A client came to our first meeting wearing the strangest of
shoes. In fact, I had never seen shoes like those before. They were at least
five inches tall, spiked, with a combination of satin, leather, and glitter.
They kind of looked like Frankenstein on LSD. Why on earth was this woman
wearing shoes that were impossible to walk in and blinding to look at?
As a sensible Clark clog chic myself, I hate heels. I wore
them in my twenties and just about destroyed my back in the process. I don't
care what people think if I don't show up in heels and a skirt. I dress in business casual and I am comfortable. A really good client is going to look at the whole package, not just the clothes and shoes one wears.
But the rest of the world cares about shoes. Shoes are a
billion dollar industry. Women horde them. Men dream of blondes in stilettos.
Designers churn them out as fast as the fashion world can devour them. It is
sheer insanity.
Like it or not, you are not going to be 20 forever. I think
it is more sensible to buy shoes you can walk in and look good in. I highly
recommend Clarks. I love their whole clog line. They are wearable, come in a
variety of colors, and match just about any outfit on the planet. You don't
have to wear heels if you don't want to. Hey, it is a free country. If you want
to wear hooker heels and twist your ankle or rotate your lumbar vertebrae that
is your business.
I think a little shine and glitter are great for parties and
fancy affairs. But for business, stick with black, gray, navy blue, or some
other conservative color. Professional attire reflects the person that wears
it. I simply cannot take a client
seriously who wears such ridiculous shoes. In fact, when a woman wears these kinds of footwear, they are definitely sending a potential employer or client the wrong message.
If women are ever going to evolve past the stereotype of
coffee fetcher and office assistant, they need to evolve their sense of fashion
to functionality, comfort, and neutrality. Women don't have to look like pin up
posters or Hollywood actresses. Business is about professionalism and
intelligence. It is about skill sets and marketability. It is about moderation, ethics, and ability. High heels belong on the runway, not in the boardroom.
My good friend who is in California on a year assignment was
telling me how all the sales women came cuddling up to him at some social
affair once they figured out he was in charge of purchasing for his department
These kinds of sales reach into the multiple millions. These women were
beautiful, bleach blond, tight shirts, and wore hooker heels. He said he
wouldn't have done business with any of them. While sex sells well, SEX, it
does not make positive lasting impressions and it does nothing in leaving a
business legacy. And sadly, in San Francisco, high heels and low cut shirts are commonly found on saleswomen. I think this is a great tragedy. If a product isn't good enough to sell by its own merit, why would any self respecting woman sell it by exposing herself to look cheap and sexually alluring?
Leave the sleaze at home. Put the hooker heels in the
closet. Focus on your professional side and build up your skill set and
personality as it comes across when you speak and present. And seriously consider updating your footwear closet to include low heels, clogs, flats, and oxfords in black, tan, brown, navy blue, and and solid, no frill styles and colors.
Frankly, I'd like to see a massive shoe burning across
America. Isn't it time to grow up ladies?