How To Walk In High Heels: The Girl's Guide To Everything

by Camilla Morton

‘Fashion fades, style is eternal’ Yves Saint Laurent

1 Venue: Always know where you are going, and what the dress code is before deciding how to interpret it.

recreated. Imagine you have the paparazzi following you and never give anyone the satisfaction of seeing you on a bad hair day.

That said, the old cliché that ‘beauty is lit from within’ is true, designer labels and diamonds are merely the frosting to set it off.

Point of focus: Less is often more. Choose a point of focus and accessorise around this.

4 Teeth: Teeth must be flossed, brushed, scrubbed and, if you will insist on eating garlic, mouth-washed. Do this early in the proceedings as toothpaste stains can be VERY trying to get off clothes, and must be done well before lip-gloss application.

Learn a routine so you don’t really have to think, you just know what follows what.

Always pick a feature to exaggerate, either the eyes or the mouth, not both.

Good lighting is crucial for application, but knowing what lighting you will end up in is even more so.

To avoid lipstick stains on a champagne flute casually lick the glass as you put your lips to it.

We’re talking sets; the basic rule is bra and knickers must match.

Remember: a black bra under a white T-shirt is a sin. You really should not have colours that show through:

Layer a few squirts over the body before your clothes go on so that it can soak into your skin.

It should be applied straight after deodorant, masking any cheap synthetic scent that this may have left, and blending with soaps and scented body lotions to create your own unique odour.

Dress in a bottom to top, top to bottom

The higher, the more expensive, the better.

12 Perfume, phase two:

having someone slip the coat onto your shoulders ensures that it is hung at the best angle and the drape and cut is shown off and smoothed out to its full advantage.

‘Don’t give a woman advice; one should never give a woman anything she can’t wear in the evening’ Oscar Wilde

To avoid initial confrontation always have at least two clocks

One should be set at least 7–21 minutes fast. NEVER set it to an easily calculable time, as you will eventually make the correct arithmetic adjustments automatically. This ‘booby’ clock should be displayed

It is preferable to have two bags – a Mary Poppins-style bag that can carry everything you will need in it, and within that, the decoy, a dainty frivolous number that you can carry into dinner.

Keys Door keys and car keys. Even if you lose everything else you want to concentrate really hard on not misplacing these. Always consider where to hide a spare, or who to give a spare to, but they must be the kind of person who appreciates a call at three in the morning. (See How to be stylish when locked out). Safety pins No need to cry over spilt milk – buttons do pop at the most inappropriate moments, so come prepared. The complimentary sewing kits you get in hotels are perfect for this kind of emergency.

Compact If you leave the house without your powder and mirror, go back. There’s nothing worse than a shiny face, or having no mirror in which to check discreetly all is where it should be. Also, ‘I’m just going to powder my nose’ is an excellent code for ‘I need to escape’ so you need to have your alibi with you.

notebook, but really essential ones should be committed to memory, or on speed dial in your mobile.

Diary For all your important meetings and future dates. Business cards A good way to give out your details without appearing too forward/desperate.

Spare pair of shoes an...

An evening bag can accommodate a fraction of the all-purpose, so go with the three essentials: lipstick, mobile and keys.

Comb Tissues Aspirin

M...

‘I don’t know who invented the high heel but all women owe him a lot’ Marilyn Monroe

A good heel is like a flash car, or an incredible work of art. You don’t need it, you covet it, savour it, worship it, and have to have it. A really good heel has been constructed to tilt you at the most flattering angle possible.

Admittedly there is a certain level of discomfort to be endured, but they do hurt less the more you wear them.

Before you even go near a shoe store ensure that your feet are freshly pedicured and painted;

The thicker the heel the larger the surface area your weight has to spread over.

The more wobbly you feel, the more millimetres you should add to the width.

Manolo Blahnik, the best thing to do is go and experience the shoes, by trying them on at his shop, 49–51 Old Church Street, London (020 7352 3863).

red-soled Christian Louboutins, Jimmy Choo and Gina.

Olivia Morris, Pierre Hardy, or Georgina Goodman,

are Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Prada, YSL, Dior, Galliano, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

A good heel picks you. Don’t follow trends – follow yourself, you have to stand tall and proud.

Don’t let yourself get distracted by fashion; if you did you would have to change your wardrobe every four months and where’s the sense in that? It would make your style schizophrenic.

think you must always show some toe cleavage. Toe cleavage is very important as it gives sexuality to the shoe. But careful you only show the first two cracks, you don’t want to give too much away, you’re not that type of girl

. As for the heel, honey, it’s got to be high.

High heels are NOT just for eveningwear. They work just as well with trousers, jeans, denim skirts, mini skirts, pyjamas. You need to be adventurous.

Suede, satins and pale colours are OUT if there is the slightest hint of rain.

If there are stairs with no banister don’t even attempt it. When going up

stairs you should travel on the balls of the feet, when going down sidestep slowly.

you can never be too glamorous or have too many heels.

Don’t let anyone, particularly not a ‘him’, persuade you kitten heels are sexy. They equal chubby thighs and thick ankles if the truth were told. They are day shoes, they are practical, and they are a cop out. Also, they are actually far more uncomfortable and quicker to cause pain to lower back and arches than a proper pair of heels.