Cognac or other brown boots - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Cognac or other brown boots

em

I have pale olive skin and brown hair (think Lisa Eldridge or Karmina of Shameless Fripperies for coloring.) Needless to say, I have always stayed away from tans, oatmeals, and other browns. Colors that look good on me are generally in the deep winter family.

I am thinking of adding a brown-based boot to my shoe wardrobe. I recall somewhere that cognac can look fantastic with burgundy, and of course leopard print has brown, black, and white it in. So I am thinking that the RIGHT shade of brown will be OK.

Can anyone steer me to the right direction in terms of colors and ensembles that I can use as a reference? Thanks.

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

There are warm browns and cool browns. It sounds like you may want a cool toned brown, like a dark chocolate.

bj1111

Veteran

Depends on what colors you wear predominantly. I just bought another very dark chocolate brown boot that looked black in the photo. I am having a hard time integrating it into my mostly charcoal, gray and black wardrobe without another brown to tie it in. The cognac would have work better because the color is clearly different and I have clothes with warm-ish blacks or charcoals with green undertones that would work with the cognac.

DonnaF

Veteran

I don't think you can go wrong if you find a brown that matches or blends with your hair. That way it will bookend and you won't have to wear another brown to tie it all together. Of course, you can also buy leopard patterned footwear.

Anonymous

Yes, do blend with your hair. That's what I do, and it always works.

Ro

ITA, that it depends on if the burgundy pulls warm or cool.
Warm burgundy looks fantastic with cognac and cool with a more bitter chocolate shade. If you are Deep Winter, I think cooler tones may work?

Sal

Veteran

http://youlookfab.com/2016/10/.....ers-bling/

http://youlookfab.com/2016/05/.....ped-pants/

http://youlookfab.com/ensembles/page/9/

http://youlookfab.com/ensembles/page/10/

Here are a few of Angie's ensembles featuring brown and cognac footwear. Some of them may appeal more than others but they provide a starting point.

I find cognac/tan easy to integrate, as well as camel. I do find chocolate harder (I am a dark blonde), maybe because it is too similar to black but not black.

Style Fan

Veteran

I would go with a colour that bookended your hair. Then it "goes" with everything because you are always wearing your hair.
A cool dark brown would work well. Have you thought of a dark purply brown? That would look good with lots of colours. My Chelsea boots are a purply brown and go with most of my bottoms. They are a warm colour but I did see a beautiful cool purply brown the other day.

Glory

Veteran

Last year I purchased a brown riding boot in leather. I had some difficulty in the beginning pairing with my black, charcoal, navy base but now love them and happily wear them with black. I credit YLF for my leap from black to brown.

El Cee

Veteran

I personally love pairing warm cognac footwear and accessories (including leopard print that has hints of cognac) with deep cool tones like burgundy or navy. Cognac also looks amazing paired with cool neutrals like gray, black and ink. Angie has shown a lot of these cool/warm type pairings in her Friday ensembles. I own both cognac and dark brown footwear and find cognac to be far more versatile.

This post has 4 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Anonymous

I agree with you El Cee. I wear mostly cool tones, with little brown, and I find the lighter/more cognac side of shoes works better for me than a deep brown. It seems to add a pop of interest, whereas dark brown, for me, disappears into the outfit. However, I have light hair, so the lighter shoes "bookend" better for me.

JAileen

Veteran

I love Style Fan's comment - most of us do wear our hair all the time! If your clothes look good with your hair then they would look good with boots that are the same color as your hair.

Anonymous

I don't care if dark brown disappears into my outfit. I care about bookending my hair for a cohesive look. Today, for example, I'm wearing dark brown ankle boots with charcoal pants, coral top, and charcoal knit moto jacket.

Anonymous

BC - I was remarking it's not universal if a shoe disappears or pops. It depends on our coloring and the entire outfit. It feels good when color adds to a cohesive outfit. Putting grays and Browns together is new for me, but I like the combo, especially with white.

Anonymous

I have dark brown hair and for a very long time, my main neutral leather was dark brown.
I think it works with everything, even burgundy.
I love cognac too -- I think it's the best neutral with white (full disclosure, I don't own anything in cognac).
If you're concerned about bookending (which is a type of repetition of colour) you could wear the cognac boots with a cognac belt. I don't think you have to worry about your skin colour if the brown is far from your face.