This post has now been updated for 2014! Click here to see it.
It’s time for the long-awaited next installment of “How to Wear”! This time I’m talking ankle boots or booties. They’re so darn adorable, but they can be hard to wear. They cut off your legs at the ankle (as you might have guessed), which can make you look shorter, which in turn can make you look fatter. I don’t mean to speak for all women, but I tend to shoot to look more like Gisele and less like Danny Devito. The key to wearing ankle boots is elongating your legs as much as you can while still showing off the shape of the shoe.
Your ankle boot styling options depend on the kind of heel you’re working with, so I’ve split my examples into 3 categories: wedges, flats, and heels.
Wedge ankle boots
Wedge boots are my favorite so I put them first! You get extra height, which makes them easier to wear, but they’re still comfortable. I wear my wedge ankle boots with cuffed skinny jeans all the time. Skinny jeans make my short legs look as long as they’ll ever look (still not that long). But cuffing them a bit helps show off the shoe. If you have cropped skinny jeans, that would work too.
Wedge ankle boots can work with a skirt or dress too, as long as the hem falls a few inches above the knee. The more leg that’s showing, the longer your legs look. Just keep it decent, OK ladies?
Shop Wedge Ankle Boots: Save // Spend // Splurge
Flat ankle boots
Flat ankle boots are the hardest. They accentuate my lack of height, but I still love them! I wear them with cuffed skinny jeans just like my wedges. You’ll notice in both of the above outfits I tucked in my shirt – if you’re already cutting off the leg line at the bottom, you don’t want to do it at the top too!
Friends don’t let friends wear leggings as pants. Always cover your junk. That said, leggings can be very slimming on your stems, and you can get away with a short tunic. Flat booties with leggings can be a fun alternative to sneakers or flip flops with a super casual outfit.
Shop Flat Ankle Boots: Save // Spend // Splurge
Heeled ankle boots
Heeled ankle boots can be worn almost any way you would wear regular old pumps. They’re a great option for the winter because they’re a little sturdier than pumps and you get more coverage on your chilly feet.
Shop Heeled Ankle Boots: Save // Spend // Splurge
I did some shopping last month and wore a few new things for the first time. It was nice to have my little card to give me some ideas of old stuff to pair with the newbies. For example, I might have just thrown a cardigan over my new LOFT dress (upper right), but I tried a turtleneck instead, which I think was a lot more unique. And it was nice to bust out the old bubble necklace after giving it a long break. The color looked so nice with the minimalistic black and white sweater.