My Mode: Heels on Wheels

I need to start this post screaming words:

OH MY OH MY! THESE BOOTS ARE SOOOOO GORGEOUS!

Ok, now that I said it, let’s go to the real deal. Here’s the thing:

I didn’t wear any higher heels since 2009 — basically since I was diagnosed with Polymyositis. I was aware of all the bad stuff they do to your back (we even have a whole article on the blog about it) but what can a girl do? I felt powerful in heels!

Of course that, the reason I’ve felt powerful was incepted into my head by the media (I’ve talked about this in this post) but my younger self didn’t know that back then!

I remember in my high school graduation, every single one of my friends and colleagues was wearing shoes with high heels — some higher than others but 5 centimetres is already something!

And there I was, the smallest in height on my black pointy-toes laced Schutz flats. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE THOSE FLATS — have them until today.

I better because my dad paid some crazy money on them — thank you, daddy ❤

But even loving them, I still thought less of myself, like I wasn’t dressed properly enough. It felt like the high heels gave me the power to feel awesome and more womanly.

And it got even worse once I was on a rolling chair — which it shouldn’t. I mean, logically speaking, once you aren’t walking, you can wear heels as high as you want because ahm… the “walking with high heels problem” is eliminated!

*wondering* Well, I need to get up every hour because I have pain if I don’t — but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.

The point is: I didn’t know anyone else who was a Girl-Roller, so my references were from the media. In other words, comfy ugly shoes and comfy ugly clothes.

And I was too Fashion orientated for that!

But you’ve read that story back in 2016.

I healed my conception about high heels too. I didn’t need them to feel powerful and womanly anymore. I could feel as beautiful, powerful and feminine with my Oxfords and Mocassins — as you’ve seen in the past My Mode Outfits.

However, when I saw those boots… love at first sight ❤

Nowadays, I have a policy of only buying IF:

a. I really need it, or

b. if I don’t, I need to love it head over heels *pun intended*

And IF SO it must:

b.1. combine with many other pieces and

b.2. I need to be honest with myself if I’ll really wear it — functionality and aesthetics roll together (one of my buying mantras)

❌✔️✔️✔️ Checkpoints were positive.

They aren’t too high so it was perfectly fine for the height I usually have for my feet support. If you’re thinking of wearing higher heels don’t forget you’ll need to adjust your feet support to keep your legs comfortable.

I wanted to shoot this Outfit for a long time, I simply love it! All matchy-matchy!

There’s no need to look like a tree when wearing green (unless you want to — no one judges here!)

The logical rule is: don’t wear brown trousers with a green blouse. But NUDES is something else entirely!

You can wear the same green tone on the top and bottom (e.g. jumpsuits) or you can play with different tones of green as well as, different fabric textures. Leaving the beige tones for the shoes and accessories, just like I did.

You can also Monochrome in Green. Same moss green velvet trousers and emerald green wool blouse but a different pair of boots and without a hat. Instead, I’m wearing a big black scarf, which is acting as my point of light/colour.

I really enjoy matching different tones of the same colour when making a Monochrome Outfit. It looks chic.

All that being said, never forget you get to do the rules in your style. Heels or no heels, matching or not — it’s your body and only you get to dress it.

It’s paradoxical, I know.

While I’m showing my little dress codes and recommending how to use them, I’m also saying: DRESS HOW IT FEELS BEST!

I know in first hand how transformative that is!

When I lost the simple ability to dress my trousers up, lace my shoes, slide my arms up on a blouse and all the rest, I’ve stepped back and 3 main thoughts surfaced in my mind.

1. How I used to take “the little factor” of dressing myself for granted;

2. How transformative the act of dressing truly is;

3. How I didn’t know what my personal style looked like because I was bombarded with influences all the time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the last one lately. Not only with Fashion but with everything. We give away our Power to other people, to media. We give them the power to dress us by showing what we should and shouldn’t do.

And the worst is: we allow them! I did for the longest time!

We give them this Power that is ours and ours alone! And when we don’t, they make ourselves feel inappropriate, like we aren’t good enough because we don’t dress the latest trends or like they say we should.

I’m done with that!

Inclusive Fashion has become quite the buzzwords when talking about dressing bodies with disabilities. But Inclusive Fashion is an Intelligent Fashion, where functionality and aesthetics roll together. And honestly, I believe that every piece of a garment should be like that. It should be simply called Fashion.

Thank you so much for reading and sharing!

I’d love to know your thoughts about how the media and other people influence what you wear, leave them in the comments!

For my LL Collective members: you’re in all for a treat on this month’s favourite resources! It’s packed with some of the best things I watched/listened/learned ever! An email will be on its way to you on 31st May!

With all my love,

Lina