Minimising your Risk with Killer Heels

I'll be the first to admit that the fashionable shoe offerings of each season are not always designed for comfort and practicality.

If you've ever worn heels to work and walked the pavements in your lunchbreak, you won't be a stranger to the tension and headaches you can experience at the end of the day. (I know that many of my chiropractic visits have been a direct result of my not-so-wise footwear choices a day or two before)

So, if you're like me and love the latest fashions, you've probably thought about how you can get away with wearing those strappy platforms while minimizing the negative impact on your body.

But, as Sarah Price and Glynis Traill-Nash point out in their Sun-Herald article Pain, the Achilles heel of this fashion trend, it can be a challenge when faced with the onslaught of rising heels:

SOME say fashion is pain. And with women's high heels hitting dizzying heights, it is something the fashion conscious are going to find out all about.

The craze has already hit Britain, with some heels reportedly as high as 13 centimetres.

And the trend is coming to Australia. Jasmine Bingemann, business manager of footwear and accessories for Myer, said a 10.5-centimetre platform peep-toe was the retailer's best-selling shoe and was a sign of things to come.

As I would never dream of going extreme, I wouldn't suggest total abstinance either, and I'm a firm believer that the very latest heels for the season can update your wardrobe instantly. I recommend coming to something of a compromise!

Here's what I suggest;

• Choose not to wear your heels all day, but rather only for the high points of the day.
• Have a comfy pair of shoes available to change into in order to give you some respite, in-between (for me, this would have to be a pair of Hush Puppies).
• Throughout the day, take time to stretch your feet and calves, and to rotate your ankles.
• Unless you're wearing your heels to work, I wouldn't spend a fortune on them, they're only for a season or two, and for cameo appearances.
  
• Minimise what you're carrying baggage-wise, just take along the bare necessities in a little bag.
• Finally, if (like me) you already have suffered from pain, go see an expert, don't just put up with it.

Show Time

We had the great fortune of being able to leave behind husbands and children and check out the David Jones fashion parades for Spring/Summer 06. Actually I exaggerate as my 3 and 5 year old daughters unexpectedly accompanied me - at this point can I say a big thank you to David Jones staff as they were fantastic and made my girls feel very special.

However back to the show, clutching our goodie bags and champage( OJ for the littlies!) we enjoyed viewing some great summer stories. Including nautical, whites, a huge range of prints, very pretty dresses, belts firmly buckled up and overall a very ladylike and dressed look with a bit of St Tropez sex appeal thrown in.

My favourite is the Witchery line: I am often torn between what I like to wear and what in my every day life I am needing to get round town in. Chrissy and I often lament the casual element that creeps into mum-at -home wear, but we also feel that you can get round this by occaisonally succumbing to more glam pieces to wear with jeans and heels, or with great accessories.

Back to Witchery: their clothes are simple but striking and suit me as I'm a more influenced by an urban street cred look( thanks to my husband for that terminology -a more interesting way of saying casual?). My favourites were a gorgeous printed sundress, a delicate knit cardi and a range of bronze and white flat sandals and slides.

We also loved Veronika Maine for her prints and very modern shapes: I will be looking for some great dresses when summer hits, which can be dressed up for pm and still worn round the playgroup set.

When new season styles appear one of my biggest dilemmas is how far to follow the trend vs only buying serious investment pieces that can be taken out either every few seasons or worn regardless. Do you throw out your stiletto heels for platforms only? Do you rush to buy beaded caftans and then only ever wear them to the beach?(guilty)

Do you purchase skinny jeans only to realise a)you never suited them first time round b) a bootcut is still acceptable as long as it's dark denim.

I'm going to be chewing this issue over in future posts but here's an example:
The trench coat or belted macintosh fabric coat, a modern classic, originally by iconic British label Burberry, and now available from any number of local stores eg Jag, Esprit, or Sportscraft. I think if investment dollars are available, the trenchcoat is a must. However the bubble skirt/dress, while a current standout fashion moment is unlikely to have a long life or be particularly versatile, so this look I would only consider on a budget basis.

Anyone wanting to comment on their own list of investment vs trend pieces or wish list, please send us your thoughts.

Getting your Feet Fit for Spring

With the arrival of Spring/Summer, we're greeted with an enticing array of open, slinky footwear! Nine West's platforms and wedges, particularly Studio 9 (two of them are pictured here) are truly a feast for the eyes.

I don't know about you, but after experiencing "foot hibernation" in the winter months, I'll need to activate "damage control" if I have any hope of wearing this season's offerings with some level of panache! If you have the same plight, read on ...

Here's my best tip so far; you can spend anything from $40 to $100 on a pedicure or get your feet properly looked after, and visit a podiatrist.

The difference is that your podiatrist will deal with dry skin, corns, and toenails (if necessary) and will leave you with feet that not only look better, but that actually are better too!

From a budgetting perspective, a visit to your podiatrist can really pay off if you have an 'extras' inclusion in your private health fund. You should be able to claim your podiatrist visit, leaving you with a smaller bill once your rebate is applied.

The way I see it, later the same evening you could pamper your feet and polish your toenails, and come away with feet that look completely stunning at a fraction of the price of getting a professional pedicure, and you will have dealt with any real problems your feet may have.

The end result is that you can feel confident wearing all that gorgeous footwear!

New Season Panic Attack

Here's what happens to me - the days start to dawn just a little bit warmer, you can feel the sun on your face (where's the 30+ factor sunscreen and any hat not completely out of shape?) and there's a feeling of NEW- new season, new clothes, new LOOK ...... at which point fashion planet and all participating outlets and magazines obligingly go "ga ga" on these new looks, new trends, new colours and how YOU will look like a dodo if you aren't decked out head to toe by August 15. (For those women who don't suffer from this particular affliction, you are BLESSED.)

I then get a corresponding feeling of weakness because; a) I need to revamp the entire wardrobe as well as buy food and pay school fees, and nothing is adding up. b) more of the above.

I hashed out what I could live with already in the wardrobe (of course saying NOTHING - really loudly - doesn't work, unless you were pregnant last summer ... and even then ...) after which I succumbed to pressure and went shopping.

Here's what I (Kimberly) bought:

• 1 pair of black capris,
• 1 print floral shirt in that crushed cotton you need to dry twisted up,
• 1 long sleeved stripey top - black and grey, though I later saw red and white which I liked better,
• 1 pair black slides, on sale.

As I currently wear a lot of jeans and layered tops, these items can mix and match (love that phrase, so 70's). Also, I found from last summer a pair of wedges and a drill cotton long sleeved jacket, safari style.

The items listed cost about $200 in total. I would definitely say you could pick up the capri trousers or similar long shorts from Target for half the price I paid. Also, I plan to lengthen the wardrobe life of my swirly peasant-style skirts with a belt and cardi and longline T.

You may think all that fuss for what? But, along with a new bag - a present! - I now feel equipped to get through the next few months.

I shopped at chain stores in the mall, and while I love the idea of a trawl through markets I am way too strapped for time and nearly always have someone under 5 with me and that means shopping is a high energy - no messing around - byo coffee experience.

I love the idea of shopping online - and love surfing the net, being enticed -but be prepared to pay postage/delivery and maybe return it due to fitting issues ... unless you find a label or site you really trust. Anyone with such a find please share!

Feeling your way fashion wise into the new season is a precarious, but rewarding journey and does provide a certain escapism. As a fulltime mum at home escapism is big on my list!

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