Ask Angie: Flat boot/booties for work?

Hi Angie,

I work at a nonprofit agency and although our office is business casual I tend to dress more conservatively because I often meet with donors and supporters, and also appear at events and/or make presentations. My go-to work outfits are sheath or wrap dresses, and pencil skirts with a dressy tank, tee, or top/blouse. I usually wear a cardi, blazer or jacket, plus accessories.

During winter months I have two pair of dressy boots that I wear with tights but they have 3-inch heels and I need to give my back a break (I've also had these so long I'm just TIRED of wearing them day in and day out). I've ordered several pair of black flat boots but am feeling unsure if I can pull this off with the type of day work outfits I've described here. This is a pair I'm considering: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/co.....ot/3513812
Will this look OK? I ordered a pair that have some equestrian details but those are going back. Too casual! As an alternative, would a flat bootie work?Tights with pumps just look/feel weird for some reason.Thanks for your help.

12 years ago

Adelfa

Veteran

Not Angie, but I wanted to chime in to say that I wear a pair of Corso Como boots, with just a 1" wedge, to work with dressier outfits. (Mine are black.) I think it's absolutely fine!

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RanchGirl

Member

Thank you, Adelfa! I appreciate your input. Guess I've been wearing heeled boots for so long that flat ones seem a bit too casual. The Corso Como boots I'm considering seem as though they'll work, though.

Ornella

(website)

I think those would look fantastic with the outfits you described. I tried to imagine one of my friends who works in what sounds like the similar job/position like yours, and I can imagine her wearing both the clothes and these boots for any of the occasions. I don't see loss of heel height as going down the less-dressy route, if I understood your dilemma correctly.

One question I have is what colour is your hair, also the majority of the clothes you wear? I find the whole concept of bookending the hair or top part of the outfit with the footwear an excellent guideline to actually choose the colour of the footwear which will be the workhorse, as may be the case here.

unfrumped

I have a similar goal-- not that I wear herls, but getting flat boots to work with skirts. A refined toe shape and more fitted shaft seem to help.

April

Personally, I think flat boots look better than heeled boots with dresses and skirts. Black is dressier, and pairing black flat boots with black tights gives a wonderfully long leg line. As long as the boot doesn't have a lot of western stitching or casual details such as an obvious rubber sole in a different color, it should not look overly informal.

ETA: I had knee-high boots in mind in writing this.

Elizabeth P

Some booties could also be an option to add some variety, and modernness.

Anonymous

You probably already know this, but boots that fit well without gaping in the shaft and ankle seem to look best with dresses. In my own search for something similar, I'm also finding that the skirt length you usually wear makes a difference when choosing the height of the boot to get the best proportions. I'm looking for shorter versions of knee high boots for this reason. I hope that the boots you ordered will work out well for you.

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