Wearing colourful bottoms is one way to reinvent the skinnies tucked into tall boots uniform. Here I’ve taken skinnies in two of the most popular colours for Fall and Winter 2013, burgundy and cobalt, and combined them with easy and on trend neutral sweaters and tall boots. 

My clients are often drawn to the idea of cobalt and burgundy bottoms, but worry about how to create outfits with pants that aren’t neutral. I suggest three “go-to” neutrals to wear with cobalt and burgundy bottoms: black, grey, and white. The shade of grey and white is whichever works best with your complexion. Sometimes I also suggest ink blue and taupe, but black, grey and white are usually more accessible.

If you want to pair more adventurous colours with burgundy and cobalt bottoms, think shades of orange, pink and green. Or wear burgundy with cobalt. Why not?

Here are the components of the formula:

Bottoms: Choose burgundy or cobalt skinnies in corduroy, velveteen, or denim that are tuck-able into tall boots. 

Tops: If you prefer to wear neutral tops with coloured bottoms, stick to black, grey and shades of white. Otherwise try some of the other colour options I suggested earlier. Choose on trend sweaters in fluid or oversized silhouettes, in chunky, semi-chunky, or fine gauge knits. Because last week’s ensemble was about chunky knitwear, I’ve chosen fine gauge knits this time round. An oversized V-neck with zippers, an asymmetrical drape-y tunic, and a fluid turtleneck. I kept the sweaters solid as a peaceful complement to the more hectic bottoms, but by all means choose a pattern. If it’s too warm to wear wool, wear an upscale sweatshirt, cotton knitwear or a big tee. 

Tall Boots: Wear just about any style of tall or mid-calf black boot with these combinations. Black boots work particularly well with black tops and/or black hair. Tall grey or taupe boots are another option. Go casual, tailored, rugged or sporty. Cognac boots tend to work better with burgundy skinnies. 

Coat: Top the lot off with a cozy coat. Grey, white and black coats are easy options in wool, wool-blends, tweed and down. I’ve chosen a chartreuse coat because it works well with both burgundy and cobalt, and brightens up a gloomy grey Winter’s day. 

Accessories: A burgundy and black bag, like a satchel or tote, is a fun and versatile Winter colour combination. Black, grey and Winter white bags are other options. Finish off the outfit with jewellery, eyewear, watch, hat, scarves and gloves as desired. 

Hopefully you can shop your closet for at least part of this outfit formula. It’s amazing how many options present themselves when you start digging around.