High heels won’t help achieve high ambitions

[The_Ida]

^ there's plenty of office jobs where wearing high heels is the norm. But I agree, I never wear heels to uni.

Not here it isn't. I don't think it's considered professional - as in high heels are only for clubbing, not for working.

 

[Echoes]

I guess it depends on the country and culture. Here in the states, there are certain offices where it's expected. Flats are a No Go for professional women and some secretaries and assistants. It's just part of the business attire and dress code. Whether they wear a skirt/dress suit or a pantsuit, pumps are standard wear. They don't have to be high, 2" or so is normal for women who can't wear higher heels, but it isn't uncommon to see 3" or 4". Many women will carry a pair of 5" to change into for after work dinners or parties, but they don't typically wear 5" all day.

 

[The_Ida]

^I'd chop off my feet if I was forced to wear heels all day. Funny how men aren't forced to wear uncomfortable shoes I think it's rather sexist.

 

[Echoes]

I think it's rather sexist.

Which is why it can't actually be written in to dress codes or company policies. It's just one of those unwritten things that are 'expected', those that do are accepted and promoted. Those that don't, aren't, but they may never know why.

 

[The_Ida]

^It's still sexist and stupid. I think one should be able to choose for oneself without it having consequences for one's career.

 

[Desi]

don't even know how the conversation took this turn. This is not a norm in every office or anywhere i can name actually. Probably expected in Trump towers or something but not at Career Communications Group.

Dressing up in the office is pretty frowned upon in many business' in the states because it is seen as vain especially when you should be taking the time to produce better work. Everyone has to be presentable but no one is calling for pumps and slit dresses while guys wear sketchers.

 

[hautechild]

^ there's plenty of office jobs where wearing high heels is the norm. But I agree, I never wear heels to uni.

Such as mine...

I wear high heels almost every day to work, completely out of choice, there is no dresscode but I like heels therefore I wear them, plenty of the girls here do and certainly I don't think we're taken less seriously than our flats-wearing collegues!

Well, I work in media where you can wear whatever you want, so some of the women (and men) in our office look very dressed up and others casual. It's perfectly acceptable to wear 5" heels if you want to though! (I'd be so sad if I couldn't!)

 

[The_Ida]

^That actually sounds really nice... A lot of places here it's not acceptable to dress up or wear heels, and that's just stupid.

Funny how I've chosen a profession that requires that everyone wears lab coats

don't even know how the conversation took this turn.

I think it is pretty relevant though

 

[PinkGoddess]

^I'd chop off my feet if I was forced to wear heels all day. Funny how men aren't forced to wear uncomfortable shoes I think it's rather sexist.

Male physical attractiveness isn't valued as much as female, period. Acknowledging differences between men and women isn't sexist, and for the same reason it isn't sexist to expect men to possess certain characteristics, like strength.

This article however, is beyond silly. It attempts to argue that symbols of female sexuality and beauty possess no power in the professional world, therefore they possess no power at all (as though women wear heels for that reason). Just a shallow, perverse attempt at feminism.

 

[Dego]

and for the same reason it isn't sexist to expect men to possess certain characteristics, like strength.

of course it is.

 

[Lite_Brite]

Male physical attractiveness isn't valued as much as female, period. Acknowledging differences between men and women isn't sexist, and for the same reason it isn't sexist to expect men to possess certain characteristics, like strength.

that's actually the very definition of sexism. but please, continue to accept every regressive attitude that is thrown your way in the name of being true to 'your gender'.

eventually people will stop seeing men and women and terms of these destructive dichotomies.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

I used to wear high all all the time and everywhere, but now i only wear them in special occasions. They do make your life more difficult, the same way women in the old days had all sort of complicated outfits that really prevented them to do anything than look static and pretty, we have our Killer heels. Yes I felt prettier and more self confident, but is it worth it? A big fat no. My lifestyle and the city i live now is totally anti-heels, you need to be a able to move and fast if you actually want to do something worthwhile. The last thing I want is a pair of heels preventing me from doing the things that my male counterparts do without having to think if some walking is involved.

It actually makes me laugh when bloggers come to cities like London expecting to walk around all pretty and poised in their high heels and then find out that they are unable to walk to the end of the street with them, have to stop everywhere to sit down and are unable to go to anywhere at the end of the day because their feet are destroyed.

I think heels have a place, and no one should forbid a women to wear them to work if she feels like it, but for me they have no place in day to day activities anymore.

 

[PinkGoddess]

that's actually the very definition of sexism. but please, continue to accept every regressive attitude that is thrown your way in the name of being true to 'your gender'.

eventually people will stop seeing men and women and terms of these destructive dichotomies.

These "destructive dichotomies" exist, and have always existed, in virtually every culture known throughout history.

In order for two components to be equal in every aspect, they must be the same, which men and women are not and never will be regardless of how much certain so-called "feminists" try to argue that women are simply men with different reproductive organs. Please. There is nothing "regressive" about holding men to different standards than women and vice-versa if men and women ARE different.

 

[Lite_Brite]

lots of bad things have existed throughout history but we've been doing a decent job of working through them in modern society. humans don't just come into the world as decent functioning members of society - we're naturally inclined to all sorts of destructive tendencies. racism, sexism, heterosexism, mysticism, war.

maybe 100 years ago we all should have just thrown up our hands and said "**** it, women have always been dominated by men in every culture (which isn't actually true but for the sake of argument I'll go with it), so let's just relinquish power in every sector of society". there is great diversity amongst women, I'd venture to say between me and you, and I don't care to be grouped in with you as if we fall under the same umbrella as human beings with the exact same nature, the same wants and needs etc.

we need to keep fighting for a humanistic view of every individual instead of acting like what is "natural" is always good.

where do you draw the line for when we should give up? how far is the expectation that we wear heels in the office from the expectation that we just stay out of the office altogether? I'm for expanding choice for both men and women in how they live their lives, and I know it's worth pursuing because we've not stopped progressing yet.

 

[The_Ida]

Male physical attractiveness isn't valued as much as female, period. Acknowledging differences between men and women isn't sexist, and for the same reason it isn't sexist to expect men to possess certain characteristics, like strength.

This article however, is beyond silly. It attempts to argue that symbols of female sexuality and beauty possess no power in the professional world, therefore they possess no power at all (as though women wear heels for that reason). Just a shallow, perverse attempt at feminism.

I'm with Dego. It's just stupid expecting men to posses some characteristics and women other.

I don't think sexuality (feminine or masculine) has a place in the professional world at all, so I'm with the article. Kind of. If it wasn't so lame and poorly written.

 

[The_Ida]

These "destructive dichotomies" exist, and have always existed, in virtually every culture known throughout history.

In order for two components to be equal in every aspect, they must be the same, which men and women are not and never will be regardless of how much certain so-called "feminists" try to argue that women are simply men with different reproductive organs. Please. There is nothing "regressive" about holding men to different standards than women and vice-versa if men and women ARE different.

You could use the same logic regarding racism. It fits perfectly. There have been racism in all cultures, the standard argument being that the other race is different and therefore must me treated differently. There are some genetic differences inbetween races - does that mean that Asians should have other rights than Africans? One could argue that Asians and Africans ARE different...

BTW I don't think there's anything wrong with being a feminist.

 

[salomelovesjohn]

These "destructive dichotomies" exist, and have always existed, in virtually every culture known throughout history.

In order for two components to be equal in every aspect, they must be the same, which men and women are not and never will be regardless of how much certain so-called "feminists" try to argue that women are simply men with different reproductive organs. Please. There is nothing "regressive" about holding men to different standards than women and vice-versa if men and women ARE different.

I agree.

Lite Brite what you are articulating is a very Western, first generation feminist movement statement. Many other types of feminists have different views of the matter including the views that PinkGoddess stated.

Race is not equal to gender. Its not racist to say that women are different then men, its biological. Its also not necessarily evil or bad or downputting as many seem to think. Women bear children, men don't. In this and other ways I think its more anti-women to not acknowledge those biological truisms by pretending we are the same.

 

[retailqueen]

^^^ ITA it's actually pretty regressive to deny/reject specific feminine characteristics. these characteristics do not in any way mean we are not better than men.

 

[Echoes]

:: sigh ::

 

[CaitlinC]

I'll stick to my high heels.

I can literally run in high heels, so I don't have any problems walking in them.

My feet don't hurt either.

I can wear heels for hours on end.

I wear them because they make me look good, feel good and are my favorite kind of shoe.