It’s no secret that fashion folks find autumn/winter trends are much more alluring than spring/summer. The layers, the rich textures and the opulent colour palettes make for a visually delightful season. My approach to AW fashion is picking a couple of key trend piece to form the basis of my wardrobe. My unlikely favourite this season has been western boots. Not the most obvious or chicest choice but I’m surprised at how attached I’ve become to my cowboy boots. They have proved to be surprisingly versatile and I wanted to share the chicest ways to style western boots this season.
As with many trends, all roads lead back to Raf Simons. He sent cowboy boots down the runway for Calvin Klein’s AW17 collection. This trend was quickly followed by Isabel Marant, Ganni and Fendi in 2018. Fast-forward to AW19 and cowboy boots are a hot ticket trend piece and on the top of everyone’s shopping list.
I picked up on the trend last winter and picked up a pair of very subtle Western ankle boots from ASOS. Very gingerly dipping my toe in the trend. To my surprise, I loved my cowboy boots so much I wore them through spring too.
I was surprised by how versatile they are. I’ve paired them with bold colours, muted palettes, animal prints, pretty dresses. The possibilities are literally endless.
I loved the trend so much I bought a pair of slightly bolder, punchier knee-high cowboy boots in faux croc. Let me tell you, I’ve never received so many compliments from a pair of boots. A lot of people also asked for tips on how to style Western boots. They were hesitant to invest as they could look costumey. Admittedly, it’s pretty easy to look like an extra from a John Wayne movie so I wanted to share my tried-and-tested top tips to style Western boots this season:
- Go Girly
I love juxtaposing the toughness of cowboy boots, with their chunky low heel and hardware, with pretty floral dresses. In this look, I wore a flouncy little ruffled floral dress with my knee-high cowboy boots and I love the contrast. - Let your boots do the talking
The “safest” way to try out cowboy boots are by wearing neutral pieces and giving your boots the spotlight. Think black jeans with an oversized jumper and some ankle or knee-high Western boots. - Maximalist
Sometimes, ‘more is more’. Who am I kidding, ‘more is more’ is practically my daily mantra. One of my favourite ways of styling Western boots is with maxi dresses, I love the unexpected combination of the chunky boots adding weight to an otherwise floaty, ethereal look. - Mix textures
I’m used to stiletto-heeled boots so embracing chunky cowboy boots has been a bit of a revelation. I enjoy contrasting them with textures and existing pieces in my wardrobe, like the plethora of satin skirts I amassed over the last year, soft and snuggly jumpers and even vinyl pants. - No denim
My last tip is a little obvious but I’d advise staying away from blue denim. I did try styling my Western boots with stonewash Mom jeans and dark blue skinny jeans. All I can say is major Clint Eastwood vibes!
Dress by Nasty Gal | Boots by ASOS
Photography by Kylie Eyra.
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