Put Your Best Foot Forward...In Ankle Booties!

If we had to pick our favorite song about an item in our closet, we'd probably have to go with the Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". Little Miss Nancy was certainly stylin' in her mid-calf pleather little number that made her first single famous but in 2012 there's a new sheriff in town...the ankle bootie!

You may have seen any number of designers with styles to be coveted. Our favorites tend to be black or grey and made of shiny or matte materials (much like the ones Gwenyth and Sienna are sporting on the left). As always, its good to have something versatile that can be dressed up or down and make you feel fabulous no matter what. 

As Nina Garcia states in her book The One Hundred, "the ankle boot was originally intended to be hidden beneath classic trousers" but lucky for us, street style existed long before Ted Polhemus and designers soon caught onto the notion that ankle boots with skirts, dresses and drainpipes (see below) was a revolutionary step!

Not your mother's drainpipe pants.

But speaking of dressing, are there fashion rules for these little guys? 

Answer: Absolutely.

If you haven't noticed by now, Nina Garcia's book is sort of like the bible to us. Here are the 5 commandments to ankle booties according to Nina:

1. When wearing with pants, keep the colors the same. Black skinny pants tucked into booties will elongate the leg and make you feel fabulous.
2. When wearing with miniskirts, try them with black opaque tights to keep your line going and going. Unless you have fabulous legs, illusion is our master craft.
3. Make sure the bootie does not cut off straight at the ankle like a traditional bootie-these boots are made to be worn under pants and will chop off the leg and make it look stumpy.
4. It is a great alternative to the pump-always consider it if the pump seems too safe.
5. The bootie is a classic way to mix the masculine with the feminine, so don't be afraid to flaunt a little femininity when you have this more masculine shoe on. One must mix it to risk it...

Speaking of risks, how do YOU step out in these fashion favorites? Got pics? Send them to COSMOpolitique@gmail.com, post them to our Facebook fan page or send us a Twitpic by following @COSMOpolitique

And if you still need ideas, channel your inner Nancy and grab a black sequin romper!