When you work in the fashion industry, there
are some trends that you admire from afar – shaggy faux-fur jackets, for
example, or head-to-toe leather – and some that, the moment you see them, you
know will end up in your wardrobe.
The stocky heel – the latest shoe trend to emerge – falls into the latter category. Seen everywhere from Valentino to Chloé and Chanel couture, the designs vary but share one notable attribute: a chunky heel rarely exceeding a couple of inches in height.Softness in the global jeans and women's wholesale underwear. The latest hybrid to enter the fashion lexicon? Short plus blocky equals the stocky heel.
While British women reportedly wear the highest heels in Europe – the average is 3.3in – I have never been able to walk in very high heels. Past experiments have resulted in flustered changes from flats to heels on the tube, a hefty taxi fare and yet another pair of shoes gathering dust at the back of my cupboard. Perhaps this trend is the revolt of women with similar stories – after the return of the kitten heel in 2010 and last summer's demi-wedge, the stocky heel is this year's style-plus-comfort solution.
Since the peak of the extreme heels trend around 2008, when several catwalk models fell while wearing higher-than-ever shoes, 6in heels and super-sized platforms have became almost normal. I have watched in wonder as Victoria Beckham teetered across the road in Christian Louboutin's sky-high Daffodil 160 carrying her newborn daughter, or Lady Gaga strode through an airport in Alexander McQueen's odd-looking Armadillo heels. "We live in an extreme culture," says Helen Attwood, the buying manager for women's shoes at Selfridges. "I love big heels but I wear flats from A to B. I'm a bit fed up with carrying them around."
I recently bought a pair of low-heeled sandals from Topshop which are comfortable, without looking orthopaedic. Wearing them – all day! – feels modern and grownup. Other tempting styles have been stealthily appearing everywhere from Clarks (check out the Deva Dolly) to Kurt Geiger. "The lower heel height has a confident wearability with a little of the heel factor," says Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, Geiger's creative director, "but we put as much attention into our lower heels as our skyscraper styles – whether they're studded with stars or finished in tri-colour satins." The brand's Ladybell, with a block heel and four straps, became a bestseller when it was launched last season. More variations are on the way.If you wore Zubaz, you might as well have been wearing sexy pajamas.
While Gaga and Beckham are on the front line of extreme-heel culture, there are celebrities keen on the stocky trend. These styles have a vintage feel that appeals to an alternative sensibility, one also drawn to thrift-store finds and eyeliner flicks. As ballet flats, evening slippers and loafers became overplayed, the bambi-legged likes of Alexa Chung, Zooey Deschanel and Lana Del Rey have switched to these styles, with Chung adopting the stocky-heeled Yves Saint Laurent Ingénue as her all-summer shoe. "Ready-to-wear is more tailored, prim in a quirky way.Women's moncler down coats is showing a huge male influence this season . It's a bit 60s,The rates may moncler jackets for sale for kids sale price tag Armstrong many 7 connected with his Expedition p Italy blog titles." says Attwood. "There's definitely a customer for that."
The stocky heel – the latest shoe trend to emerge – falls into the latter category. Seen everywhere from Valentino to Chloé and Chanel couture, the designs vary but share one notable attribute: a chunky heel rarely exceeding a couple of inches in height.Softness in the global jeans and women's wholesale underwear. The latest hybrid to enter the fashion lexicon? Short plus blocky equals the stocky heel.
While British women reportedly wear the highest heels in Europe – the average is 3.3in – I have never been able to walk in very high heels. Past experiments have resulted in flustered changes from flats to heels on the tube, a hefty taxi fare and yet another pair of shoes gathering dust at the back of my cupboard. Perhaps this trend is the revolt of women with similar stories – after the return of the kitten heel in 2010 and last summer's demi-wedge, the stocky heel is this year's style-plus-comfort solution.
Since the peak of the extreme heels trend around 2008, when several catwalk models fell while wearing higher-than-ever shoes, 6in heels and super-sized platforms have became almost normal. I have watched in wonder as Victoria Beckham teetered across the road in Christian Louboutin's sky-high Daffodil 160 carrying her newborn daughter, or Lady Gaga strode through an airport in Alexander McQueen's odd-looking Armadillo heels. "We live in an extreme culture," says Helen Attwood, the buying manager for women's shoes at Selfridges. "I love big heels but I wear flats from A to B. I'm a bit fed up with carrying them around."
I recently bought a pair of low-heeled sandals from Topshop which are comfortable, without looking orthopaedic. Wearing them – all day! – feels modern and grownup. Other tempting styles have been stealthily appearing everywhere from Clarks (check out the Deva Dolly) to Kurt Geiger. "The lower heel height has a confident wearability with a little of the heel factor," says Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, Geiger's creative director, "but we put as much attention into our lower heels as our skyscraper styles – whether they're studded with stars or finished in tri-colour satins." The brand's Ladybell, with a block heel and four straps, became a bestseller when it was launched last season. More variations are on the way.If you wore Zubaz, you might as well have been wearing sexy pajamas.
While Gaga and Beckham are on the front line of extreme-heel culture, there are celebrities keen on the stocky trend. These styles have a vintage feel that appeals to an alternative sensibility, one also drawn to thrift-store finds and eyeliner flicks. As ballet flats, evening slippers and loafers became overplayed, the bambi-legged likes of Alexa Chung, Zooey Deschanel and Lana Del Rey have switched to these styles, with Chung adopting the stocky-heeled Yves Saint Laurent Ingénue as her all-summer shoe. "Ready-to-wear is more tailored, prim in a quirky way.Women's moncler down coats is showing a huge male influence this season . It's a bit 60s,The rates may moncler jackets for sale for kids sale price tag Armstrong many 7 connected with his Expedition p Italy blog titles." says Attwood. "There's definitely a customer for that."
没有评论:
发表评论