Master Resource: General Public Discussions of men in heels

[kneehighs]

This outfit looks pretty normal to me. I find the rest of his Insta feed a bit "cringe" for my taste, but the one outfit pic seems good.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3dxwwthVt/

[mlroseplant]

Yeah, that outfit ain't bad. I might wear something similar, but probably with pumps or sandals instead of those really chunky boots.  I do appreciate how straight his knee is midstep. But what the heck, it's Instagram, you never know what that looks like in real life.

[Pierre1961]

I could wear everything the same but the red bag. 
And probably lees chunky but higher heels 

[pebblesf]

11 hours ago, kneehighs said:

This outfit looks pretty normal to me. I find the rest of his Insta feed a bit "cringe" for my taste, but the one outfit pic seems good.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3dxwwthVt/

He looks great indeed

[Shyheels]

Yes, presentable. I’d give a miss to the red bag myself, and have more elegant boots, but that’s just me.

[mlroseplant]

Now that I've had a chance to mull over it for a few days, I am less enthusiastic about Mr. Millet's outfit. It's a bit baggy and sloppy for my taste, especially where the shirt is tucked into the pants. I think the reason why we collectively sort of hate that handbag is because it's daintily out of place with the rest of the look.

Also, once again, like so many other looks put forward by social media when it comes to "heels for men," it's honking big heeled boots, long sleeves, and long pants.

[Shyheels]

Yes the daintiness of the handbag is a visual jolt and not in a good way. You could imagine you’re seeing a purse snatcher. 

[pebblesf]

2 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Yes, presentable. I’d give a miss to the red bag myself, and have more elegant boots, but that’s just me.

I would agree, but at least he is being a guy in cool gear...

[Cali]

Quote

 

This is not a look that will help pave the path for more men to wear heels. The dainty purse looks out of place and balloon pants ... come on.

This is about as good as a photo of a guy playing a round of golf in stilettoes and a midriff.

What needs to be out there are photos of "normal" men in "normal" attire doing "normal" things in a "normal" way AND in heels.

[Shyheels]

Totally agree - although this is at least better than the bizarre click-bait looks promoted by designers and their marketing folk. But it would certainly be nice to see images of regular folk incorporating heels into their looks in a natural unaffected way

[Puffer]

3 hours ago, Cali said:

This is not a look that will help pave the path for more men to wear heels. The dainty purse looks out of place and balloon pants ... come on.

This is about as good as a photo of a guy playing a round of golf in stilettoes and a midriff.

What needs to be out there are photos of "normal" men in "normal" attire doing "normal" things in a "normal" way AND in heels.

Is this considered sufficiently 'normal' (ignoring optional hat and sunglasses)?   The pic has been seen here before and is (or was) an advert for 'Omano' boots, from Spain.   Although posed, it seems to me to show a relaxed man wearing everyday clothing with plain-looking boots that just happen to have a (very) high but well-proportioned heel.   A look - indeed, a lifestyle - which I suggest most of us would be happy to emulate.

  

[Cali]

1 hour ago, Puffer said:

Is this considered sufficiently 'normal' (ignoring optional hat and sunglasses)?   The pic has been seen here before and is (or was) an advert for 'Omano' boots, from Spain.   Although posed, it seems to me to show a relaxed man wearing everyday clothing with plain-looking boots that just happen to have a (very) high but well-proportioned heel.   A look - indeed, a lifestyle - which I suggest most of us would be happy to emulate.

  

That's normal.

[mlroseplant]

5 hours ago, Cali said:

This is not a look that will help pave the path for more men to wear heels. The dainty purse looks out of place and balloon pants ... come on.

This is about as good as a photo of a guy playing a round of golf in stilettos and a midriff.

What needs to be out there are photos of "normal" men in "normal" attire doing "normal" things in a "normal" way AND in heels.

Firstly, no, it's not comparable to a photo of a guy in a crop top and stilettos playing golf. Or doing anything else for that matter. But secondly, there ARE photos of people out there in "normal" life. Many of us post them quite regularly. Some of us actually show our faces. But we're not on Instagram or TikTok, nor do we particularly want to be.

Kind of reminds me of that college kid who stopped me on the street years ago. Maybe he was trying to impress his girlfriend, but for some reason, he came up to a total stranger and asked me, "I guess you like all the attention?" I told him without missing a beat, "Actually no. I'd much rather people leave me the hell alone." I didn't mean it to come out quite that harshly, but that poor kid had to skulk away with his tail between his legs.

[Shyheels]

A perfect answer

[pebblesf]

7 hours ago, Puffer said:

Is this considered sufficiently 'normal' (ignoring optional hat and sunglasses)?   The pic has been seen here before and is (or was) an advert for 'Omano' boots, from Spain.   Although posed, it seems to me to show a relaxed man wearing everyday clothing with plain-looking boots that just happen to have a (very) high but well-proportioned heel.   A look - indeed, a lifestyle - which I suggest most of us would be happy to emulate.

  

I remember this pic and those great boots!

[kneehighs]

Well written and respectful article about the couple based in Prague. He wears nail polish, dresses, and heels. They appear happily married.

https://www.injectionmag.com/post/__men?fbclid=PAAabWU5tzG8kRRZYzkCXHWlQmY6iYqq1RAca-apQ_ngS8_o979UfZwe5Igh0

[kneehighs]

Huge article in The New York Times about non-binary dress codes at work:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/style/nonbinary-professional-work-attire.html?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash hudson&utm_content=ig-nytimesfashion

IMHO, this is the kind of viewpoint Mark Bryan was trying to target in his controversial video interview. 

 

[Shyheels]

The trouble for me is in the very first sentence - What should you wear to work if you’re non-binary?

Once again the discussion about a greater liberality in fashion and dress codes is confined solely to those in the Alphabet brigade.

It’s not - what would you do if you’re a rank-and-file bloke who’d like to wear heels or not be so confined to stereotype? It is never that. Rank-and-file types - those without interesting or trendy gender ambiguities - are expected/assumed either to have no interest in anything other than adhering to type, or if they do - too bad.

There is no support or encouragement - not for the rank and file.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Shyheels

[Cali]

This is a typical converse error. Non-binary individuals might want to dress a certain way, i.e. in heels, but dressing a certain does NOT imply a person is non-binary.

[Shyheels]

I would just like to see the writers of these articles - for once - be open to the possibility minded that rank and file blokes might also want to step out of their assigned fashions and try something new. And to quit making the blinkered assumption that fashion and orientation are inevitably linked. They are not. 

[pebblesf]

36 minutes ago, Shyheels said:

I would just like to see the writers of these articles - for once - be open to the possibility minded that rank and file blokes might also want to step out of their assigned fashions and try something new. And to quit making the blinkered assumption that fashion and orientation are inevitably linked. They are not. 

I would agree, society seems to have "hardwired" most with this silly assumption, which prevents most "rank and file blokes" from actually trying different fashions.  

[Shyheels]

18 minutes ago, pebblesf said:

I would agree, society seems to have "hardwired" most with this silly assumption, which prevents most "rank and file blokes" from actually trying different fashions.  

Absolutely true! All they really need to do with these stories is open up, say that anybody can try new looks, that nobody should be bound by convention and stereotype - rather than just singling out any one particular demographic  These freedoms should be for everybody and this should be  made plain 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Shyheels

[kneehighs]

Christian Louboutin openly promoting heels for men. It's part of new Advertising campaign done in collab with ID magazine

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn4qa4dvK8j/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzxFA0NqzW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzjosSrmPm/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2J4YJr0ZE/

 

[Shyheels]

That would me a marked departure from his previous comments on men in heels!

[kneehighs]

3 hours ago, Shyheels said:

That would me a marked departure from his previous comments on men in heels!

Yup!  IMHO, the styling of the outfits was good too.  The campaign was deliberately designed to challenge the gender binary too.

Edited January 26, 2023 by kneehighs

[Mr. X]

not sure if this is a step in the right direction or not.  i still don't see much in the way of heels in those ads.  i'd like to see a man in a business suit, or some form of normal dress, but wearing a pair of "so kates".

[kneehighs]

The way I view it is that these pro-brand endorsements of men in heels creates a cumulative effect of change.

When viewed in isolation, they may fall short of our dreams and wishes. But when viewed in combination with the broader celebrity (Harry Styles), social media (Insta + Tik Tok), and high street (ASOS) endorsements of heels for men, they prime the broader culture to more readily accept the style we wish to wear for ourselves (pant suits with pumps). 

It shifts the needle in the right direction.

 

[Shyheels]

21 minutes ago, kneehighs said:

The way I view it is that these pro-brand endorsements of men in heels creates a cumulative effect of change.

When viewed in isolation, they may fall short of our dreams and wishes. But when viewed in combination with the broader celebrity (Harry Styles), social media (Insta + Tik Tok), and high street (ASOS) endorsements of heels for men, they prime the broader culture to more readily accept the style we wish to wear for ourselves (pant suits with pumps). 

It shifts the needle in the right direction.

 

Exactly right. This is not an easy change of direction, and doing it in small ncremental steps is the only way this is ever going to work. Patience is required. This is a good and useful start

[mlroseplant]

I guess it is encouraging to see shoes as well as boots in this ad campaign. I'm not going to give CL himself any crap about doing what is apparently a 180 on his former men in heels statements. Even if you can ignore money/profit motives, you have to give people room to change as the world changes. Having said all of that, there are no shoes or boots featured in this set that I would actually wear.

[Shyheels]

I would agree - there’s nothing that rings my bell there, but it is nice to see some motion in the right direction. And yes, I’d agree that it’s all predicated on profit and box-ticking rather than a sea change in philosophy, but there again one takes what one finds.