What do you make of a 16 year old wearing a leather jacket, a few piercings and blue dyed hair? A middle-aged blonde wearing a polo shirt and pleated slacks? Or how about a woman in a little black dress with bright red high heels?

Fashion is a statement that divides an individual from another in the most profound way. Fashion can speak volumes about a person, their lifestyle, personality, preferences, likes and dislikes and many a times the social status.

And when it comes down to fashion, everything matters: the right color, the right length and the most appropriate shoes. It goes without saying that shoes can make or break a dress. Choosing the right shoes for the right dress is like pairing wine with the right meal, it needs an acquired taste, experience and above all an extended palette.

You wouldn’t go to the gym wearing a pair of trainers with 4 inch heels would you? It is very important that you wear dresses with high heels that compliment and accentuate the entire look. There are generally four types of heels, high and low heels, platform heels, wedges and stilettos. All of them have their own advantages, disadvantages and individual presence that can help not only elevate you but elevate the entire look.

Dresses with Heels

Stilettos

Stilettos are undoubtedly one of the most sought after type of high heels when it comes to formal events. Stilettos can work with almost everything as long as you choose the right pair. Traditionally, stilettos have worked much better with long and voluminous full length dresses. However, these days, stilettos can also work with short dresses. You typically don't want to pair stilettos with short day dresses or shorts. You can pair stilettos with short formal glitzy dresses, (Beyonce-style) for clubbing, birthday parties etc. but not for day events. Stilettos can get quite uncomfortable so many prefer not to wear them if the event is more than a few hours long.

High/Low Heels

Where low heels can almost work with all silhouettes, sizes and dresses, including casual as well as formal wear, high heels have slightly more support than stilettos, so they can easily be worn throughout the day. Pumps are quite the rage these days, including the infamous nude LK Bennet’s that the Duchess of Cambridge cannot have enough of. You can pair heels and pumps with short dresses, casual jeans, pencil skirts and even formally, if you choose the right ones. You can wear dresses with high heels including peep-toe heels and pumps to work, casual or formal events.

Platforms

Platforms are another style that looks good with almost anything. Platform heels are more on the funkier side, and yet can easily be pulled off with a short dress as much as a full length gown. Platform heels are a celebrity favorite; they offer the height and the stability to prevent those much-dreaded and publicized falls. If you are just starting out or are looking for fancier alternatives that at the same time offer stability, then opt for platforms.

Wedges

Wedges are basically like flip-flops on heels. They are most preferably worn with casual summer dresses, to work or other daywear. Wedges make your legs appear longer, so they look much better with shorter hemlines.

Conclusion

In the end, there are no hard and fast rules, so if you find a good pair of stilettos that go well with hot pants, then there is no fashion police that can stop you from doing so. The one rule that you should keep in mind, though, is to wear dresses with high heels that compliment each other well from a color and style standpoint.