# Two mean things women do to themselves. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720 "2009-08-26T00:51:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/21 "2009-08-26T12:39:10Z")
I love my heels and they don’t hurt me a bit, but mine are moderate. I’ve noticed when I go to buy new shoes, that most heels in the stores here are far too high and spiky. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/22 "2009-08-26T13:02:11Z")
I’ve often wondered who the women on _Fox and Friends_ are wearing their short dresses for, it can’t be for themselves. Not when they have to sit on a couch at a low coffee table in order to be on the show. Yet they (the blonde, the ginger and the brunette) all wear short dresses/skirts that requires them to twist their legs up like pretzels on the set revealing not only their upper thighs but their desire to pee as well. Notice the guys on FAF in their suits lounging with their legs wide open. ALso that couch must be way too low when their knees are practically hitting their chins. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/23 "2009-08-26T13:18:06Z")
To the short skirt, add a loooong jacket and I’ll be even happier. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/24 "2009-08-26T13:33:37Z")
Surprisingly, I rediscovered my love for heels. Surprisingly because I eschew most “female” things if they are uncomfortable - no hose, or miniskirts, or anything like that. But I find if you buy a good solid pair of _wide_heels\*, ones that cover most or all of the bottom of the foot, they are comfortable and I like having that extra 2 or 3 inches of height. I like them a lot. I am wearing a pair right now. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/25 "2009-08-26T14:44:57Z")
I wear heels with my intimidation suit for tough negotiations. In fact, they are platforms, so make me a good 4"-5" taller. But they are hidden under the pantlegs, so nobody knows. I also use those little stick on jelly pads to make them more comfortable. Recently, I bought a pair of the Crocs heels [Crocs\_Ginger](http://www.crocs.com/crocs-ginger/10205,default,pd.html?cgid=women-footwear-heelsWedges) and they are absolutely the bomb. But overall, my philosophy is that there is entirely enough necessary pain in this life, without adding unecessary pain to it. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/26 "2009-08-26T14:51:03Z")
So high heels are basically the same as “elevator” shoes that guys wear? Now I kinda get it. Oh yeah #1; I do think short skirts are sexy. Awkward, but (literally) sexy. _Especially_ with panties. Oh yeah #2; A _lot_ of women wear flat shoes to work then change into heels. I wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/27 "2009-08-26T14:52:42Z")
Some heels are comfortable. If you find them, you will love them. They are rare, though, and for that reason most of my shoes are flat. Some women will put up with uncomfortable shoes because they like the way it makes their legs look, or whatever, but I don’t play the uncomfortable shoes game. I’m not short. I shouldn’t have to suffer. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/28 "2009-08-26T14:55:11Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Do you are ok with women forcing their feet to do [this](http://www.imageenvision.com/stock_photo/details/0013-0709-2711-1401/stiletto_shoe_and_anatomical_foot_model) for your personal pleasure, despite the crude damage and crippling permanent effects it can have? Do you get your jollies off others thanks to their pain? Now, that’s really quite unfair. Nobody is asking you to walk around in what appear to be 5 inch heels - and the image is flat out wrong and sensationalist - just look at the heel of the foot and the arch. The heel is actually below the floor of the shoe, and the arch above the side of the shoe! And anyway, if you’re wearing those 5 inch heels, I hope someone takes your weight off your heels in short order. 😉 I’ve actually worn 4 inch platforms with a 2 inch rise for an entire night, and they weren’t bad at all. In fact, I’ve just ordered a pair of boots with a 2 inch cuban heel, and I’m sure they’ll be just fine to walk in. Nobody is forcing you to wear heels that you don’t like. Kitten heels and ballet slippers exist for a reason. But all the same, there’s just something about a nice pair of heels that screams “confident, powerful, and sexy” to me. After all, no servant ever wore high heels, or at least not outside of kinky sex games. Heels were the province of the rich and powerful after all. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/29 "2009-08-26T15:05:56Z")
Hey, if you don’t like heels, don’t wear them. And I agree that there’s nothing less sexy than a woman stumbling around or mincing like Peg Bundy. If you can’t walk in heels, you should probably skip it. But it’s absurd to insist that ALL heels hurt, and that ALL women who wear them hate it. I love my heels, and I can run for the bus, walk all day, and dance all night in them. The world is full of perfectly cute flats I could be wearing if I didn’t love my heels. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/30 "2009-08-26T16:04:02Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > No objection to short skirts from me. > > But lots of objection to high heels. Ladies, they are not sexy, they do not make your legs look good. They just make you look silly. To the women who don’t mind, or who even enjoy, wearing heels- the above commentary in no way reflects the desire of all men. My wife has some heels that she’s only able to wear for a couple hours, but she’ll wear them if they’re appropriate for the outfit. She has others that she can wear all day and suffer no ill effects. I like them all, but she doesn’t wear them for me. She wears them because she likes how they look and how the heels complement the whole look. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/31 "2009-08-26T16:34:23Z")
Short skirts are right out because I just don’t like the way they look. I prefer knee length pencil skirts, or just plain long skirts. And I despise heels. I do like the way some look, but it’s purely aesthetic. If I wear heels they’re going to be low or wide or both. I’m short but I don’t care. I do way too much walking to compromise my mobility in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/32 "2009-08-26T17:01:43Z")
What is a pencil skirt, please? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/33 "2009-08-26T17:04:48Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > What is a pencil skirt, please? It’s a tight usually just above the knee length skirt. [http://clairdelalune.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pencil-skirt.jpg](http://clairdelalune.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pencil-skirt.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/34 "2009-08-26T17:17:43Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > It’s a tight usually just above the knee length skirt. > > [http://clairdelalune.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pencil-skirt.jpg](http://clairdelalune.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pencil-skirt.jpg) Nice! Hem it up a foot and it would also be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/35 "2009-08-26T17:24:23Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > But lots of objection to high heels. Ladies, they are not sexy, they do not make your legs look good. They just make you look silly. I don’t want to see any woman in pain, particularly because of how she’s dressed. But your assessment is what’s silly, here. Granted, high heels don’t do it for every guy – I get that. But to say that they make women look silly??? Wow. The things that a nice pair of heels emphasizes on a woman…well, I think it’s fair to say that it can cause the men they pass to look very silly, but there is nothing silly about how the woman looks. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/36 "2009-08-26T21:42:28Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > But all the same, there’s just something about a nice pair of heels that screams “confident, powerful, and sexy” to me. To me, “confident, powerful, and sexy” is the exact opposite of how I feel in heels. If I’m in high heels, I can’t run from an attacker. I can’t fight. My ass is thrust out on display, inviting commentary from random passers-by, which makes me feel objectified and humiliated. Furthermore, my feet _hurt_, which means I can’t go out anywhere that doesn’t allow me to sit down frequently - and even if I am in a place like that, I’ll be enjoying it less because of having to take sitting-down breaks. I feel like I’m useless for anything except being decorative. What makes me feel “confident, powerful, and sexy” is shoes that make me feel strong, like I can kick ass and take names. I have a beautiful green patent-leather pair of steeltoe doc martens that make me feel like the heroine of an R. Crumb comic. Now _that_ is “confident, powerful, and sexy”. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/37 "2009-08-26T22:24:59Z")
Heels & short skirts never had bothered me, I don’t wear the heels if they hurt, and I won’t wear a skirt I can’t sit or bend down in. I can not just walk, but strut in 5 1/2 inch heels which bring me up to just over 6’ 2" - I love feeling tall - it just gives me such a rush to be heads above most people and still be feminine. As for skirts, I am tall as it is, so I go for mini skirts that are 3 inches above the knee which is only 1/4 my thigh length and that is short enough not to look trampy - these would be knee length skirts for short girls - 😉 With my legs being long as is, it is quite sexy. I don’t see anything mean or torturous in wearing either - women have always known the power of sex appeal, and believe me when I get gussied up & feel good, I got power, I got confidence, and I feel great. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/38 "2009-08-26T22:32:44Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Hey, if you don’t like heels, don’t wear them. And I agree that there’s nothing less sexy than a woman stumbling around or mincing like Peg Bundy. If you can’t walk in heels, you should probably skip it. But it’s absurd to insist that ALL heels hurt, and that ALL women who wear them hate it. I love my heels, and I can run for the bus, walk all day, and dance all night in them. The world is full of perfectly cute flats I could be wearing if I didn’t love my heels. Word. I think it is weird when people insist that heels are ‘limiting mobility’ or whatever. No they don’t. When I am forced to wear flats (events in a park where there is just grass), I often find myself stubbing the sole of my foot, and tripping a bit, because I am so used to heels. When a person is on skates, does the person that can’t skate assume the skater is limiting their mobility? No. Just 'cause many women can’t walk in heels doesn’t mean that heel = can’t walk properly. If you see someone who is confident and comfortable (and _feels_ sexy, regardless if you think she looks sexy), and you still think they look silly, then that’s not their problem. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/39 "2009-08-27T00:37:50Z")
So you heels fans feel confident and powerful, etc _because_ of your shoes? Wow! Does taking long strides still work? To me, if a woman is sexy it’s because she’s sexy. That quality has nothing to do with clothing or makeup or shoes. Or fast cars. To be clear, “sexy” means that her presence, my awareness of her, brings about physiological changes in me. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720/40 "2009-08-27T00:45:15Z")
I like wearing heels. They make me feel prettier. Feeling prettier = more confidence & a smile on my face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mean-things-women-do-to-themselves/507720.md?page=3)