"I want to marry these!"

This week I conducted my first in-depth investigative interview.  A friend in the fashion/beauty industry gave me her fascinating perspective on heels, height and Seattle fashion culture. 

My shoe education came in one phrase: Christian Louboutin.  She showed me her most treasured pair of shoes: 5-inch black Louboutins. 

"These are your babies then," I noted.  "I want to marry these!" she exclaimed.  The gorgeous pair of heels came with their own lush red carrying case, heel reinforcements and signature red bottoms.  I soon learned of the Louboutin phenomenon when she showed me all kinds of celebrities strutting these hot heels.  She went on to tell me how even in the Sex and the City 2 movie, Carrie Bradshaw has moved away from Manolo Blahniks and is embracing the glamorous and ultra-feminine Christian Louboutins.  Jennifer Lopez dedicated her new single, "Throwing on my Louboutins," to these red-bottomed glamour symbols.  Check out this live performance with huge Louboutin shoe/bed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un_t42NMJnE

During our interview we mostly talked about the feeling of wearing heels.  To her, wearing flats is synonymous to shlepping around the house, scrubbed out and tired.  The second you put on a pair of sexy heels, posture changes, body lifts and tightens and that aura of sex appeal envelopes us.  From frumpy to fierce.

As mentioned in my last post, I've been exploring the idea of "height privilege."  The concept of a sexy shoe size also came up.  The ideal shoe size is 5.5 or 6.  Most stores display these small shoes sizes just like they display size 0 or size 2 clothing on their mannequins.  It looks dainty and feminine and often unattainable.  My friend often acts at the shoe preview for her girlfriends because she can grab any shoe off the display and give an instant fashion show.  Not having to call a salesperson, nor wait while they fetch your size nor worry about hiding large feet...these things may lead me to name a type of shoe size privilege.  As a 5'3'' woman with size 9 feet, I sometimes wonder where nature went wrong.  I will never be able to grab the shoe off the display except to dangle it off my big toe.

This interview inspired me to expand my blog research.  I'm eager to learn more and dive into the many resources available all around me.