Can Stilettos Make You Look Fat?

Since we are still somewhat on the subject of stiletto heels, a few quotes from the book Does This Make Me Look Fat?, by Leah Feldon:

Stilettos

If you have heavyish legs you can get in trouble with ultra-pointy toed stiletto heels and other ultra-delicate styles. The contrast in proportion can actually make your legs look heavier. Even slingbacks are risky if your heel is the least bit pudgy. Your best bets are styles that are neither too delicate nor too clunky.

The fact is, stiletto heels are a questionable style for most everybody, regardless of leg shape. True, they elongate the leg and make for terrific Vogue pictures-where would Helmut Newton be without them-but you have to wonder exactly where they fit in the context of an average woman's life. They're inappropriate for the office, debilitating on public transportation, crippling on the streets, laughable for recreation, incapacitating on errands, and suicidal when dealing with kids. Let's face it, stilettos are only suited for limousine-chauffeured dressy evenings, or maybe, if one is to believe Jerry Springer and Cosmo, underdressed evenings in one's boudoir-but I'm not going near that one.


Missed Matches-Wearing The Right Shoes With The Wrong Outfits

You've probably heard that bad food combining can give you indigestion. Well, so can bad shoe/outfit combining--metaphorically speaking of course. It's a sort of aesthetic indigestion. Pumps and Bermuda shorts, for instance, can invite instantaneous heartburn. Stilettos with jeans are more of a squeamishness thing. Shoes should connect organically with your outfit: Sexy strappy sandals are lovely with a bare evening dress, ballet slippers are perfect with a long flowing skirt, sophisticated pumps a natural with a chic suit, loafers terrific with slacks and a blazer, boots great with jeans, sneakers with sweats, etc.


One last thing: Shoes have more attitude than almost any other accessory. They affect not only on the way you look, but how you feel and move. So make sure your shoes are not only flattering, but also allow you to move with grace and ease. Also consider if they are conveying the message you want them to. If you want to proclaim yourself competent and brainy, for instance, sexy stilettos are probably not the way to go.

You can read the book excerpt this was taken from on her website.