Holding zone review: boots! - YouLookFab Forum

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Holding zone review: boots!

nemosmom

Veteran

Thanks, Suntiger for the prompt to give my holding zone some love. The seasonal switch is a good time to excavate and evaluate what’s in there. I plan to tackle it one category at a time, and outfit lab anything I am on the fence about.

Today, it’s boots! As much as I love boots, they aren’t really practical for my WFH life. These are all tall boots, which I need skinny jeans or skirts for, and I don’t really wear skinnies or skirts these days...

#1-2 Frye (engineer?) 2004: These were originally “brown/black” a cognac with black distressing, until a bad cobbler tried to overdye them chocolate brown (he also removed the brass Frye plate from the arch where he did not need to re-sole) Anyway... i love the almond toe, low heel, and mid-calf height. They have been re-soled at least a dozen times. I rarely reach for these; should I keep them?

#3-4 Guess cognac leather (2007-8?) Something about the funky vibe I just love. I don’t like the inside zipper, and I don’t mind the heel. I just never wear them anymore. I don’t think I’ve worn them since 2012...

#5-6: Vince suede knee boots. These were mis-marked for $37 last year so I snapped them up! I was such a wet winter, I only wore them once. Are they different enough from the Guess boots that I could justify keeping both? Or should one of them go?

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Vince Women's Casper Suede Over-the-Knee Boots

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36 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

Minaminu

Veteran

I think there is a difference between the cognac and the suede boots. Personally, I'd be more inclined to use the suede boots for autumn and spring and the cognac lether boots in the winter. Would it work for you?

kellygirl

Veteran

Well, I’m not the right person to ask because I have a boot problem. The Vince are totally different than the Guess and they both look terrific. Slight preference for the suede but usefulness kind of limited by wet weather (unless they’re water resistant.) Fryes are classic and wouldn’t get rid of them unless you don’t reach for them. Great boots!!

Anonymous

The Vince boots are gorgeous - definitely keep those! Not a fan of the Guess boots - they seem a little dated, and if you haven't worn them in 8 years, I'd pass them on now.

Anonymous

OMG. You have some magnificent boots.

Sigh. I am of the opinion that if you have not worn something for years on end, there is a reason, however subconscious that reason might be. It kills me to say this, but I vote donate those boots not being worn.

Elle

Veteran

Fryes are a classic that cycle in and out of fashion. So I would keep those. The suede boots are very fun and I'd keep for another fall/winter to see if you wear them more. Unless you have a sentimental attachment to the Guess boots, I'd pass them on. Eight years is a long time to be unworn.

JAileen

Veteran

I love the suede ones - definitely keep. The Fryes look like my Campus boots. I used to wear them with jeans. Now I would wear them with leggings and a tunic sweater. The middle pair doesn’t appeal to me.

Synne

Veteran

The only pair that looks a little dated are the Guess-pair. Footwear is tricky, though. Suddenly they're back in style. I like the others! Not any help at all

Joy

Veteran

As Synne said, suddenly a boot is back in style. I would not get rid of any comfortable boots if you have the room to hold onto them. If anything is not quite right, pass them on. Then if the style comes back you will probably be looking for new boots anyway.. Personally, you might think about any boots with heels. Are they stable enough ?

slim cat

Veteran

Lots of good advice here - what @Synne said sums it up for me
( however I'm not a boot person currently - just 2 in my collection plus rain boots ).

Anonymous

Your review made me contemplate my own boot collection. I own two pair. Neither was worn much during the previous winter season, but last year's winter was somewhat extraordinary. It would be unwise for me to edit based on last year's experience. Conclusion: keeping both.

What's our next category?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I find this very tricky to offer any advice.
Giving shoes away after keeping them a long time, and then finding that if only I had kept them another few years they would have been back in style, has happened to me twice. I still mourn the 1984 black snakeskin textured pumps! Maybe in retrospect those are where my love of snakeskin began!
8 years is a long time not to reach for the Guess ones. I find them very sassy and love how they look on you, but wonder if they are just too high for your life now? If you choose to edit them out, just be sure you won’t kick yourself if they return to fashion in a few years. In the end with my 2 experiences, I had bought enough other shoes I loved that replaced the others in my mind that I mostly felt OK about it.
Tall boots are usually really expensive and I have only owned 4 pairs in my whole life, two currently. So if you edit these, you may have to spend quite a lot if you want to replace them at some point. For that reason alone I would keep the gorgeous recent suede ones.
I personally don’t like the look of the Frye ones, I don’t myself like mid calf boots but I know they are a classic.
Like Synne, I feel I’m no help!

Sal

Veteran

I think the Guess ones would look great with a dress or culottes or midi skirt, but not so much with jeans given their height. You would suit them but would you wear them?

The first ones are practical for winter life, sports, city walks and parks etc.. I wonder why you don't reach for them? Is it a style thing or a climate thing?

I would keep the suede. I have a similar pair that I love - they are not quite a workhorse but I have a number of skirts and dresses and one pair of wide leg crops that they work with. Worn in autumn and winter on average 1-2 a fortnight.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I would keep the first pair and the suede pair. I think the second pair looks a little dated (sorry!) and not very comfortable. The colour of the suede pair is also more “now”. That said, if you loved the Guess pair, I’d say hang on to them and DYOT, but when you haven’t worn them for years...

LaPed

Veteran

As others have said, the second pair (Guess) is the one that stands out to me as dated. The Frye's still look great and I would probably justify them as a sentimental/investment piece if they were mine. The suede looks more current and more "you" than the cognac ones.

RobinF

Veteran

I agree with the general consensus, although it would be tempting to keep them all just-in-case, but that is a problem I have. I live in boots all winter but didn’t wear my tall ones at all last year, not sure why.

nemosmom

Veteran

Thank you everyone for weighing in! I suspect the tall boots haven't been worn because I have not been wearing skinnies or skirts for a while now... Still, there is something about the Guess boots that draws me to them. Maybe I should try to make outfits with pieces I have to see if they are worth hanging on to. I certainly don't want to buy anything to make them work - especially if they look dated. Or, maybe if I hang on to them long enough they will just be 'vintage' LOL

Runcarla

Veteran

#1-2 look better than the product photo and are my favourite of the bunch. They don’t look dated to me, but rather classic. If they are comfortable, I would suggest keep. The heel height of the next two pair are a bit much for me, but the suede ones don’t look dated, either. No love for the Guess

Editing boots in June is tricky. You do have the past cold weather season as reference, but what will you need, and how will you feel in fall and winter? Of course if these are in the ‘holding zone’ you’ve got other boots?

Anonymous

I like the Vince the most too- and would happily give them a good home

Since it's summer though- you may want to wait until it's cold enough to wear them. Then wear each of them for a day and see how you feel about them.

They're not limited to skinnies or skirts. They could be worn under flowy pants for extra warmth.

nemosmom

Veteran

Carla- I have other boots that are ankle high. I suppose I could wear any of those with skirts...

ST- flowy pants is a good idea. I have one pair I can try them with. Thank you!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I agree that the Guess boots could go - particularly if you haven't worn them in so many years!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I would definitely try to make outfits with what you already have re the Guess boots. Seeing you still feel drawn to them, if you can’t make outfits now you could definitely hide them away in your home even deeper than the holding zone, until maybe they really do become vintage. I hid away my very 80s Mondi jersey/sweater for over 10 years before I pulled it out again. I loved it so much I could not bear to ditch it and the bright colours came back around. Depends how deep your emotional attachment is to it. The kids will also grow up and you may get the opportunity to strut around in higher heels again in the future!
They are a good colour for your hair.

Liesbeth

Veteran

I'm with Joy. I personally bought two pairs of tall boots last winter after going years without: to wear under midi dresses and (in the cases of the fitted pair) under wider ankle pants. Your second pair seems like it would also work under pants if that's a look you like and wear.
All pairs look classic to me and if they're still comfortable and in good condition, could be contenders for a tall boot revival :).

Bijou

Veteran

The Vince boots are lovely and I really like the idea of cognac boots for bookending your hair. I am also terrible for editing out boots, but if you are not wearing them, then it is likely time to say goodbye.

Anonymous

I think the concept of dated is dated. If you think you might find a way to use any/all of these (albeit less than you used to) and you’re still drawn to them, Keep! They all look good on you, to me.

Star

Veteran

The Guess boots look more classic to my eye. I kind of agree with Jenna that the concept of dated is dated. However if it had a very square toe or pointy toe a boot can look out of it's time. To me an almond shape is the most classic, which the Guess boot appears to have. I do love the Suede boots look. The first one looks really comfortable. As Jenni NZ said boots are expensive, styles come and go and pop again. If you have the space and you still drawn to them I vote that you keep them.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I really like 1 and 3, but am less crazy about 2, even though the color is nice. It just looks very much like a style I passed along a few years ago as it didn’t suit my current style anymore. I’m not doing that kind of heel anymore either. But a boot edit in summer is hard — I agree with the advice to try a styling session. But that many years without wearing the Guess boots makes me think there is something about them that does not work for you or your life.

Jane

Veteran

I think I would hold off a little from a decision you might regret. I read Jenni's view with interest. If you have the space, I think I might keep them all. I like them all, including the Guess ones (I know I am in a minority); I think that they could make an outfit as they are quite classic.
So, provided that they are all comfortable, I would keep them.

Anonymous

Jenna's comment about dating being a dated concept is really interesting , and true. I find this more prevalent among younger people than women of my generation, and it's showing up a lot in home decor and fashion lines I represent. I've fallen into a rabbit hole of vintage resellers in my city on Instagram - who really buy stuff at estate sales , spruce them up and resell them- and the current boho home trend is a perfect example of how what a lot of us think as dated is very much on trend with younger people . Clothing too. I think the condition of an item goes a long way toward making something old look "good" again - not in the case of real, worn vintage items, but moreso in the case of "fashiony" pieces like the Guess boots above.

Good point Jenna, and a good reminder that it's all in the eye of the wearer.

SarahD8

Veteran

I think it's hard to evaluate these out of context with your non-holding-zone boots. Doing a few head-to-head comparisons with more frequently worn boots along the lines of "when would I choose holding-zone pair over other pair?" could help clarify things.

That said, I think it's totally reasonable to hold on to items you've "gone off" for a time if you think they may cycle back in to favor. Especially for expensive and hard-to-find/fit items like tall boots, and especially for classic items.

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