Breaking Away From Bookending?

tarzy

I really believe in bookending for me. (I know others don't, and that's fine, but I like it for me.) But I now have enough black boots, and I was looking for another option.

I haven't bought the boots below yet - but I keep going back to look at them. I'm just not sure how I would make them work for me. I did try them on with skinny jeans, but something just felt off. Is this a hopeless color for me? Is there something I could do to make it work? (I don't think I'm going to walk around with a hat, like in the picture.) I've included the inspiration look I was trying to copy. Suggestions? I do have a pair of cognac boots, so it's not the end of the world if I can't make these work. I just really like them!

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15 years ago

General

13 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Jonesy

Veteran

These seem like a great, neutral color. I have a similar pair that I wear quite a bit, especially with gray, navy, denim, olive...I think if you try to balance them out with some other color of a similar intensity in the outfit (i.e., don't necessarily pair them with an all-black outfit) they will look cool.

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

If *I* could order brown boots in good conscience, so can you!

15 years ago

Kyle

Veteran

For what it's worth, I'm not ever one to wear brown...black is my go to color. But, I am really liking the look of black and brown together, and perhaps that would help make the boots feel more "you." Bookending aside, I think you can pull this off, and I'm going to try too.

15 years ago

Steph

Veteran

I definitely think you can wear these without a problem. If you really feel that you need to be bookended, how about an accessory of some sort in your hair, like a headband or something, that's the same color as the boots? Or maybe if your blouse or a scarf were that color, you would feel more in balance? (I'm not saying you need to do this--I don't really see much of an advantage in bookending in my personal clothing choices. But since you like it, I'm trying to think of ways that can help you feel balanced.)

15 years ago

Debbie

Veteran

Love these! I think you can totally pull it off.

15 years ago

Veteran

How about a bag in a similar color?

I don't think you need to match the color in order to bookend. I think my example below works because the jacket and boots are similar in tone and the darker jeans highlight that.

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15 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh my goodness! Do break away from book-ending! I wear black boots.

15 years ago

kellygirl

Veteran

I think you should try it! The boots are gorgeous--rugged and sleek at the same time. You wear a lot of neutrals--at least from what I recall of your WIW posts. I think these will fit in with your wardrobe well! Get them and post pics. I want to see them on your fab self!

15 years ago

Anonymous

Tarzy - Those boots are great and will go with LOTS of stuff. I like bookending with my dark brown hair as well so I debated long and hard before I ventured away from my beloved black boot concept. I have a pair of boots in this tone and I am making it work by picking up the tone somewhere else in the outfit. My boots are halfway between a beige and a gray so I usually make sure that I put a simular toned gray somewhere else in the outfit....usually in the underlayer part. (beige is not my friend) I also find that its a good color to complement silver-toned jewelry so its a good chance to wear my big, chunky chains/necklaces when I am wearing a white or black top when I am wearing my non-black boots.

15 years ago

Sally

Veteran

Hi Those boots are great.....I've been looking for a pair like that for ages....not many boots around at this time of the year in my part of the year....love the rugged look with the belt over the top.

How did your pintuck shirt hunting go? I'm trying to find a place to wear mine as I dont want to dirty it at work or home....

15 years ago

tarzy

Veteran

Sally - I ordered a nice pintuck shirt but I ended up returning it. It didn't fit quite right. The search is still on!

The boots are Orinocco Jazz, from Clarks, in "oily stone." Don't know if you have access to that brand where you are?
http://www.zappos.com/clarks-o.....stone-oily

15 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Tara, I'm pretty liberal with my "bookending." Cognac and burgundy are the most obvious variations, but I also think that anything from the slightly red-tan color of my Fryes to cherry red to chocolate brown can "bookend" my hair color - yet I also wear black and yellow and nude and navy blue, none of which are remotely close to my hair color.

The Orinocco Jazz boots are beautiful! Please give them a try!

15 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

I think bookending is nice, but a rule that can be broken. After all, if I bookended with my hair, I'd never have purchased my gray CH boots. After all, my hair is not 100% gray (yet)!

Don't you favor a lot of black? These would look great with your outfits even if they are the only brown in the outfit. Or you can add a slightly lighter color top than black and your bookending is somewhat still included then. For my gray boots I like to add gray with a scarf or handbag when I can. Otherwise I just go for a lighter color top that compliments the gray. This way I am light top and boots, even if the footwear does not exactly match my hair or my top.

15 years ago

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