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How Many Black Booties Does a Blonde Haired Woman Need?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Honestly.

I think Una and I should live together for two months, so our better qualities could rub off on one another and each of us could keep the other one's more regrettable tendencies in check.

Remember last year when she was bewailing the need to buy boring basics and I was championing said basics?

(Of course my own recent thread (http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....style-long) shows why a wardrobe entirely composed of basics is a big a flop as one composed entirely of wackadoodle divas.)

Then, recently, Una sighed about the necessity to buy a pair of sleek black booties.
And she has the black hair to bookend them!

Now, here I come, wondering if I can possibly justify ANOTHER pair.

I own: Doc Marcies lace up wedges. And Josef Seibel Callas, a daintier, more dress-friendly bootie. The Marcies are comfortable, rugged, and fun. The Callas are super comfortable, lightweight, and dress-friendly, but a little bit more embellished than I might prefer, and perhaps a bit too dainty for my taste. I LOVED them as my first bootie and am super grateful to list-mate Krishnidoux for alerting me to them. And I will absolutely wear them with pleasure for another year. But. On the whole, I would prefer something more sleek.

Yesterday I tried on these DV Joust booties....and they are great. Simple, streamlined, comfortable, neither uber dressy or uber casual. Strong, is I guess how they feel. http://www.amazon.com/Dolce-Vi.....B0084ABDTA

In the store, they come in black, and in a sort of taupe. Both colours are super. I thought of getting taupe for bookending, but I already have the Reports, so that seems sort of silly, although this taupe is a bit darker. Also, with its open V front, the Report somehow feels very much like a warmish-weather bootie. I can't see myself wearing it in the depths of winter. Whereas I CAN see wearing the taupe DV. But in winter I don't wear I lot of taupe and brown. I DO wear a lot of black tights...and black lengthens the leg line with tights and with dark wash jeans. This is what I have been pondering.

They also have them in blue online (but not in store). So that is another option.

Or maybe I should just forget it entirely! Because...let's face it, they ARE a basic!

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Dressing

31 replies

Latest reply was from Gaylene

Anonymous

IDK Suz, there is just something about black footwear, especially in the winter! I like to wear black shoes when I'm wearing a black/navy/charcoal jacket. Bookending your hair is great, but it doesn't give you as long of a line. I can see a good use for a darker nude for you for dresses.....the blue sounds interesting, and you could always dye them black later if the color doesn't work out. Any chance you can wait until your are in the throes of boot-wearing to decide on the color? Right now it's all kind of hypothetical, if you know what I mean.

ETA: I went to Amazon to look at the other colors and the navy and 'smog' seem almost as dark as the black, while giving off a distinctly more rugged vibe because of their texture. My vote is for the black ones for your style because, like you said, they are neither uber casual nor uber dressy. And I happen to know you have a lot of black jackets.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Claire, you are so right. I am afraid they will go in my size if I wait too long, but it's absolutely true that this is a risk I can take, since it's not as if I am going to have to go barefoot in the meantime! Smart woman, you are.

The blue could be good with denim and with quite a lot of my other fall outfits - it would work with grey, charcoal, black...it's a dark soft blue, not a bright blue. Like a dark denim.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I can wear booties at least 9 months of the year. They are my walking shoes - and I walk a lot! I say you need at least two pairs of light booties to go with your hair - MINIMUM. I have more pairs and am always looking for more because I wear taupe, bone and cream booties - all different light colours, which have different effects with my outfits. Also, some are casual and some are dressy.

I do not own a pair of black booties - just black biker shooties with cut outs that don't look as harsh. I also have no desire to buy black booties, although I love my knee-high black boots and have several pairs. It's interesting that you want more black booties, Suz. And actually it makes sense! You have darker hair than I do, and are more tanned year round, You also have a bit of black in your hair. Black booties work better for your type of dark blonde and complexion than they do for me.

Anonymous

Oops, I edited while you and Angie were posting.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Funny, I've been wondering if I can justify another pair of black booties, and I have the dark hair for natural bookending.

I have these Fluevogs:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nxtdrgrrl/5389761216/

And these Libby Edelmans:
http://www.amazon.com/Libby-Ed.....B004WMNC5C

So they have very different vibes and uses. But I have been eyeing these:
http://www.solestruck.com/vaga.....dium=email

And some similar, edgier, chunkier styles. Something more stompy.

So I hear you! I think if you're considering a new bootie that has a distinctly different look than your others, and the outfits to support it, I say go for it. Especially if you find something that really encapsulates the style shift you have been talking about. I think that's what's going on with my new black bootie ponderings, maybe with yours as well?

Beth Ann

Veteran

Suz, the brown touches on these give them a strong, slightly earthy look. They are beautiful. The question might be -- are you far enough in your style-redirection to know what your "holes" are yet? Or, are these booties an inspiration you want to build around?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I like your suggestion, Claire! It makes sense because Suz is a dark blonde :).

Suz

(website)

Veteran

That is very wise, Angie. I think you are right - I could definitely use another pair of light booties. But these ones are so similar to the Reports (both have a stacked wooden heel, both have a slightly casual vibe. I think I should hold out for a light bootie that looks significantly different. Something more polished. Like your snakeskin ones, perhaps. I love those.

You are also right about my colouring. My hair is definitely darker than yours. In winter, I'm super pale skinned, but not ivory - there are always pink tones to my skin and I do get a bit "warmer" in the summer - not that I'm out in the sun a lot but I always end up with a slight tan on my face and arms despite sunscreen, and I tend to make my legs match my face and arms with the help of Jergens!

I think you're the first person EVER to say that there is black in my hair. And you know what? I think you are right. It's really probably charcoal more than black, and it's kind of an undertone, but it is there. And I think it is one reason that I can wear SOME blacks, sometimes, better than one might expect (although black is still quite draining to me and I do have to be intentional with it.) And I think it is also why I tend to look better in deeper toned colours than one might expect.

This startled the woman who did my "colours" before I came to YLF. When I first walked in, she wondered if I'd be an autumn, but quickly ruled that out. Then she assumed I'd be a soft summer. But she ended up putting me into the cool summer category because I look downright awful in the lighter summer colours and benefitted from the deeper tones.

Well, that's more to ponder. Thank you so much!

I will probably wait on these for a little while and consider either the taupe or the blue.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, I just read all your smart comments! You are SO helpful.

And now I might reverse my thinking and continue to consider the black! But I'm not going to spring for it yet. Janet and Beth Ann, you have reminded me to think hard about whether these represent the style direction I want to go in. I think their sleekness does. And the fit was good (always important!) But they may be a bit on the casual side.

Off to ponder - thank you!

Janet, by the way, yours all feel COMPLETELY different, and I think each one of those would be justified in your wardrobe (assuming you can afford, of course!) Each makes perfect sense for different outfits of yours and different purposes. I can see the Fluevogs with dresses, the flat booties for casual weekends and walking in the city, and the newer ones to make a statement with denim or with substantial skirts/ dresses and to give you that sense of power and a hint of "tough." Love them all!

Mona

Veteran

Suz, i have a little bit of poisoned eye towards black colour. if you get a light coloured bootie, may be you will be forced to wear some different colours in winter other than black. Angie's snakeskin ones are to die for.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Good point, Mona! I do wear a lot of black, sad to say...

Or...DO I?

Actually, contrary to what Claire said, I only own ONE black jacket. (So far...)

I DO, however, own several black bottoms - one trousers, and 4 black skirts -- all different lengths, styles and functions, but nonetheless.

I also have two black-and-white jackets.

I guess that is why black footwear makes sense. If I got myself some different coloured bottoms I might not be so interested in it!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I fixed my typos

Suz, holding out for a different pair of light booties is a great idea. As for the black in your hair - charcoal is more precise :). Point is, your overall blonde complexion is darker than mine, and that makes those deeper shades work really well. You also look best in cool tones, whereas mine have to be warm (but not earthy), unless I'm wearing stark white, black and silver grey. I am a "Warm Spring" - to compare using similar terminology.

Vix

Veteran

I am probably the wrong person to ask about limiting dark footwear/boots....

Light colors in cold-weather winters always seems wrong to me, even for blondes. Not that my grey/blonde friend cares about my opinion a whit -- she wears IVORY everything (trench, jeans, booties) during our rainy winters and just washes out the inevitable mud splashes. And she looks great doing it!

So it comes down to style preferences/goals, really. Maybe you want the lighter ones now to wear in fall, and then again spring?

I will say I rather like the idea of the blue color, especially as you like charcoal clothing and are trying to scrounge up streamlined avant-garde-y blues. Like wearing black with dark denim, but the reverse. And you might even find you like the blue with jeans.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I guess you have to be blonde and fair skinned to appreciate wearing light clothes year round in Seattle, Vix

Jem

Veteran

That's a hard choice Suz! I love the boots you've found, though. I wish they were a little shorter and I'd consider them. I've been thinking about getting some black booties, too. I've pretty much cut out black, too, but I do still wear it with dresses and know what you mean about black tights, etc. It's just not the same think with grey. BTW, I'm a cool summer, too. Anyway, I love the ones you posted!

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I never knew that one needs so many shoes until I joined YLF! I only have two pairs of knee high boots and one pair of booties (black & flat). I definitely think that is not enough. The concept of matching the booties to hair color is intriguing, too. I should have more brown ones then, I guess. But like you, Suz, the traditional Autumn coloring doesn't fit me too well, and Summer colors are wrong, too. I can wear medium gray and black, for instance. I don't think your coloring is very different from mine, although you probably are a bit lighter.

Enough about me. It's been really interesting to read your LONG thread about style evolvement. I'm thinking that gray booties could be very versatile for you if you already have a few black ones? They would probably fit a modern, fashion forward style if the look is right, and they would go with almost anything. I eyed a pair today that made me interested. Maybe you like them, too:

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Vix

Veteran

So true, Angie, so true!

But kidding aside, I can appreciate how good my 70+ friend looks amazing walking down the street in the rain with her light trench and white jeans and her grey-blonde hair swinging. It's sort of an I DEFY MUD TO BESMIRCH ME thing.

In Suz's neck of the woods, though...snow/cooooold temps + light clothing gives me the same feeling as seeing all photos of woman at Coachella in skimpy clothing and full-height cowboy boots.

Apparently I'm very rigid about certain seasonal things, ha. Suz, I await your explorations with half-open, half-shut mind!

catgirl

Veteran

Suz, move on in! I can admire your amazingly fit bod and razor-edgy pixie! Too funny.

I think I've realized that even my basics need to be statements in some way, and I'm okay with that. Equipment shirts, for instance - basic or statement? And you may be on the same journey there - you want simple but strong statement pieces at the same time. And black to me generally reads as tougher/less girly than other colors in the same shoe, though there are obviously exceptions.

I gave up on my light boot search because I realized it just wasn't going to work for me with the whole bookending struggle. I don't do light colors. But you DO wear black, and I think you should take advantage of that.

Off to clean up the guest room....

catgirl

Veteran

Those DVs are on my try list, you know - the only things holding me back were the wooden heel (maybe too casual?) and the brown tab on the zipper which I assume can be removed.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Suz, how about a pair of grey booties to bookend that charcoal in your hair? I find grey is often easier to wear than black because it is softer and pairs easy with a lot of colors. I LOVE my grey boots and find them much easier to wear than black and also find that they have a big impact in my wardrobe.
I usually limit myself in footwear of the same color unless the style is dramatically different. I find I get more versatility and wear-ability this way. For me these booties would be too similar in appearance to your JS ones - yes, they have different style but they read pretty similar to me in overall appearance especially with black tights. But this is me, I like to have a minimal wardrobe with maximum potential

ironkurtin

Veteran

I love black booties. Black shoes rock. All of my pants are dark - so I like to continue the line.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You are all super-helpful. IK, I think your footwear collection is beyond brilliant. Mind you, you have darker hair so probably wear black footwear more successfully than I do. (Which doesn't stop me from loving black booties anyway!)

Sveta, I share your goal of a wardrobe that is maximally efficient. You are my idol in this and I take this advice very seriously.

I also think a pair of charcoal or medium grey booties would be perfect. Now to find the perfect pair. I like the ones you linked to, Ingunn, but they are a bit casual/rugged for my needs. I want one with a snug ankle that can be worn with dresses as well as pants.

Una, you are ON! I would love to move in. You could teach me climbing. And I could admire your slim hips!!

Also, you are 100% right. We ARE on a very similar style journey, just coming at it from opposite directions. I have thought this for quite a while. Very often I admire the looks you wear. I couldn't necessarily wear the same things (different body type) but really like the idea. So it is a question of translating it into my own language.

Re the DVs....I will PM you just in case you don't see this, but you are right - the heel might seem to casual if you want to wear a lot with dresses for work. My lifestyle is more casual so I thought they might work okay for me that way. The tassel can most certainly be removed. Weirdly, I loved it. I say weirdly because I thought it would seem a bit boho or whatever. IRL to me it added a really neat touch.

The ankles on you might not be snug enough. On me they looked great from the front. I wasn't 100% sure about the side view. But they felt fantastic. I am pretty sure my ankles are wider than yours, though. Not that I have super big ankles but I do have much wider calves than you and you have very dainty ankles, right?

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Um I have 6-8 pairs of black ankle boots, depending on how you count them.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Anna, thank you for your enabling, LOL!!

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

But they're all different, I swear! *Sheepish grin*

JR

Veteran

You know, bookending is a useful technique, not a rule. It is one thing that works well, but not the only thing that works. I am not going to buy exclusively white, grey and silver footware for the rest of my life. Dark colours can work well by extending the line of my leg, by bookending my dark glasses or necklaces or scarves or hats, and sometimes by providing the unexpected punctuation to a mostly light outfit. Bookending is a great way to pull an outfit together, providing the rhythm that is part of good composition (a principle that is useful in poetry, music, gardening, architecture...) but it is not the only way to do it.

Think of poetry, seeing as that's up your alley. Old English poetry created that sense of rhythm and repetition with alliteration. Most modern poetry does it through rhyme and a consistent number of syllables between the rhymes. Sometimes an entire line is repeated like a refrain (rage, rage against the dying of the light). Sprung rhythm - and syncopation in music - does it precisely by defying well-established expectations while at the same time paying tribute to them. And pretty much all of this can be used in composing an outfit too. There is no single right way to do it. But when we break the rules or conventions, we had better be creating a new one that works.

Okay, end of philosophical digression. Back to your regular programming.

tarzy

Veteran

Well, I'm a boot junkie so for me, there is no bad boot.

I really like those DV boots you linked to! I've expanded my footwear to include charcoal/dark grey, navy, and taupe and I'm really enjoying the change. I think it depends on what colors you're wearing these days - sometimes black boots can look a bit harsh when you're not wearing black or very dark colors. Of course, I live in LA so even when it's winter it's sunny - I understand it's different where you are.

ElleH

Veteran

Aside from how they look on you they look very similar to pic #2. Do you need something so similar or could you spend the money on something you need more, another style or color?

Aziraphale

Veteran

Who says you have to have black hair to wear black boots? Bookending is overrated.

Seriously, though, just pick up the black somewhere else in your outfit, if you want to "tie things together". Those booties are great. If you can afford and justify them, and you really like them, go for it!

(I'm a bootie enabler)

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