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Last night my sister Meghan and I taught a class on style and wardrobe tips and tricks. It was fun. But really any time you get to spend 45 minutes talking about clothes with your sister is bound to be. After we finished a woman came up to talk to me. She said she was starting from scratch and the whole process of building a wardrobe was rather intimidating to her. She didn’t really know where to begin. Whenever I get asked the question, “where do I start?” I always answer the same way. Closet staples. There are a few classic pieces that I think every woman should have in her closet. These are pieces that can work major overtime. They can multitask; be worn in a billion different ways and (if chosen wisely) will last for years and years and never go out of style. To be perfectly honest, I think my very favorite things to shop for are closet staples. Probably because I know when I am buying them that I will be wearing them for years, and the prospect of choosing a classic piece that will last until your grand kids are in college is fun. It’s like choosing an heirloom. (Not really, but sort of.) Today I’m going to talk about one of my all time favorite closet staples:
The Riding Boot.
My love and affection for the riding boot began at a young age. My mom had this fantastic pair of cognac riding boots from the 70’s while I was growing up. I used to sneak into her closet as a kid and try them one, then go tromping around her walk-in like I owned the joint. Those babies went basically to the top of my thigh, and I could barely walk in them, but they were fabulous.
I wanted some.
Investing in a great pair of riding boots is one of the best things you can do for your closet. Not to be confused with the “hooker boot,” riding boots are classy, versatile and timeless. They come in endless styles and colors and can be worn in a multitude of ways. Plus I sort of think of them as fall’s “favorite” boot. The tricky part about choosing a riding boot, is that there are so many options out there. I like to stick to three basics: cut, color, quality.
Cut: When I am choosing a riding boot, I look for a cut that is classic, but also unique. I like my boots to be in style five years from now; they’re expensive and I want to get as much wear out of them as possible, but I also want them to be interesting, so I look for classic cuts that have just a little something extra. Button detailing, a funky buckle, or layered leather all work to add interest to the design without making a boot too trendy, and therefore dated next year.
Color: Color plays a huge role in how versatile your riding boot is. While black and true brown are beautiful colors, they can also be rather limiting; cognac and gray are good alternatives as they work in the same color families, but they are infinitely more versatile. For example: cognac can be easily worn with blacks, blues, and browns.
Quality: A great pair of riding boots is going to cost you. It’s worth the investment. It’s not a small fortune and it doesn’t have to be exorbitant, but plan on spending at least around a hundred dollars. Pass on a few cheap trendy items and save your pennies for a good quality pair of riding boots, you will not regret it. I stick like glue to real leather, there’s nothing that will feel as fantastic and last as long.
Favorite places to shop riding boots:
Nordstrom: you can search by heel height, color, shaft height, size, price, brand, etc. etc. Plus we all know that Nordy’s has the best customer service on the planet.
DSW: Such a great place to find great quality designer boots for a steal. I have a pair of Steve Madden riding boots from DSW, and I adore them. Plus you can also search by color, designer, etc.
Anthropologie: If you’re looking for something really beautiful but also completely funky and unique, anthro is the go-to. They curate the most fantastic pieces and their riding boots are no exception.
I feel so cool! I just bought boot number 5 from DSW! I feel like I made the right choice!
I have a pair similar to #5. Love them!!!
I was THIS CLOSE to buying those Bandolinos at Carson’s the other day…but ended up going with a pair of tan Clarks because they were a little comfier and I felt like the Bandolinos had a little more going on than I liked. But the leather was super smooth and they smelled amazing!
The Anthropologie boots are killing me! If only they weren’t $300…
I love my congac riding boots! I love the chunky zipper they have on the outside of the leg, until. . . I cross my legs in church and I get zipper prints on my knees :) But you’re right, they are an awesome piece to bring back year after year and I always look forward to pulling them out each fall.
I really need some of these. Still not sure if I’ve found my dream pair yet…I liked a pair they were selling at Banana last year or the year before…
I just saw the Insta of your son’s drawing. Thank goodness you live in Utah and not Cali or something!
I LOVE riding boots. I’m looking into buying my second pair. Great picks!
Rebecca {at} Preppy Panache
Love this post! Good riding boots are on my list of things to find. I am 5’0 so it is so hard to find a boot that doesn’t go above my knee… Is there a brand you’ve found that aren’t as high?
Megan,
it depends on the boot, really, and it’s so tricky to find them when your a shorty. I do have a pair of Steve Maddens that are great and not too tall.
Well, I could never teach a class on style tips but I am attending a bookmaking class for 4 days in chicago! Love the ones you have shown above.
I’m looking to buy my first pair of riding boots. I’ve tried on multiple boots, but I can never seem to find the right pair. I’m 4″11 petite and my legs are thin, so my calves are always swimming in them. Any suggestions?
Ug, it’s so hard to find riding boots when you’re a shorty. I know there are some custom shoe companies out there for petites. But most of the time it just involves alot of leg-work.
Stacey, just found these awesome boots at target, they have a 13″ shaft height and are supposed to be slim. http://bit.ly/1aH5XVW check them out!
Awesome!! Thanks so much Cori!
I ended up ordering these from Old Navy’s little girls dept. http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=69332&vid=1&pid=637512002
They were on sale and I got them for $22 shipped! I want to try them out and see how much I will actually wear them, then I will invest in a better quality boot.
Thank you for the reply and the link. (I’m bookmarking it;) your blog is really an inspiration for me. It makes me want to actually put some thought into what I wear! Lol. And I like the fact that you’re a shorty too and I can relate.
We shorties have to stick together ;-)
I was at the class and am totally inspired! I just went and got myself a cute haircut and went shopping! Thanks for helping me feel good about investing in myself. Your advice was wonderful!
I’m so glad Kristi! You are worth it, never forget that!
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any
widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.
Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new
updates.
my webpage: twitter follower management
That’s a good question. I have no idea. I’m kind of a plug in dummy.