My apologies for not responding to this thread before, only just noticed. Although slightly younger than Skirted-UK, I was like him an ‘interested observer’ during the first stiletto era but my own memories are somewhat different.
I think we would agree that the era was roughly 1957 – 1965, with stilettos at the peak of their popularity from, say, 1959 to 1963. At that time, they were undoubtedly the prevailing fashion and worn whenever possible by the majority of women of all ages (say 14 – 60, but not ignored by those either younger or older). That is not to say that all women wore them all the time but, unless there was a sound practical or other objection, they were the style of choice.
A ‘proper’ stiletto heel was (then and now) at least 3” and most women wanted and wore them at least that high. Yes, a 3” heel was perhaps ‘high’ in fifties contemporary terms but was certainly not a new concept, although the stiletto shape was. Those (such as tall women and schoolgirls) who could not go as high as 3” would settle for a lower but equally slender ‘kitten’ heel. But, from memory, the shops were full of 3.5” – 4.5” heels which were widely worn – happily by many for work and other daytime activity as well for ‘smart’ occasions such as dances and parties. Isn’t this exactly what Lucy has been telling us in her long-running saga?
Heels higher than about 4.5” were by no means unavailable, and they were worn in most everyday situations, sometimes perhaps foolishly. I agree that they were less common – and not everyone who liked them could wear them – but they were around and did not seem to attract the same stigma as in later eras. Here again, Lucy’s experiences bear me out.
I can’t see any particular correlation between shoe size or dance-floor damage and heel height. A true stiletto heel of any height will cause damage to floors and the like. Women with smaller feet seemed to have little difficulty in coping with very high heels; indeed, shorter women (with feet in proportion) loved the height gain and were often the most enthusiastic wearers of the higher stilettos. I agree that a UK size 7 or 7.5 was the largest normally available for women, but not many then needed anything larger – and a 5” heel is perfectly manageable by a determined size 5, 6 or 7 woman.
As to the eighties (and later periods), it is unfortunately true that stilettos have never enjoyed the same universal appeal as in their original era. But those women who wore them after the sixties generally did so because they liked a high slender heel, so usually chose 4” – 4.5” rather than anything lower. It is only in the last few years that the kitten heel (below 3”) has returned with any real support. The trend seems increasingly to be one of greater contrasts and shorter periods of anything being ‘in fashion’. The greater variety in the profile and positioning of what are generically regarded these days as ‘stiletto’ heels also evidences this; the true sixties stiletto was revived in the late seventies and eighties but is not so often seen nowadays, more’s the pity. In the fifties and sixties, we were glad to get anything new and, when we had something that worked, we kept it as long as we could. |