Ladies, time to get your bootie on! Last fall, I obsessed about an ankle boot (or 'bootie') I saw online at my favorite French boutique, Comptoir des Cotonniers. These are the booties that started it all for me.
 |
| Image from pinterest.com. |
Lisa and I traveled to NYC in October 2011 on a shopping trip, and visited the 2 Comptoir boutiques that existed in the U.S. at the time (one in Soho and one on the Upper West Side) to see if I could find them. Both stores were out of my size. And then I remembered that Bloomingdales in NYC has a store-in-store for Comptoir. We went, and I purchased the LAST pair of size 39s in the U.S..
I'm SOOOOO glad I bought them. I wore them with everything from slim bootcut jeans to cropped pants, almost everyday. These booties inspired 2 more bootie purchases last year too - a grey, weather-proof suede pair and a dressier, rag & bone black bootie (below) that I wore with pants as well as with opaque tights and dresses. (Full disclosure: Lisa spotted these rag & bone ones first, and I couldn't resist copying her.)
 |
| Image from pinterest.com. |
This year, booties are EVERYWHERE for this fall and if you've visited Lisa's Fall 2012 Pinterest page, you can see how obsessed she is too. Believe me, booties are such a fun change from ballet flats and knee-high boots in the winter.
For everyday booties, I like a stacked heel with height coming in around 2 1/2 to 3 inches maximum. One of the classics out there is by rag & bone; their 'Newbury' bootie that comes in 4-5 colors, both in suede or rugged leather, and is ridiculously comfortable.
 |
| Image from rag-bone.com. |
If you are not comfortable with the price-tag or heel height that accompanies them, brands like DV by Dolce Vita have great booties too. The 'Nuri' and 'Java' booties are really attractive, even more so since they are both under $130 a pair.
 |
| Images from nordstrom.com. |
I've seen more 'everyday' - thicker heel, casually styled - booties this fall than I've ever seen. If an everyday bootie fits your lifestyle, consider a tan or light brown suede. They work well with jeans as well as black, tan, and navy colors.
And you ask: "How do I wear them?". Casual booties can be worn with jeans, pants, and more casual dresses. Calypso St. Barth shows this boot styled several different ways...
 |
| Image from calypsostbarth.com. |
...with skinny jeans rolled to the tops of the booties...
 |
| Image from calypsostbarth.com. |
...or with a casual dress and bare legs (a great transition look into fall).
 |
| Image from calypsostbarth.com. |
Even paired over a pant, cuffed or cropped, booties give an outfit (that probably already in your closet) an updated look. Below, this plain top, belted into a slightly cropped pant looks a more polished with the booties than with a pair of flats, doesn't it?
 |
| Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com. |
For dressier occasions, go with a smooth leather bootie with a higher, thinner heel. Basically, a closed pump. Pair them with dress pants, a dress, or pencil skirt. So nice to have a change from the standard pump, and a bit warmer in colder temperatures. This Corso Como bootie is an inexpensive, great way to enter the bootie market, at Bloomingdale's for $169.
 |
| Image from bloomingdales.com. |
This bootie is one of the few I've seen with a mid-heel. By Pour la Victoire, it's also a great start for trying out the dressier bootie look.
 |
| Image from bloomingdales.com. |
And as for how to where them? Check out these looks for inspiration. You can add stockings or tights as the season changes.
 |
| Images from net-a-porter.com. |
There are TOO many booties out there to post one picture at a time. So I went to trusty Polyvore and created a set, showcasing some of the best choices for everyday and dressier booties. Whatever you do, just try some pairs on the next time you are in the shoe department. Enjoy the ode-to-booties below! ~ JH
