The Art of a Casual Heel
Girls just want to have fun– so why is the status quo mediocre running shoes? Gone is the whimsy of completing an outfit with black pumps or donning a kitten heel to elevate your jeans-and-tee combo. The standards of “casual” have been regressing– we can not fall any further from grace. It’s time to go back to our roots.
Since the pandemic, high heel sales have been rapidly declining, along with the expectation of wearing them. To wear a heel is far from the norm, it means you’re dressing up– you’re doing something special. No longer is it fashionable to go shopping with your girls in matching strappy heels. Jimmy Choos, and Manolos aren’t part of the ootd– they’ve become just another reference to Sex and the City.
With the emergence jeans and a going out top as the “classic uniform”, the accepted pairing is white sneakers or adidas sambas, and while these are still cute (and comfy), there's nothing that screams flirty-girly-fun like a strappy high heel when you and your girls have a night out. Not only does it elongate the legs, but it sets the whole tone of the outfit– of who you want to be. It's the item of your wardrobe that can add the most personality to an outfit, and this doesn’t just apply to nightwear.
Take, for example, the basic jeans and tank combo– she's there for us no matter what, she’s basic with a sneaker, yeah, but she always works. Enter: pointed heels. You go from girl next door to girl, who is that? She’s classy but effortless. She’s put together. You didn’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe, the heels do it all. The best person to emanate this point is the queen of the casual heel herself– Carolyn Bassette Kennedy. On their own, her outfits are nowhere near glitzy or glamorous; they're quiet, casual, but somehow always sophisticated. Have you ever noticed that most of her casual outfits included a kitten heel or black boot with a thick heel? Basic doesn’t have to be boring, and Carolyn proves it– she’s forever iconic because her style was so effortless, yet so refined. It gave that je-ne-sais-quoi we’re all searching for now.
The casual heel doesn't just stop at jeans; think pairing kitten heels with a midi skirt, baby tees or a fitted body suit. Trousers with black pumps or pointed stilettos. Of course, we can't forget the miniskirt, stockings, and an ankle strap heel combo– make that coloured stockings for a real punch.
The best part about a casual heel is that the possibilities are endless. Summer brings open-toe and heel-sandal combinations, while winter adds fun boot and jean silhouette combinations perfect from class to going-out. In fact, there's really nothing hard about wearing a different shoe, and with second-hand sites like Depop and Poshmark, it's easier than ever to find designer shoes for half the price. With the current heel decline, the price of the shoes you want may be already marked down. The moment to bring them back isn’t being saved for a special occasion– it’s right now.
Maybe the casual heel isn’t impractical after all– we just forgot how much fun getting dressed-up could be. If fashion is about expression, then it’s time to bring the heels back and give our everyday outfits a little more personality again. After all, we could all bring a little more je-ne-sais-quoi into our lives.