Fastest way to reboot your re-entry wardrobe
ONe thing you can say about lockdown is we’ve had time to think about what we want to wear and what we need to buy. Now that the end is in sight we want that one wear-with-everything, valuefor-money item but also (this is fashion, not double glazing) something new that says ‘It’s spring 2021 and we’re back in the game. hello World!’
After mulling it over for some weeks (post-virus we’re all going to be more cautious about what we buy and, above all, concerned that whatever it is has staying power), I’ve narrowed the bullseye down to boots.
Not long boots — much as I love them, they don’t score high enough on the ultraversatile and easy-to-wear test — short boots. Let’s not call them ankle boots this time. They could be cropped on the ankle bone or a few inches taller, and they’re subtly different from the ankle boots we already own.
The short boot that will make the difference now is not the polished ankle-gripping stiletto sort, or a chunky flat boot with a tyre sole, and it’s not black. It’s low, mid-heeled (that’s important: either block or Cuban but never more than six centimetres), subtly western in style, with a somewhat pointed oval toe, and it’s probably tan or taupe and suede.
TheRe’S nothing new about the appeal of this sort of boot. Twelve years ago Isabel Marant made the western-style ankle boot the go-to problemsolver for women who want cool, easy footwear. her suede Dicker boot with a curved top and Cuban heel, which she’s repeated every year since, may be the most copied footwear style of all time.
Since it came on the scene, it’s never been out of fashion to wear a suede ankle boot with everything from jeans to prairie dresses. I’ve lived in mine, but now feel the need for something a bit chunkier and edgier. A boot to go with the current fashion mood which is, broadly speaking, feminine and bohemian mixed up with unisex sporty elements.
The short western boot is somewhere in between: it’s got biker-boot attitude without being heavy or clunky, and the boho swagger of a cowboy boot without the fuss. We’ll wear them with flippy midi dresses or tiered skirts as a counterweight to prettiness and flounce, or with cropped, straight blue or white jeans.
You can look crisp and officeready in them (just add a blazer) or wear them with a sweater and a longish skirt (and a sliver of bare calf) for cocktails.
They’ll go perfectly with the new wider trousers, too, since they’ll give you more height than your old Chelsea boots.
If you want to get out of your trainers and into something that will go with everything, this is it. The ones I’ve got my eye on are low-cut cowboy boots in tan suede with a bronze trim (£259, chilvers.com) by the queen of the Spanish-influenced boot, Penelope Chilvers.
It’s hard to choose between the taller taupe suede Cali boots (£259) she’s wearing in her spring catalogue, or the Salva style in oiled suede (£299), which are more jodhpurboot-inspired, with elasticated sides and a higher block heel.
In the end, though, the aforementioned cropped Cassidy cowboy boots just win because the shorter length will be better come summer. Chilvers’ boots are not cheap, but they will last for ever.
Or Jigsaw has a pull-on style with a sharply angled heel in grey suede (£45, jigsaw-online. com). It pays to not succumb to too much cowboy detailing. Office has a western boot (£45, office.co.uk), but it’s only going to work with jeans.
Not everyone will be a fan of the western look, in which case your best bet is Arket’s plain tan, zip-back boot with a midblock heel (£162.07, arket.com). And if you can’t step away from black leather, the brand has a Cuban-heeled style (£190).
Black is always tempting, but remember, it won’t blend in with soft summer prints — and for me, the real appeal of these boots is getting into soft skirts and floaty dresses without looking like I’ve dressed up. Re-entry step one.