These Boots Were Made for Being Cute...
FALL HAS ARRIVED
Officially, fall started a minute ago, but it's been unseasonably warm pretty much everywhere in the country. Needless to say, I really haven't been in the mood to talk about fall or winter fashion because it's been too hot here to wear any of it. Sue me. But fortunately for you, I had the pleasure of traveling to the East Coast last week and the weather was in the 30s and 40s. I absolutely loved it, so I have now been inspired to at least talk about the easiest transitional fall wardrobe piece, shoes. Boots, more specifically. It's the middle of November and Turkey Day is closely approaching, so at the very least, I'm wearing ankle booties on a semi-daily basis from here on out. Fight me. Summer has moved on and I've got to follow suit. I need a new man in my life or at least a new jacket, or some boots or a cute sweater. Fall is my favorite season and I won't let these mild fall temperatures deprive me of this life treasure. God invented fall, so I want to partake. Satan is a lie and he will not win. So in celebration of my victory over the devil that is trying to rob me of my opportunity to rock my fall wardrobe, I'm going to provide you with a list of must have boots for the season.
But first, let's talk ankle boots or booties, whichever term you prefer. If I were forced to make a decision between buying a pair of ankle boots or a pair of high shaft or over the knee boots, I would chose ankle boots all day long. I actually just made this choice as recently as last week. I bought a pair of the fiercest black thigh high sock boots from Zara a few weeks ago. But I decided to exchange them for a pair of sock booties, simply because I knew I would get a ton of wear out of the booties. As much as I loved those boots, I would have to make a concerted effort to fit them into my wardrobe to justify the $100 price point. The booties were $80, but I can wear those on nights out as well as to work. I may have worn the thigh high boots 3 times max the entire season. I have three other pairs of thigh high boots already in my wardrobe, and that's about the number of times I wear those a season, if that. So as I stroll into fashion maturity, I'm learning not invest in pieces of any kind unless I know that I can get a ton of wear out of them. However, it doesn't count if you score a special item (shoes or clothes) at an incredible deal or if you buy a cheap version of an item. That's a little different. But for me and my rather frugal arse, if I spend three figures on a item, I better be able to implement it into my everyday style with what is already in my closet. If you see something that you love and you can't immediately think of two to three ways you could wear the item with what is already in your closet, leave it in the store. Nine times out of ten, you won't regret it. Even now, I'm mentally trying to justify buying the Zara boots again, but I can only think of one way I would realistically wear them. And honestly, the booties I exchanged them for would suit this look just fine. However, this is only specific to MY style and my everyday wardrobe. Plus, I live in Texas. If you live in a cold climate, ankle booties may not work for you at all. And I already own about 10 pairs of boots, not including ankle booties. So I am not recommending that you don't buy full length boots. I will be listing my coveted full length boot styles in a later post as well. I just wanted to give you an example of my thought process behind making crucial fashion buying decisions this season. Black Friday is next week, so I think it's my duty to equip you with as much knowledge as possible. You're welcome.
Coveted Styles
Zara, $79.90
I own these booties and they are well worth the money. This year has been the year of the sock ankle boot and these are a great way to wear the style without looking too trendy. I can also attest that these are extremely comfortable given the heel height. The heel is tall enough to be sexy for a night out, but the block heel also makes it work appropriate. When I was in NYC last week, I literally took this shoe from day to night. My favorite feature about this bootie is the matte black heel. It's somewhat unexpected and it makes it super chic. I strongly recommend this shoe this season. Click the picture to purchase or simply take a closer look.
Zara, $79.90
Okay, so I own these booties as well. I couldn't resist. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that fall florals are in this season, so I thought a black and white floral print bootie was the perfect shoe for this trend. The black base in the bootie makes it really easy to mix with another print that has a black base. I know you're probably thinking that you would wear this with an all black "fit", but I will implore you to step outside your comfort zone and play with mixed prints and stripes. The simplicity of the black and white color way makes this fairly easy to do. Clothing doesn't have to always match. It should simply work together to create a spectacular look. Click the photo to take a closer look.
Zara, $79.90
So I don't have these boots, but they are on my wish list. This season, jewel tones such as emerald greens, purples, maroons, and even deep oranges have been so popular, I've been searching for a pair of suede chocolate booties to compliment these colorways that are already in my closet. I've had absolutely no luck with the suede bootie, but this corduroy bootie is a great option. The corduroy is a different fabrication than what we are use to seeing on footwear, which makes me want them bad. The design is also sporting a sock boot construction, which I find appealing. Click the picture above to purchase.
Zara, $55.90
There was a version of this bootie that I wanted last fall, but it sold out so I could never find it. I believe the old version was suede, and I ended up buying a knock off from H&M. However, this version is velvet, which makes it look extra feminine and extra chic. Velvet is one of the most feminine fabrics you can wear during the fall and winter months, not to mention it's one of the most affordable. So if you don't have any velvet in your wardrobe, I implore you child, "What is you doing with your life?" You need all of the velvets and you need them now. Click the photo to take a closer look.
Just Fab, $39.95
Last year, I accidentally forgot to skip the month, which is what I do 100% of the time simply because I choose to shop them when they are on sale only. Well given my faux pas, I had a credit I needed to use and I found these velvet booties. Well, not these specific ones. This is this year's version. The ones I have are slightly taller, but the color is identical. I didn't realize how much I would actually wear them but I found myself constantly reaching for them. The color makes them extremely versatile and can be used as a neutral with the right outfit. I can't vouch for these specific shoes because I have last year's version, but my version was really comfortable. These are made in a ton of colors, but I would recommend these in the maroon (shown) or in the navy. I do have a pair of navy booties, but I scored those from another brand. Click the pic to shop.
Steve Madden, Century Bootie, $129.95
These are on my list for a number of reason. One, they are red. Red is the hottest color this season and red also looks great on me. Two, they are the coveted sock bootie style and the heel is not too high (only about 4 inches). Three, they are simply sexy AF. They also come in black. Click the photo to properly stalk them.
Public Desire, $59.99
Honestly, I'm probably not going to purchase these booties because I have several pairs of sock style booties and I have several pairs of velvet booties. But if I did not, this would be on my wish list. The emerald jewel tone sets it apart from other booties in this class. I am imagining this styled with a long or a midi skirt and an over sized chunky knit sweater. Oh the possibilities! This would pair well with chocolate browns, blacks, mustard, orange, and even neutrals. The $55 price point makes it appealing as well. Click the link to view this shoe.
Top Shop, Kowboy Western Bootie, $75
This is a great dupe for the popular Chloe' Susanna bootie that I am obsessed with. But let's be real. I'm not spending $1400 on a pair of shoes unless they are able to telepathically transport me to work everyday. Not happening. But this Topshop version is almost identical. They clearly don't give a damn, so why should I. Look at these boots. The ornate details, the gold, and the three buckles on the side makes this shoe the centerpiece of any outfit you pull together. These are definitely on my list and I'm hoping to score them during a Black Friday sale. Click the picture to check them out.
Topshop, Ace Western Bootie, $120
These shoes speak for themselves. They are leather and gold with a short block heel. I need these now. I love how it's narrow at the ankle, which makes this perfect for pairing with longer skirts and dresses. My initial thought would be to style this with a summer maxi floral dress paired under a leather jacket. The gold metallic color makes it versatile to wear with anything you'd like. These would literally go with everything and they are a classic style, which makes them worth the investment. You will have these in your closet for years. And I haven't seen many gold options that don't look cheap or cheesy. These definitely don't look like either of those.
This concludes my list of the booties you need in your life at this moment. Stay tuned for my list of full length boots you need coming in a few days! Have a great weekend.
SSJ