You know all of the essential fall/winter 2017 luxury trends: the must-have coats, jackets, shoes, boots, handbags, day wear and jewelry. You can name-check the “it” pieces: the white boot, the sock boot, the vinyl trench coat, mismatched earrings, velvet and the fur handbag. So what’s the problem? Well, for many people the idea of wearing any one of these trends in real life – let alone more than one – can be intimidating. Raise your hand if you were a cool kid in high school, always on, always with the right look, and never trying too hard.
Hmm. Not many hands in the air. We feel you. Fashion is hard. If it were easy, everyone would look fantastic all the time. But never fear. Our Dandelion Chandelier global Style Council has convened to talk you through the big fall/winter 2017 trends, and how to make them work in your actual life, with your existing wardrobe. No fashion-school jargon, and no showing off: just some practical tips to have you looking chic in seconds. It’s our luxury lesson series, and it’s time to get schooled.
The first topic in our fall/winter curriculum is the white boot. Candidly, we’ve seen people with
graduate degrees from design school get this look wrong. It’s a difficult, risky choice that requires careful study and thought, and makes some people want to just take a pass on this trend altogether.
Why?
For starters, some are worried that white boots will make their feet look big – too wide, or too long. Or that they might make their legs look short – we’ve all been trained that nude shoes make us look leggy – this would be the opposite of that. Face it: white can be unforgiving. It can make us look heavier than we really are, which is fine if that’s what you’re going for, but otherwise really unhelpful.
Other reasons people are spooked about ghostly white boots? They might stain easily. White boots could be a passing fad that will leave us feeling conned when they go out of style and we’re stuck with an expensive pair. White boots in fall and winter call a huge amount of attention to themselves. It’s hard to hide in sparkling white booties, let alone tall white go-go boots. And don’t get us started on the over-the-knee ones.
The first thing to remember is that not all white boots are the same. The Style Council kindly provided us with photos of a series of white booties and tall boots currently available for sale. Some have chunky heels, some stiletto heels. Some are fitted at the ankle, some are wide. Some are dead-simple and clean, and some are embellished. Some are peep-toe and some are cowboy boots. There are mules, shoe-booties, ankle boots, tall boots, and boots so long they reach mid-thigh. Some are matte, and some are patent leather. Some have laces!
Somewhere in that mix, there’s a pair that is going to look great on you.
Once you’ve tried on a few and found the right pair, here are our 5 tips on how to wear white boots of all lengths, all year round:
1. The heel color matters. A lot. We tried on a number of designer-priced white boots, in part to convince ourselves that anyone can rock this look with a little patience and persistence in finding the right pair. And we think that’s true. For us, the best and most attractive looks were the boots with heels that are either transparent, metallic, wooden or black. A pure white heel evoked nursing shoes on our not-supermodel-long legs. Tall leggy types will have more options, but for those of us with real-world bodies, we think a contrasting heel is a lot more flattering.
2. Monochromatic is one way to play this. You could look incredibly chic by wearing white head-to-toe: sweater, jeans, and boots. This would work with bright white, winter white, and everything in-between. Just keep the palette clean, simple and consistent, and wear a killer coat or jacket in a stunning color or print over it all.
3. Wearing white boots with white-background prints also works. The plethora of “Space Age” bags, coats, jackets, sweaters and dresses means that there are many prints with white backgrounds available for fall/winter in fabrics made for cold climates. Floral, geometric, bright colors or subdued pastels – any of those will work. Grab one with even the tiniest bit of white in the print, and as long as the white in your shoes complements the white in the print you’re wearing, you’ve nailed it.
4. White + blue = Super Chic. If you’re feeling a bit bolder, take a cue from all of the “galaxy” moon-and-star motifs seen on the runway for fall/winter, and pair your white boots with deep navy, sapphire blue, or dark denim. Toss in a velvet piece and you’ve checked two trends with one look. Accessorize with silver or gold and bam: your look is fresh, elegant and totally on-trend.
5. Other great color pairings are already in your closet. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find you have plenty of items in your wardrobe to pair with your cool new boots. Black, pink and white: awesome. Chocolate brown, camel and white: quiet and classy. Black, white and leopard print: sassy and sexy. White, grey and buttercream-yellow: delicious. Black and white and almost anything (teal, red, orange): yes! Why not?
See how much fun this is? And you were scared you wouldn’t be able to rock this look. All you need to do is go pick out a pair of white boots, and then play around with what you already own. Tall boots need a short skirt. Midi-dresses and skirts need short boots. Follow that basic idea and you’ll be fine.
White boots will wake up your wardrobe in unexpected ways. They’ll draw positive attention your way. And they’ll keep your spirits bright all winter long. If you need any further encouragement, just remember that Wonder Woman conquered evil in a pair of chic white boots. If she can do it, so can we. Come on, friends. Let’s fly!
