Since I’m 5’3, I try to use shoes to elongate myself as much as possible. That was a lot easier when I could wear high heels. The dilemma with low-heeled shoes is that they are often chunky, and chunky doesn’t elongate.
I’ve been revisiting my rule of no chunky shoes since seeing Marketa in her Danskos in September. Marketa’s rule: use chunky shoes to balance the bust.
I got online and ordered this pair of Naots from Zappos. I’m not keeping them because of fit, but I’ve held onto them to take the photos (after the jump) and get your opinion.
Below left is a nice pair of non-chunky 4″ silver peep-toes from Ann Taylor. On the right, the chunky 2.5″ Naots. I vote for the peep-toes, don’t you? The Naots may balance my chest, but they also emphasize it somehow.
Same shoes, different outfit. The Naots work better with this one, and I look more grounded. But I prefer the peep-toes. What do you think?
So it’s hard to make hard and fast rules about what shoes to wear with a big bust. For me the biggest factors are:
- height and
- what else I’m wearing.
And that’s only regarding looks. Add the desire for comfort into the mix, and it’s even more complicated.
What are your biggest factors when choosing shoes to wear with a dress or skirt?
Funny, I’ve NEVER considered my bust when buying shoes. I just buy whatever I like (comfort be damned!). I think the idea that women need to wear shoes to “balance them out” is a bunch of baloney. There was a bit of an uproar on the fashion blogging site “The Sartorialist” some months back, when the writer commented that a woman’s massive Jeffrey Cambell platform heels helped balance her “thick” and “sturdy” legs. BARF!
As a major shoe fanatic, I think footwear choice should be based solely on the rest of your outfit (and maybe comfort). There’s nothing inherently wrong with chunky shoes per se, but I don’t think it looks good to pair them with a dainty outfit no matter your body shape.
One reason I’ve been thinking about this is because of my previous discovery about how delicate jewelry can be dwarfed by larger body parts. So if jewelry, why not shoes?
HEELS!! All the way.
I don’t agree with the idea that chunky shoes balance out a large bust. I think they make you look bottom heavy. When you wear heels, it changes the shape of your calves (makes them look thinner) and also changes the way you stand and the position of your hips. (This idea is more pronounced in your dress pictures.)
I think you could choose a dark shoe to keep the eye moving down your body as opposed to fixating on the largest part of it, but I don’t think a chunky flat does any body any good.
If I love the shoes and they don’t clash with my outfit, I will wear them. I don’t greatly consider whether or not the shoes flatter my figure, with the exception that I like the look of matching pantyhose with the shoes for under skirts and dresses because I do find that it makes my legs look longer. That reminds me that I really need to get some nude shoes for when I wear nude pantyhose or go without hosiery. Sigh, my shoe addiction has been fueled even more.
I love Marketa’s patent leather shoes in the first picture, and your gray floral dress 🙂
Zoe, I just discovered your comment stuck in the spam folder. I like your point about matching pantyhose making legs look longer. That’s one thing I like about winter–black tights with black shoes look so sleek!
The Naots might work if they weren’t a maryjane style… that strap is just a bad idea for us shorter women. I like the heels better… somehow chunky shoes just seem too sensible, and that’s just not the look I go for. Being busty and wearing sensible chunky shoes reads as frumpy to me.
Yes, you’re RIGHT–“frumpy” is the word.
I think the bra in this outfit makes you look wider in the front. More lift would also define the waist better, no?
I think the problem with these Naots is the ankle strap. It shortens the leg. I do not think the shoes have any effect on the appearance of the bust.
Pris, you know that’s not what I want to hear–I’m wearing my Empreinte Kaela!! I thought it was the exception to seamed cups for me. I’m going to have to take a closer look.
On a related Kaela note, I originally wore a sports bra under this dress to see if it would give me more room, but I couldn’t stand the look so put the Kaela on (the straps on the Kaela are perfect under squared necklines like this). Amazingly, the dress fit better over the Kaela than over the smashing-in sports bra!
Sandra and Pris, I totally agree about the MaryJane straps. Unfortunately, I need something like that or my foot falls out of the shoe b/c of the orthotic insoles I’m supposed to wear. After Karen’s comment about heels all the way, I’m ready to break up with my podiatrist!!
Darlene,
I think the Dansko’s don’t look as good because they are Mary Janes and in a darker colour. The strap makes your leg look shorter. They would look great with 40-60 denier black or dark grey tights, though.
Court shoes in a neutral colour that matches your tights or stockings will always make you look taller.
Ooooh. Court shoes. I love those. Thanks for this suggestion.
I agree about tights. I took pics w/ those, too, but I’m going to post them later.
I have to wear orthotics too most of the time, Birkenstock shoes are the exception. And I am a lover of Mary Janes, I have about 8 pairs 🙂
I have a pair of very high, platform Mary Janes, which have a very thin strap. I love wide straps for the doll-like look, and I thought I wouldn’t like these, but the narrow strap actually looks very dainty and elegant.
Actually I disagree with previous comments. You have fabulous legs and I think the chunkier shoe draws the eye down to your legs. A bit like chunky necklaces and bigger earrings draw the eye up.
I had not thought of it before, till I saw your picture. Try lookin at something like Hush Puppies Noella style – they would look fab on you and are somewhere in between dainty and chunky.
Or indeed pale mary Jane’s with a slightly lower strap and a less heavy heel- more 60’s looking, I have some by Elasticizer. You have great legs, Darlene, it is a shame not to make the best of them. As ever thanks for the great post
Great idea! Thanks! (And thanks for the compliment and encouragement, too!)
You know, after looking at both pictures for awhile I think the reason the peep-toes make you look better is that they give you extra height. What Karen said is spot on because your legs certainly look longer and thinner with the extra inches. I have to admit I actually like the chunky mary janes but then again I’ve always needed to wear more supportive shoes (flat-footed now with bad knees) so maybe I like them because they’d be the type I’d have to wear? 😉
And aren’t you pretty tall, June? Sorry to hear you’re part of the club that “has” to wear a certain type of shoes, but it makes me feel better to have the company. And I really do like the Naots on their own, but I think JBear’s suggestion of pale Mary Janes might be a good solution for me.
I’m 5’6″ so I guess slightly above average. Although, in Brazil you’d think I was a giant. 😀 And if I wear anything with even the slightest heel I pretty much tower over everyone.
Yeah, I agree with the color choice, though. I actually bought two pairs of Danskos recently so hopefully I have some luck with them (it’ll be my first time trying them out).
In the top picture the chunky shoes have no straps and it looks really good. I think the reason the black shoes don’t really work is because of the straps. They shorten you and that’s why the shoes on the left work better. If you get a chunky shoes with a mild heel but without straps then that would better I think
My legs are about 4 times as long as the rest of my body, so I actually do the opposite of what most people do–I try to visually break up the line of my legs to they appear shorter. So I wear midcalf boots (emphasized with socks peeking out) or flates with cropped pants/leggings.
Weird, I know. But it actually does relate to balancing my bust–if my legs look superlong, I feel it emphasizes my torso and boobs in a bad way, making it all look like a blob of torso. Hence why I try to break up the line down below.
I like the peep-toes better on you. Maybe you could try some chunky peep-toed heels? My friend who is 5’1” and and very busty wears those a lot and looks great.
So glad to know that you take bust-balancing into account–I’m not crazy after all (unless we both are!).
And thanks for the tip about your 5’1″ friend. I’ll look for those the next time I’m on Zappos.
Wow can’t spell… “break up the line of my legs SO they appear shorter”… “FLATS with cropped pants/leggings”. Oopsy.
Daily Dansko wearer here.
Never thought about how they balance out anything, just went for comfort. I love pretty shoes, but at 5 9, I don’t ‘need’ a heel to elongate. If anything, I already feel like I’m teetering & top heavy and about to fall forward. I’m around an HH cup.
I use the Danskos as a commuter-shoe, instead of lace up sneakers. Then I switch to something pretty & colorful for sitting down and walking around indoors. If it’s a heel, it’s a kitten heel. But in winter, with tights, the clunky Danskos seem to go with everything and they comfortably stay on my feet all day.
Catherine, I don’t know why I didn’t respond earlier. I’m definitely going to consider Danskos for commuter shoes. I like to be comfortable when running around town, but not sneakers comfortable. And I may put a pair of indoor shoes in my bag for when I have appointments w/ people I’m looking to impress. The problem is, there’s only so much room in my bag.
I also tend to go for more chunky shoes. I actually have very small, delicate-looking ankles and feet, and if I wear too dainty of a shoe, I get this mental image of the Fantasia 2000 piece with the ballet dancing hippos… Like I have all these curves up top and then I’m balancing on too-tiny little stilts. This might be partially in my head… but my point is, I do feel like I look more balanced in a chunkier or more substantial shoe.
I love that image! I’ve always worried that something too delicate on the bottom would make me look like a popsicle on a stick!