Climbing heights the Gwyneth way
Gwyneth Paltrow’s steep climb up the success ladder has finally begun to show! The sassy blonde actress’ march back into the glamour spotlight this year has been more about her vertigo inducing stilts than her critically acclaimed comeback venture ‘the Iron Man’.
And why not!
The former girlfriend of hunky Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt, Paltrow has long honed her fashionista identity. Rarely have even her worst critics been able to find flaw with the stuff she swished around in on the red carpet. Her comeback post motherhood however has seen a swift shift in sartorial sensibilities. All in all good ol’ Gwyn’s style has changed from Chic to SEXY!!! without so much as a hiccup.
The recent climb however has not been easy. Even the glamorous wife of Coldplay frontrunner Chris Martin has had a few knee weakening, tottering experiences atop her killer 7inches. Recently during her tumultuous publicity tour for her latest movie Paltrow hop skipped and jumped through fashion capitals such as Paris, Berlin and New York on heels that left jaws hanging. After a hectic Paris premiere even the feisty babe was left clutching onto her bodyguard while climbing down a flight of stairs on a particularly dashing piece of footwear.
So much for poise!
But it was not just the Academy Award winner’s skyscraper heels that climbed steep, the price tags they came with were no less neck breaking! Amongst the 7 breath stopping styles Gwyn posed with was a racy but feminine lace printed stiletto pumps designed by famous Italian designer Giussepe Zanotti. Each pair, his agents claim retails for no less than $900!
YIKES!
Methinks I’ll aim lower even if I crave sky high. Which isn’t a tough decision given that I have neither Gwyn’s millions nor those gorgeous calves to support my cause. What I do have however is a game plan to keep myself standing even on a seven inch.
As any red-blooded girl knows high heels isn’t an easy deal. It involves devotion, unflinching faith, tradition, tireless pursuit and most of all razor sharp skill.
Clearly the quintessential high heels aren’t for the weak hearted.
Step onto them only if you dare.
But once you do. (And you will, like it or not.) Remember to follow a few essential rules like your life depended on them. The guidelines below will keep you from that oh-so-face-reddening fall or even that pathetically unladylike tumble. Read and learn.
Tip 1: Begin small. Don’t jump the gun and climb a mountain before you can scale a molehill. Start with kitten heels and clamber up to a wedge before you promote yourself to a full-blown stiletto. Even when you do think you are ready for the real thing select an affordably comfortable sized stilt rather than a scryscraping high one. You’ll have plenty of time to swish around on killer pencil heels once you get used to walking on the more modest variety.
Tip 2: Go for stiletto pumps rather than the more flimsy, strappy backless varieties. Agreed that the latter tend to be far more fetching and uber feminine but the way I see it (and no doubt the way you’ll see it when the first backache begins to get particularly unbearable) health and life comes before sexiness. No point in twisting an ankle or dislocating your spine or even breaking your neck over looking gorgeous!
Tip 3: Practice, Practice, Practice! If there is any possibility of a relationship between math lessons and high heel walking it is probably hinged on the basis of practice. Remember to walk around your home in your dainty skyscrapers before stepping out on the streets to get used to them. Sure your brothers, fathers, husbands, kids, neighbours, neighbour’s aunt’s might see you and laugh their guts out and make you feel like a prize ass, but better to be laughed at in your own home than squirming and fumbling on the streets and being mocked at by complete strangers!
Tip 4: Learn when to wear what sort of heels. If you are attending a party where you are likely to stand around please give your feet a break and ditch the idea of wearing a seven incher! Go for a more comfortable pair of shorter heels instead. Even if you do decide to go for the killer skyscrapers, remember to avoid standing around too long. Excuse yourself once in a while and visit the rest room to take off your shoes and give your feet a bit of a massage. If you are to be dancing PLEASE practice balance techniques in your home before stepping out if you don’t want to end up with a horribly twisted ankle.
Finally. Remember not to overdo your heel routine. Even a Gwyneth Paltrow needs a holistic health massage session after a week long strutting about on heels! Stick to flats or blocks or wedges at the most for everyday work. Don’t even THINK about running about in your heels (and no don’t give me that ‘Anne-Hathaway-ran-in-her-Jimmy-Choos-in- ‘DEVIL WEARS PRADA’ look, Hollywood doesn’t figure as real life). And most importantly watch out for those stairs.
That is of course if you aren’t Mrs. Martin, in which case you’ll have a gentlemanly bodyguard politely offering you a helping hand if you trip.
But then again if you are Gwyneth Paltrow you’d hardly need a tip about scraping heights on your heels.
Tags: , Fashion, fashion how to do, Gwyneth Paltrow, Heels, red carpet fashion, walking on high heels
