Can I convince you to wear high heels?

Yes, high heels. I know many ladies who avoid them at all costs and I can certainly rattle off a list of situations for which they are not appropriate, but I wanted to spend some time in an attempt to convince you to wear high heels. I enjoy wearing heels as evidenced by my collection which currently stands at 17 (not too horrible, right?). I'll admit that some of my favorites don't hold up well to extended cocktail parties or wedding dancing. But, for me, the look is worth the pain. Here are my reasons why:

Elongage. Lets be frank, for 90% of us the goal of figure flattering fashion is to lengthen, elongate, streamline, even slim. High heels provide an actual physical means to accomplish this. Proportionally, it adds two, three, maybe even four inches to your frame without any added pounds (a miracle, I know). And I know you don't want to hear this, but the higher the heel, the more it will lengthen, elongate, streamline and slim. To really make this trick work, find a pair of heels in your skin tone. If you are above 5'10" and wear a size 6 or less; you are the rare exception to this rule.

Confidence. Wearing high heels requires every woman to let her inner Angelina Jolie free. You must have a certain swagger and purpose to your gait just to stay up on the damn things. A shrinking violet on three inch heels will end up with a sprained ankle. Have a hot date, a board meeting, an in-law encounter to survive today? Add heels for extra attitude.

Sexiness. Although directly related to confidence, sexiness gets its own bullet here. Poll the men you know. Heels equal sex appeal. They also hint at naughty undergarments, another bonus if you're aiming for sexy. Word of warning; there is a fine line between sexy and trashy. The more outrageous the heels, the more you may consider toning down the sexy-factor of the rest of your outfit.

Fun. Wearing heels exponentially increases the amount of shoes available for your enjoyment and/or purchase. The thousands of varying styles, colors, shapes, designers and materials in which heels are available boggles the mind and provides hours of fun options for any fashionista.

Shoes = the great equalizer. Tired of button up shirts that pull across the chest, pants that fit around the thighs but are too loose at the waste, or sleeves that are always too short? Shopping for shoes, while not without its challenges (have a wide heel?), is a fashion equalizer. It doesn't matter how the rest of your body fits into clothes - you'll always fit into your shoes. Feet don't have fat days or need Spanx. No matter how badly you FEEL like you look; you can add an old pair of heels and be leaner, more confident, sexy, and fun.

Now that I've convinced you to wear more heels, you might be asking where to go. My personal favorites are the shoe department at Boston Store in Brookfield Square, DSW, and Zappos. Stay tuned this week for a report on the Awear Fashion Show to benefit Sojourner Family Peace Center and coming soon, "flats that I love."