HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
Why 4cm is the height of summer
HeRe’S a new one for your fashion lexicon: ‘Nano heels.’ That’s tiny, barely-hoveringabove-the-ground heels (not flats, mind — do keep up!).
The heel shape can be blocky, cone-shaped, curved or spindly, not unlike a traditional kitten. But what it must be is no higher than 4cm.
You know something is afoot (sorry!) when even stiletto-loving Victoria Beckham sends lower heels down the runway. Models wore her glittery Harper slippers (£495,
victoriabeckham.com) in colours that put me in mind of retro sweetie wrappers. It’s the first shoe I’ve had recurring fantasies about for quite some time.
If you want to get your eye in, take a look at her Studded Punky slingbacks (£525). Swoony, modern glamour with a 3.5cm heel height. Sold!
Posh famously joked she couldn’t concentrate in flats. And, certainly at the start of this century, vertiginous heels were a requirement in certain workplaces if you wanted to flaunt your ambition.
When I worked for fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar in New York, my best friend and I would joke about being ‘subway moms’ as we changed out of our Ugg boots into our teetering Miu Mius for a day at the office. A lot has changed!
SHOeS with mini heel heights are nothing new, of course. A few years ago, the so-called Nan heel was popular in fashion circles. It denoted a blocky, somewhat ironic, retro silhouette, that paid homage to the Queen, a woman who is loyal to her footwear choices.
Incidentally, Rayne — the shoe brand she wore for her wedding to Prince Philip and for several subsequent decades — is now designed by creative director ernesto esposito.
Peep at its current collection featuring lilac loafers with a blocky 2cm heel (£444,
farfetch.com). They would look just the thing with a pair of white, raw-hemmed jeans and pastel print shirt.
Of course, I can’t go any further in this column without touching on the contentious topic of kitten heels, a shoe with a Marmite reputation.
The kitten was the shoe the Sixties baby boomers loved to wear with a pencil skirt, sweater and eyeliner. But it has since been derided as either too sensible or too silly.
For my money, the kitten refound its cool a couple of years back thanks to designer Isabel Marant, who imparts her nonchalant, French boho swagger into all she touches. Then, last year, Maria Grazia Chiuri featured kitten-heeled pumps in her shows for her first haute couture collection for Dior, with a bow of tailor’s ribbon that read ‘J’Adior’, and a modern classic was born.
On the High Street, for a nano heel that looks perfectly 2018, choose a shape that cuts a diminutive silhouette.
Massimo Dutti has produced a beauty: snakeskin-print slingback courts (£89.95,
massimodutti.com) that will look great with midi-lengths.
Choosing a bold nano heel is essential to avoid falling into the aforementioned frumpish, sensible-shoes territory. I love Mango’s knotted black suede mules and contrasting heel (£59.99, mango.com) which are similar to The Row’s jaw-dropping Coco mules (£725, net-a-porter.com).
Or for something jazzier, try Mango’s black mules with an almost spherical stacked heel in bands of wood, chrome and white (£59.99, mango.com).
On the sandals front, Uterque’s ruby satin bejewelled mules (£120, uterque.com) are perfect for a summer party or wedding and do not necessitate a footwear switch before hitting the dance floor.
For more everyday occasions, Zara’s black strappy sandals with squat silver conical heels (£79.99, zara.com) will add a jolt of modernity.
I’ve never seen a better summer season for shoes — glam heels you can walk in, flats in zingy shades and smart leather espadrilles to take you from work to the weekend. No ‘subway mom’ moments required.