Why Women Love To Wear High Heels - Literature review Example

MINI-LITERATURE REVIEW: Why Women Love To Wear High Heels ment of purpose: ‘A literature review is a written document that presents a logically argued case founded on a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge about a topic of study. This case establishes a convincing thesis to answer the studys question’. (Machi, McEvoy, 2008, p. 4) Women wearing high heels have been an argument since many years. The review of this literature is to mainly understand the reason why women like to wear high heels, factors that encourage women to wear high heels, the outcomes of wearing high heels and the common view about it. A brief discussion about the factors that attract women to wear high heels will help us determine the reasons for women liking to wear them. There is a change in the preference of women for high heels right from the teen agers to the grand mothers. High heels would make any one look slim, tall and elegant and also they fit with any attire. They are available in fair prices today which attract women even more. While discussing the reason for women wearing high heels, I also want to discuss the benefits and problems of wearing them. What change it has brought to a woman’s life and a detailed reason for women’s likes towards high heels. History of high heels – ‘Most of the lower class in ancient Egypt walked barefoot, but figures on murals dating from 3500 B.C. depict an early version of shoes worn mostly by the higher classes. These were leather pieces held together with lacing that was often arranged to look like the symbol of “Ankh,” which represents life. But there are also some depictions of both upper-class males and females wearing heels, probably for ceremonial purposes’. (Dangerous Elegance, n.d). Advantages of wearing high heels -The basic reason why women love to wear high heels is because it adds to their beauty. A tall, long legged woman is any day admired. Dicks (2006) state that ‘we feel better when we know we look our best and people react to us in a more positive manner when we look good. This old cliché is still true, ‘you only get one chance to make a good first impression’’. As dicks argues every body would want to look better; it increases the level of self confidence in a person. Today’s women in higher positions are the reflections of their self confidences. A good pair of shoes is mandatory to give a complete look to a woman along with her outfit, make up and hair style. It is the clothing that represents you to another person and it plays a major role in creating a good impression. A person is judged by his clothing at the first glance even before they begin to speak. ‘There are some women who you nearly always see in heels, including: Runway models, Fashionistas, Beauty pageant contestants, Exotic dancers’. (Sandeen, 2007). High heels are in style today. In early days, women in fashion field and curious performer wore high heels, it was meant to be a celebrity icon but today every woman is fond of high heels; it is like a fashion statement. Every movie star, cat walk model or celebrities use a high heel for any function or a public appearance. They are the key trend setters and hence are used in the advertisements to attract the public. So imitating the celebrity dressing gives immense pleasure and popularity in a gathering. This is one of the major factors that induce women to go for high heels. ‘Women now earn one trillion dollars a year and their incomes over the past three decades have increased a dramatic 63 percent after inflation, while men’s median income has barely budged(+0.6 percent after inflation)’(Johnson, Learned, p.6). The purchasing power of women has increased hence they have the freedom to purchase merchandise independently irrespective of the costs which also adds to the reason. ‘Since the introduction of cheap fashion imports from China and the Far East, lower-cost clothing has flooded the high street and consumers have increased their overall purchasing of garments. This is especially true among female consumers, who are now buying substantially more many clothes than they did a year ago. The popularity of discount clothing has increased sharply over recent years, with stores such as Primark enjoying phenomenal success on the high street through their skill of replicating catwalk trends within little time and at a minimal price’. (Men and Women’s Buying Habits - Market Assessment, 2008). The availability of imported goods at cheaper cost is also another factor that has increased the use of high heels amongst women of all stages and classes. High heels were once used only by upper class people but now it has become common due to the decrease in their cost. ‘Although Michelle Obama doesnt need to add height with high heels, short women certainly can take advantage of a few extra inches by wearing high heels. Selecting sleek high heels, rather than fussy shoes with decoration helps make short women look taller as does wearing shoes with pointed toes’.(Darnel). People who are generally born short prefer high heels to conceal their actual heights. Similarly men and women with foot inequality or one sidedness use high heels to cover up their setback. This gives them the normal look and helps them come out of embarrassments. A report from BBC news (2008) state that ‘Dr Maria Cerruto said her research showed it was time to stand up for the heel. She said her study of 66 women under 50 found that those who held their foot at a 15 degree angle to the ground - the equivalent of a two inch heel - had as good posture as those who wore flat shoes, and crucially showed less electrical activity in their pelvic muscles. This suggested the muscles were at an optimum position, which could well improve their strength and ability to contract. The pelvic floor muscles are an essential component of the female body. As well as assisting sexual performance and satisfaction, they provide vital support to the pelvic organs, which include the bladder, bowels and uterus’. Although Dr. Maria says that wearing high heels would benefit women to improve the pelvic muscle, there are no prominent evidences to prove them. There has just been a study but it has to be accompanied with scientific reports and actual proofs. Problems of wearing high heels - These high heels on the other end are controversial issues; it is being commented as the most uncomfortable form of shoes and most dangerous especially for women as it creates a lot of health troubles. Andersons (2006) reported news from ‘The Age newspaper in Australia observed in August that womens high heels are hitting dizzying heights in that country, with some heels reportedly as high as 5 inches. Australian Podiatry Association (NSW) vice-president Brenden Brown told the newspaper that the fashion trend was likely to increase the risk of foot and ankle injury and pain. "Your tendons claw up, so your toes are clawing up. Your calves may look fantastic, but your feet are going to look like a 90-year-olds’. Wearing high heels on a larger extent would increase the possibility of the legs looking older very soon; there will be a foot, ankle and also a severe back pain. Due to constant use of the pointed high heels the actual posture of the leg and the spine would change and create back aches at a very early period. This should be considered while wearing high heels as it affects the healthy life style. The deterioration of physical health will turn down a person on their mental health as well. So at most care should be given while selecting the shoes especially for the regular wears. Jungkind (1996) also says ‘High heels give women trouble as 90% of men and women are born with a foot imbalance. Wearing high heels, which distribute weight unevenly, aggravates the imbalance and may leave wearers with feet that are deformed or have long-term damage’. Jungkind rightly state the imbalance in foot, most of the men and women in the world have differences between both their legs. So wearing a high heel would distribute the weight of a person unevenly which would cause trouble in the legs. Legs manage a person’s entire weight, once there is a problem in the leg it will affect a person’s normal movement resulting in a change of life style. Hence considering the physical wellness than the trend is must to lead a happy, peaceful life. In a fashion blog, Woman’s Fashion (2009) says ‘women are aware of medical opinion, that footwear with spike leads to deformation of foot, varicosity, edema and may lead to infertility. But spike became an indispensable accessory in every woman’s wardrobe. A woman wearing spikes completely forgets about all warnings, which also include cellulitis, flatfoot and damaged ligaments. Moreover, foot at heel seems taut and visually prominent’. Women may develop the problem of infertility because of wearing high heels for a long period of the day; it changes the shape of her foot because of the extensive usage of high heels. It changes the posture because of extensive use of a high heel. It would not mean that women are not bothered about the medical consequences, occasional wearing of a high heel and using a heel which is not more than four inches would be advisable. Women nearing their pregnancy and during their plan for pregnancy should avoid high heels completely. A daily reporter in Mail online (2008) commented that ’this is one pair of heels that should come with a safety warning. In scenes reminiscent of Naomi Campbells infamous 1993 catwalk tumble, not one, but two Prada models tripped over in their shoes in Milan yesterday’. There are chances for miss happenings that might occur while using a pointed high heel. It might lead to embarrassments. These kinds of high heels should be used with care even when used for professional purposes. Proper training should be given to those who use high pointed heels for their profession. There are chances of a leg sprain when they are not handled appropriately. ‘Many women find it difficult to walk with high heels. Walking long distance with high heels proves to be painful. It often causes heel pain due to walking or standing on high heels for longer time. The way of walking may also look wired. Difficulty in walking may also increase chances of losing balance and falling while walking’. (Advantages and disadvantages of wearing heels). High heels create difficulty while walking. Supermodels use high pointed heels only on the ramps, it is a flat surface made with special care for such type of shoes and are worn only for a short period but Women using them regularly to offices and in the normal roads are not advisable. They must be occasional wears and could be used for parties or functions after having a confident training on them. Summary The literature has highlighted that the use of high heels by women is because of the trend and the impression it creates. It has been influencing women right from her childhood. In spite of them being the fashion statement they are also hazardous to the physical wellbeing of women, they create severe back pain, yellowing and at times put you in to embarrassments when handled with out care. High heels should be avoided for a prolonged use, heels up to 4 inches can be considered for occasions, proper training for using pointed heel must be provided. Shoe manufacturers can aim at producing heels which are not as high as the shoes of super models, there can be special cushioning to increase the comfort level whilst using them. Production of flat heels than pointed heels should be implemented to bring in a new style statement. Usage of those kinds of shoes by super models and celebrities will induce people to go for them. Finding an alternative, attractive model which is friendly while walking and also up to date will reduce the devastation effects caused by the high heels. Women should not be blamed for their desire to wear high heels but rather consider alternate shoes which also signifies modesty. Similar to the previous researches and discussions, this dissertation also synthesizes the reason for women wearing high heels and what other developments or measure can be taken to prevent the medical ailments caused due to high heels. Further studies are therefore needed to promote and prove a safer use of high heels. References: Advantages and disadvantages of wearing high heels, India Parenting. http://www.indiaparenting.com/smartntrendy/data/014.shtml. Date accessed 15/07/2009 Anderson, Jennifer. (2006). Experts Issue More Health Warnings Against Sexy High Heels, Ergo web. http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=1651 . Date accessed 15/07/2009 Dangerous elegance. A history of high heeled shoes. Random history. http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/036heels.html. Date accessed 15/07/2009 Dicks, Sheila. (2006), Dress Well, Look Great - 3 Simple Steps. Ezine articles. Retrieved on 13.07.2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Dress-Well,-Look-Great---3-Simple-Steps&id=205367 High Heels should we choose, Women’s passion, fashion Blog (http://www.womanspassions.com/articles/1571.html) Date accessed 15/07/2009 High heels may improve sex life. (2008), BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7225828.stm. Date accessed 15/07/2009 Johnson, Lisa; Learned, Andrea. (2004) Don’t think pink. Published by AMACOM, American management association Jungkind, Eleanor (1996). High Heel Hell. http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Womens-issues-gender-studies/Turning-off-the-drip-High-heel-hell.html Date accessed 15/07/2009 Machi, Lawrence Anthony, McEvoy, T Brenda. (2008). The literature review, six steps to success. Corwin university press. Mail online. (2008). It is devils wear parad…http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1060909/Its-devil-wear-Prada--Models-topple-heels-show.html. Date accessed 15/07/2009 Men and women buying habits, 2008. 3B Bharat Book bureau, your one stop- shop for business information. http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Men-and-Womens-Buying-Habits-Market-Assessment.html. Date accessed 15.07.2009 Men and Women’s Buying Habits. (2008). Start your market research here. http://www.mindbranch.com/Men-Women-Buying-R310-1602/ Date accessed 15/07/2009 Sandeen, Del. (2007). Women That Love High Heels, Love to know, http://shoes.lovetoknow.com/Women_That_Love_High_Heels Date accessed 15/07/2009 Read More