WIW and thoughts on light colored booties - YouLookFab Forum

Category

What I Wore

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

WIW and thoughts on light colored booties

kellygirl

Veteran

A couple recent WIWs in keeping with the "keeping it real" theme. I wanted to wear the blazer over the striped hoodie but it seemed too stuffy to me so I opted for the bomber instead. The other is my hand knit poncho--perfect for watching soccer. I felt very chic! (My little foster was adopted this weekend by a terrific couple in Oregon. I'm sad that she's gone but very happy that she is getting some awesome new parents!)

As you know, I ordered a couple of light colored booties--taupe-ish grey and cognac. I had originally planned on wearing them with white and cream jeans but now that I've tried them, I'm not sure they are going to function as planned. do you think either of these combinations work?

Thanks for looking!

Eta: what I actually wore since these boots haven't gotten much wear lately

This post has 5 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

29 replies

Latest reply was from kellygirl

Anonymous

You look wonderful in both. My light booties get the most wear in early spring but I love them and want a white and a light tan pair. They bookend my hair so I may have more use for them.

Anonymous

Kelly, this is really instructive and interesting - to me anyways First off, your casual everyday looks are great - love the idea of a bomber over a hoodie. Ah, I miss warmer weather already - yikes! Anyways, this lighter bootie issue is one I've been obsessing with lately too. My problem is I can't find any.

You know what I immediately thought when I looked at your pictures? It's unbalanced - because of your hair. It's dark, and you have a lot of it. So we have dark up top with the hair and your sweater, then pale on the bottom. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I don't think pale boots with white jeans is right here. Add dark boots to the this same outfit - and bam! I bet it looks fantastic.

deb

Veteran

You are so cute! I really like them both. Maybe what is throwing you is the dark top. Try it with a lighter top to see if it works better for you.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Kelly, first off, you look terrific. Sad to see your little foster go, but also happy that she has found a good home so quickly!

Like Joy, I am "bookended" better by light coloured booties. And like her, I also tend to wear mine the most often in the early spring -- a season that probably doesn't last in a cold-enough-for booties way as long where you are. (For me, this too cold for shoes season can go on for months...)

Anyway...for elongating the leg line in light jeans, I think the grey booties are better, and they also work well with your mostly cool toned wardrobe. But the tan ones look great too, and might feel like a fun change to you.

kellygirl

Veteran

Thanks, Joy and Lisa! I think you are right about the bookending! That's kind of what I thought because the outfit looked better with the black Chelsea's (didn't post the pic.) I liked both booties best with dark neutral bottoms too. I guess this is a good exercise for me if nothing else!

Elly

Veteran

I like the tan ones--- they create a lot of current color combos being a "toffee" shade and harmonize with your personal coloring better, imo.

E

Veteran

I love the layering of the toppers in your casual look! I'm no good at deciding about shoes, so I'll leave that up to the experts.

N-Marie

Veteran

What a great poncho! Although I'm sure you're sad to see your foster pup, it's great that he's found a good family.

For the booties, I prefer the cognac ones- although they don't bookend your hair in the traditional manner, they do pick up the warmer tones in your hair and skin. I'm also partial to the pairing on white and cognac over white and grey, even though it is more contrasty.

unfrumped

Veteran

Boy, when you show these outfits, it really does showcase your beautiful dark hair. Then with the dark top shown with white jeans, I now prefer the cognac but can certainly see that even darker boots can work for you, even with white jeans.
Hmm, is there a lesson on how dark-haired gals should work their white jean outfits?
Seriously, is this making you re-think your color palette? Because if you really do best in warmer tones, then you might focus on those and suddenly the gray booties would be revealed as "not". Then if you wanted to play with cognac boots, you might wear a "warm" but slighly less dark top, to almost bookend the cognac but make it all seem intentional with your coloring. Or you might find some boots that are in-between, say cognac with dark accents. Or chocolate.

Aida

Veteran

OOoooh love the poncho and its outfit! Your casual looks always rock Kelly. I have to kindly disagree about the balance with the light booties. As Unfrumped pointed out, it realllyyy highlights your hair (and face). This is exactly why I love my light footwear (faaaar more than dark footwear) and I'd happily wear your outfit combos shown in #3. Nothing to do with shape either, we're both IT I might put my hair up to lighten the top half a bit, which of course is another option. Depending on the 'do it will either keep the attention on the hair (like my little pompadour ponytail does) or shift the focus more to the top (as a simpler style would do).

Have you tried pairing these with some of your blues or with berries? I think those shades would be really amazing on you with them and the white jeans. These look totally workable to me, but I'd say start by styling them with Not Black on the top half at first so you can work out what feels right to you.

And right off the bat, I think your gray poncho in #1 over a white top with the white jeans and taupe booties would look incredible.

Sal

Veteran

You do wear casual so well.

I like the jeans and boots combinations but agree it could be better with a light top (chambray, light grey, pink etc) whereas I think black and dark tops with light jeans suit black boots. So I guess it is working out in winter if you do wear light coloured tops much or enough to wear the light boots. I think you would and they would also look great with dark denim or black trousers too.

I love the poncho and I actually love the hoodie with the bomber, so cosy and comfortable looking.

kellygirl

Veteran

Thanks, Deb! Will definitely try some lighter tops!

Thanks, Suz. These are definitely fall and winter footwear options for me. They would likely be too warm for spring. I love the winter white out looks but really can’t see myself with white shoes--they just don’t seem practical for my life. That’s where these enter the picture. I definitely favor cool tones so the Hamilton’s seemed like a slam dunk--but I am surprised at how much I like the cognac. Just enough contrast maybe.

@Elly: thanks. I do agree the cognac go with my skin tone better. I really noticed that in these photos as opposed to the ones with the blue sweater.

@E: Thank you.

@NMarie: Thanks! I think we are on to something about “just enough contrast!”

@Unfrumped: Thank you. I don’t really think this is making me want to change my palette. I think I assumed that cool goes best with cool and wasn’t really sure how the warmer boots would play in my closet. Darker browns definitely work for me but I’m really trying not to add anymore dark footwear--trying to keep lightening up.

@Aida: Thanks for chiming in! Of course, you know that you are one of my inspirations for light footwear, right? I love how you wear your cream MizMooz boots and white booties. I wasn’t sure if it would work as well with me because my skin tone is so much warmer/darker than yours but I was willing to give it a try. You are the queen of light footwear! Interesting that you think both footwear options work. I’m definitely going to try with some non-black tomorrow--maybe even the grey poncho! I always wear that with dark bottoms--must try this ASAP!

kellygirl

Veteran

Thanks, Kiwigal! I definitely have lighter colored tops in the closet. I think black is just my default. I need to break out of that cycle because I'm really loving lighter looks these days.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I love all your outfits and I think all the booties work. I have dark hair too and it would be so limiting if I could only have black shoes. Life is too short!

catgirl

Veteran

Oh, Kelly - I almost feel like I am your twin! Same coloring and build, same issues... I never even knew about bookending till YLF, and now I feel like it's impossible to ignore it. This is why I don't own light colored (or even brown) boots! I can't seem to adjust my eye to them. Objectively, think you look great in all of these, but subjectively I favor the dark booties looks so much more on you. It's not a sugar/poison eye, though - it's almost a discomfort for me.

Aida

Veteran

I think our skin is probably similarly warm actually, mine is just quite light. I think that these shoes are particularly good for you because they are darker than, say, my usual very very light (*cough* white *cough* cream) footwear

(Una, interestingly enough... I feel that same discomfort in dark footwear a lot of the time. I really have to force myself to wear it. I'm coming back around, but truly I'm just so much happier in the light stuff. Seems like such a Totally Weird Thing >< )

kellygirl

Veteran

@Aquamarine: Lol! I agree.
@Una: Thanks! I'm happy to be your twin! Reading your posts really helps me out too. IKWYM about the dark shoes--even before YLF I knew they worked, I just didn't know why. Then all of a sudden (last year) I decided that I really liked lighter footwear. Aida manages it beautifully. I'm hoping that my eye will adjust. I just have problems trusting my taste--it's so different from what I'm comfortable with that I can never decide if it looks good or weird.

kellygirl

Veteran

@Aida: That's interesting. I thought you might have more of a pink undertone--but I'm really bad at all things related to color. I don't really get much of it but I'll take your word for it! Yes, white booties are never going to happen. I can manage the white sneaks/sandals but that's it!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am with Aida -- I think one or the other or both lighter booties will work brilliantly on you but probably will be easier with non-black on top.

One reason I like my SE python booties is that they are white and not-white. So ultimately that is another option. A patterned bootie with dark and lighter tones.

Aida

Veteran

I have a lot of gold in my skin, but I think because it's so light the pinkness shows through. I look best in warm colors but can get away with plenty of cool shades as well... So I wear them all I think I'm like a Mediterranean version of a "Peaches and Cream" complexion.

You know, I'm thinking even if you were to swap that black top out for navy or some other dark blue that would help right away. Especially with the cognac booties!

catgirl

Veteran

I do think Aida does this look really well (Hi, Aida!) and it's partly because her outfits have a good balance of light and dark. Like checks or pattern that keep the eye moving and keep the color scheme more diffuse somehow. I think her outfits have a flowy lightness to them even when the colors are not all light. Kelly and I wear a lot more solids in blocks, and that creates a different effect. Or maybe I'm just whacko!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Hmm, I actually thought the cognac pair worked because it sort of book-ends your skin tone. Like olive does for me :-)!

jackiec

Veteran

Wow Kelly I love your casual looks! My gut reaction is to prefer the cognac booties with the black top. It looks fresh to my eye. The grey works, but I love something about the cognac. Of course the last pair is fun and the black bookends so well with your hair. The pup is a cutie-pie - glad he/she got a good home

Laurie

Veteran

Kel - love the boots, both pairs. Show us some different tops and I think that it will pull all of the above suggestions together.
And those grey boots are going to make a bunch of different outfits sing, I know it!

crutcher

Veteran

I didn't realize until I saw your pictures how much white jeans set off dark hair...I love the look...Your style of the light boots and the white jeans works very well..You look ah..maz...ing...
(Was your little rescue a Maltese?...You are super great to work with rescues...The least of these..definitely needs the most love...Thank you for doing that!...)

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Looking at the pics I was really drawn to the cognac boots. I feel they do bookend your hair hightlights - or at least give me that illusion. They also go with your skin tone in a very nice way.

LOVE your casual outfits and #1 is especially great with that poncho.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Your casual style is always fun to see -- love the poncho! As for the booties, I think they all look great, but I totally understand the higher comfort level with dark or black booties rather than light. In fact, this discussion is helping me realize why I am not wearing one of my pairs of booties. I have a light tan pair of Vince Camuto booties that are copies of the Rag & Bone Newburys -- I thought I was going to find ways to wear them, that somehow I had a wardrobe hole for light-colored boots. But I really didn't (plus the heels are high for all-day wear for my feet lately). Compound this with the fact that I have a lot of dark hair too, and I'm not ITish at all and find white and light bottoms harder to wear, and it all makes sense. I have to be in a very specific mood to wear highly contrasting footwear -- my outfits tend to be low-contrast most of the time lately. And there you can see why the light booties go unworn!

So I can see how these might not be total workhorses for you, but they are a nice variation. And your eye may adjust. But you look fab in white jeans, while I struggle with them. So I'm betting you'll find them easier to work with than I do.

carambola

Veteran

I am with N-Marie and shevia. My first reaction was that the cognac boots look great with the black top because they bookend, in a subtle way, the highlights in your hair and your skin tone.

kellygirl

Veteran

You are all so helpful Thank you so much!

@Suz: I love the idea of the python Pettys. I would absolutely try them if the Pettys were more comfy. I have the suede ones in forest green and while I can wear them all day, I don’t find them as comfortable as some of my other shoes. I really love them on you though.

@Aida: Peaches and cream Mediterranean style. That’s a great description!

@Una: I think your observations are spot on. Aida does wear a lot more pattern than we do and I never thought about how the overall look is more diffuse. I haven’t embraced pattern very much--baby steps over here! I also don’t have the patience or the eye for the little details. I just mostly want to get dressed and look decent I wish I had more of a fashion eye but I think that train has already left!

@shevia: Thanks! Now that surprises me about olive.

@jackie: Thank you. I think I see what you see!

@Laurie: Thanks and will do!

@crutcher: Thanks! My rescue was a white terrier/maltese. I think her face was maltese and the ears and everything else was terrier. I’ve never had a maltese before but I can see how they could be addicting. SO sweet. She was so hard to let go. Everyone in my family (and their friends) wanted her to stay. But, the next rescue is on the way. I get him tomorrow

@Tex: Thanks! You are very observant. I do think the cognac is matching my highlights that are growing out! Thanks for the poncho love!

@Janet: Thank you. Glad that my pics are helping you too. Now that you mention it, I think I like the balance that light bottoms (and cargo pockets) add to my shoulders. I do think my eye will adjust eventually. I’m just going to have to play with the top half a little more. I really do love your low contrast outfits by the way. You have the most amazing wardrobe and always make it look so interesting by adding a contrast scarf/jacket/coat/boots. I still can’t get over that turquoise coat on you.

@carambola: Thank you!