Who can forget those black, vinyl thigh-high boots Julia Roberts wore — with little else — when she first spied her man in “Pretty Woman”? Twenty years later, tall boots are back, this time on ladies of fashion, not just ladies of the night.
Thigh-high boots rocked the runways a year ago, but it’s taken some time for the trend to evolve and gain acceptance by a broader audience. Now, over-the-knee styles are adding a sexy-yet-chic statement to skinny jeans and leggings, skirts and dresses.
“Every girl wants to be a little sexy,” says footwear designer Stuart Weitzman. “Do you know an American woman who hasn’t seen ‘Pretty Woman’?”
Weitzman, who has made tall boots in past seasons, says over-the-knee boots are so popular now because women wear tights with many looks — even miniskirts and shorts. “They complement the new kind of dress that many, many girls are using today. It sort of breaks up the whole naked leg look and becomes an acceptable adaptation of modern dressing.”
Choose a dramatic pair with a high heel, a midheight wedge or a flat-bottomed boot. They come plain or embellished with chains, buckles and studs, and with details like distressing and lacing. Depending on the style, they can add glamour to an evening ensemble or keep you warm running errands by day.
The beauty of the style, says Brian Atwood, Footwear News’ designer of the year, is that it lengthens your appearance, regardless of your height. “Trust me,” he says. “It’s like wearing a legging. It elongates everything.”
Still, the public’s collective eye needed to adjust to a style that perhaps spurred thoughts of fetishism.
Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor of Harper’s Bazaar, advises wearing the boots with a “minimalist chic” look. Don’t pair the boots with every other trend or pile on too many accessories, she cautions, and keep hemlines higher than the top of the boots.
“The look has to be a linear, long, clean silhouette,” Graham says.
That means close-fitting jeans or cigarette pants tucked into the boots, no flared pants or skirts and nothing flouncy. “You want to avoid having any resemblance to anything theatrical and the appearance of anything remotely looking like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’,’’ Graham says.
There’s more variety than you might think in boot style, shaft and overall vibe, and that lets the trend live longer.
They have a strong connection to the music world, sheathing the legs of megastars — and fashion influencers — Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rihanna and Prince. In June, trendsetter Victoria Beckham wore a short dress with Atwood’s towering black suede RZ boots, which have a chain up the back and 5-plus-inch heels.
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