Okay I am all about open toe stilettos, but I do love a cute ankle bootie for the Fall/Winter season. Come September, ankle boots are the fall/winter fashion staple that keeps me sane in an Insta-feed filled with blogger babes drinking pumpkin spice lattes in piles of leaves or casually posed in pajamas sitting in front their Christmas tree š
Up until a few years ago, I would spend hours Insta-stalking the perfect on-trend pairs I wanted for the season. Iād spend the extra buck or two on rush delivery and track those shipments like nobody’s business. Come delivery day, Iād rush home from work to try them on and rip them out of the box like a 5 year-old on Christmas day.
This is where my excitement would end. I found myself standing in front of the mirror with disappointment and confusion. āBut they looked SO good on the model!ā Of course, they did. She was usually 5ā11 with legs the length of my entire body!
Those were sad, sad days. If youāre a fellow petite, you might have had a similar experience. Shopping for booties that work with your figure can be difficult and frustrating. LUCKILY, I’ve since learned what shapes and cuts can help elongate my legs instead of cutting them off. I don’t have to sacrifice trends either. As I mentioned in previous posts ā I donāt believe you have to avoid certain styles or feel limited by your body-type. There are so many variations each season that I am always able to find trendy pairs that don’t make my legs look like a tree stump š
There are so many trends that I am loving this year: white, kitten-heel, animal print, and slouchy. Iāve selected a few options for each trend that every shorty like me can pull off.
White Booties
Okay, this is one trend I seriously hope is here to stay! Ankle boots tend to be darker neutral colors like black and brown, so a white pair is something unexpected! They grab your attention and can help carry an outfit all on their own! Unfortunately, for petites with short legs like me, drawing attention to certain parts of our legs at unflattering angles is something we usually try and avoid. Thatās why having the right style and shape of a bootie is so important. Pointy toe white booties like these pictured above from Halogen are great because the shape continues to draw the eye out and helps accentuate the leg line. Anything with a āUā or āVā shape like this pair from Michael Kors are also great for petites because the extra skin showing at the top of the foot give the illusion of a longer leg as the eye streamlines down. Styles like the H&M ones I am pictured in are super hot right now. Originally I wasn’t sure about them because they cut above the right at the ankle which can sometimes make your legs appear shorter which we never want. Donāt let this dissuade you though, when it comes to this style as I figured out. It’s all about what you wear them with! Typically darker boots of this same style are better paired with dark skinny jeans. With this white pair it didn’t work for me because the opposite colors drew attention to right where the top of the bootie hit my legs making them appear shorter. This style of white ankle boots is better paired with a mini skirt, as I am wearing them above. Cropped jeans cuffed just above the skinniest part of your shin are also a great option for colder weather.
Kitten Heel Booties
Kitten heel booties are a fun way to vamp up the style of any outfit (also, hey, Iāll take any extra height, even if itās just a half an inch). This style is great for work because they take things up a notch without crossing any lines. This pair pictured above from Jimmy Choo is perfect for petites because the downward angle opening of the top exposes just enough of your foot to give you that appearance of extra height. They may be a splurge, but they are a good investment piece you can wear for years to come. For a more affordable option, check out these silver kitten heel booties from Target. They are perfect for the holidays, and also great to glam up a simple outfit like a pair of jeans and white tee.
Animal Print Booties
If you read my previous post, you know that leopard and animal prints are all the rage right now. I talked about how if you werenāt an animal print fan, incorporating it into accessories like footwear was a subtle way to try out the trend. So here you go! While I do love my leopard print, my favorite animal-print footwear has to be snakeskin. I love everything about this bootie from AQUA. From the wedge heel to āVā cut top, itās the perfect style for any petite. I am also obsessed with this stunner bootie from Steve Madden. I am ALL about this one. The side cut-outs are another great style for my fellow short-legged friends because, again, you are able to see the skin from your ankle which gives the illusion of a longer-more streamlined legā¦smoke and mirrors my friends š
Slouchy Booties
Slouchy booties are back in style, although I havenāt seen the trend take over as much as the others. Something tells me that they will start making their way center stage in the spring for festival season, and will fully blow up in Fall 2019. That makes now the perfect time to get your hands on a pair, and be the ultimate trendsetter. Slouchy booties are great because they fit lose around your leg, making them appear more slender. Where things get tricky is the height which the top of the boot falls around your ankle/calf. You want to make sure you find a pair that hits your leg at the most slender part. This pair from Forever21 is a great example, the top reaches right above the ankle, which for us shorter girls, right at the most, slim area of the calf. Itās also a great option because itās a blush color that will blend in with most skin tones. And for the GRAND FINALE, this sequins slouchy bootie from REVOLVE. Itās totally over the top, but thatās the point, right? J I think this pair would be really fun to wear on a night out with a pair of denim jeans. The opening is wide enough and also a perfect height so weāre drawing attention to all the right places. A total show stopper.
