Tan patent knee-high boots, £130
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’m always singing the praises of tan boots – and permanently on the hunt for the perfect, knee-high version.
Could these be the ones? Topshop’s ‘Carrie’ has the perfect, goes-with-everything colour, a classic, knee-high shaft, and a heel that’s high, but chunky, which should (hopefully) make them easy enough to walk in. Most importantly, however, the upper is patent, as opposed to the more usual matte leather we see on this kind of style, which makes them that little bit more “special”, and a whole lot smarter. I don’t think a boot like this could be classed as “dressy”, exactly, but they will instantly dress up a pair of jeans or casual dress, without making the outfit look too dressed-up. (I don’t know about you, but I face a daily battle to find outfits which allow me to “dress up” in my favourite clothes, without making me feel totally over-dressed for whatever I’m going to be doing that day.)
For that reason alone, I love them: the patent upper is a great way to give a wardrobe basic a bit of a lift, and the colour, as I’ve said many times, is perfect for boots, as it works well with so many other shades.
dress / bag / scarf / coatigan
For this look, I’ve styled the boots with one of my other all-time favourite things: stripes! This outfit is a classic ‘shoeper’ nautical-inspired look, which will take you through from winter to early spring. Once the weather warms up, you can ditch the coatigan and exchange the boots for a pair of sandals (tan ones, naturally!) and keep right on wearing it! I’ve never been able to resist adding a pop of red to any outfit including stripes, but any other bright would work with this one, too!
