Stop & Smell the…

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

button up shirt under dress, faux leather LBD, tights and ankle boots, quilted navy bag

Isn’t it weird how there can be a simple thing you do every single day, and then one day you inexplicably forget to do it? Like putting on deodorant. Every day I shower, dry off, put on deodorant, and get dressed. But on this particular day I showered, dried off…and got dressed. I was sitting at my desk at work a couple hours later when I suddenly realized it. Not because I smelled bad, but because for whatever reason my brain finally caught up. Where were my personal hygiene instincts at 7:15 this morning, brain?! You’re the worst.

Of course, once I realized I wasn’t wearing deodorant, it made me nervous that I wouldn’t make it through the day without my oversight becoming obvious to those around me. And when I’m nervous what happens? I sweat. Awesome. It was a vicious cycle. Luckily, as usual I did a mediocre job of washing off the prior day’s deodorant so I think that got me through the workday without becoming a walking locker room. Once I put my coat on and turned on the heat in my car though…oy. Let’s just say this shirt is now in the laundry.

Dress (on sale) // similar Boots // similar Earrings // Bag (on sale in black & nude) // Lips “Whimsical”

How to Wear Ankle Boots

This post has now been updated for 2014! Click here to see it.

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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

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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.

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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

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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!

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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

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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

See more How to Wear posts:

Army Jacket     Oxford Shirt     Denim Jacket     Flared Skirt