Manolo the Columnist
By Manolo the ShoebloggerManolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.
Dear Manolo
I’m 5’11” and have always been told I am too tall to wear the high heels. Now, at 40 years of age, I am feeling confident about wearing them. Could you please tell me how high is too high a heel?
Katrina
Manolo says, this question about the tall shoes for the tall girls is one that the Manolo must answer at the least once every six months, for no matter how many times the Manolo says it is okay to wear the heels, the tall girls still write to ask the permission.
In this case, the Manolo gives the same advice to all of the super fantastic girls—tall, short, thin, stout. Stop slumping, stand erect, throw back the shoulders, and wear the heels. Nothing is more appealing than the good posture and the self-confidence.
If you are the tall girl in the heels, do not be afraid if many insecure men will now quail before your majestic Statue-of-Liberty-like beauty. Sooner or later you shall meet your heroic Colussus of Rhodes, one who will properly appreciate your fierce femininity. Together, you shall make beautiful clanging bronze music.
How high the heel? The Manolo answers, how high the moon?
Here is the Pout from the Charles David in the black patent leather with the three and the half inch heel, wear it!
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:56 am
Hi, Katrina namesake. :) This is so very true! It is woman’s priviledge to wear heels, so do it! So many girls would be envious of your height. But the most important thing is not how tall you are, but how you wear the heels, as Manolo pointed out.
Have fun shoe shopping, Katrina!
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:58 am
Sorry I forgot my name there!
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
WOW! Those are gorgeous!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
As a tall woman myself (5′ 10″), I would like to note that some of the “reasoning” behind advice not to wear heels is that if we are even taller, we will stand out. To this idiocy, I have two responses:
What is wrong with standing out?
And, at this height, people are going to stare at us anyway. So we should give them something worth looking at. That includes the beautiful shoes.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:00 pm
It is so true, that standing straight and tall will help. That’s not just what I heard from my mother, either, one of the top cosmetic surgeons in Houston insists that his patients undergo a month of runway- , yoga-, or ballet- style posture training before he will put them under the knife.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I am just under six feet tall myself, and also forty years old. I wear heels–not all the time, as I’m more of a jeans sort of woman, and I still think that heels with jeans looks slutty. (Personal thing.) It is very true–worthwhile men love to see tall women in heels, the kind of men who have confidence in themselves and don’t mind being seen with a goddess who happens to be a little taller in her superfantastic shoes. That said, I’m getting married in three months, and my darling fiance asked me to refrain from being taller than he on our wedding day. So I have bought an extremely superfantastic pair of low-heeled wedding shoes, the Paradox by Benjamin Adams. They do have a tiny kitten heel, so I will walk as if I’m in a heel, not in a ballet flat, and they are as beautiful as any pair of higher bridal shoes I’ve seen. And, my feet will not hurt all day!
http://www.perfectdetails.com/shoes/flats_low_heels/low-heel_powell.html
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Anon is so right — if we must be noticed, let us at least be noticed with awe and admiration! :-)
The way I see it, we’re just equalizing. Many petite ladies wear tall heels all the time and enjoy the benefits of the longer-looking legs. However, keep in mind that a 3″ heel looks a lot higher on someone who is 5′2″ than on someone who is 5′10″. To get the same effect, in proportion to our height, we ladies of taller stature should actually wear even *higher* heels! ;-)
– 5′11″ and loving my 3.5″ teetering pointy-toe slingbacks
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
How high the heel? The Manolo answers, how high the moon?
I freakin love you.
-Signed, a 6′1″ gal who figures she may as well go for broke
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I demand to know who “always told” poor Katrina that she was too tall, so that person (or person) may be properly denounced.
Ladies: A man who cares that you are taller in heels is not worth having (although I can kind of understand the wedding thing mentioned above).
I expect that this comes mainly from many ladies’ projecting their irrational desire for a tall man on to the poor men who are not so tall.
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Thanks Manolo for answering this question again. I’m 6′2″ and struggle with this same question. I longingly look at beautiful heels, wishing that I could only be a few inches shorter so I could wear them, but no longer! You inspire me to wear beautiful shoes!
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Too tall for heels pshaw! I’m 5′11 and could care less it they make me the tallest person in the room. I say, let them stare, embrace your height! ^.^
February 24th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
My dear sister Lizzy is 6′1″ (my other sister and I are both 5′6″ and our brother is only 5′8″–Lizzy got all the tall genes). She is not afraid to wear awesome high-heeled shoes, when she is not on the job wearing her firefighter boots. Lizzy stands tall among women, in all senses. Tall ladies, take courage and do not be ashamed of your height!
April 2nd, 2007 at 12:42 am
Dear Manolo,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I wore a beautiful pair of 4″ heels to a wedding and felt a million dollars in them. I had a few doubts before the wedding and bought along a pair of shoes with 2″ heels in case I changed my mind, instead I thought of your wonderful and inspiring comments and took you to the wedding with me. I felt confident and looked stunning, now I love to wear the higher heels and can’t get enough of them, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to start wearing them.
Thank you,
Katrina
October 20th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
This is such a confidence-boost! I’m 14 and tall, love heels but I’m afraid to look like a giant next to my friends. This is a wonderful response (and must say, although I don’t like wearing leather, those shoes are lovely). Thank you :D