Guys, have you ever looked in your girlfriend’s closet and thought, “Why the hell does she have so many shoes?” Is her relentless pursuit of foot wear rivaled only by her mad acquisition of handbags? Are you baffled by this behavior? (From the looks on your faces at the mall, I’m guessing the answer is yes). Finally! The answers you’ve been seeking have arrived! And it’s not nearly as complicated as you think.
It goes something like this: An outfit is not complete without shoes. Period. You can’t wear flip-flops with a sweater dress, you just can’t. But can’t you just wear a pair of generic black shoes with a sweater dress?
I can hear you men asking. There is no such thing as a “generic” pair of black shoes; Are they flats or heels? Are they open or closed toed? What are they made of? Do they have any kind of embellishments? These are the questions we ask ourselves every morning, everything has to match, so as to look like we got dressed on purpose. That’s a tough sell in plaid slacks and red heels.
We need shoes to match the plaid slack so we go out and buy a nice pair of green flats. We plan on wearing a white cashmere sweater with a gray pencil skirt to the office on Monday so naturally we’ll need a pair of gray heels. Make that two pairs; one patent leather and one suede. And, while we’re at it, we buy a pair of gray flats, just in case.
There are several categories of shoes that all women own: sneakers; Used for working out or running errands (can also be used for casual encounters, such as going to the movies). Most women have two pairs of sneakers, a fairly new pair and a dirty, scuffed pair she’s had forever that she only wears to the laundry mat. These are her favorite, she would wear them everyday if she could. But she can’t so she also has: heels. These usually make up the majority of her collection; most women own several pairs of black heels (allowing for variations in color, style, and material), and AT LEAST one pair of white, tan, cream, or beige (or most likely all of these), and a couple of solid colors.
This does not take in to account any shoes with a print or pattern, of which most of us have at least a few. And then there are the miscellaneous sandals, flip-flops, ballet flats, boots, etc, all of which are absolutely necessary as they, along with the proper purse, complete our wardrobe.
Speaking of purses, yes it does have to match the outfit. Why? Think about it: If a guy in your office showed up to work carrying a duffel bag instead of a briefcase, what would you think? And if he showed up at a baseball game with an attaché case? The same applies to women and purses; like with the shoes, it has to look like we actually thought about our appearance before leaving the house? Why? Because that’s just how it works; you don’t get taken seriously if you show up at the company picnic in an evening gown and sneakers, end of story! Besides, you men know you love us in heels!
