#its like the european historical clothes where its like. gone through style changes by decade and by social status i think

[tayne-dot-exe]

I still want to get some hanfu pieces together but I am afraid getting too into it will make me like the asian version of the retvrn guys who are too into romans or vikings

[rounstyle]

Is it the end for high heels?

In January 2014, the late Karl Lagerfeld organized a Chanel haute couture show in the mythical "Cambon Club". Under the direction of Cara Delevingne, the models descended the grand staircase to the sound of a string orchestra, each wearing creations in gossamer, tweed or organza. So far, haute couture. The big difference? Each model's outfit was complemented by custom sneakers, each pair costing about 3,000 euros and requiring 30 hours of work. But while the choice of shoes may have raised eyebrows, it also represented a radical step.

The trainer was welcomed into the rarefied and glittering world of haute couture. It is no longer a functional item to be hastily removed for the office or a party, but a real luxury shoe approved by Chanel.

Five years later, the phenomenon of fashionable sneakers seems to have reached a point of no return. Since their release at Chanel, sneakers have become crazier, clumsier and - in many cases - more expensive. The more showy and clumsy they are, the better. According to fashion research platform Lyst, sneakers accounted for four of the top ten fashion items in the fourth quarter of 2018. While sports brands like Nike and Adidas were the first to see the possibilities of sneaker fashion, luxury homes quickly realized the potential - both in terms of style and results. And these brands are experts in creating an accessory to covet.

Instagram is flooded with influencers - including Gigi and Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber - who all proudly wear tight sneakers, with cocktail dresses, jeans and a T-shirt. The favorites are the Louis Vuitton Archlights and Balenciaga Triple S, which both sell for between 600 and 1,000 pounds a pair, depending on the iteration.

Serena Williams even wore her sneakers at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle under her Valentino dress, not to mention her own wedding party. While sneakers would never have been considered an appropriate ceremonial shoe only a decade ago, attitudes have changed considerably. Dress codes have, for the most part, relaxed, allowing coaches to thrive in the workplace, in tandem with city wear and sports and leisure clothing.

"Generation X and Generation Y have slowly moved away from the heels, abandoning the sexist and discriminatory idea that women should wear heels to the office," says Morgane Le Caer of Lyst. It is perhaps no coincidence that the rise of the trainer coincided with the fourth wave of feminism and a larger public discourse on non-binary gender identities. "Luxury sneakers are a sign of our time and an evolution towards a more inclusive way of dressing," agrees Lucia Savi, curator at the Victoria-Albert Museum.

If the high heel is a patriarchal tool designed to slow down a woman, the rise of the fashion trainer is the perfect replica. Does this mean the end of the heels? Not quite. Today, our relationship with vertiginous shoes remains a complicated source of feminist debate. Often, the symbolism of the high heel depends on context and personal opinion. "It's a shoe for when you're on, for ambition, for magazine covers, red carpets, awards ceremonies, boardrooms, courtrooms, parliament buildings and debate desks," Writes Summer Brennan in her Book High Heel, published in March. "Paradoxically - or perhaps not - according to the 150-year-old fetish industry, it has also been consistently seen as a shoe for sex," she adds.

The relationship between heels and power depends on historical time and place. In fact, they were originally worn to convey masculinity. The heel was introduced to Europe from Asia at the end of the 16th century and was originally worn by men for riding as the heel held the foot in the stirrup during the climb. Associated in the European spirit with the military strength of Persia, the heel was enthusiastically adopted by men, and was only worn later by women and children. Louis XIV, who ruled France from 1643 to 1715, was one of the first to influence the heel. His ornate shoes were unsuitable for any physical effort - thus underscoring his power status.

Today, in some industries, heels are still part of the women's dress code. In 2016, Nicola Thorp, a receptionist in the UK, was sent home because she refused to wear high heels. But the incident turned into a scandal, prompting more than 150,000 people to sign a petition calling for a law that would ban policies on their heels in the workplace, and therefore a British parliamentary inquiry into the codes sexist clothing. So far, the law has not been changed.

Heels also remain the standard dress code for women on the red carpet. The Cannes Film Festival suffered a setback in 2015 after it was revealed that women had been excluded from film screenings on the red carpet for flouting the single heel rule and wearing flat shoes encrusted with precious stones. Actors such as Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro have denounced the festival's tyrannical approach to fashion policing, and in 2018 Kristen Stewart ridiculed the rule by walking barefoot on the red carpet.

But the inconsistent nature of fashion trends means that once a trend is in the mainstream, the pendulum of taste oscillates in the opposite direction. The proliferation of sneakers certainly means that a heel revival is at hand. Not surprisingly, there are signs that fashion designers are moving away from the sneaker trend in the last few weeks of fashion. Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga's creative director and the man who pioneered luxury dadtraining, did not include a single style of sneakers in her recent fall/winter collection for the fashion house.

While we are moving away from the trend of luxury trainers, Beth Goldstein, an analyst of footwear and fashion accessories at the NPD Group, says that accepting trainers in a formal setting is a sign of a long-term lifestyle change term for women. "I don't think it's a fad, it's been too long for that - consumers are prioritizing comfort for their busy lifestyle, and athletics as fashion continues to evolve. The growth trajectory will naturally slow down, but sneakers will remain the engine of the market." According to a 2018 study by Mintel, U.S. buyers aged 18 to 34 are the most likely to buy shoes because they are comfortable (37%).

"Comfort, functionality and interesting details are without a doubt the same as the feeling of dressing for others," says Natalie Kingham, Director of Fashion and Purchasing at Matches Fashion. "The flat shoe has gone further and further, whether it's a clompy boot, embellished, or a sportier version of the sandals." Kingham adds that even for customers who wear heels, the demand is for lower and more comfortable styles. "It's interesting to note that the majority of our heels business has grown to 90mm and less, and that many new shoe brands like Wandler, or those with a new creative direction like Bottega, don't have a heel over 90mm in the ur collection." A high-end shoe brand that Kingham favours is Gray Matters, which has low heels, "almost like a collector's interior with sculptural details such as spherical heels."

Savi thinks we'll never let off steam completely, but the relationship evolves. "The role that height has played in various cultures of the world goes back centuries, and I don't think it will fade quickly. The stiletto heel could turn into something else, where size will always play a role."

Men's heeled shoes have invaded the runways and red carpets in recent years

In recent years, men's heeled shoes have invaded runways and red carpets, giving an idea of how the company's relationship with heels could change again. Brands such as Gucci, Calvin Klein, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga feature heeled boots and shoes in their collections, often adding bold sequins or prints to models.

In 2018, Italian luxury designer Francesco Russo launched a line of genderless stilettos, available in Italian sizes from 35 to 45. "It's not a polemic, it's not political," the designer told Vogue. "It's just the way society moves forward." I think it is our duty as a people to produce products to meet the world." The limited edition collection has been so popular that it has become a permanent part of the brand's offering.

The Brooklyn-based Syro brand is another brand that upsets the traditional symbolism of heels. The company sells male-sized heels and boots to its male, trans and non-binary customers. The styles are chic and promote a fluid sense of style. The brand's stated manifesto is to promote 'diversity through visibility' and 'empowerment by the community'.

Maybe that's the point. Instead of banning high heels, they should be freed from the expectations and social norms imposed on gender. So they're just a pair of shoes. In the end, wearing them should be a matter of individual choice. After all, one person's patriarchal or physical oppression can be a powerful liberation for another.