Knee Highs and Men’s Chunky Shoes: Almost Fashionable?
(Photo credit: Richard Styles)
Now that I’m wearing my butterfly AFO (ankle-foot orthotic) daily, I had to buy knee high socks. I haven’t worn knee highs since high school, when I had to wear my metal braces. My cute ankle socks are now shoved to the back of the drawer.
Between the clumsy plastic AFO, the knee highs, the black, men’s size 7 chunky shoes (needed to accommodate the AFO), and my baggy jeans (try finding fitted jeans with elasticized waists!), my bottom half is rather gorpy-looking. I’m now on the hunt for ultra feminine tops to counterbalance the gorpy bottom. And, I am hoping that we don’t get another hot spell this summer because I’m not yet confident enough to wear this ensemble with shorts! AFO surely stands for Anti-Fashion Objects.
In July’s O Magazine, Martha Beck shares research on the “spotlight effect”: the feeling that all eyes are upon us and, hence, to avoid embarrassment, we don’t live our lives to the fullest. Research found that “the spotlight effect makes most of assume we’re getting about twice as much attention as we actually are.” (Being in a wheelchair with a significant physical disability, am I imagining twice as many stares and whispers than I am actually receiving?)
Martha advises that we double everything – raising both hands to ask a question, pausing twice as long for dramatic effect, eating two servings of a delicious dessert – to feel liberated and to live life large. I wonder: would I become more confident if I had balanced gorpiness? If I wore two braces, would I be more apt to wearing shorts? Would the AFO then become an Almost Fashionable Object?
If you enjoyed this post, consider buying me a chai tea latte. Thanks kindly.
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