24-Hour Party People

I went to a party sponsored by Belvedere Vodka last night. I wore a purple minidress, gray tights bought at Ross during my lunch hour, and my knee-high black boots (it looked cute, I swear). It was the first time the boyfriend had seen my new boots, and he wasted no time in describing then as "fuck-me boots" in between sips of free dirty martinis and vodka-cranberries.

But they don't have a stiletto heel! I protested. And the toe is only slightly pointy! And they're not made of that terrible, slightly shiny fake leather that many mass-market boots are made of!

So I guess any knee-high boots are automatically fuck-me boots. I suppose I'm ok with this, considering I wear them under pants most of the time and the knee-high aspect doesn't even register.

Also, at the party (which was stuffed with lovely little twentysomethings, of course), a VERY wide margin of women were wearing very similar boots - with skirts and dresses, of course.

However, I was the only one wearing gray tights, not black. I win.

(The hotel's decor was fantastic, by the way - I'm so angry I didn't bring my camera. The VIP area had wonderfully wide, shiny, tufted black pleather couches/lounges, cool little tables and a great view of the dance floor. And the bottle service menu thingie was chock-full of $2,000 wines. Oh and there were hilariously campy go-go dancers who changed outfits about every 20 minutes. Fun!)

How to wear boots, courtesy of Riikka in Helsinki

I would totally make out with this girl. She's short and curvy, yet works the hell out of teeny-heeled boots. Also, like all the stylish Finns on Hel Looks, she claims to have little interest in fashion, shopping or material possessions. Love!

[More Riikka here]

Superstars of the Day: These People

Today I am making candied grapefruit peels for my grandfather. I tried the recipe on a whim a few years ago, and the sweet, tart, summer-colored little peels became an instant family favorite, with my grandfather in particular putting them away by the dozen and begging me to make more.

The recipe is not labor-intensive, but is time intensive. Boil; boil; boil again; that's pretty much how the recipe goes. In between boilings, I am -- what else? -- looking to the Sartorialist for fashion inspiration.

Quiz time! What do the following women have in common?

If you guessed boots, you would be correct! Looking at ideas for how to rock boots in non-boring ways, I was struck by how many fashionistas pair boots with black pants (and black tights and leggings, of course). I love all these looks, though for different reasons.

The girl in the first picture is special because the bagginess of the dress is balanced by her slouchy boots. The eye is drawn to her bare shoulder and then her legs, which look wonderfully slim since they're bookended by a roomy dress and slouchy boots. A tighter dress might have made her look hoochy, but the baggy dress gives her a perfectly laid-back look.

The woman in the second picture obviously has a great body, and she's maximizing the length of her legs by pairing high-heeled boots with black skinny jeans. She's created an uninterrupted line from her hips to the tips of her toes. Also, that leather jacket is amazing.

Sometimes the boots-over-jeans look is pooh-poohed because it cuts off the length of your legs. Despite this totally valid criticism, I still think it's cute. But wearing black jeans with black boots gets around this problem, and allows you to show off every inch of your boots while protecting the cuffs of your pants from the weather. The girl in the third picture (who must be a model) is a perfect example - her legs look a mile long, though I don't have the slightest idea how she's able to ride her bike in what appears to be an extremely high-end, high-heeled boot.

If the boot fits...

There exist certain unassailable truths.

Burritos taste best when you're drunk at 2 am.

Traffic in LA is always worse than you could ever imagine or expect.

As boring, stupid or low-paying your job is, there are lots of people doing much worse.

Right when you least expect it, Nordstrom will hit you with an amazing deal.

So, I was in Nordstrom today to get a gift card for someone as a Christmas present. I browsed the shoe section real quick, just for kicks, and I couldn't help but wander over to a sad little corner of where there were sale boots. Most of the boots were hideous cast-offs, but then...hello! I spotted some supple leather and tugged at a tall black boot.

Anyway, long story short, these boots are amazing, they fit and look great, and I got them for $138 (50% off). Oh and they're Michael Kors. Hooooooooly shit.

I can only conclude that I have superior shopping karma.

Flattish Boots

So Lindsey asked for some recommendations for flat or flattish (up to 2" heel) boots. And so I set out to find her some.

Unfortunately, I live in the Land of Tiny Humans, a land where "flat boot" really means "boot with 3-inch heel." I can't tell you how many times I found a "flat" boot, only to find out it was way too tall.

Anyhoo, despite my Short-Person-O-Vision, I think I've found some boots that just might fit the bill:

Booted

Ok, for someone who claims to be unable to wear boots (my feet like to breathe, k?), I'm really enamored with some of the styles I've found. Specifically, these:

And these too:


Predictably, both pairs are tall and fierce. The first are from Dolce Vita, my favoritest brand of shoes in the world. And the second...you guys, I used to think ankle boots were the ugliest fucking things on the planet. I can't decide if this pair is totally heinous or totally hot, but people on Zappos seem to like them, and I must admit, they are oddly compelling.

Oh but the leather on the Dolce Vita pair looks so soft, and the height is nice for sweater dresses and such.

I don't know. I think a trip to DSW is in order.

Getting the Boot

Today I was thinking about Ugg boots and how much I despise them. I decided to channel my anger and browse for cool boots that don't throw me into a homicidal rage. Behold:



As you can probably tell from my selections, I am dogmatic when it comes to boots. They must be waterproof, yet the leather should not be overly stiff. They cannot be made of fake leather, because fake leather boots make your feet into stiff, sore, sweaty messes in 2.5 seconds flat.

They should be sleek, not clunky. They should have a stiletto heel or, barring that, a chunky but very high heel. They should have pointy or round toes; square toes do nothing to elongate the leg (this goes for footwear in general). They should not be flat, unless you enjoy looking like a hobbit. A 1"-2" heel is ok if you are tall/slim; otherwise, a heel that's at least 3" is better, if you can handle it.

Motorcycle-inspired boots are hot because they make you look like a badass. Also, I had a sociology TA with greased-back hair who wore a leather jacket, tight-ish jeans and motorcycle boots every day. He was oddly hot.

And Frye boots are cool, because serious boot-wearers swear by them, and they appear to be well-designed and well-constructed.

Suede is ok, but only as long as you are willing to waterproof it and take care of it.

Boots should be black, brown, toffee or tan; or, if you can pull it off, go for purple, burgundy, or dark green.

Over-the-knee boots should be saved for the bedroom. Avoid slouchy boots, because they make your legs and ankles look fat.

And I was going to say that ankle boots are stupid, but as I've been browsing I've found some cute ankle boots, so I guess they're ok. I hate when they are called "booties" or worn with dresses/skirts, because they make you look stumpy (Olsen twins, I blame you for this trend). Still, I think mid-calf boots are best in terms of looks and practicality.