Cookie, what brand and style were the ones you got?

Cookie and Maya, thanks for giving me your take on OTK boots. I can totally see you rocking that style of boots, Maya. I just wonder if they will work for me, as I have it in my head they work best for slim-legged ladies. I'm petite too, and often wear size 0 or 2, BUT I have very curvy thighs. I also have short legs ~ 29" inseam.

I was supposed to go for my very first preselection yesterday, but DD had strep (in the summer?!?) so I was holed up with her watching movies and feeding her popsicles. I just rescheduled for tomorrow though, and am very excited!!

Maya, I don't think my calves are as slim as yours, but their circumference is 13.5" and I haven't yet found the right Fryes for me. I have my fingers crossed for NAS . . .

Sparky, my calves are 13.5" too. I think they can work for you. Dawn is petite and slim with curvy legs and she looks great in hers. Report back if you find anything

FWIW, I pre-ordered the flat SW OTK boots and they are foot heaven in every respect for my fussy feet. I have been looking for boots like this for 2 years. Good things come to those who wait! I'm 5ft 6 and they fit perfectly around my narrow calf ( just over 13 inches).

The Fryes OTK boots were not comfortable - but then I do have very fussy feet.

Sparky and Maya, good luck and I hope you find your perfect OTK pair.

I really like this style, too, but I'm not sure I would wear it enough to justify the cost. Hmm, this is actually related to today's blog post about the pressure to buy uber versatile items. I need to think about it.

Angie, does SW stand for Stuart Weitzman? Do you think those boots would work with orthotics?

Here are some things that caught my eye:

'Victoriana' jacket (p 6)
Insanely stunning dress (p 7)
Zipper leggings (p 11b)
Hinge cropped twee jacket (p 13)
Halogen drape neck sweater (p 21a)
The patterned hose look good.
Wide belt (p 26) - I still don't have one of these.
POLKA DOT PAJAMAS (p 50)

I also should probably think about jeans and pants - I'm having a problem with my jeans wrinkling around the butt.

But I'm also on a made in China ban, so I don't know if I'll get anything...

I like that Hinge cropped tweed jacket also but it is not in petite. What do you think of the Halogen on page 20 black & page 12 grey. I am not sure. need input

Thanks so much for posting this. I just went "shopping" and can't wait to get to the store. Since I won't be there at the opening, I can only hope that some of these will still be available when I make it there.

SW OTK boots - Will the skirt/dress have to be shorter than this to wear it?
Hinge Victoriana jacket
zippered belt that Sarah's chosen too
Zippered leggings
Jessica Simpson red belted coat

Elpgal, SW (yes that's our friend Stuart) shoes and boots are not roomy so my guess is that an orthotic will not work.

Maya - I bought the Enzo Angiolini "Zakari" style in brown suede from Nordstrom. I wear a size 5B and these boots are 21" tall and have a 14" circumference which is why they will fit over jeans. I paid less than $200 for them because at the time I was getting them to complete one outfit. I had no idea I would love them so much (I own dozens of pairs of boots) and that I could wear them in so many ways.
Sihaya - I think this is a matter of personal opinion, but it works better for me if my skirt or dress is shorter than the tops of the boots. I like a bit of leg to show but they have to be covered in brown tights or leggings. I do think my favorite look is to wear the boots over jeans. I wear a shorter top and it makes my legs look long.

I like those boots cookie! I'll have to put them on my list.

I saw the Apepazza Cagliari (sp?) style on sale at Endless. I ordered a pair and we'll see how they work out.

Oh! Cathy! I JUST emailed Angie about the Apeppaza Calgiaris. They don't seem to be in black in my size anywhere so I was considering the zinc. What color did you get?

OK, I had my first pre-selection ever and can report back on some of the boots! As Angie has mentioned before, there was an amazing selection of casual boots. Made my heart go pitter-pat.

So here's what I tried ~

Cole Hahn Air Avalons: These were too big in the shaft for me but very comfortable in the foot. A beautiful boot!

Frye Shirley Riding boot ~ I don't think this was in the catalog. Another beautiful boot but the shaft was way too big on me, my heel slipped in them, and they just did not flatter me at all.

Steve Madden Linderr boot with exposed zipper: Maya, I thought of you when I tried them on. Distressed leather; I liked them a lot in the black. Not completely form fitting in the shaft but I still liked them. These are not OTK. The footbed felt nice, but not as comfortable as . . .

SW Hammer boots: I'm in love. I wasn't drawn to them in the catalog but it was another story seeing them in person. They fit my calves perfectly, come a bit over my knee, and have the most supple, soft, glove-like leather I've ever felt for a boot. The footbed is as comfortable as a slipper. I sized down in these, from my usual 7.5 to a 7. I tried on two sets of size 7, and in both sets found one boot that fit perfectly and one that felt a half size larger. The SA simply combined the two boots that fit me better to come up with the set I'm going to pick up next week in store. Woo hoo! These have a small zipper (not full length) to help ease on the boots.

Frye Jane Cuffed: These are the first Fryes I've tried that fit me in the heel (I have narrow heels). I found the footbed very comfortable, and the shaft fit me well. It's not a glove-like fit like the SW, but of course it's a different style boot altogether. The brown and taupe colors for this boot have that creased/distressed look, while the black has a more polished look. I ordered these in the brown. Uncuffed, these are OTK boots, but then you can't sit down in them as they are a very stiff leather that doesn't bend well at the knee.

Sam Edelman Sutton: Didn't even try these on, as the shaft is way too tall for me, well over the knee and into thigh-high boot territory. Very pretty though.

Again for reference, I'm 5'4", 29" inseam and have narrow heels.

I'll have to see if I end up keeping both boots ~ was in a bit of a boot daze trying on so many cool ones!

Sparky, thanks for the report! I just love boots and appreciate your mini-reviews. Those SW boots sound TDF.

Maya, I got the dark brown. Maybe we'll be boot (semi)twins? I'm cautiously optomistic -- I hope these will work shaftwise (I have 13" calves and 29" inseam). Will post pics when I get them Monday!

I can't believe that I am getting excited about fall when we are in triple digits, but I am!
I'm not thrilled about the catalog except for the olive green anorak in the BP section. That I have to try! But I am holding out hope for an in person trip.

I've been thinking about trying to pick up some bolder pieces, and maybe it's just that haven't finished my tea yet this morning, but I think I might try on the insane plaid Makali rosette jacket from page 35b (if I can find it). Am I suffering from some kind of under-caffeinated delusion, or does that thing have potential? Would you try it with a neutral/blending bottom or with a contrasting color?

Many of the shoes also look interesting, especially the peep booties.

Woohoo, good for you Sparky. Sounds like you had a great haul.

Were the SW boots the ones that Angie is getting? The OTK style in the catalog? If so then they might fit me after all, since my legs are a couple inches longer than yours.

Yup, Maya, I got the same SW boots as Angie, the OTK ones, and same as the ones featured in the catalog. I've never bought such expensive boots before, but had been saving up a lot for some special items, and this shopping trip turned out to be it! I think you would rock these boots, and I can't imagine them becoming dated anytime soon. I think anyone getting them will be able to wear them for a long time.

I also saw two other women walking around the store trying them on as well, and I thought these boots looked good on them too. I think SW has a knack for making lots of women look fabulous in his stuff.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Via Spiga also has a lovely looking low heeled black riding boot coming out for NAS. It's not in the catalog and it's not available yet in my local Nordstrom, but thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to look out for them. Can't remember if it comes in other colors.

I doubt I would get them since they are way too $$$ for me and I'm sure other OTK boots will pop up between now and fall. But it is a great price, considering they go up to $600 after the sale.

Aaaa...I fell in love with the SW OTK boots from the catalog but ruled them out as too pricey. I am getting the ponte pencil skirt in purple and maybe the leopard print mini pencil skirt. But wouldn't that short leopard skirt look stellar with the SW OTK boots? Oh, my poor budget...

Maya, another thought. I was talking with one of the other women trying on the SW boots, and she mentioned that NAS had OTK boots last year that were a little different ~ I think she said something about having some buckles?? Can't remember now. Anyway, I know you're considering an ebay buy, but you might also want to keep your eye out for last year's SW boots ~ they might be right up your alley.

Thank you so much for the boot review, Sparky. I may end up crossing the black boot off my wish list afterall. I am really liking both the SW Hammer and the CH Air Avalon online. Plus, I see some jeans and a potential black moto jacket that are both on my fall wish list. Oh honey, I need some money! I guess we'll see what my trip to Nordstrom brings later this week.

I tried on ther Chanel type jackets today and came home with the Hinge cropped one in the red tweed. The zipper trim is just too cute. The black and grey in the same jacket was also very cute and looked different from the red so that you may not realize it's the same jacket. They are to be worn open (no closures). These are great for smart casual rather than dressy.
I also tried the Halogen Chanel-esque jacket in both black and grey. Both are beautiful and detailed. I may get the black. It would be lovely with a LBD or cute with jeans. Over-all it's a dressier jacket that can be dressed down. The jacket is closed by large covered snaps, something that could date it. I wasn't sure I liked them showing when the jacket is worn open, but that's just personal preference.
The light grey in this jacket is really special. Unfortunately it clashed with my grey hair.
The petite XS in the Halogen fit a little bigger than a regular XS in Hinge. The Hinge is more fitted.

Joy, thanks for the feedback on the jackets. I guess we will be jacket twins, as I also ordered the Hinge jacket in red. I agree with you that it's a more casual jacket ~ perfect for me as a MOTG. I'm not into decorative zippers and studs at all, but I like the jacket's subtle zipper trim. I first tried to zip it up before figuring out it's not functional.

Speaking of studs, I saw the Trouve motorcycle jacket (page 11 of the sale catalog). Oh, what buttery leather! It's just gorgeous. I'll take one without all those studs, please.

Yes, I saw several beautiful buttery leather jackets. Since I got one last year plus a light weight leather coat and another leather jacket at a resale shop, it wasn't a priority this year. If anyone is looking for a leather jacket, be sure to go take a look.