No, you’re NEVER too old for sexy knee-highs
YOU’RE never too old for boots, and that’s quite something given that they’re probably up there with the first fashion items you ever truly lusted after.
I’m talking about knee boots with a heel. The boots that made you sit up and think ‘one day maybe that could be me’ when we were starting to dream of looking like Stevie Nicks (boots) or Mary Quant (boots) or Jane Fonda (boots) or Chrissie Hynde (always boots).
Don’t get me wrong, we were also eyes-on-stalks interested in the catsuits and the miniskirts and the hipster velvet trousers and the dreamy yoke-fronted maxi dresses with the little sprig patterns, but the knee boots... they were everything that fashion was capable of in one neat package.
They could make you look sophisticated and sexy and modern and daring and instantly gave you legs you hadn’t imagined possible.
Back then we were too young to know it, but that feeling doesn’t ever go away. You are never too old for boots to give you that lift and make you feel like you’re in the game.
Even so, it’s possible that like me — the world’s numberone boot fan — you’ve hardly worn knee-high ones over the past decade because it’s been all about some variation of ankle boots. And if you wear a lot of trousers and jeans and jumpsuits, a short boot is really all you need. Even with dresses, ankle boots and opaques have been the order of the day.
Which brings me to the reason why a pair of knee boots will kick-start your spring in exactly the right spirit.
These boots are the gateway to skirt-wearing in 2024; they are what will make putting aside your trousers, every now and then, effortless and a little bit exciting. If we rely on tights and shoes it is never going to happen, especially during the cold weather.
Only boots can turn a ‘might wear a skirt and a sweater today’ feeling into a head-totoe, polished, contemporary look with zero effort.
And they’re not just effortless; they’re leg-enhancing and lower-leg concealing. No need to worry about maintenance or the denier of your tights, and they will make skirts — and dresses, too — look weather-appropriate.
When actress Claire Foy was photographed exiting the BBC on a freezing cold morning a few weeks ago wearing a big sweater, a midi leather skirt with a front split, sheer tights and high heels, you thought (I did): ‘Now that calls for boots.’ Boots would have shown less leg and more daytime polish, and would have looked spot on. Warmer, too. The boots that will give you the best value per wear and last for more than a season are black and leather (smarter than suede and works better round the clock), with a medium block heel — high enough to give you a lift, sturdy enough to take you everywhere in comfort.
Boden’s Erica boots (€310, boden.eu) have everlasting appeal, with just the right proportions (a 7cm heel and an almond toe). Zara does a similar style, with a centimetrehigher heel (€119, zara.com).
Marks & Spencer’s calf leather knee boot with a kitten heel (€175, marksandspencer.com) is also a decent bet and there are some that come in four calf widths. You don’t want boots to grip (this is not a sock boot moment), but you want them to fit around the ankle and not bulge at the calf or they won’t be flattering. A more pointed toe with a kitten heel and a straight, wider leg is the edgier, fashion-forward option. The wider fit can look good, but it works best if you’re showing some leg above the top of the boot — otherwise they can make you look dumpy.
Likewise, nib kitten heels are lower but less supportive, and a lot harder on your floors. Among the practical options are Dune block-heel, squaretoe boots (€229, next.ie) and Hush’s wide kitten style (€318, hush-uk.com). Otherwise, if you want a glamour boot with a higher stiletto heel (7cm) and a pointed toe then you won’t get better value than Boden’s, half price in the sale (€155).
On balance I’d stick firmly to the middle ground: classic, classy, all-day-wearable boots are what’s going to be most useful. You don’t want a pair of boots that intimidate you or make you work around them, and you don’t want a one-season heel that’s going to age pretty quickly.
And don’t throw away your ankle boots any time soon — they will always look good under trousers.