THREE-INCH HEELS... FOR A HIGH-FLYING CAREER
AS oNE of our most respected business women, and the founder of the 30% Club to improve gender balance in the boardroom, Dame Helena Morrissey knows how to dress for success.
While some may claim it’s anti-feminist for women to wear heels in the workplace in this day and age, Dame Helena has always been a keen advocate of them.
‘I’m not embarrassed to admit I wear high heels because I feel more powerful in them,’ explains Helena, author of new book Style And Substance.
While she says there is no exact ‘ideal’ height, her preferred heel is a bit over three inches — taking her up to an impressive 5 ft 10 in.
And it would seem that scientists agree. In fact, when given digitally lengthened and shortened pictures of females, both men and women judge a tall female as more intelligent, assertive, independent and ambitious, a study by the university of Liverpool found.
Helena adds: ‘I don’t think there is a single ‘ideal’ for all women in business — the ideal is what makes a specific woman feel at her best, most authoritative, most confident, most impactful.
‘Personally, I like the extra height that heels bestow and the fact that they help me feel more confident — and improve my posture. I stand up straighter, hold my shoulders better.’
According to America’s Brigham young university, this heel height also makes a woman more careful about spending cash, too.
Researchers found that the heightened sense of balance means women in higher heels are more likely to weigh up their options and buy a product that’s better value, according to a study for the Journal of Marketing Research.
Marketing professor Jeffrey Larson says the study shows how physical feelings can affect the decisions we make, adding: ‘If you’re someone who tends to overspend, or you’re kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels.’