Nods to the ‘80s and ‘90s continue as we head into 2019. As far as the ‘90s go, there are few items as representative of the era than black combat boots. Styles can be chunky or more refined. Despite the bulkiness of the boot, the fit is tailored. 

Black combat boots are an iconic casual classic with a high longevity factor. They’re always in style, a wardrobe essential for a hard-edged style persona, and a practical statement shoe. Most of them are black, although they come in shades of brown and sometimes white too.

These days, you can incorporate combat boots into just about any outfit. They add a casual and tough component to a look, which makes them a handy styling tool. Here are four renditions to get you started.

1. Architectural Darkness

The column of colour here is easy to pull together with a dark pair of blue jeans, which effectively breaks up the black. No need to tuck the top if that’s not your thing. Top and bag are simple, but the topper is dramatic. Its accentuated cocoon shape adds an architectural, arty and playful touch. Jeans are cropped to showcase the boots, and by all means wear warm black knee-highs or socks.

2. Soft and Playfully Patterned

This is my favourite of the four because it’s not hard-edged. It’s softer and I like the white boots. It’s also Trendy Classic, which is a look close to my heart. Combine a pattern-mixed top and topper in any colour palette with jeans and combat boots. If you can’t pattern mix, find soft or bright solids. Wearing the jeans cropped or rolled at the hems to showcase the boots is key. Substitute the jeans for pants if that’s more to your taste.

3. Hard-Edged Flounce

Combine a flirty, flared and flouncy midi skirt with a black top and combat boots. It’s that simple. Sweatshirts relax the vibe of the outfit. A fitted black pullover will work, and dress things up a bit. Feel free to sub the skirt and top with a prairie dress, floral flared midi, or something similar.

4. Skirted Equestrian

Combine a tapered black tube skirt with a black top and combat boots. Throw on a classic blazer in any colour palette and Bob’s your uncle. A moto jacket, bomber, denim jacket or cape can work as well. Try a shorter black pencil skirt with black hosiery if you have those on hand. Or sub the skirt with black pants.

My tolerance for creases is low. My style moniker is Urban Polish, and I take the polish part to heart. Outfit polish means different things to different people, but to me it’s about wearing great-fitting and well-pressed clothing that looks pristine. 

Compared to many of my friends, family and clients, my intolerance for outfit creases is extreme. Here are the lengths I go to prevent them. 

• I re-press clean, folded wardrobe items if they look creased before wearing them.
• I re-press a wardrobe item that I’ve worn already but can be worn again before it goes into the laundry.
• I press all my clean jeans and flannel pyjamas after they’ve air-dried.
• I press many of the items that come out of a suitcase wrinkled when I travel.
• I repress a jacket or coat if it’s creased but doesn’t need a dry clean yet.
• I send items to eco-friendly cleaners, where they are beautifully pressed. I take the items off the wire hangers and use our hangers so that they stay wrinkle-free.
• I don’t overpack my storage spaces for wardrobe items. That way items have enough room to breathe and don’t get creased by being squashed into a too small a space.

Yes, I haul out the iron and ironing board frequently. Although I don’t enjoy ironing, being crease-free adds to the happiness factor of an outfit, and makes it worth the effort. I relax into the process and simply make ironing part of my dressing ritual.

Most importantly, I check how crease-resistant an item is BEFORE I purchase it. There is no point in going to the effort of being crease-free at the start of the day if I’m going to be a wrinkled war zone in half an hour. I scrunch the fabric of items on hangers before I commit to buying them to test how wrinkle-resistant they are. I do sit-down tests at home, wave my arms around, bend my elbows and knees, and look at how the fabric of the items handle movement. Items do not have to be completely wrinkle-free, but the fewer creases I can prevent upfront, the better.

100% Linen, viscose, rayon, and all sorts of cottons and wools are the worse crease offenders. That’s why I’m not opposed to fabric blends that make natural fibres more wrinkle-resistant and robust. That said, I do have some 100% cotton, wool and rayon items that stay fairly crease-free throughout the day.

This brings me to my four-year-old toffee-toned Club Monaco trench coat. It fits like a dream and is beautifully made. The fabric is luxe and feels good on the body. It looks pristine and professional at the start of the day after I’ve given it a press, but wrinkles a lot during the day. I can’t wear it twice without a press in between. It’s a high-maintenance trench coat, and that’s why I don’t travel with it, or wear it too often. But I can’t pass it on just yet because it’s gorgeous. Ideally, it needs to go to a new owner who is more tolerant of creases than I am.

I have clients and friends with a very high tolerance for wrinkles. In fact, some don’t even notice them. Many never iron or steam anything, and creases don’t bother them at all. Or the creases bother them, but not enough to haul out the iron or steamer. Some press items after they’ve been laundered and leave it at that. And others are as extreme as I am, freshly pressing many items before wearing them.

There is no right or wrong way to feel about clothing creases. It is simply a personal preference. What is your crease-tolerance level for clothing, and how do you manage it?

Here are some footwear picks that have recently worked for my clients or forum members, or that simply caught my attention. Items range in comfort levels and price point. Be sure to browse the colour options if the one I selected is not to your taste.

• Jeffrey Campbell Jeffrey Campbell Otelia Genuine Calf Hair Mary Jane Pump (Women) | Nordstrom: A unique baroque pump that's best on low-volume feet. It's moderately comfy. Not good for fussy feet that need very soft footbeds, but fine if that doesn't bother you.
• Sam Edelman Sam Edelman Jaclyn Waterproof Chelsea Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom: These are WEATHERPROOF, and give Aquatalia a run for their money. The black suede option has a faux shearling lining that's extra cosy. Best on lower volume feet.
• Vince Camuto Vince Camuto Macinda Penny Loafer (Women) | Nordstrom: These animal print loafers are not calf hair, which I personally find appealing and unique. Comes in solid colours, and you might need to size down half a size.
• Vince Vince Eagan Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom: These are GORGEOUS and come in black. Very comfy and beautifully made. They work on regular and higher volume feet. Personally, I'm loving the look of tailored shooties with cropped pants and dresses. A little fresher than booties and oxfords, and great with knee-highs or trouser socks.
• Jeffrey Campbell Jeffrey Campbell Torpedo Kitten Heel Pump (Women) | Nordstrom: A nod to the late '90s and early '00s. Best on low-volume feet, and relatively comfy if you don't need a soft and cushioning footbed. Pretty and playful on the foot.
• Vince Vince Cabria Lace-Up Boot (Women) | Nordstrom: Refined Combat Boot Fabness. If this boot came in white, it would be mine. It's the most elegant and dressy hard-edged tough boot I've seen, and impeccably made. Tailored and comfortable. Works on a variety of foot shapes.
• Jeffrey Campbell Jeffrey Campbell Elio Pump (Women) | Nordstrom: A nod the '80s and early '00s. Super cute on the foot, and best on lower volume feet. Not that soft and cushioning, although the comfort improves when you add a cushioning insole.
• Calvin Klein Jeans Calvin Klein Jeans Diahne Combat Boot (Women) | Nordstrom: White combat boots look fresh and more evolved than the '90s black versions. Comfy, on-trend yet timeless, and read the rave reviews.
• Calvin Klein Calvin Klein 'Ghita' T-Strap Flat (Women) | Nordstrom: An extremely pretty and dainty T-strap flat on the foot. Best on a low and regular volume foot and narrow ankles that do not need a lot of arch support. The patent is surprisingly soft, and the white is a bone colour. I have the bone at home and am figuring out if these will go the distance. They look fabulous with Summer dresses.
• Vince Vince Delancy Low Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom: A hard-edged shootie with a refined integrity. An interesting shade of anthracite, and gorgeous with tapered black ankle pants. Beautifully made and comfy.
• Naturalizer Naturalizer Ellis Loafer (Women) | Nordstrom: These look better in person and on the foot. Very cushioning and soft, and come in three widths.
• CLOUD CLOUD Charm Cutout Oxford (Women) | Nordstrom: A Portuguese brand that is on my radar. Beautifully made and very cushioning. Can fit a higher volume foot but not if you need a wide size for an extra roomy toe box. Comes with a polka dot trim.
• Frye Frye 'Veronica Short' Slouchy Boot (Women) | Nordstrom: Iconic Fabness. These are Fryes, so enough said. Well made, very comfy and fits a range of foot types. The white are wonderful, and so is this shade of brushed grey. The black and brown are classic. High longevity factor.
• Frye Frye Nora Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom: A dressier version of a Frye boot that I haven't seen in person, but looks interesting.
• Donald J Pliner Donald Pliner Dideon Block Heel Bootie (Women) | Nordstrom: A very comfortable and sleek bootie for low-volume feet and narrow ankles. Casual and sharp.

Go to the collection page to see the items alongside my descriptions.

I turn 49 in July. To my 86-year-old Dad, I’m a spring chicken. To my 19-year old-nephew, I’m ancient. To me, I’m middle-aged. I hope to have many more working years, exciting adventures, happy days, and fabulous style moments ahead of me. 

Like most people in this stage of life, I’ve done some soul searching about the physical aging process. I used to think that it was all about looking younger. After all, we live in a world that favours youth and young beauty. These days I think about it differently. I want to age without the pressure of wanting to look younger than my age. I want to age naturally. I want to feel good about my age, and grateful for what it has given me.

Nineteen years ago my Mum unexpectedly died at 59. She wasn’t able to enjoy a long life. That tragic family event puts things into perspective. It is not about looking a certain age. It is about enjoying the life we are given, at every age.

I want to rise above the thought that looking older is the enemy. I want to ignore the anti-aging messages that I’m bombarded with daily in the fashion, beauty and entertainment world. I want to relax into and embrace the physical effects of aging with peace in my heart.

I have been guilty of sometimes saying she or he “looks good for their age”. I want to stop saying that and thinking that way. The signs of age are signs of experience, wisdom and rites of passage. They represent a different kind of beauty.

I will continue to cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate and moisturize my dry skin. I will wear make-up and style my hair. I will indulge in the occasional facials, manicures and pedicures. I will work out in my own way, as long as I can, with lots of walking and vinyasa yoga classes. These things are about being relaxed, healthy, confident and polished, at whatever age I am. 

I will continue to have fun with fashion and style, because I enjoy it! It’s a hobby, and an unstressful component of my life. I have the power to pick and choose from the buffet of trends every season, and wear them my way. Individualism is the strongest trend of all, and I’ll continue sporting my signature looks until I’m bored with them, and not because they are no longer on-trend or I’m “too old” to wear them.

My Mum, who would have turned 78 this year, isn’t here to inspire me with her thoughts on the physical aging process. But I am surrounded by inspirational clients, friends and family members who are older than me. They are confident, unaffected, at peace with how they look, don’t compare and despair, and continue to have fun with fashion. Above all, they are getting on with what life has to offer, together with the people and pets that mean most to them. That’s empowering.