The Amazona Blog

Fanatic about Flats or Flats Fascist?

Amazona — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:19:20 +0000

Hmm.. Flats…For me they are something akin to tweed mid-calf skirts, school PTA meetings and suburbia. They’re all comfort and no style. No glamour. They are what librarians wear in mid-Wales.

I think my aversion to flats could be due to my inability to get heels in my size (UK 11, US 13) until my early 20’s. It felt as though I was the only girl in the world who was forced to be frumpy. You know how it is – as a teenage girl, heels are the epitome of glamour, sophistication and most importantly – adulthood. I remember feeling completely excluded from what I saw as one of the main transformations from girl to woman.

Well, after several years of seeking out heels of all sizes and shapes from all over the world, my collection is now extensive. So extensive in fact that is has excluded any flat shoes at all. I may have some low heels (couldn’t tell you when I last wore them) and several pairs of mid-heel wedge boots (which I live in) but flats? Proper, flipper-style flats that make my feet look like their size 18? Nope, not a pair.

My thoughts on why women (and particularly tall women) should wear heels are well known (see here), but even I have to acknowledge that many style icons, particularly the young Hollywood crowd are flats-fanatics. One of the UK’s most popular young celebrities, Alexa Chung, is rarely seen in heels - supermodel Agyness Deyn and actresses Emma Watson and Sienna Miller are also huge fans of this practical chic trend. But is it really practical if you are anything other than a size 6? I rarely look a woman and believe she looks truly amazing in flats. The way she walks, the angle of her posture, her perceived confidence - they’re all improved vastly by the addition of a heel.

Maybe I have to concede that flats are here to stay but even if Vogue broadcast that heels were ancient history in the fashion stakes, I don’t think I’d ever consider slipping on a ballet pump in place of an eelskin, cone-heeled boot. Maybe I’m just truly flat-phobic?!

(For you flats lovers with big feet - check out a selection here, or if you’re with me as a ‘flats facist’, then check out some fabulous heels here.)

Tall Dating Issues: Wearing flats for a boy? Do you know how many men I have dated who...
Fabulous Flats My feet are so tired they feel as though...
Heels: How much Height do they really add? The Amazona team’s personal mission of trying to persuade...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A Tall Order: The 80s Trend

Stefanie Grace — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:36:12 +0000

Silver Chevron Clutch £35 Amazona Style

It’s week two of my mission to find clothing for tall women relevant to this season’s trends and this week, I am tackling the 80s. Yes, big hair, big even bigger shoulders and lots of sequins! Check out the monochrome clutch above from Amazona Style - perfect for storing your essentials on a stylish night out!

Tall Black Cowl Neck Jumpsuit £38 Dorothy Perkins

Or, even better, you can pretend that you’ve walked straight out of Dynasty with this amazing black jumpsuit from Dorothy Perkins’ ever-faithful Tall range. Team with a pair of killer heels, a clutch just like the one above and a perm for the ultimate in 80s chic! Or try this fantastic tunic with a pair of leggings for an equally stylish look!

Tall Silver Belted Tunic £30 Dorothy Perkins

Brogues are the perfect androgynous look, yet adding heels make the look more feminine. Team with big shoulders and wide leg trousers for the perfect casual 80s sports look.

Black and White Heeled Brogues £111 Amazona Style

When we saw this in the Amazona office, we all went seriously crazy! Sequins? Check. Shoulders? Check. Body-con? Check. Suitable for tall girls? CHECK!! Topshop have reigned supreme here with this absolutely gorgeous sequin tunic. If you’ve got fab legs, team with heels and deniers for a sexy 80s siren look!

Tall Sequin Shoulder Pad Tunic £45 Topshop

If you’re noticing a lack of colour here, don’t worry - so are we! Luckily black and white monochrome was oh-so-hot in the 80s, so you’re not missing out this time! Though, we do agree that it would be nice to see some brights on the tall racks soon! And, no! Plain t-shirts do not count!

A Tall Order: The Grunge Trend Amazona has set me a mission: To search the high...
AW09 Trend: Jade Nails Put the Coral OPI and the Aqua blue Orly...
Trends SS09: Tribal Prints If you’ve got the eye of the tiger and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A Tall Order: The Grunge Trend

Stefanie Grace — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:22:39 +0000

Amazona has set me a mission: To search the high street and online retailers and to find clothing for tall women that is actually relevant to the current season trends. It seemed an easy task at first, but not any more. Tall ranges are boring. There is no denying that. They are useful if you need a longer pair of black trousers or a longer polo neck jumper, but what if you’re 6ft tall and are fed up of dressing like a frigid office worker? What if you want to be cool, trendy and follow the trends? Well, I have scoured (and I mean scoured - for hours…) various well known retail websites and shopping centres, but to no avail. There is little out there. And that is hugely disappointing. But if you are 6ft, then this is probably not breaking news to you, so I have tried to pick the best options to hint towards the trends.

First up this week? The grunge trend. From Kurt Cobain to MK Olsen and Pixie Geldof, everyone loves a bit of grunge and here’s Amazona’s guide to rocking it out Nirvana-style for AW09:

THE T-SHIRTS:

Jersey Marl Longline Crew Neck Top With Snood Stripe Scarf £14 Next Tall

Tall black splash paint t-shirt £18 Dorothy Perkins Tall

Blah Blah top £8 New Look Tall

Tall purple gingham shirt £25 Dorothy Perkins Tall

A simple t-shirt or top is a simple way to follow a trend, and as tall ranges tend to be pretty simple, this is probably your best bet! Team a rock t-shirt or tartan shirt with some skinny jeans, biker boots and a oversized beanie for the ultimate in grunge chic!

Tall black skinny jeans £20 Dorothy Perkins Tall

35in Foil Leggings in Blue £24 New Look Tall

These foil leggings are a little daring, but pared down with some Doc Martins and a simple t-shirt, they could look pretty damn cool. And given that they are not black and boast an inside leg of 35in, they’re a great find too! Add a leather jacket for a tough edge or an open men’s shirt for a more dressed-down look.

Next Week: The 80s trend becomes a tall order for us here at Amazona!

A Tall Order: The 80s Trend It’s week two of my mission to find clothing for...
AW09: Androgynous Grunge Returns In the same way that shoulder pads and skirt suits...
Fall 09 Trend: Ripped Tights Eek! This is a trend that I’m not sure...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A Year of Big Shoes: Amazona Style

Amazona — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:34:08 +0000

Gosh! We’re just been reminded that our online-sister Amazona Style has their first birthday today! It’s been a whole year of fabulous designer shoes for girls in UK sizes 8-12 (US 10-14) and some great accesssories to boot, whether it’s a Dogeared necklace or a fab little clutch that’s right on trend. Not bad for a home business started in the week the UK was officially declared in recession!

To celebrate this momentus occasion, Amazona Style are offering every customer a birthday present this week - when you shop at the online store and spend more than £40, you’ll receive a super cute dogeared necklace, Twisted Silver bracelet or clutch bag absolutely FREE…

Best be quick though - as soon as the free ‘birthday gift’s’ are gone, they’re gone! SHOP Now

March Madness! Amazona Style Sale more than 50% off! March is one of those months where not alot happens...
Amazona Style: Preview of latest Clutch Bags Just arrived from Australia, here’s a little sneak preview of...
Designer Shoes for Girls with big feet With Summer disappearing as fast as we can say...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tall Dating Issues: Wearing flats for a boy?

Amazona — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:00:59 +0000

Tall Girls & Dating: Heels or Not?

Do you know how many men I have dated who were taller than me? One. He may well have been taller than me (he was 6ft5, I’m 6ft2) but his inability to tell the truth and remain faithful eclipsed any benefits I experienced dating him as a tall man. My other relationships have all been with men around 6ft or 6ft1 so I’ve never really had the luxury of dating a man significantly taller than me.

I’m not alone. Most tall women have dated men equal to or shorter than themselves and if (like me) you have passion for high heels, then there is an issue that is rarely discussed: Do you wear flats around your man to make him feel more comfortable? Does it emasculate him if you wear heels making yourself a few inches taller? If you choose to wear heels, aren’t you risking the ridicule of friends and strangers if you’re a couple of (barely perceptible) inches taller than your boy?

I’ve had good friends make comments (usually male friends) and asking why I’m wearing heels around my (not-massively tall) boyfriends. Even my dates often behave slightly strangely on occasion if they aren’t sure whether I am looking them squarely in the eye or not – but only in public. In private this is never an issue.

There are many tall celebrities who have succumbed to this secret pressure: one of Nicole Kidman’s first statements following her divorce from Tom Cruise was “Now I can wear heels again!” (was a heel ban included in the pre-nup agreement?) and ex-supermodel Carla Bruni has only been seen in heels once since her marriage to the Napoleanesque President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy last year. Even ultimate fashionista L’Wren Scott wears flats with amazing evening dresses to attempt to re-dress the balance between her and Mick Jagger (although with a 10 inch height difference between the two, she might be fighting a losing battle).

Carla Bruni in some of her many flats

As I couldn’t find any stylish heels until my early 20’s, I didn’t wear heels for the first 23 years of my life. I now wear heels almost every day. Even my weekend casual footwear is a collection of wedged suede boots. I LOVE heels. I believe that it doesn’t make any difference to the perception of my height to others - they’re all still looking upwards from their 5ft6 vantage point - but heels make me look and feel better. Incidentally, I had phemonenally more success with boys after the age of 23 than before.

So, should the next boy I date be less than 6ft2, should I yield, abandon my hot high heels and wear flats? On the contrary, I firmly believe it would emasculate any man if a woman he dated STOPPED wearing heels on his behalf. Would we not be assuming that he is not secure enough in his masculinity to deal with such a trivial difference? And wouldn’t this be a step on a slippery slope.. would we dress differently for a man? Change our hair for a man? Have plastic surgery for a man!? (I have one friend who had breast implants for her boyfriend – he paid for them!) I think not. If we changed our footwear to suit my date, where would it stop?

My theory is also this: any man who asks me out, without question met me when I was wearing heels so surely if he was attracted to me at 6ft5, then he’s not going to suddenly find me more attractive if I’m wearing flat shoes and walking like a flat-footed platypus (this is how I feel when wearing them, incidentally!).

What do you think? Do you avoid wearing heels around your man if he’s shorter? Or would you rather upgrade your man than downgrade your heels?

Note: When I mentioned I was writing about this subject to my mother (5ft10), she commented on how flats were no good if you wished to intentionally stand on your husband/boyfriends foot when they are behaving inappropriately in public – apparently heels are far more effective!

Short Women to be Fined for Dating Tall Men…. …if only!! Firstly apologies to all those tall girls...
Fabulous Flats My feet are so tired they feel as though...
Why Tall Women should wear High Heels So at 6ft2, I’m very tall. If I hadn’t...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Height Advantage in Sport deemed ‘Unfair’

Amazona — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:39:47 +0000

Scientists now say that height gives sportsman and women such an advantage that the World’s swimming and athletics bodies may soon have to introduce boxing-style weight classes. All it takes is a few tall athletes (I’m thinking of one 6ft5 Jamaican sprinter in particular) winning consistently for political correctness to go mad.

Yes, height is deemed an advantage in some sports such as rowing, tennis and some spheres of athletics but why does this now mean that society must modify competition rules to ensure that everyone has a fair chance? I think we’re all adult enough to realise - Life isn’t fair! I’m pretty sure that I realised at around 7 years old that I just wouldn’t make it as a gymnast – 6 inches taller than all the other girls and a little chubby with it, I didn’t get upset – I just got on with it.

Why can’t society and the political correctness mob stop meddling and leave us all to be grown up enough to realise we are not going to be good at everything. Here’s a novel ideal – if you’re tall, play tennis or row, if you’re short become a gymnast or a jockey. Now why can’t we all just do what we’re suited to?

Heels: How much Height do they really add? The Amazona team’s personal mission of trying to persuade...
So they really are just jealous of your height… Jealous lovers will wish they could adjust the height...
Why We Should Embrace our Height & Amazona! Hi! I’m Stefanie Grace, the new contributor to Amazona...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

AW09: Autumn Falls

Stefanie Grace — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:04:01 +0000

As Autumn beckons, so do the colours of the season. Deep browns, reds, oranges and beiges begin to take over our wardrobes. It’s a more natural manner of dressing and much easier to pull on a cosy winter knit in the morning than pile on a neon skirt suit and lashings of kohl eyeliner.

Time to start layering. Start with luxury knits for a comfortable, stylish option to battling the cold. Hats, scarves, gloves and cardigans are perfect, not only for differing temperatures and times, but also to be bang on trend this season. If you haven’t got one already, make sure that you invest in a coatigan. Coats and macs may be stylish, but cardigans are comfortable, so combining the two just seems genius! Snap one up in a neutral colour so that you can get your maximum wear out of it, before it gets too cold!

Finally, as this season is clearly about versatility, you can mix and match sumptuous fabrics such as velvet, suede and fur with leather, denim and tweed for a practical yet modern edge. Check out PPQ’s offering below on the trend.

AW09: “I’ve got love for you if you were born in the 80s…” Calvin Harris may have sung the song, but it’s the...
AW09 Trend: Jade Nails Put the Coral OPI and the Aqua blue Orly...
AW09: Androgynous Grunge Returns In the same way that shoulder pads and skirt suits...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Mr Right? It’s Lucky Number 13

Amazona — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:13:26 +0000

EEK! I’ve just read that researchers in Australia have decided that they have ‘solved’ the ultimate dating maths conundrum: the average woman has a 75% chance that her 13th romantic partner will be Mr Right.

In her book ‘Mathematics & Sex’ – yes, not words usually put together – Cresswell apparently “reveals the ways in which math can help unlock the secrets of love, lust, and life’s search for the ideal partner, this intriguing text covers topics such as dating services, dating as game theory, the mathematical logic of affairs, and the numbers behind orgasms. Math’s answers to love’s burning questions How much should one compromise in a relationship? Exactly what is it that is attractive in a lover? How many partners should one have before settling down? and What makes the infamous biological clock tick? are also revealed”.

So, what constitutes as a ‘Romantic Partner’? Good God I hope it’s not meant under the most basic sense of ‘partner’ - I suspect I am like many many modern independent women who have been living away from home for more than 15 years, it’s hopefully not that shocking to hear that Number 13 was some time ago! The question is = Should I be sexually regressing and head off to hunt down the lucky No.13? Hmm, I’m not so sure I want to go back to the future.. no matter how much the 80’s are on trend this season.

So they really are just jealous of your height… Jealous lovers will wish they could adjust the height...
Trend Alert: Double Denim This week I was doing some research on the...
I’m Tall, You’re Not… So that makes us even If you’re anything like us here at Amazona, you’ll...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

South Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund

Amazona — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:25:57 +0000

As you must have heard on the news this morning, a number of South Pacific islands suffered an horrific natural disaster a few hours ago. I can be sure that for most of us, an event such as this reminds us that our daily concerns and worries are insignificant in the light of such a tragedy. Please donate whatever you can afford, even a few pounds or dollars, to aid the relief effort to the New Zealand Red Cross Samoa Relief Fund HERE or click on the link to the right.

REUTERS news agency reported this morning:

“A series of tsunamis smashed into the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa killing possibly more than 100 people, some washed out to sea, destroying villages and injuring hundreds, officials said on Wednesday.

Television images showed homes ripped apart, cars submerged in the sea or lodged in trees and large fishing boats hurled ashore by the waves generated by a 8.0 magnitude quake southwest of American Samoa.

A second 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra late on Wednesday, prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre to issue a tsunami watch for Indonesia, India, Thailand and Malaysia.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said at least 60 people had been killed in Western Samoa.

Disaster officials said the toll may reach well over 100 as rescuers search for bodies in flattened villages along the southern shore of the island of Upolu.”

Newsflash: Kate Silverton has MASSIVELY big feet Seriously, it’s actually a newsflash – if you’re not...
Is It Me or is the Whole World having Sex? I’m young, free and single and I live in...
Tear it up! It’s that time of the week again – ‘Trendsday...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

AW09 Trend: Jade Nails

Amazona — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:12:16 +0000

Put the Coral OPI and the Aqua blue Orly down. This Autumn the only colour you should be seen wearing on those talons of yours is Chanel’s Jade. A winner with the Amazona girls (as what other super-hot trend can you grab for under £20?), you”ll have to have an ‘A-Team’ style plan to get some - apparently only a few hundred bottles are being produced so you’d better get your name on the list quick-smart! Out on October 8th from Chanel boutiques.

AW09: La Parisienne With the release of Coco avant Chanel and reignited interest...
Trend Alert: Big Earrings OK, so there are times when fashion just gets...
Fall 09 Trend: Ripped Tights Eek! This is a trend that I’m not sure...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.