Get on your boots
I love A/W fashion collections because, aside from the fact that there’s a whole load of knitwear, layered fabrics and autumnal patterns, the footwear selections are second to none. Boots are the perfect antidote to – or, rather, protection against – the shoddy Irish weather. If you can get the right boot selection, you can match them to whatever you feel like wearing: jeans and knits, floral dresses over leggings (American Apparel, if you’re wondering where the best ones are to be found), brightly coloured patterns . . .
This A/W has been on exception to the rule of booty fabulousness. (I always feel as if “booty” should be pronounced “boot-ayyy”.) Last year saw the beginning of the return to fame of the Doc Marten, then Rodarte showed amazing Nicholas Kirkwood boots at their catwalk show and all hell (almost) broke loose. Not to mention the ultimate in booty cool: the thigh-high boot.
Top row, from left: Marni, Aldo, Aldo and the Britany boots from Topshop; centre (ish) row: See by Chloe, Vanessa Bruno, Marni and Aldo, with a delicious pair of Schuh brogue-boots beneath; and bottom row: Fendi, Tory Burch and Christian Louboutin
But let’s take a moment to discuss the thigh-high. It’s a new item on the wall of boot variations and one with which caution is to be advised. There are plenty of options out there – from Penneys at the lower end to Topshop in the middle and Ungaro at the very upper end of the spectrum. Some words of caution: make sure they fit right, slouchy thigh-highs that bunch down below your knee aren’t going to be worth the money, so make sure they’re snug. If you’re going with flat thigh-highs, take a friend with you for a second opinion – there’s a fine line between boho cool and pirate cool. Pirates aren’t particularly cool unless it’s Halloween in any case.
And finally, if you plan on wearing them over jeans, try them on over jeans. Snug + jeans might equal impossible, and it’s pointless having a pair of slick boots if you can’t wear them the way you want to. All of these rules are moot points if you’re purchasing from Penneys, as they cost around €25 and you can pretty much do what you want with them.
Really the best way to wear boots, in my honest opinion, is to give them a contrast: wear tough, biker boots with floaty, feminine fabrics; wear stiletto-heeled hooker boots with covered-up dresses and modest knits; bright boots with plain coloured fabrics in classic cuts.
All designer boots above from Net-a-Porter; for the others, see Topshop, Aldo and Schuh.
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1Coastal Aussie
wrote on 31 October 2009 at 17:44
Boots are such a favourite of mine, it’s a good thing they don’t really stock them (or any nice ones) in the shops here, or I’d have a pair for everyday of the week.
I particularly like the dove grey suede pair in the top right hand corner of your picture. So pretty, and makes me think of all sorts of clothing combinations to go with them.