I’m probably just like any other woman who loves shoes.  There’s just something about them; but realistically speaking, have me wear high heels for more than an hour – no way!

I’m a creature of comfort – – give me my sweatpants and a T-shirt and I’m good to go; especially as a mother of young children. Clothes and fashion have definitely taken on a new meaning with the beginning stages of motherhood.  My suggestion, wear something that compliments play doh, poop, food, throw up, marker, or milk at some time. 

But wearing these clothes all the time isn’t good for your morale. I’ve found that when you dress like you don’t care about yourself, it becomes harder to care about yourself. Equally problematic: wearing clothes that don’t matter to you tells other people that you don’t matter.

It’s unfortunate, but it’s true – we tend to dismiss those who don’t take care with their appearance. What you wear directly affects how you are perceived, even by your closest friends and family. It doesn’t matter how expensive or appealing your clothes are: if they don’t fit and flatter you (and if they aren’t properly maintained) they will damage your image in others’ eyes.

Dressing up takes extra effort, but somehow it also makes us feel good. Many women (and men) have experienced this: dressing in nicer clothes makes you feel better.

I started to pay attention to this more while watching Oprah slip her Jimmy Choo shoes on right before an interview.  And, nothing says success like a woman’s shoes right??- so why not look to Oprah?? But, she agonizes slipping on her shoes.

So why do we want them or even wear them at the risk of hurting our own self? “The science of happiness has found that we have ‘positive interventions’ that can change our mood, and when we deliberately intervene on our happiness by wearing things that evoke positive feelings, positive reactions from others, or that remind you of positive experiences, we will be happier.”

Interesting huh?

Shoes are symbols of your own personal determination to head in a particular direction.  In general, shoes represent our approach to life.  Just as the foot symbolizes power, so also does its gear, the shoe.

Women’s shoes account for 60 percent of the $40 billion worth of shoes sold in the U.S. each year and many of the shoes women buy are totally impractical and uncomfortable. So, why do we do it? What is it about shoes?

The shoe characterizes the successful warrior.  But it denotes victory in a different battle, the battle for right and possession.

However, apparel and accessories that are too tight, too loose, too heavy, too high or too floppy can all create health issues. And, we sometimes have no idea that the culprit is our clothes. Of course, modern sartorial trends aren’t nearly as punishing as Chinese foot binding or or Victorian-era corsets, which could crush women’s ribs and displace internal organs. Ouch!

Choosing what to wear every day is about to get even harder. Apart from deciding which outfit goes with which shoes, you may soon get the choice of what ailment you want to cure with your clothes.

Live and Learn. We All Do.

Thanks for reading. Please pass this on to someone who means something to you.