Boot Help and Maternity by lulu
I’m not usually an impulse buyer. I buy things on super sale, and the more expensive investments, I’ll ponder and research for a little while before making the splurge. Huge purchases (like electronics) give me anxiety.
Boots usually don’t.
Those, however, were an impulse buy.
I really wanted a pair of heel booties to wear this season –I think they look so cute with tights and dresses- but as soon as I walked into Aldo and saw all of the very high, spiky booties, I thought about the fact that I could fall, and also would have elephant ankles within 10 minutes of wearing said booties. I decided to go the safer route and try a wedge, since they still give me height and are much easier to walk around in.
I tried on the booties, looked at them in Aldo’s super long mirror that makes you look at least 6 ft tall, and was in love. I bought the wedge shoes and was so happy…
Until I saw pictures of myself actually wearing them.
Somehow, they managed to take a foot off my height, and with black tights and a sweater dress, it was just frumpy and wrong. The booties have stayed in my closet since then, and I’ve been wearing my mid-calf black boots (the EXACT same style, just taller) or my Tom’s instead.
Tonight, I decided to bust out the booties and think I made it work?
Thank goodness for Wunder Unders is all I can say. I think by going with grey, it helped break it up a little.
(face says: I feel like a goober in these booties)
Let’s be real, though. I ditched the booties and put on my TOMs pretty much immediately after taking that picture.
As far as the clothes go, I still feel a thousand times better that I got a couple of pairs of maternity jeans and some tops/dresses, and am still wearing lululemon stuff. I’ve waxed poetic about it fairly often, but I really am grateful that my lululemon stuff has fit me this entire time. Buying an entire new workout wardrobe for work would have been costly and annoying, and it’s the only thing that has stuck with me for the past 35 weeks without looking too rough.
Here’s what I’m wearing in the photo above:
–Wunder Unders (LOVE these during the winter)
–Rehearsal long sleeve. The fabric is super soft and bonus: thumbholes
So friends: what do you think about the booties? Give them to a very tall friend, or find another way to make it work?
When was the last time you made an impulse buy?
52 Comments
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I hate to say this but I’m not crazy about the booties. To be honest, I don’t know how I feel about booties in general. I want to love them but they don’t look right, or I don’t know how to wear them. Love, love, love boots though. My closet can’t hold another pair of boots.
yes! the mid-calf boots look awesome, but i’m not really digging the booties, either. some people can rock them, though
hahaha has it felt like 35 months of pregnancy? 😉
i’m having boot indecision myself…also a pair of black ankle boots that i really need but i’m not sure if they hit me at an odd spot on my leg. i want one of the magic mirrors in the stores in my house so everything will always look good!
haha did i write months instead of weeks? oops 😉
I actually just bought almost identical boots (Blowfish Malibu though) from Winners and although they don’t go with every outfit they are just tooooo cute. One of the only pairs of difficult shoes which I don’t mind going to the effort of making them work. Lookin great in that pic btw!
i don’t like booties. can’t get into em. feel like they cut my already short legs off (and i’m 5’7). weirdly enough i’d rather wear knee high boots I think those elongate the legs more than booties which give you stumpy legs!
i agree- booties shorten the legs so much 🙂
I personally love booties… on other people. They look super cute but you really need to feel confident in them to pull them off. I usually feel pretty good in what I’m wearing but something about those make me feel awkward. I’m pretty sure my lack of confidence wearing them make them look worse on me than they actually do.
I was looking for a gift for my mom today and came out of the store with a purse for myself. I NEVER purchase bags of any sort so to drop some major cash on one for myself on impulse was a pretty big deal. Its also a burnt orange color – any other purse I’ve owned has been solid black. Needless to say its sitting on my dresser, empty. I just keep looking at it wondering why I did it.
I had the same problem 2 winters ago, only my boots were brown. I ended up wearing them with jeans (not the skinny kind), as everything just looked so stupid.
If I were you, I would totally give them to a friend or sell them on ebay.
(though while I am not that fond on your boots, it doesn´t look too bad, I think!!)
yeah that’s a good idea- they’ve only been worn once, so i’m thinking i could totally sell them
good luck with it!
I would look so ridiculous in those, but that totally works! Very stylish and cute!
Yeah, they don’t work for me either, but I did love them with the outfit you had on 🙂
I have to be honest and say I don’t think they look the best on you (or anyone). I cannot get into booties, no matter how many different outfits I see them with. There are certain people or outfits that look better, but there is still something off about them. Ankle or knee length boots all the way!
OMG – I bought the same shoes @ ALDO but unfortunately I had to return them :-(…one was a little bigger than the other. Ugh! I loved them though but I tried to wear them with skinny jeans and I felt the same way…I love wedge heels and all but I felt like a elf!
I think they’re adorable and I want them! 🙂 I’m going to look for them now 🙂 But if you don’t feel cute, you should definitely stick with what you like!
I bought two of the Rehearsal long sleeves, I love them!
It’s kinda hard to see ’em on you in the pictures, but they actually look super cute sitting on the floor! To be honest, though, I don’t think anyone can rock the short booties. They always remind me of elves. Not sure why…
Also, I love that rehearsal long sleeve. It’s so delicate-looking! Is there a Lulu in Tucson?
It might look great with some extra ‘socks’ like here (maybe in a lighter gray or even 2-colored like in the pict):
http://www.saucyglossie.com/camp-bow/
I have a pair of Nike base layer pants that I think are similar to the weave of the WonderUnders and I love them sooo much and I know everyone raves about the wonderunders…I may have to pick up a pair and see for myself.
You look adorable in the pants, boots, shirt…the whole thing. Yes, you totally pulled it off and good call on wedges not pointy heels.
Ok, maybe I’m the only one here…but I think those booties are amazing!!! I’m not a fan of the monotone look though. As others have said, they can look a little “elf like”. I think breaking up the color is the way to go. Try them with lighter skinny jeans, even white would be adorable. Or maybe even some lighter tights. Something that makes the boots stand out on their own a little more. 🙂 After all is said and done, if you still don’t love them…just send them my way. 😉
I think you will like them again once you have the baby.
I don’t like that type of boot that is not tight fitting at the ankle. I can handle a short boot that is tight, but loose ones like that tend to make me look shorter and stumpy, I think because they cut off the narrowest and most elongated part of the leg/ankle (making sense?). I’m really short (5ft 3) and am pretty sensitive about anything that makes me visually shorter or wider. It’s kind of amazing how much of an impression is just visual illusion.
I would like to say that I LOVE those booties! What size are they?? Maybe a give-away to a blog reader is in order?! I mean it is hard to beat your macaroons….but…. 😉 hehe. I truly adore those booties! Maybe try them with skinny jeans (after pregnancy is over?)? Sometimes I just find shorter boots awkward with dark tights because you cannot see the leg in general! I dont know! Just a thought! YOU look great though! Boots aside!
If they’re a 6 and a half, I’d gladly take them off your hands; I love them!
I just bought those on Black Friday! Super great buy, they’re amazingly comfy and definitely cute.
I say ditch the boots girl! Although your face in the picture isn’t helping your case 😉
I just bought some booties a few weeks ago and ended up returning them the next day, I have a hard time buying boots because I have such a skinny ankle (just like how yours are) so the boot opening is ginormous and just looks weird!
Good thing I live in South Texas, so ‘boot season’ is only about 2-3months and then it’s back to heels and flip flops 🙂
oh dear! i have the same problem. i’m almost 5’8″ and have a short torso/long legs thing going on and i still can’t seem to rightly pull off the bootie look. i vote pass ’em up, and give em to a friend who is 5’10” or over. i think giving them away to anyone else would accrue you some bad karma. 😉
i always want to get the lulu stuff, but it is soo hard to shell out $80 for pants!
They look cute on the floor but I think there is too much going on with them.There is the wedge, plus the ruching plus the buckle plus the wide ankle. Jeffery Campbell has a lot of great wedges. I boubought a pair of laceup ankle boot wedges last year from Urban Outfitters. I wear them with jeans or geometric print shifts. Your outfit does look comfy!
that’s a good point- they’re a little *busy*
You are adorable but the booties don’t work. I know what you mean about wanting it to, but … If we were in high school talking about what to wear to the party on Friday night after the football game — I’d say no.
I think the boots look great! Although I may be partial to them because I loooove wedge booties. My favorite are the Chaia bootie by 80%20, (8020nyc.com) which are from their fall 2010 collection. They have a hidden wedge. I wear them almost every day with jeans, tights, whatever. I don’t think the ones that you have make you look short especially with an outfit like the one photo’d above, I think you look great!
I think it isn’t you, it’s the boots. Something about the ankle opening is just a little off (maybe too big?) and I think even someone six feet tall might have a hard time making them look right. A bootie with a smaller opening that went below your ankle bone (as opposed to above it, like these) would look fantastic 🙂
I have several pairs of booties… mainly because living in Chicago and going “out” during the winter requires a heel that covers the majority of your foot. I definitely struggled with the same elf/short leg issue that you’re describing and I eventually got over it. I will say that tights and a mini or skinny jeans look WAY better with booties than leggings. And that applies to everyone (except maybe Giselle), I swear! Skinnies look great w/ booties bc it sort of continues the bunching on your legs and looks more purposeful. And the tights + a mini look good if you’re all in one tight/shoe color (I go w/ black). If you think you’re going to sell them, I’d definitely hold off on until you have the munchkin. Impulse buys don’t have to = impulse sells! 🙂
I think those ones don’t work so well on you because they have such a gape at the top of them, a bootie that goes tight to your leg might look better, or try wearing them with skinny jeans that fill out the ‘gape’ a little.
Though, I think booties are really made for the super tall and skinny model types and sadly not mere mortals.
get rid of the booties! i really dislike how they look on anyone-ankle height is NOT flattering for the line of the female body, no matter how awesome your body
I love the idea of booties, but I just can never pull them off… I’m definitely a mid-calf boots wearer 🙂 You look adorable in that outfit though!
I really don’t think wedge booties will work on anyone. I’m 5’10” and have tried some on and they make me look stumpy. In my experience, an ankle boot has to have a spiky heel or be totally flat to work.
I think the booties are cute. However I think they would look better paired with a skirt or dress with stocking type leggings not the tights that you have on. Or even skinny jeans. Don’t give them up. They may be a good in between shoe once you have your little one running around.
I like boots, but I am sorry to say I do not like these much. You sound like you are trying really hard but are not a fan of the booties either… Try selling them, or find a friend who would love and use them, best thing you could do!
Ana
I’m not a huge bootie fan because I just think the style is hard for anyone- they do shorten the legs a little. That being said, I think you will get some wear out of them- especially with the wedge heel. I own one Lululemon top that I got for a gift and even at 8 months, it fits so nicely and I feel great in it. I would love to eventually own a pair of Wunder Under crops and another top or two.
I feel the same way in booties. I basically only wear taller boots, sandals, heels, or sneakers. Anything that ends right at the ankle cuts me off and I feel shorter and frumpy too. I’m not sure who they work for, but unfortunately it isnt me
I feel like most flat booties definitely shorten the leg, but I got a pair that I LOVE and have been wearing them pretty successfully.
They are a low heeled cowboy boot style bootie (so cute!) and I wear them with my skinny jeans rolled to rest just above them instead of tucked in (which looks odd b/c even the skinny jeans get a little baggy when I wear them like that.) Not sure why it works but it totally does. 🙂
I think the boots are cute! My roommate has a pair just like them, they look really cute with dark skinny jeans! But I can definitely see how they might shorten the leg. She’s 5’11 so I guess that’s why she doesn’t have a problem with them.
I bought those same exact booties a couple of months ago and had the same exact experience that you did! They looked and felt great in the store, but when I got home and tried making outfits with them nothing worked! Everything I tried them with made me appear shorter and more stout. I even went out and bought a new pair of skinny jeans to try to make them work. I don’t think those shoes were meant for anyone under 5′ 8”. I ended up giving them to my sister-in-law who is much taller than me. Oh well, lesson learned.
I have to say, I like them. I have a pair of ankle boots- and although I don’t wear them as much as my mid-calf or right below the knee boots, I still think they’re super cute. I’m 5’10 though. I usually wear mine with tights and shorts. 🙂
I’m so excited for you and your husband to have your baby!
Now that you’re about to be come parents, you should consider moving away from Lululemon. The founder of Lululemon is an outspoken racist (Chuck Wilson admitted he named the company such because it would be funny to watch Japanese individuals pronounce) and has committed to using third world child labor.. not even kidding. Here’s an article the Huffington Post did about it http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-j-lawrence/when-yogis-kill-the-grisl_b_1077457.html (not the best news source, but this is a pretty comprehensive article).
Yes, Lululemon makes nice clothing.. but it’s probably not the type of corporation you want to be a part of, or you want in your child’s life.
i recently read that article and wasn’t aware of many of the points they bring up – i’ll definitely be more mindful of my athletic wear purchases from now on.
they don’t make lulu for babies, so i don’t think i have to worry about that for a while 😉
Booties are definitely for jeans – I think some skinny jeans and a blazer would look great with them. I just don’t think booties work well with dresses.
Booties are cute when worn with the right outfit. They are perfect with tights and a dress. Those bootiAndrew adorable and I will take them off your hands if you don’t want them 😉