Womens Ankle Boots

"How to Look Super-Chic in Ankle Boots"

Courtesy of Steve Madden

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There are certain things that you should think about when buying a pair of womens ankle boots, especially whether it would go well with your wardrobe and the dimensions of your legs and your body as a whole. When buying these types of womens fashion boots have the size and length of your legs in mind.

They can make short legs look shorter and wide legs even wider if worn incorrectly. You'll have to work with your proportions, height and body shape to achieve a flattering look in them. Let me explain: If all of your weight is supported by twig-like shoes it will make them look delicate and your legs hefty in comparison. Or if you're skinny and attempts to wear thick platform ankle boots, they'll look like dangling bricks on your fragile frame.

On this page I'll talk about some practical strategies, don'ts and do's when buying a pair of womens ankle boots, as well as where you can buy them and how you should wear them.

How to Buy & Wear Womens Ankle Boots

Let them match with your proportions

And I mentioned earlier in this page, pick a pair that matches with the proportions, the fullness of your body. Super-thin heels will make a plus-size woman look bigger, while heavy platform ankle boot heels make a thin person look ever thinner and fragile.

Catherine Zeta-Jones via celebutopia

If you want your legs and overall silhouette look taller and/or slimmer then these tricks will do:

1. Match the boots with the color of the bottom (ex. black bootsies with black straight jeans, dark blue jeans or leggings). Avoid mixing contrasting colors such as black on white as it will cut your legs in half.
2. Make sure the bottom is slim or tapered around the leg so that the hem looks slim and straight when tucking them in the boots
3. A little bit of heel will do
4. Stick to matté material textures such as leather. Shiny fabrics like patent will expand the size of your feet.
5. Opt for womens ankle boots with minimal designs. A lot of straps and buckles will make your legs look heavy. You should also try boots with visible zipper detail for a maximum slimming effect
6. Select boots with a tapered/slim shaft.

Make sure the proportion of your outfit is right

Kate Winslet and Sandra Bullock via justjared

The taller the shaft of the boot, the shorter the skirt should be. Wearing a knee-length skirt with a taller shaft visually shortens the leg and gives you a chopped-off stubby look. This applies to dresses as well.

Dress your body shape

We're looking to achieve a balanced hourglass body shape, where no body part (hips, waist and bust) will dominate your whole appearance. By knowing your body shape you'll find it easier to pick fashion ankle boots that will flatter your body. Here's a quick guideline of how it works:

• Pear (heavy/wide bottom): Simple boot styles with a heel (ex. wedge) to avoid drawing too much attention downwards. Complement the look with a short jacket, nice makeup or a pair of cute earrings
• Inverted triangle (heavy/wide top): Bright colored or embellished styles to "fill out" the narrow space.
• Rectangle (little or no waist definition): Detailed boots because your goal is to add more dimension to your frame.
• Apple (round or wide torso): Same as inverted triangle. Complement the look with a belted cardigan or jacket.

Select well-fitting womens ankle boots

Large shoe opening compared to your ankle size looks funny and make it look like they don't fit properly.

Vanessa Hudgens celebutopia

Avoid heavy fringes unless you're tall and thin or a rock star

Your legs will look like clunky, wiggly human dusters. Need I say more?

Bring life to your outfit with trendy styles

Such as suede ankle boots, wedge booties, bright colors, corc print, visible zipper details, studs, etc. Wedge ankle boots are definitely one of my faves. They boost your height without looking completely out there as well as lengthen your legs. The trick is to choose sculpted, narrow wedges (as opposed to clunky bricks) with tapered toes that stretch the look of your legs. If you're petite you're gonna love them! However if you have wide ankles, then it may not be something for you as it can make them look wider.

How to Look Chic with
Womens Ankle Boots: Outfit ideas

Two of my favorite outfits are these:

I love how casual yet sexy a pair of brown ankle boots look together with denim shirt and loose tee. A very wearable and flattering everyday outfit, even for those who don't have a supermodel body.

And another gorgeous party look I've seen on many famous fashion bloggers, is the from-top-to-toe-black outfit consisting of mini pencil skirt, top (sheer pantyhose) and macthing ankle boots. It's a bit daring but it still looks balanced and chic.

Tip: If you have very short legs, opt for a shorter skirt along with matching black pantyhose or tights and ankle booties to create a long and lean stature.

A pair of ankle booties might look harsh with light colored dresses because of the style contrast. The boots will be highlighted and scream: "I'm different, I don't really belong here!" It throws off the whole chic look of the outfit. So what you want to do is to add a black cardigan, blazer or leather jacket, which will balance out the outfit. Or a black leather wide belt will do (it matches with the booties).

Gwyneth Paltrow via celebutopia, runway model via nymag

Tip: Maxi dress with these boots is highly discouraged to prevent outdating the look :)

When wearing leggings make sure that they're not capris and that you don't show any skin - it just doesn't complement the ankle bootie look. Remember the proportion-rule?

Devon Aoki via justjared, Rachel Bilson via x17online

Pair the legwear with a tunic shirt or top, or a nice long sweater.

Note: You can get away with cropped pants but only if you have a lanky frame and/or thin and long legs!

Skinnys

Womens ankle boots are the perfect match for skinny leg jeans and pants. Just slip the bottoms into the top for a sleek look. If you're not comfortable in skinnys then check out my tips below on wider hem pants.

No one wants the awkward bunches at the top (they'll make your ankles look wide and chunky, by the way) with boot cut jeans.

Bootcut, flare and wide leg

You can achieve a very attractive and classy look when wearing the ankle boots over the top of your ankle boots, disguising the short look of the shoes. You'll also feel a lot comfortable with shorter boots than the longer styles. Just make sure that the bottoms cover the top when you're bending over.

Keira Knightley via celebutopia

Tip: If your pants a bit short, streamline the look with tights or long socks underneath the pants that match with the color of the boots.

Nicole Richie, Giselle Bündchen and Kate Moss via celebutopia

See how much longer their legs (Nicole Richie and Giselle Bündchen) look in shorter cut womens ankle boots?

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