Friday, April 10, 2009

How to Wear Thigh High Boots


BACKGROUND: Some of you may recall that I spied with my little eye this insane pair of slouchy Zucca boots awhile back, and I LOVE them because they certainly make a statement--so much so that a zillion designers fully just ripped them off. Still, I was unsure about how they would translate off the runway. Um, also, they cost $650 at La Garconne, cough, and the saleslady there said that she wouldn't let me return them since they were final sale, (down from $1620). Now, I get what clearance means and stuff, but these have Japanese sizing which is hard to compare to the U.S. version, and frankly, thigh-high boots are a damn tricky trend and I wanted to make sure these weren't monstrous in real life. I even told her that if she would let me exchange them should there be a problem, I would take store credit, but again, no go. So now I am kind of over La Garconne. I bite my thumb at you.

What followed was an embarrassing amount of time spent locating another retailer in the States, since like, no one carries them, which is surprising because they design really interesting stuff. But! Finally! Success! I found them for sale at cute Hollywood boutique Creatures of Comfort for a mere $415 (okay that's not cheap but big buttery, imported leather boots aren't ever cheap, plus keep in mind I was having a moment), and even though they were final sale the chick there was TOTALLY understanding and said I could return them if they didn't work out. La Garconne, 0, Creatures of Comfort 1.

Anyway, they came in the mail and they're totally lovely, but again, thigh-high boots are not easy to pull off. Here's why these work so well: They're a dark, chocolate brown, so they effortlessly go with black, brown, white and everything in between. They're definitely high, but not high-heeled, which is key to avoiding the Pretty Woman hooker look syndrome that is flourishing right now. So unfortunate. (For the record, they do have more lift than a flat, which is nice.) Lastly, they're not only comfortable, they're really versatile: You can scrunch them way down on your calf in case you're feeling kind of demure about the audacity of the thigh.

Also, proportion is key. Even Kate Moss manages to look a bit squat in her thigh-highs every now and then. What you need to avoid is chopping yourself into too many sections. Pair with a simple, short-ish, diaphanous dress or a roomy tee and skinny jeans. To balance the largesse of the boots, a chunky cardigan or similar layering does the trick. A good scarf helps, too. My only trubs at this point is wearing them out before next fall, when the trend is predicted to be huge. Then again, obviously I feel all smug and shit for being on top of this before every last mall teen has shelled out their babysitting money on inappropriate thigh-baring footwear. (Prepare yourselves!) Lastly, I know these are stupid expensive during these tough times. If anyone's interested, I'll totally start researching a more affordable knock-off. I just don't think there is one, YET. Stay tuned...

2 comments:

  1. i'm not down with the way they turn into ropers below the ankle!

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  2. i know it looks a little cray-cray, that's part of why i was initially hesitant. the cool thing is they slouch so much when you put them on that it becomes a non-issue. otherwise, yikes!

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