Manolo the Columnist
Manolo says, here is the latest column written by the Manolo for the Express of the Washington Post.
0Dear Manolo,
I am looking for a sleek black boot with a medium heel and round toe for everyday city winter wear, something that comes to the knee and looks very narrow in the calf
Mona
Manolo says, now that the summer is coming to its inevitable end (barring the early arrival of the global warming) it is time for every super fantastic girl to consider her personal boot situation.
And although everyone wishes to have the warm feets, no super fantastic girl wishes to appear to have the largish calves.
Yes, this desire to appear to be the willowy sylph-like creature of the small calves, who lives solely upon the moonbeams and Diet Fanta, it is the culturally determined and unattainable beauty standard set by the oppressive consumerist medias.
But still, who really wants to have the keg-like calves?
The Manolo knows that such shallowness is to be decried, and that the real beauty comes in the great and marvelous variety of shapes and sizes…but what can one do?
Fashion, it is the cruelest of mistresses.
Thus the Manolo would recommend to his friend this beautiful and somewhat costly boot, the Dostic from the Robert Clergerie.
Comments
cthulhulovesme 17 years ago
As one “blessed” with large and highly-defined leg muscles, with the large majority of winter boots available out there, it is almost impossible to find a pair that I can actually slip my calves into, let alone worry about whether or not they look huge (as they always do). Short of a liquid diet or complete muscle atrophy, my “keg-like calves” are here to stay. What to do for the more athletic and large-thewed among us?
Sydney 17 years ago
Also, any suggestions for people who’re gifted in the calf area and can’t spend all their rent money on boots?
Thanks!
Lisa 17 years ago
Yeah, what they said.
Boot manufacturers must do their measurements on Nicole Richey’s legs. And it’s not just bigger girls — athletic girls have “gifted” calves too!
Phyllis 17 years ago
I have to defend our dear Manolo – although he loves luxury goods he’s never a snob out them. even though I’m never in the market for $700 boots I still like looking at them. One thing Manolo does for all of us, when he showcases beautiful shoes, is to elevate and educate our design esthetic. I can say for a fact that I’m a much more savvy shoe shopper than I was before I started reading his blog.
localgirl 17 years ago
The boots the super wonderful Manolo showed us are indeed beautiful. I, however, found a resonably decent looking pair of boots at Torrid (yes I shop there – yes I am a large woman – yes I don’t like spending a lot of my hard earned money on clothes) at the local mall. They are designed for a larger calf, but made of the stretchy material that doesn’t add girth. They cost about $40 – please don’t faint at my cheapness! They are super comfy and lovely to walk in and have a kick ass heel.
Miss Janey 17 years ago
Miss Janey, too, is graced with the athletic calves, and a working girl’s bank account. She hopes the “Scatter” by Steve Madden will fit. They are more within her budget. She also like a pair by Biviel. Both are available on Zappos, and the attached link is where she has featured them on her blog. http://missjaneys.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_missjaneys_archive.html
Ya’ll don’t dis the Manolo! He gives superior advice re: avoiding cheap shoes. Miss J disregarded this last year and bought some cheap Payless boots. After one wear, the pleather… it ate her skin and left her athletic calves rashed and scabby. She may not be able to afford $700 boots, but she’ll never again buy cheap shoes.
Carmen 17 years ago
OK, my fellow curvalicious divas: I bought a pair of Isaac Mizrahi stretch microsuede boots with kick-ass high heels at Target for $36.99. Get yourself a pair while they’re still there.
furlagirl 17 years ago
Manolo – urgent email for you!
Nabushi 17 years ago
The last time boots were brought up on this blog, someone mentioned Duo Boots. http://www.duoboots.com/ I have some now, and they’re terrific. Pick the boot, pick the shoe size (Euro), pick the calf width (in cm), and they send you some stylish, comfy boots that fit. Total cost is less than half of that for the gorgeous boots pictured above. Also, calf sizes come in narrow as well as wide. It’s fall! Go buy some boots!
catwoman 17 years ago
Ooh! I missed the duo boots discussion last time around. I love their site. I have thin ankles and muscled triathlete calves. It’s hard to find boots higher than ankle-length.
furlagirl 17 years ago
It was I who raised the Duo boots question. Ihave bought the purple fold-
over top suede ones and they are superb.
Miss Janey 17 years ago
So there’s a Nobel prize for physics, chemistry, economics, etc…But the GENIUS inventor of the Duo boots goes unrecognized???
MissV 17 years ago
As a size 5.5 with tiny ankles and…brace yourselves…*16 inch* calves, no mere “stretchy top” boots are gonna fit me. Even if they do cost a ridiculous $700.
Santa Claus (himself an afficiando of the black knee-high boot) has already been informed about Duo. I’ve been very good this year. He’d better come through for me!
leiarenee 17 years ago
I recently bought a pair of brown nubuck Timberland lace up boots at Zappos for about $130. They were so nice, I bought a second pair in black patent/nubuck. They’re super comfy, and the laces allow for many sizes of calves. They also come in wide and a variety of colors and patterns (the Valentines are cute….) Looks like Zappos is somewhat sold out, but the Timberland website is also reasonably priced and has a great selection. Check out the Charles!
Valentines: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/10756209/c/52766.html
Timberland: http://www.timberland.com/family/index.jsp?cp=1779792.1761172&categoryId=1845665&page=2&pageBucket=0&view=all
Sam 17 years ago
For us fashionably frugal ladies, I posted a less expensive version of Mr. Manolo’s gorgeous boot on my blog. It’s the same Isaac Mizrahi boot from Target that Carmen above has recommended. I tried it on today and it was very cute!
la petite chou chou 17 years ago
Hmm. I tend to have the opposite problem in that I have not a lot of calf definition. I found a pair of Franco Sarto’s at Nordstrom Rack last year that I am simply in love with. In fact, when they inevitably fall apart, they will be the template for new boots. They somehow make me look like I have good calves without being too big in the leg!
Allison 17 years ago
Those boots are absolutely gorgeous and I have a couple of pairs just like it that I brought about 3 winters ago back in the UK, but I’m now living in Spain and thank god I’ve been able to find shops that stock Camper otherwise I would be really stuck in finding a good pair of boots that I love.
Sarah 17 years ago
Lands’ End and Roaman’s both are selling boots with wide calfs (or “plus calfs”). Lands’ End’s run around $160, and Roamon’s about half that. I haven’t tried on either, so can’t speak of quality, etc. (I saw the boots in recent catalogs.)
Kimberly 17 years ago
Thanks for all the tips! As a proud bearer of calves so wide that not a single pair of Aldo boots will zip up on me (the salesman chivalrously noted that it was good to have nice muscular calves. Uh, yeah.), I’m always on the lookout for suggestions. I’ve never heard of Duo boots but they look fabulous. Has anyone had them shipped to the US yet? And if I’m a true size 7, should I go with a 37 or 38 Euro size?
Julia 17 years ago
There are also the wide calf boots from Ros Hommerson http://shoelady702-store.stores.yahoo.net/cube.html which I am tempted by. The calf on these are 17″ around and the zipper is curvy and sassy.
martina bohanna 17 years ago
I run a fashion blog in Ireland and when I noticed so many people reading my posts on wide and large calves I decided to write my Guide to Internet Shopping for Wide Calved Boots.
You can see it here:
http://bohanna.typepad.com/fashionfix/2006/09/guide_to_intern.html
Thanks for a great blog – this one is a favorite of mine!
martina
widecalflady 17 years ago
Wide calf? I thought I had BIG calves! Well, big or wide, I bought some great Tate Indy 12WW boots with buckles on the side that not only look cool but actually expand the circumference. I found them at my new favorite shoe store–Dreamshoes.