever, will you find handsome, virile, often bearded men in their 40's, 50's or older sporting plain, dull, but sensible three inch pumps. Heelers of a "certain age" are out there, this site is proof of that, but we never seem to enjoy our moment in the sun. Age discrimination, it's awful, guys!  

That's because some of us handsome, virile, shaved, men in our 60's also wear 4, 5, 6 inches platform heels. 

Sensible three inch pumps? NO WAY  NEVER!

JeffB stop pulling that age card. Your a youngster.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Cali

[kneehighs]

Two articles of opposing viewpoints about American Vogue's new August 2017 cover featuring Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik.  The first article by Maya Singer offers substantive insight into the cultural change regarding Gender Fluidity.  The second article from Fashionista is a critique of Maya Singer's article.

http://www.vogue.com/article/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-august-2017-vogue-cover-breaking-gender-codes

https://fashionista.com/2017/07/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-vogue-gender-fluidity

[Shyheels]

Apparently the magazine received quite a backlash and a fair bit of mockery on Twitter - not because of its 'daring' but more because of its presumption. Apparently the extent of gender fluidity expressed in the article was little more than the occasional sharing of T-shirts by the two...

[JeffB]

23 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Apparently the magazine received quite a backlash and a fair bit of mockery on Twitter - not because of its 'daring' but more because of its presumption. Apparently the extent of gender fluidity expressed in the article was little more than the occasional sharing of T-shirts by the two...

I'd say it was a well deserved bit of mockery. Heck, you could even say the Singer article smacked of deceptive advertising as I saw precious little in the way of Gender Fluidity.

[bambam]

Just wondering, anybody have an idea why heels on men isn't a more common thing right now? It seems people are joining this website constantly, society is becoming more tolerant, I get compliments from women on my shoes all the time, and with women wearing mens clothing all the time, I just can't understand why it's still so taboo, even here in the City of the Angels. 

[CAT]

35 minutes ago, bambam said:

Just wondering, anybody have an idea why heels on men isn't a more common thing right now? It seems people are joining this website constantly, society is becoming more tolerant, I get compliments from women on my shoes all the time, and with women wearing mens clothing all the time, I just can't understand why it's still so taboo, even here in the City of the Angels. 

I totally agree and wonder the same thing.  I have had literally 3 negative comments in the 3 years of wearing heels in public.  2 of them the first year one in the first time and I almost crawled under a rock and never went out again. The other was year 2.  Other then that I can't count home many times I have gotten positive comments from women and some men. 

[kneehighs]

Personally, I liked Singer's article.  It provided citations for social proof, a large driver of behavioral change.  

• The references to Jaden Smith
• Chris Lee
• Olivier Rousteing's quote
• the reference to Gucci boys in floral and brocade
• the reference to Pharrell Williams wearing women's Chanel with pearls
• rapper Young Thug
• the reference to the JW Anderson 2013 show

[kneehighs]

I don't know if @badmike is a member here or not, but he's got some decent looks.  His profile says he's from Salzburg.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUNb7wpgPZt/?taken-by=badmike

Edited July 24, 2017 by kneehighs

[JeffB]

I must say that's a pretty cool look he's sporting.

[Cali]

Notice he's also got black fingernails, the current "power color".

[JeffB]

Whoa! Didn't notice the nails! Nice catch, Cali!

[Mr. X]

Great looks indeed!

23 hours ago, kneehighs said:

I don't know if @badmike is a member here or not, but he's got some decent looks.

Great looks indeed!

[kneehighs]

New article by Refinery29.com: If Men In Heels Freak You Out, Then You're Part Of The Problem

[Steve63130]

Very refreshing to hear it from somebody who is on our side! But for many of us who already wear heels in public, and heels much higher than Chelsea boots, we're way ahead of him, because we do what we want, not what society dictates.

Thanks for posting that, KH.

Steve

[Shyheels]

An interesting article.

I would not necessarily say that people who wear higher heels than the Chelsea boots he mentions are "ahead" of him, only that perhaps they have a different style sense. Both groups  - the author and stiletto wearing members of HHP - wear heels above and beyond those deemed appropriate for men by society and  Twitter flash crowds. 

True, killer stilettos are far more likely to attract censure, and require more nerve and a bolder sense of style and self belief, to say nothing of athleticism, but if the authors tastes naturally run to Chelsea boots, or modest wedges, rather than stilettos or much higher heels, that does not put him "behind" anyone. He too is doing what he wants and not what society dictates. 

[CAT]

I'm doing what I want!!!! Not what society dictates 

Edited August 16, 2017 by CAT

[Shyheels]

Clearly! And that is what matters, not the height of your heels

Edited August 16, 2017 by Shyheels

[Puffer]

Yes, an interesting, literate* and well-balanced article, for once.   To my mind, however, it illustrated all too well the stupid bigotry and childish criticism levelled against a few well-known people because they were wearing footwear that, by our yardstick at least, was scarcely 'high-heeled'.   To make (political) capital out of the sighting of a conservatively-dressed man whose boots had heels perhaps half-an-inch higher than 'regular' men's footwear is just pathetic.   [For once, the term 'regular', as used in the US, seems more apt than 'normal' or 'standard' or 'ordinary' as it also rightly conveys the sense of nothing being wrong.]

*I will overlook 'memories pail in comparison' at the beginning of the second para!

[Shyheels]

Yes, the hounding and ridicule of Mario Rubio for his cuban heeled boots was ridiculous - by any standard, let alone those found on HHP. 

I am as stern a grammarian and wordsmith as anyone yet these days, with the moronic spell checks and autocorrect that infest every program on any device, I find it harder and harder to criticise the idiotic misuse of words. Only this morning I have been having an argument with the autocorrect on my computer which insists that the Isle of Wight should be the Isle of White. I hope I have found and re-corrected all the misspellings...

[Puffer]

2 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Yes, the hounding and ridicule of Mario Rubio for his cuban heeled boots was ridiculous - by any standard, let alone those found on HHP. 

I am as stern a grammarian and wordsmith as anyone yet these days, with the moronic spell checks and autocorrect that infest every program on any device, I find it harder and harder to criticise the idiotic misuse of words. Only this morning I have been having an argument with the autocorrect on my computer which insists that the Isle of Wight should be the Isle of White. I hope I have found and re-corrected all the misspellings...

Absolutely!   But it could have been worse:  'Aisle of White' anyone?

[Shyheels]

2 minutes ago, Puffer said:

Absolutely!   But it could have been worse:  'Aisle of White' anyone?

That's the kind of idiocy you get when you read the texts at the bottom of the screen on Sky News

[Puffer]

9 hours ago, Shyheels said:

That's the kind of idiocy you get when you read the texts at the bottom of the screen on Sky News

I remember seeing, on BBC breakfast TV, a live item featuring several politicians being interviewed outdoors.   A caption came up describing the one then speaking as '[Name]MP, Far Right Conservative'.   The director's instruction to the caption writer had been misunderstood; what was meant was 'The man on the far right is "[Name]MP, a Conservative"!   An apology was later made, although he might of course have truly been at the far right of his party. 

[Gudulitooo]

On ‎14‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 6:26 PM, kneehighs said:

Two articles of opposing viewpoints about American Vogue's new August 2017 cover featuring Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik.  The first article by Maya Singer offers substantive insight into the cultural change regarding Gender Fluidity.  The second article from Fashionista is a critique of Maya Singer's article.

http://www.vogue.com/article/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-august-2017-vogue-cover-breaking-gender-codes

https://fashionista.com/2017/07/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-vogue-gender-fluidity

Kneehighs,
Thank you for these findings.
There is something I don't understand in these articles about mens "fashion" featuring heels in Vogue magazine or the likes.
1) There is roughly one or two each year, maybe at specific times but I did not study this
2) I don't know many men reading these magazines except in a waiting room at the dentist's. In France, men may follow things like "belle gueule" or "Men's Health", but much more often they will read about sport results.
3) I did not check the other articles (and maybe interests) of the writer, but for the last ones it was 99,99% women fashion.
So my question is, are these writers somehow forced to write the article about men in heels each year ? How do they decide who will take the burden ?
Best

[Shyheels]

Every magazine or paper has its perennial stories and 'newsy' stories about a new fashion for men in heels ( a fashion which never actually arrives) is standard fare for Vogue and the other fashion rags

[Heelster]

I have never seen a guy even in a patient waiting room look at a fashion rag. They won't touch one - even if it deals with men's fashion.

Put a guy in heels as an escort to a SI swimsuit model - - - - and maybe you get a weee  bit of interest - - - but most will be whining to SI about having creepy escorts.

 

[Shyheels]

Annie Leibovitz shot quite a memorable portrait of Carl Lewis in stilettos about thirty years ago...

Edited August 18, 2017 by Shyheels

[Cali]

I go and get my nails done all the time. They only fashion rags and gossip rags.  But sometime the women are talking about last night's hockey game.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Cali

[Shyheels]

Are they the ones getting their broken nails mended?