The French Perspective on High Heels

My new summer sandals

I had to good fortune to hear a brief exchange between two customers over the weekend.  The situation was this.  A kindly Kiwi mum was bringing in a French woman whose daughter was just starting at the same school as her child as they had only moved to New Zealand three weeks previous.

While the daughter was trying on her school shoes, the two women were looking at ladies shoes and pointing out the ones they liked.  �Oh I don�t wear heels any more, I live in flats� said the Kiwi mum, who was very practically dressed.  �Why is that, why do you not wear heels?� asked the French woman, in her musical accent.  �If you buy good quality, they will be comfortable, no?�

Of course the French woman with her charming accent said the word �quality� with the emphasis on the last syllable to make it sound quite lilting.  I could have listened to her all day.

Now I�m not knocking the lady from New Zealand, as she was dressed just as many other women do around here, very normal.  But I took notice of what the French mother was wearing and she had on slim-cut jeans tucked into brown leather boots that had a slight heel (I would guess between 2-3 inches at most, maybe lower), but still appropriate for a casual weekend look, a pretty top and hair cut in that uniquely French tousled way.  She wasn�t wearing tons of makeup, jewellery or bling, but she looked fresh, pretty and entirely age appropriate.

Naturellement she was a slim and attractive weight.  That seems to go without saying when I pick up a French accent and this is probably their true style secret.

I was so tickled by this chic sighting.  The French woman was genuinely perplexed as to why the other mother had given up on high heels.  And both these ladies looked to be only 30s-40s.  It was almost as if she�d told her she had given up on life!

I�ve been wearing flat shoes and very low heels (that are virtually flats) all winter, so taking the French woman�s advice I chose some higher but still wearable sandals from our new season�s range and will be alternating these with my ballet flats this summer.