Friday, August 16, 2013

Misogyny in the name of Fashion

Just read these words on a recent email introducing a new fashion statement (above), "The Giger collection is inspired by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger, particularly his visual effects work on the Alien movies. While Solo’s first line, Specimen, was extremely floral-driven, Giger is “a little more of me,” he says. “It’s darker and edgier.” Solo also looks to Alexander McQueen and other designers during his creative process, and says his exact inspirations are often hard to pin down."

Hard to pin down, alright, because these crippling new skyscraper heels are an invitation to abuse women! Maybe if the designers returned to the origins of these style cramping torture devices, they might be inspired to create something gorgeous and comfortable. Everyone should realize that the first "heels" were worn by men— butchers, centuries ago, as they sloshed through the blood and gore of slaughterhouses—the high heeled klogs keeping the blood off of their trousers!

I have been enraged for years at the limited supply of comfortable, yet stylish alternatives to these "inventions" by men that make women look "sexy," while guaranteeing that they stay the weaker sex. How can you outrun an attacker wearing something from the Giger collection?

On many of my summer jaunts of late, I've observed couples walking: the guy is casually and comfortably dressed, while the woman is bare-legged and hobbling in towering devices—I can't even call them shoes—with skirts so short—well I won't go there. As a yoga teacher, I watch the damage these weapons of female destruction inflict on a whacked-out pelvis.

Stilts might be easier to navigate, but please don't support these Giger torture devices.  It's time for a revolt! Let's see more walking shoes that look good, feel good, and keep men and women on an equal footing.

2 comments:

  1. I remember the day when high heels for men were in fashion. That trend didn't last for long, perhaps one season. Men didn't want to wear high-heeled shoes, so why should women?

    I think high heels are simply not the way people were meant to walk!

    Jonathan

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    1. Hi Jonathan, Thanks for writing. Those high heeled shoes for men had (an have since cowboy boots tend to have high heels)heels that you could at least walk on. Not spikes off of which one can easily topple and break an ankle. When I traveled in Japan a few years ago, women's shoes had enormously high platforms and someone told me a story of a young Japanese woman who died in a car accident when the high platformed shoe got inadvertently jammed on the accelerator pedal. Fashion that inflicts unnatural postures is something to be seriously questioned. Thanks, again for your comments.
      db

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