Life's a journey so wear the right shoes

Two days before Christmas I was telephoned by the Chief City Correspondent of the Dail Mail, Rupert Steiner. What was my view on the advice given to female lawyers at City law firm Freshfields to "embrace their femininity and wear heels instead of flats?"

As far as my own personal experience goes, heels are my best friends. At 5'4" in height, when I wear a 3" heel I'm nearly as tall as the average man and can look him in the eye instead of crooking my neck to speak to him. There's something very powerful about being able to look someone in the eye, on their level.  

Most of the women I've spoken to about this know exactly what it feels like to put on a pair of heels. (We are talking shoes you can actually walk in, of course, as opposed to "taxi" shoes) They say they stand better, and feel more confident.  But it's not just about how you feel, it's the impression you give to other people that also matters.  As I said in the Daily Mail interview, "A lot of information comes from first impressions and once you understand the judgments that are made you can use this to your advantage. In these difficult times it's important for individuals to represent the company brand in a strong way." Wearing heels shows you are dressing for business. 

Who wears ballet flats?  Ballerinas, little girls and Audrey Hepburn.  Keep your ballet flats for your capri pants and floaty dresses.  Besides, it's good to have something that you don't wear to work, something that says, "I'm home".

Bette Midler said "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world".  Now there's a woman who knows a thing about shoes.