Those big bad booties
THE trend started a few seasons back with the clodhoppers at Balenciaga -- menacing, thick-heeled booties paired with sweet, flippy short skirts. A look that was practically impossible for mortals to wear.
Of course, that didn’t stop the return of the ankle boot. They rode the 1980s resurgence to fame. And for fall, they are being done over in patent leather and spectator styles, reaching anywhere between the anklebone to just below the shin. Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana -- all the big boys are doing them.
They add an irresistible rebel rocker attitude -- just what’s needed to offset fall’s girlishly tailored trend of high-waisted pencil skirts and sophisticated day dresses.
But, oh, how they want to go bad. Put most of these boots on most anyone’s legs and you get something that looks like horse’s hoof. Not graceful stallion -- clomping Clydesdale is more like it. A trot straight into cankle country. And that’s if you manage to wear them with the right outfit.
That’s the challenge: The one item that can add edge to a fall ensemble also wants to cut off the leg line in a most unflattering way. Stylist Jessica Paster knows all about ankle boots. She’s a fan of them, and believes most women can wear them -- if they know a few crucial rules. Paster has dressed clients such as Hilary Duff, Emily Blunt and Jewel in styles ranging from trendy rock chick to elegant and refined, all with ankle boots. They actually looked good.
Paster’s first rule: Choose a lower style that cuts under the anklebone. It is far easier and more flattering to wear, no matter the length or shape of the legs. A higher-cut boot that climbs farther up the leg is only for those with limb to spare.
Get the scoop
“The lower style that cuts just under the ankle still gives length in the leg,” Paster says. She especially likes the black Jimmy Choo “Seville” style, with multiple gold buckles across the top of the foot. “Christian Louboutin also makes great ones. Hilary has a black patent leather pair that has the scoop so it has that flattering line under the bone.”
Beyond the ‘80s
The ankle boot was an ‘80s rock staple, but since has been reincarnated into everything from lace-up to S&M; styles. Paster is adamant that the boots belong in anyone’s wardrobe today, because they bring the right amount of edge to your overall look. “I think they’re more versatile than just ‘80s,” she says. “We incorporated them into in Hilary’s tour, pairing them with leggings and tights. I also love them with patterned socks.” Um, OK. Maybe on stage.
For country-folk crooner Jewel, Paster kept the singer’s cowgirl cute vibe by pairing black ankle boots with laid-back, wide-leg jeans.
Class, not trash
Beware that left to its own devices, the ankle boot wants to look trashy. Keep the look sleek and sophisticated by pairing boots in black, chocolate or a dull metallic with (tasteful) miniskirts, simple above-the-knee dresses or evenly washed skinny jeans. Top it off with a sharp blazer or secretary blouse. “I love wearing them with leggings,” says Paster, “even with that little bit of skin between the edge of the legging and the boot. I like that skin showing.” Extremely dark, opaque tights or dark, solid-colored leggings will always keep ankle boots on the classy side. Mixing them up with splashy prints or sheer stockings is taking it right into Whitesnake video girl territory.
A leg up
You don’t have to have gazelle legs to get a great line going. Length and a slim silhouette can come from shimmying on some dark leggings or tights for a lean, lithe look. “These boots are especially great for fall, because you can wear tights if your legs are not as shapely. Wear very opaque tights, as thick and as dark as you can go.”
Just don’t
Whether you choose the easier to wear boot with a flattering “scoop” or the more difficult high length, wearing ankle boots with a skirt or dress longer than the knee is a crime of fashion. “It’s a very bad line on the body,” Paster says. “It’s unflattering to anyone.” She advises sticking with skinny jeans, which can get tucked into the higher cut boot, or a wide leg that would fall over the rim. “You can wear ankle boots with everything from short shorts to minidresses to skinny jeans. They are a bit more daring because they are fashion forward, but they should be a wardrobe staple.”
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