Closet Inventory Series: Boots

SALE ALERT: Get 25% off all shoes and boots at Piperlime with code FANCYFEET, now through 11/04/2014! I love these quilted over-the-knee boots, even though they're waaay out of my price range.

In an attempt to curb my spending, I thought it would be interesting over the next few months to take stock of what's currently in my closet and see if I can pinpoint any wardrobe holes. Check out the other posts in this series here.

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween weekend! We had a very chilly one here. It's like someone flipped a switch, and all of a sudden we're in winter mode. Luckily our Halloween costumes were seasonally appropriate (and mostly used pieces from our existing wardrobes). This year Engineer W and I dressed up as a couple of Harrison Fords. He went as Indiana Jones, complete with leather jacket and fedora. I went as Han Solo, wearing my black Pour La Victoire boots, an oatmeal J.Crew thermal, dark Madewell jeans, and my black Patagonia vest (used black tape to cover up the logo). Sadly I didn't get any good pictures of us, so you'll have to take my word that we looked pretty awesome. On Saturday, we followed our time-honored tradition of buying post-Halloween candy on sale at our local Target. Mmmm discounted Butterfingers...

Now that Halloween is over and we're officially in November, I can finally break out my coats and boots. Today I wanted to analyze my existing boot collection and see if there's anything missing.

Here's the lineup:

(from left to right)

Pour La Victoire Loryn Riding Boot (old, similar, steal, splurge)

Michael Kors Tatum Riding Boot (old, similar, steal, splurge)

Sam Edelman Petty Ankle Boot in Putty Suede (now 25% off!)

Sam Edelman Petty Ankle Boot in Black Suede (now 25% off!)

Zara Combination Wellies (old, similar, similar, splurge)

Boot Observations
Looking at the boots I already own, I'm noticing certain trends. There are definitely specific types of boots that I'm perpetually attracted to. For example:
- I seem to love black boots. Since I usually wear dark jeans, black boots visually make my legs look much longer than they are. Also, unlike brown, I don't need to worry about matching other shades in my wardrobe since black always matches black.
- I love boots with an almond-shaped toe. They seem to be the most flattering, especially for ladies with small feet. Very lengthening for the legs and makes the feet look narrow. Not too pointy and not too round seems to be the sweet spot.
- My favorite tall boot style is the timeless equestrian. Since boots are generally expensive, it's important to get a style that can be reworn year after year.
- I only wear flat and low-heeled boots. It's hard enough walking on snow and/or ice without worrying about slipping in high heels.

Boot Buying Advice
Since I'm philosophically opposed to buying things at full-price, all of my boots were purchased on deep sale (with the exception of the Zara wellies). I picked up the PLV boots for 67% off, the Michael Kors for over 50% off, the taupe Sam Edelman booties for 45% off, and the black Sam Edelmans for 70% off.

I was able to score these prices by shopping at places like Amazon, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. They usually have a large selection of boots, and as long as I was patient and kept an open mind about the brand/model, I usually found something I liked at the price I wanted. Also, another tip is to shop off-season. The PLV boots were so deeply discounted on Amazon, because they were still around in February. I found the black Sam Edelman Petty at a Nordstrom Rack in March. If you're lucky and plan ahead, you can score boots in late winter that you can wear through early spring and then save to wear again next year.

Personal Conclusion
Overall I'm really happy with my boot collection. The only style I would consider adding at this point is a leather over-the-knee pair to wear with dresses and skirts. My ideal color is, you guessed it... black. I'm in no rush to look for any though. If I happen to find the perfect pair at a deep discount, then I would consider picking them up.

What do you look for in a boot? What's your favorite place to buy boots?