Wearing boots

o   Relaxed: Tall and flat boots are for you. Large and with a round toe, they’re generally made of leather or suede and you like their rough edge. Wear them with your favourite jeans or a T-shirt dress.
o   Glamorous: Your boots are pointy and tall. With stiletto heels and a second skin effect, your boots are like your heels: ultra-feminine. You wear them with a straight skirt or high-waisted trousers. Go for refined colours such as chestnut brown or patent black.
o   Trendy: Biker boots. Bikers are quite masculine, and you wear them with skinny jeans or with shorts and thick woolly tights. You can also wear ankle boots in shiny or coloured leather.
o   Classic: Cavalier boots. Mind you don’t fall into the “I’m off to the stables” style by wearing them with a riding-style jacket that’s too severe. These boots are perfect with knitted dresses, under or over jeans.
o   Retro: Vintage boots with a little slanted heel and wide ankles. Team them with flared jeans or a blouse. ankle boots with or without laces look fantastic with a little Peter Pan collar dress.

Your body, your boots
o   If you’re short: Choose boots that add length to your figure and cover the leg without cutting it. Wear boots with jeans or a fairlly short skirt.
o   If you’re slim: With or without heels, ankle boots will put your legs on show.
o   If you have big hips: You need to balance your body with fine heels. Avoid boots that are too thick, which will weigh you down. Wear with a plunging dress à la Beyoncé…
o   If you’re tall: Wear flat boots with a square heel, under jeans or with a skirt (grey jeans work well).
o   If you have a large bottom: Tall boots with large heels will help you adopt the right arch to emphasise your shape. This looks good with a wraparound dress.
o   If you have big calves: Wedge boots or boots with a 6-8cm heel. Choose ones with a zip on the side so you can slip into them easily. They should never cut into your leg or squash your calf.

Recycling your old pairs: are they outdated or wearable?
o   Cowboy boots: Rock chick boots par excellence. Cowboy boots come back into fashion every two to three years. Keep them if they’re a rough, aged brown colour, to wear with a silk dress. Throw them if they’re too worn or too light in colour.
o   Square-toed boots: Often too classic. Keep them if they’re flat, royal blue or red, to wear with a long coat. Forget them if they have a square heel.
o   Thigh-high: Very sexy thigh boots were made to hug your figure and are best worn with voile tights and wool shorts. Keep them if they’re made of fine double-stitched leather and can be slipped into like socks. Forget them if they have a turn-up at the top or a zip behind the calf.

Photo: Gucci Autumn/winter 2007 collection.