Pilates in Heels… I learned a thing or two

I’ve always fancied myself as the kind of girl that could go from black to white and every shade of grey in between when it comes to fashion. I’ll dress up, I’ll dress down, I’ll wear a gown with flats, and leggings with wild heels- but always knowing in the back of my head that every fashion choice comes with a certain set of social expectations. Socially, I’d say because of the way I’ve positioned myself in the past few years people just sort of expect me to wear chic things, eccentric accessories, and wild heels at any given moment even though my somewhat relaxed lifestyle more often calls for ballet flats, boots, and the kind of gear that is compatible with the most durable city strollers. Heels, no matter how you cut it, are sexy… and somehow vamp up even the most mundane activities, and being the Editor of a site with “Luxury” right in the name comes with a pretty weighty set of expectations.

With a certain sense of irony, excitement, and a very minor amount of trepidation (really, extra minor), my friend Ariston and I decided to embark on a never-ended quest to do the most exotic and bizarre things in heels- just because we’re social scientists. Ariston is a senior fashion editor at Luxist, the internet’s answer to all things over-the-top, and was totally excited about the idea to combine the idea of far-fetched activities with typically non-compatible footwear. If the public wants us in heels all the time, we’ll give it to them- in a way that amuses us and reminds people that fashion is always a choice. We opted to shoot at Kinected, a pilates studio in New York known for having especially intense equipment and expert staff, so we could really highlight the overwhelming silliness (and somehow sexiness) of working out in heels. There is simply nothing congruent about lace leotards from American Apparel, 6″ heels, makeup, and core training, which is precisely why we were so excited to shoot.

The moves, we quickly learned, were hardly uncomplicated and certainly harder in heels. Somehow the metallic leotards helped, though (but honestly, I can’t think of any life encounter that wouldn’t be enhanced by sparkly spandex). Ariston took to pilates in heels like a chimpanzee takes to eating bananas. She was brilliant- a bent limb here, foot behind the head there, arching her back like a cat, etc. I learned very quickly that heels simply cannot slow the creative process, no matter how bad they hurt. Stay tuned for rock climbing, alligator wrestling, and hacky sacking with Phish-goers in heels.

Follow me on twitter at @brycegruber

Shoes: Chinese Laundry and Pelle Moda
Fashion: American Apparel
Jewelry: PONO by Joan Goodman
Photography: Adrian Rand Photography
Styling: Jeremy Jankowski