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Outfit fail

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

Well, in contrast to my earlier post on “nailing it,” https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nailing-it

today was an outfit fail! I wanted to try out a pair of refurbished Ganni boots that I found at Nordstrom Rack a while ago— maybe over a year ago! I find them hard to style, but today it’s pouring rain so I figured some disjunction between shoes and outfit would be ok, as it would just look like I was wearing rain boots. But no! I felt that the look screamed “clown” in the end, something about the combo of plaid corduroy pants and exaggerated white/black boots was definitely not good. I tried to pick up some white in the stripe of the pants and the line drawing on the sweatshirt. The sweatshirt is one I often sleep in…. And I’m wearing weird underwear today too (laundry day) so overall I feel and look really awkward!

Any tips on styling these shoes? Maybe with white or off white outfits ?

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21 replies

Latest reply was from Zaeobi

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My dear Jessikams, I see a successful fashion forward outfit! You are ready to be photographed and admired at NYFW

That said, I respect that you did not feel fab in your outfit, and we have to listen to our feelings.

Sooooooo, here's my trouble-shooting 2 cents:

Add bright white up top to balance out the white on your feet

A dramatic topper will further balance and ground the outfit - especially a longer topper or bulky short topper

Wear the boots with an architectural longer skirt or dress. You need volume to balance out their extreme chunkiness.

Some examples. Hope that makes sense!

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think they are great with the pants! Brilliant, in fact! I would hardly call this n outfit fail!

I have a similar (knock off) version of boots like this. I'm just learning how to make outfits with them but here are a few.

I'd wear something white (or very light) up top, too -- even if just earrings or a headband or a necklace. It doesn't have to be all white. Just some white detail. It's a bit easier for me with silver/ grey hair because the boots bookend. But I sometimes have to do something similar (the opposite) when I wear darker footwear to balance the look.

I plan to wear them with other items in Finds as well.

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kkards

Veteran

I hate those days where an outfit worked so well in your head, on on your body & out and about it just doesn’t feel right. For what it’s worth, I have a pair of chunky boots similar to those & I agree that it’s easy to feel like your moving towards clown, it’s the nature of the over sized boot. Id lean into Angie’s suggestion of a white top, or go the exact opposite with a black top. Wondering if adding a cuff to the pants so that more of the boot shaft showed would help balance the volume.

LJP

Veteran

I’d wear them with sweats and a denim jacket , or with an oversize sweatshirt and jeans .

LJP

Veteran

I mean if I were you . Not me , lol.

Bonnie

Veteran

I like the shoes with the pants. Maybe try different tops.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Not a fail to my eyes but as Angie wisely points out it is your eyes that matter. Good ideas upthread; I would also keep the pants and add a darker top that matches the darker part of them making the shoes the focal point.

Irina

Veteran

Have you tried it with white pants?

LaPed

Veteran

Well I like it! But I totally understand the feeling you’re describing. My first thought was volume up top—a sporty cropped puffer, or a blazer with a strong shoulder? Maybe even just a big piled-on cozy scarf (perhaps in white to bookend)? My second thought is a dress, something architectural with some drama. My inclination with a two-tone shoe is to pair back the color/pattern everywhere else. Maybe a column of olive, or a black-out with lots of texture and a couple white accessories.

I love the cut and color of that sweatshirt, btw, and desperately want to know what the graphic is! I’m on a big graphic sweatshirt kick lately.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

LaPed the graphic is a simple landscape and the sweatshirt is a great cut. It’s from Madewell, a few years old. For a while I was on a big graphic sweatshirt kick and I got several from madewell or H&M.
https://www.madewell.com/women.....sweatpants

Kkards, “veering towards clown,” LoL

Thanks for all the styling tips above! I will definitely need to play around with these boots. I did add a big olive raincoat / trench over the top today but it didn’t help much…. I think I need more black and/or more white. Or more volume, maybe big sweatpants as Lisa suggests…. I do have a nice clean pair of exaggerated gray sweats.

I really do like the boots and they made me aware of the brand Ganni which I did not know before.

RobinF

Veteran

Really fun boots! I can see how the exaggeration would be difficult to work with though. Even though I quite like that sweatshirt I agree that bringing something light into the top would make the shoes recede a little bit.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

You always look cool in my book, but I can see how those are a challenge to style! I agree that bringing some white/bright into the top of the outfit would help you feel better, or going the other way and wearing them as the one bright pop against an all-dark outfit. With the mid toned top they feel a bit more off somehow.

lyn67

Veteran

My suggestion is to show off those boots in their plenty full size with a wide cuff or wide 7/8 hems, some black opaques and a midi skirt(tube or pleated A line.

notsaf

Veteran

I have a version of this boot that's a bit taller and I like to wear them to 'winterize' my Jessi-Kams-style wide leg crops with a big sweater. Like others have said, letting the big boot play with volume somewhere else is key!

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Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I totally hear you on how “weird” things nobody can see can just make everything feel off!

I think the boots stand out more because they are the only bright white in the outfit and the rest of the outfit already has different color things going on. A white top, as others have suggested, would tie it all together better. Pants with a detail the color of the top would work too. But I don’t always do that with my heavy white boots with big black soles. Will have to think now about whether I’m harboring secrets or look clownish and don’t know it.

rachylou

Veteran

The outfit works for me… also, Wednesday Addams, the new #1 Netflix show, came to mind. A lot of the characters seem to wear shoes like yours here. It occurs to me that they’re all pretty dressy and formal elsewhere: suits, dresses…

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Aww, I feel for you, with the awkward style day--even though I think the effect is really fine. My first thought was the one Angie mentioned, of using a white cropped top to balance the boots. That would be perfectly pulled together in my book. I think the boots are super cute and go nicely with the pants.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Fab boots!l agree with what’s already been said,a white top half would look great with this look.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I realized that I kept seeing flashes of white while walking, and thinking I was seeing white socks!

Notsaf your taller ones are cool.

I will try chunkier outfits, darker and lighter…..

Lesley

Veteran

My instinct was that I wanted to see a separation between pant and boot, just a smidge of ankle, but I was schooled by the "skin sandwich" lady, so take it with a grain of salt from me. But seeing the top of the boot in Angie's examples makes more sense of the boot to me.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

My first thought was maybe rolling up the hem of your trousers could help. Play around with how cropped exactly works with the boots - if you don't want Lesley's 'skin sandwich' dilemma, you could add more cool with a sheer or funky sock?