Fashion:Fall shoes to fall for

One of the most exciting things come winter is the idea to dress up and add layers stylishly. From snugly hats, to stylish boots. We look at the footwear trends that are worth taking note of for this winter season.

Ankle boots
Fnkle boots are easy to wear option in winters. They could be worn by different body shapes and paired with various dress options. This season, the ankle boots are to be found in the classic beige and black leather and also in the deep shades of maroon, indigo, peacock blue. At Balmain, the ankle boots were its luxe best made in velvet with rich gold embroidery. At Fendi the models wore easy to slip into ankle boots, which were the equivalent of high heels with a better grip of the feet. Ankle boots or booties can be worn with trousers, long skirts, and dresses. Avoid wearing cropped leggings, shorts, or garment that deduct height from your frame and add bulk to the legs. Since the ankle boots come in numerous texture, style and heel options, this style continues to be part of the winter wardrobe basics.

Bold heels

The elegant heels that are usually the statement pieces in your wardrobe are plenty available in new designs for the upcoming winters. Called the ‘evening heels’ these are sandals that are not too big on comfort. If you can forego the comfort, these seasons’ heels will definitely be lust worthy to your senses. At Diane Von Furstenberg the footwear matched the dressing sensibility of the label – bold, feminine and pretty. Christian Dior reminiscent the classic dressing and gave a variety of elegant black closed high heel sandals. At Chanel the most exotic looking sandals made way with jeweled heels in glass crystals and signature fabrics like tweed, satin and leather on the top part of the shoe. Louis Vuitton where Marc Jacobs painted an imagery of women who travel in first class trains with porters carrying their handbags and hat bags behind them. This woman need not worry about wearing ‘sensible’ shoes and go for the most luxurious wardrobe for the feet. The Louis Vuitton pumps are extremely high, exotic skins covering the toes and with massive crystals embellishing the straps.

Hidden heel

The heel need not always be prominently displayed in a stiletto form. The clever winter designs give us option to seem taller without giving out the exact inches of the heels. French designer Isabel Marant designed the sneakers with a hidden heel that gave a lift to the wearer and made those calves look super toned. Pierre Hardy has given a similar range of sneakers this season. At Alexander McQueen the opposite is applied where instead of hiding the heel, the heel is missing and left a void in its place. The shoe has a platform support under the toes and empty space under the heel. The arch of the foot is quite evident and is a winning option for the risk takers. At Givenchy, the high boots had outer leather covering the silhouette of the shoe like a curtain disclosing the height of the heel.

High boots

For the fashion savvy, no winter wardrobe is truly complete without a pair of season fresh high boots. At Gucci, the boots were inspired by the equestrian styles in flat form and heels. These are the classic styles that can be worn with trousers tucked in, whether sitting on the horse or not. At New York based Altuzarra show, models wore thigh high leather boots in exotic leather skins. Over the knees boots sometimes give an illusion of pair of well-fitted trousers and could be worn under short dresses replacing the tights or multiple layers of clothes. This is however a very tricky style to wear, as long shapely legs are usually the size these styles fit onto easily. But the knee-high boots are a convenient option and protective of the harsh winters, for all body types.

Midi heel 

Aah the comfort of wearing a low heel! Was not lately accepted by the fashion trend cycles. But this winter many fashion houses not only made a collection of low heels but also made the models walk in them for their winter runway collection. At Valentino the models wore pretty dresses with low heels that made the look a winning combination of style and comfort. While the skyscraper heels have a place of their own in a woman’s wardrobe, the midi heels have found a loving space in the wardrobe of woman on the go. The practical yet beautiful appeal of the shoe is the reason why America’s first lady Michelle Obama is often seen wearing them. Shoe designer Christian Louboutin known for making heels that add sex appeal to any feet also went the midi heel route by offering designs in the height he is not recognized for.

Flats

One of the key trends this season is womenswear inspired by menswear. The same follows on footwear where design houses like Armani, and Tod’s gave us menswear style options of brogues, loafers, laced flat shoes in women’s sizes. These literally look like styles borrowed from the men’s wardrobes and could be worn with other pieces from their wardrobes like shorts, shirts, and dapper tailored jackets. If you fear the complete dedication to the opposite sex, the flat footwear look equally fashion forward when worn with a breezy dress or skirt. A fairly new style in the footwear trends is the ‘flatform’, which is a hybrid of platform shoes and flats. There is an additional height given to the shoes but without the arch of the heels. The entire foot is elevated from toe to heel in this style. At Italian house of Marni, the flatform is dainty and sweet in earthy tones of leather and fabric.

The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow. blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

Tags: Ankle boots, Bold heels, featured, flats, footwear, full-image, Hidden heel, High boots, Midi heel

Category: Fashion, Life & Style