'7611' flat boot by Sigerson Morrison
$698.95 at zappos.com
Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts
16 February 2008
13 December 2007
06 December 2007
12 November 2007
Gettin' booty (pt. II)
After months of sulking that cold weather might never arrive, here we now are, smack diddily-dab in the middle of glove wearing, cheek flushing, red Starbucks cup carrying temperatures.
In true grass-is-greener fashion, I'm already counting down the days until pool season '08, but in the frosty interim, let's continue to look fashionable, shall we?
Due to overwhelming "we need more!" demand, here is the follow-up to my first collection of Fall/Winter boots. This time, there will be no boot breakdown between "objectify me" and "take me seriously," because frankly, the jig is up -- I think you know which group I included solely to preempt the "but heels hurt" pity-partying for which I no longer have even a shred of patience.
Nope, this time around, you'll find nothing to mollify your pocket-man boyfriend's insecurity, just lots and lots of tall, skinny-heeled almond-shaped boots in luscious suedes and sleek matte leathers.
Enjoy.
Point platform boots by KG
(£160 at asos.com)
Sass suede boot by Dolce Vita($132 at pinkmascara.com)
Knee-high dress boots by Pedro Garcia*
Decorum suede boot by Via Spiga
Knee-high dress boots by Pedro Garcia*($345 at zappos.com)
Decorum suede boot by Via Spiga($350 at piperlime.com)
Zulli boot by Max Studio**
Sizzling boot by Steve Madden
Zulli boot by Max Studio**($299 at dillards.com)
Sizzling boot by Steve Madden($119.96 at stevemadden.com)
Denise boot by BCBGirls
York-9 boot by Dolce Vita*
Radcliffe boot by Max Studio
Denise boot by BCBGirls($138.95 at endless.com)
York-9 boot by Dolce Vita*($256 at shopdolcevita.com)
Radcliffe boot by Max Studio($298.95 at nordstrom.com)
Darrline boot by Steve Madden
*your Editrix's top picks
Darrline boot by Steve Madden($79.95 at nordstrom.com)
*your Editrix's top picks**this pair is so lovely, I had to include them again
21 October 2007
14 September 2007
10 September 2007
Gettin' booty
I love, love, love the idea of wearing boots with everything these days, and the ones I covet are usually from Anthropologie, where there are incredible shoes but at incredibly expensive prices, especially considering they only appear to be available online (i.e., you can't try them on before you buy). I specifically love these "legwarmer boots" -- what do you suggest I do?
Ah, the perennial boot question...
After two dozen PowerPoint presentations, two days of in-my-head conference room style scouting and more midday snickerdoodle indulgences than I care to remember, the final night of my Virginia Beach stay found me perched on a bar stool flush up against the babyfaced Beirut players that supersaturated the sports bar to which I'd paid homage not only that night but the night before, and if I remember correctly - which, considering how well acquainted Ms. Artois and I were during the trip, isn't a given - at some point the night before that as well.
More than a little venue-inappropriate in my black super-skinnies, gunmetal knotted satin peep toes and like-hued pouf-sleeved silk-blend tunic (sue me, it was either that or my threadbare "Little Miss Chatterbox" tee and sweat-soaked running shorts), I sat there wondering exactly when it was getting-older-and-clearly-having-issues-with-that-fact statements like, "Fine, so she's got a hot ass but I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a career -- how hot is that?" began coming out of my mouth, I decided it was time to shotgun my last pint, take a climb down from my high horse and chat up A, one of my favorite good ol' boys from Houston with whom I only had the pleasure to converse in-person once, maybe twice a year.
"I love makin' the trip up to DC. It's such a great town," A said, tipping back his take-home souvenir football-shaped beer stein and shaking his head 'no' he didn't want the last slice of deep-dish to our dance-pants and sports-bra bedecked waitress, Crystal-Ann.
"It really is," I replied, "I love it there. I'm surprised you like it, though, you seem like such a...well, you know, like such a Texan."
"Oh, I am, but it's those boots y'all wear, Johanna...I love you ladies up there walkin' 'round in your knee-high leather boots. Makes every trip worth it."
As A and I continued our sexy boot conversation, I considered but ultimately decided against describing to him the sensual experience I'd had two weekends prior at the Saks shoe salon with hands-on employees Richard and Marcus, these chest-grabbingly gorgeous Prada zip-ups and my Angelina in Mr. and Mrs. Smith fantasy. There's just something about the smell of that new leather, the tease of the patch of skin between the tippy-top of the boot and the start of the skirt's hem, and the Pretty Woman-esque motion of propping your heel up on the lip of an open drawer and slowly, erotically - even if your only audience is your reflection in a full-length mirror - drawing to a close the view of your leg behind a tight encasement of black leather.
In a word, meeeow.
Based on my own experiences and the high volume of boot-related questions I've received from readers and girlfriends over the past few weeks, I think it's safe to say the women of DC love to wear their knee-high leather boots as much or more as the men of Texas love to look at us in them.
Just like with pumps, lingerie, haircuts and just about every other facet of the feminine aesthetic, I don't believe in half-assing the sexy when it comes to boots, either. My view is, depending on your mood, play the sophisticated dominatrix by rocking the severe stiletto or channel your East Village cool with the Robin-Hood-inspired flat variety. You'll find no two-inch block-heeled nonsense here, nor anything that isn't almond-toed or made of - or made to disarmingly look like - real cowhide.
Ladies whose calves are of a more generous carriage, don't forget to make a pit stop here before entering boot town. Take it from someone who's hit the point in her training where she can no longer fit her lower legs into her skinny jeans without engaging in a painful pantyhose-style shimmy -- the Spanx-cinch makes a big, big difference.
So, to all of you in pursuit of a pair of reasonably priced** cool weather knee-high boots (sorry, no pooties allowed - ever - on ASJiNE), here are my recommendations (for similarly inexpensive in-store selections, try Nordstrom, DSW, Macy's, Filene's and vintage stores, among others), conveniently bifurcated into the sky-high and ultra-flat categories you see below.
The 'objectify me' boots:
High stiletto boot ($119 at victoriassecret.com)
L6576 by L’Autre Chose ($296 at zappos.com)
Zulli boots by Max Studio ($260 at lorisdesignershoes.com)* 
Side-strap boot by C-Label ($169.99 at bluefly.com)
L6576 by L’Autre Chose ($296 at zappos.com)Zulli boots by Max Studio ($260 at lorisdesignershoes.com)* Side-strap boot by C-Label ($169.99 at bluefly.com)
Lolita boot by KORS Michael Kors ($292.95 at zappos.com)*
Bridgid cuffed boot ($248 at bananarepublic.com)
The 'respect me' boots:
Madly boot by Steve Madden ($149.95 at stevemadden.com) 
Traca boot by Steve Madden ($169.95 at stevemadden.com)*
Traca boot by Steve Madden ($169.95 at stevemadden.com)*
Sunny tall cuff boot by Frye ($298 at urbanoutfitters.com)
Leather flat boot by Sudini ($199.95 at nordstrom.com)
Fauxa boot by Nine West ($169 at nordstrom.com)
Bree faux suede boots by Gabriella Rocha ($79.95 at zappos.com)*
*your Editrix's top picks
**operationally defined as under-$300
20 August 2007
A tougher-than-anticipated task
I just purchased a pair of boots -- they look like these (see below), and I was wondering what I can wear them with. They were at at a vintage store here in West Virginia so I didn't want to pass them up because they were so comfortable for a heel, but now that I have them home I can't bring my self to wear them out of the house. I don't plan on wearing them to work or anything, but on a weekend how can I make them work?
Before I begin, I want to thank this reader for her kind patience; she submitted this question to me over a month ago, and unfortunately, due to my utter lack of organizational skills when it comes to e-mail - or anything non-work or non-outfit related, rather - I'm only just now addressing it.
Apologies out of the way, I'm going to be frank with you, M, I'm not a big fan of the half-pump, half-bootie (in fact, from here on out, I reserve the right to refer to this shoe as a "pootie"), whether it be suede, patent, or matte leather, vintage, couture or a mid-priced knockoff. For the same reason I recoil at the sight of wedges, espadrilles and most stacked heels, I simply can't accept into my own wardrobe a shoe that, in my view, makes a woman's foot look indelicate.
I know, I know, the contrast of a larger shoe to a thinner ankle and calf might even enhance the appearance of delicacy, but in most cases, when the woman's legs don't have a Pick-up-Stix quality to them (think Olsen-twin thin) and fail to exhibit even a hint of muscle definition, this kind of shoe - one that hides the all-important calf-to-ankle contour - will leave her feeling stocky rather than stylish.
But if you love 'em, you've got the legs for 'em, and as you've indicated, you have the good sense not to wear them into the office, who am I to try to discourage you from indulging in what is still clearly, as evidenced by their presence on every catwalk from Milan to Paris to L.A. this past season, a very in vogue footwear choice for Fall?
As for suggestions, the most palatable "pootie" pairings I've seen in-person both in New York City and along the U Street corridor here in DC have been those that integrate this unique shoe into the "theme" of the clothing that surrounds it. In other words, funkier, trendier, riskier looks that are by no means limited to but might include a pair of colored skinny jeans, a super short mod mini, or an exaggeratedly high-waisted skirt with a cropped leather bomber -- something that without question sets an edgy tone.
What you don't want to do is what I refer to as "Carmen Electra-ification" which is to either try and get away with wearing a highly-trendy piece with an otherwise pedestrian outfit or the eponymous offender's more frequent inclination to throw every every single one of Vogue's "Top 10 Trends for Fall" into a singular ensemble. This means no pairing the "pootie" with bootleg jeans and a from-The-Limited cami OR throwing it into an outfit that includes a funnel-necked mini, a swing jacket with rosette detailing, leather driving gloves, an oversized fringed bag and a large pair of bushy, run-wild eyebrows.
As with anything (other than relationship drama, of course), healthy moderation is the key.
M, I apologize in advance if this wasn't as helpful a response as you were expecting, but I hope you'll again demonstrate patience with me and try to understand that the notion of accepting tastes that run contrary to my own and trying to build recommendations around them are both very much foreign concepts. Baby steps.
16 August 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
