One upside to all of this stay-at-home time is that my sartorial life has been greatly simplified. Granted, this is due in part to the season: I’ve got summer figured out. Flat, tan sandals, a straw bag or two, and a few basics (I wrote about this last year, basically nothing has changed) and I’m good to go.
But fall? Fall drives me nuts.
Not only does our fall weather swing wildly, but fall is when layers start to come into play. And I’ve found that the more possibilities I have (the more moving parts)…the more things can (and do) go wrong in an outfit.
Changing denim shapes can sometimes mean that a coat that looked great with last year’s skinnies…suddenly looks strange with my new mom jeans. And trying to pair ankle boots with any sort of pant is so hugely dependent on how that exact boot fits on your exact leg with that exact pant (gah!) that it literally gives me a headache.
So I’ve been thinking that this fall, since our social lives are going to be severely limited, I’d like to spend some time solving Annoying Outfit Problems I run into again and again. And the first one that comes to mind — the one I run into every. freaking. year. is styling my summertime favorite, light-wash denim, with boots.
top – xs | Levi 501s – 27 | booties | bag
4 Reasons Light-Wash Jean Look Best With Taupe Booties
If you’ve ever wondered why black boots sometimes look a little off with light-wash jeans…keep reading.
Note: Since the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is going on, I currently have a ton of inventory in my bedroom…which means I can really play around and illustrate some of these concepts. Most of the pieces featured here are part of the #NSale, but not everything (so just double-check the price).
1. Taupe Booties + Light Wash Jeans Are Foolproof
So to begin, let me try and illustrate the problem I often run into. Here I have my favorite jeans, the ones I’ve been wearing all summer, and I’d like to keep wearing them in the fall. But when paired with black boots, the look is…a little bit off.
sweater | Levi’s 501s (left, in Nsale) – 27 | Levi’s 501s (right) – 27 | booties | bag
Granted, it’s not terrible. The heaviness of the black is offset by the textured coat and sweater, and the bag (with the black and softer green tones) helps to bridge the gap between the dark boots and the lighter jean. And yet, the taupe boots still look better. Even when I picked a less-distressed pair of Levi’s 501s (which should be able to handle a black boot), the black is still heavy.
The problem, however, becomes more obvious when I strip away the textured pieces. With the black boots, the outfit below is definitely out-of-balance. With the taupe boots? It’s perfect.
top – xs | Levi 501s (left, in Nsale) – 27 | Levi 501s (right) – 27 | booties | bag
So it’s not that black boots can’t work with light wash jeans…it’s just that it’s really, really tricky to get the balance right.
And taupe will work better every time, even when wearing black.
sweater – xs | Levi 501s – 27 | booties | bag | trench – s
2. Taupe Boots Pair With Any Color Accessory
What bag to carry when wearing taupe boots? Literally any color. Taupe looks great with white, black, tan, camel, pastels, rich jewel tones…everything.
ps. Jeans with a lighter cuff look especially cute with taupe booties.
Cool-Toned vs Warm-Toned Bag. — Both Work With Taupe
sweater – xs | jeans – 26| booties | bag (left) | bag (right)
3. Taupe Booties Can Work With Socks
So here’s the deal: I hate cold ankles, so I’m going to bust out some socks. But unlike dark jeans (where I recommend matching your socks to your jeans or your boots), I recommend finding socks that are neither. The best socks in this situation are a heathered mix of lighter and blueish or gray tones. Smartwool makes a few options I swear by, like these or these.
Base Outfit: sweater – xs | jeans (top) – 26 | similar jeans (bottom) | booties | bag
Top Coats: faux fur coat – xs | puffer – xs
Bottom Coats: trench – s | fleece – s
And once again, this strategy (of heathered, blue-ish socks) works whether your accessories are cool, dark, warm or light.
Base Outfit: similar jeans | booties | bag
Coats: fleece – s | trench – s
4. Taupe Boots Can Sometimes Work With Bare Legs
So this depends on the exact shade of taupe and your exact skin tone…but the idea is to look for a shade of taupe that doesn’t have a ton of contrast with your skin for a longer leg line.
Best Taupe Booties For Light-Wash Mom Jeans, Cropped Jeans & Other Straight Leg Pairs
Best Taupe Booties For Skinny Jeans
Cheers to making the most out of what we have! And if you guys have any burning style questions, let us know! We’d love to try figuring them out.
xo,
S
