They break the silhouette and make it more elderly.
It is often believed that age can be read in wrinkles or hair color. However, some dress details are enough to add a few years in the blink of an eye. A pair of shoes can for example give a tired look, unbalance the silhouette and break the elegance of an outfit. This is explained by Sophie Vinclaire, style coach, in one of her YouTube videos. She points to a model of shoes which, according to her, should disappear definitively from the cupboards.
Indeed, in the fashion world, shoes are not only used to walk comfortably: they structure the body, refine the posture and influence the way in which one perceives a person. The expert underlines that the most frequent error is to focus only on the comfort or the trend of the moment, without measuring the visual impact. However, certain forms, far from enhancement, accentuate on the contrary what many seek to avoid: a packed, less dynamic look, which seems to increase the lower body.
Everything is played in a few millimeters, a rounded end, a sole too smooth or too massive. “The error that makes the older shoes appear that are very flat”, explains Sophie Vinclaire. Its advice is not to impose the wearing of high heels, but to understand why a shoe can give a dated and unflattering effect. According to her, it is sometimes enough for a semi-centimeter of difference to find a much more current look. The idea is to add a slight relief, almost imperceptible to the eye, but decisive in the posture.
The expert also recommends ensuring the form of the front of the foot. Too round, it visually shorten the leg, accentuates the flat effect and can give a childish side which does not correspond to the desired image. A more discreet rounding, neither too angular nor too marked, instantly brings more delicacy.
Among all these models, there is one that Sophie Vinclaire is recommended firmly. According to her, he should no longer have his place in a wardrobe, regardless of age. “To banish permanently: flat shoes with velcros that are really not pretty and that get you completely age if you wear them”, she says. These shoes, originally designed to be practical, actually combine all the drawbacks: totally flat and equipped with wide and visible ties, they thicken the foot and break the fluidity of the line.
The expert recalls that there are countless equally comfortable, but much more elegant alternatives. A small heel of two or three centimeters and a more structured sole are enough to transform a everyday shoe into an accessory that supports style without sacrificing comfort. “There is much more delicacy and modernity with this type of model”she underlines.
