Get Bootied Up for Spring

I used to think of boots or booties as a fall-winter staple, toe-warming, ice-battling things to pull on with jeans and a sweater or tights and a dress. But in recent years, I’ve changed my mind, especially since so many shoe designers are producing stylish, paler-hued spring-to-summer booties. Some are in nude colors (think of them as the tougher, more rock-and-roll cousin of your nude pump or flat), others are made of cool-your-heels perforated leather. And all can be worn throughout the warmer months.

If you want to try this trend, here are my tips on how to turn your fave winter footwear into a warm-weather staple. This client and I shopped together recently for booties plus dresses and tunics to go with them. “I’m transitioning from a life in academia into the art world and commercial market full- time,” she says. “My clothes needed to reflect this new chapter. With Jenn’s help, I pulled together new looks for networking events, cocktail parties art openings and photo shoots.”  The edge of two pairs of summer booties have kept my client looking stylish and feeling comfortable, since most booties boast walkable heels. “I feel like a million bucks, and I’m getting tons of compliments,” she says.

Here are my tips on welcoming booties into the sunshine, so to speak.

Tip one: Try open-toe booties with a short dress. If your booties are a nude or metallic neutral (low contrast against your skin so it blends), it’ll make your legs look a million miles long. This pair is by Paul Green (similar here). I put many clients in this comfort brand - they manage to be comfortable and chic, though they are a bit of an investment.

Tip two: Use a slightly tough-looking bootie to make a retro-feeling, ladylike dress come across as more modern. Clients are always amazed when I tell them to try a bootie with either a work or dressy dress. They worry it’ll look strange or that booties are just for pants. But a bootie adds a youthful feel to more conservative dresses or skirts, plus it’ll make you strut with confidence at a big meeting or on a first date.

Tip 3: Look for a perforated bootie to look (and feel) cool in hotter months. Even though this Vince Camuto pair is black (darker colors work better in cooler temps), the mesh-like texture keeps them in line with the season. Pair them with dark jeans for a long, lean silhouette. You can put this leg-lengthening bootie-skinny denim combo with almost any top, but we got my client a terrific, Mexican-inspired tunic dress from Madewell.

For more information about my styling services, contact me at [email protected].