From The Straits Times    |

Autumn has officially hit our European and American counterparts, so it’s no surprise that you’re seeing so many seasonal ankle boots in stores now. 

Personally, I am a huge fan of ankle boots: They’re stylish, comfortable and so incredibly practical. It’s probably one of the rare shoe styles that has the ability to take me from a high-powered boardroom meeting to after-work drinks with my friends — without my feet crying for help to boot. 

We’ve previously shared tips on how to rock a pair of ankle boots in a hot and humid country like Singapore, but we realised that there’s another problem that us ladies face: It’s not easy to find boots that are flattering for our naturally petite Asian build. 

We hear your concerns — especially from the crowd that’s under 160cm — about how the ankle boots “cuts” your leg off at what can seem like an awkward area, making you look shorter than you really are. 

Today, we are here to debunk this myth. As long as you adopt some of these pointers when you are buying your boots and styling yourself, you can definitely look good (read: tall, slim and chic) in just about any fashion situation. 


Image: Zara

Tip 1: Scale them to your legs

As with everything else, getting the right proportion is key when you want to create a slimmer appearance. For ladies with fuller calves, avoid dainty and delicate styles.

Likewise, if you have smaller, delicate calves, chunky soles and a wide circumference at the boot opening are not advised because they can create an unflattering point of comparison. 

Tip 2: Match your boot colour to your legs 

This should come as no surprise. If you are revealing your legs, nude hues are your best bet.

Going for a shade closest to our own skin tone tricks the eye into believing that those flats are an extension of your legs.

If it works on heels and flats, it’ll work on boots too. 

Tip 3: Match the boots with the color of your bottom

In the same vein, keep the hues of your boots and bottoms in the same colourful family.

For example, if you are wearing dark wash denim, go for a pair of black boots instead of white as the latter will visually cut your legs in half. 

Tip 4: Go for pointed styles 

Round-toe shoes can potentially have a shortening effect and make your legs look stumpy. Pointed ones help to extend the leg line, making your legs lengthier. 

However, if you have a longer foot, you might want to skip this tip as pointed flats have the potential of making your foot look disproportionately long.

Boots with a V-shape opening might work better for you because it creates a more flattering transition from your legs to your feet.

Tip 5: Show some skin

Breaking up the line of your leg is a surefire way to elongate your legs visually. If you are wearing trousers/jeans, the sweet spot is about a half inch above the boot.

For skirts and shorts, skip the complicated ankle straps and buckles because it will weigh your entire look down, and make your legs look chunky. 

Tip 6: A little block heel never hurts

Yes, I know we are talking about flat comfortable boots but slightly heeled ankle boots are quite possibly the most walkable kind of heels.

You may have read my stance about how I have sworn off high heels, but low block heeled ankle boots are my weakness; only because they are really comfortable!