I made booties Shoe of the Year for 2011 because they are versatile, comfortable and in many cases elevate an outfit from nice to fabulous. Here are three very comfortable bootie styles with lower heels, and that don’t gape at the ankle. Wear them with trousers and jeans, or match them up with skirts and dresses. 

Vivanz Camille Bootie

This is what I call a no-nonsense shoe because it’s simple, yet well designed. It reminds me of a Prada bootie. It’s stretchy, canvas-like fabrication is soft and modern, while the square toes are on-trend. The bootie looks chunky but it is as light as a feather. Works for a wider foot and runs true to size.

Ara Tala Bootie

This style is more refined than the Vivanz Camille. It’s also as light as a feather and runs true to size. It has the added advantage of a cut away front that is vertically flattering on the leg line. 

Spring Step Generate Bootie

Colour-blocked booties are a rare animal and I like their retro appeal. The top front of the boot rubbed my ankle a little to start off with, but I expect that to stop after a while because the leather is super soft. A fun bootie that runs true to size.  

These booties are comfy on their own, but I’d still add a comfy insole for extra cushioning because my feet enjoy the pampering. Size up half a size to insert an orthotic.

You are on Team Thong if thongs and g-strings are your preferred choice of undies. You are on Team Briefs if you prefer to wear undies like bikini briefs, full briefs, high-cut briefs or hipster briefs. You are on Team Boyshorts if boyshorts are your thing. 

I am 100% Team Boyshorts and don’t wear any other style of panty. I wear them fairly high-cut and enjoy the extra coverage. I also love their retro vibe and invisible panty lines. To my eye the style is flattering and alluring, and above all very comfortable. No panty plucking. I made the switch from bikini briefs about six years ago and have never looked back. I find thongs, even the so called “comfy” styles, extremely uncomfortable and have worn them only a handful of times. 

Over to you. Are you Team Thong, Team Briefs or Team Boyshorts?

Whether it’s my clients or members of the YLF forum, I find that most people looking for a style change fall into one of two groups. 

One group is exploring a completely new sense of style. These ladies and gents are looking to overhaul large parts of their wardrobe and make drastic changes to their daily look. I call their process a Style Renewal. The impetus for this type of style change can come from many places, like starting a new job, moving into retirement, dressing for a new body type, reclaiming your fab bod after having children, relocating to a new climate, experiencing a radical shift in fashion persona, or reaching an “age-milestone” like 30, 40 or 50. And sometimes you feel like a drastic style change just because you’re in an adventurous mood. 

The second group is looking to build on their existing style. These ladies and gents already have a style base that they are working from. They are in tune with what works for their body type, lifestyle, age and stylistic preferences. But they are looking to add the next level of fabness by trying “new to them” trends and vibes, or stopping to wear the ones that no longer make them feel fab. I call their process a Style Refresher.

My first engagement with clients like Bei-Jing, Meredith and Karen was to help them through a complete style renewal, but during the years since then we have been doing style refreshers. Their styles have evolved to the extent that we merely refresh the necessary silhouettes each season. 

It can be important to recognize which of these two groups you fall into because a renewal involves a lot more introspection, and a bigger investment of time and money than a refresher. I sometimes see women get bogged down in introspection when they already have the base to work from and really only need to refresh their style. I also see the opposite, where women are trying to do a complete style renewal, but haven’t thought through their goals before they hit their closets or the stores.

Like many things, it is really a continuum that you move along as you go through life. Still, acknowledging whether you are closer to renewal or refresher is useful nonetheless. For many women the big renewal will only happen a few times on their style journey, and most years they will be doing a cost effective and efficient refresher. Some seasons the refresh will be bigger than others. And there are some women that get a kick out of drastically reinventing their style more often.

Are you renewing or refreshing your style at the moment? How often do you completely renew your style.

I like to think that all of us are on a perpetual style journey. This journey has multiple legs, and on each leg, our style undergoes either a significant or subtle change depending on a number of variables. Sometimes we have to adapt our style to a different environment. Sometimes we have to adapt our style to a changing body type or budget. And sometimes we’re just in the mood for a change because we’re bored of our current look. I’m sure this sounds familiar.  

As I mentioned yesterday, the current leg of my style journey started last March when I decided that I wanted to keep my outfits clean, simple, modern and bold. This direction still feels spot on, so I’ll will continue down it’s merry path. 

I’m still on a major trouser, fancy flats, gold and midi kick. I’m also interested in exploring jewelry-free outfits and classic style. Of course, I’m still all over fashion trends and will absolutely sport the ones that tickle my fancy. So many trends are just entirely too fun to bypass completely, especially when you work in the fashion industry. But now more than ever before, I’m appreciating the power of classic wardrobe items. Their strength does shine through.  

Over to you. Where are you on your style journey?