Janet’s  posting today about her new tall boots got me thinking about how great tall boots are. Versatile, many different choices, a popular must-have item for cool to cold climates, and if you chose the right style and sole type can work in snowy icy conditions.    

For those of us who are petite with not-slim calves, they present a lot of fit issues.  I had a PM exchange today with another fabber with the same issues, and I bet we’re not alone. Angie wrote a great blog posting almost a year ago recommending you keep your tall boots, in part because they are tricky to fit right, so I guess we petites are not the only ones with fit issues.  https://youlookfab.com/2016/10.....all-boots/

Here are the issues from my perspective.  Many of these apply to anyone who needs “wide calf” sizes regardless of overall body height.The one pair I have is similar to the find – a riding style but with flat heels. Franco Sartos

  1. On a petite, some tall boots might hit the back or front of your knee in ways that uncomfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of  “short” tall boots.
  2. It is tricky to get just the right amount of space between the top of your boots and the bottom of a skirt or dress. When you are petite there isn't much room to work with. The column of color approach with opaque tights in low contrast to the boots and skirt helps a lot. High contrast between boots and skirt/dress can be visually shortening.
  3. Stuffing jeans into the boots only works (at least on me) if they are skinny jeans or leggings without extra length, otherwise the boots won’t zip up. Heavy weight denim is a no-go for me, no matter how slim the cut..
  4.   “Wide calf” sizes are  more available than they were some years ago,  but still somewhat limited especially in stores. (I haven’t actually looked lately). For some, the “wide calf” sizes may not be wide enough.
  5. The  pair I own, in a wide calf size, does not taper in enough
    at the top so the inner leg zipper pulls catch on each other
    when I walk and the overall silhouettes flares out just below the knee and is unflattering.
  6. Even the least expensive ones are pricey, so it’s painful to make mistakes.
  7. Tall boots are heavy and come in large boxes, so the order and return process can be daunting. The ship-to-store option that Nordstrom offers might be a great way to go…try on a bunch in a store and only bring home those that make the first level cut.
Would love to hear any and all suggestions for how to get the right fit, how to address the logistics of ordering/returning,  brands
that work, and anything else you’d care to offer.

I’m not going to get back to this for 24-48 hours but promise to read every comment eventually…so let the conversation begin!

 

6 years ago