boots

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Covetables: A+EM London Visor leather ankle boots

Good grief, look at these beauties. Aren’t they rather stunning? I know that a website can use good lighting to sell virtually anything but these look The Business.

Preeeeeettttttyyyyy!
Preeeeeettttttyyyyy!

These leather ankle boots are from a brand called A+EM London (nope, never heard of them either) and were spotted during a routine inspection of the Red Direct site. Y’know the kind of thing: it’s Friday afternoon, everything work-related is dull and you’re just trawling your favourite sites in a kind-of this-is-what-my-life-will-look-like-when-I-own-my-own-internet-business-and-feature-in-lifestyle-sections-of-glossy-magazines. Or is that just me? As an FYI, I also find the fabulous homewares on Not On The High Street, handbags on The Outnet and the brand-spanking new inspo/shopping site Wardrobe Icons excellent for this type of browsing.

Anyway, back to the boots…..

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I am a big fan of the back zip and the little cut-out above it. The boot has enough lift for an evening but looks like it would serve as an all-dayer, too.

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The snaps from the site make them look more petrol blue than black but black is the only colour option.

At £230, they are certifiably Not Cheap, but who doesn’t need an excellent, high performing boot come autumn? In my dream life, I’d pair these beauts with a pair of ripped utility trousers from Topshop (not that dreamy at £36 but still not an inconsequential cost)…..

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….. and a fabulous knit from luxury brand Chinti & Parker (totally dreamy at an eye-watering £360).

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Well that’s autumn sorted then (and mortgage payments obliterated for the foreseeable future)……..

Category: Style
Lolly Dawson 1

Covetables: Clarks Lolly Dawson boots

Too many times recently I’ve found myself in one of two quandaries:  either I want to put smart footwear on and the weather forecast puts me off, or I want something comfortable to wear but I know I look scruffy in most of my trainers. Seemed to me like a pair of smart ankle boots would be the answer, but they needed to be leather to withstand the rain, and as I work in a very casual office, they also needed to be versatile.

And I’m an old woman so they needed to be comfortable too. ASOS is often a go-to for me for reasonably priced leather boots but I wasn’t taken with anything, and they all felt a bit pricey. And then I stumbled across these Lolly Dawson leather boots from Clarks! And I bought them! And man, I am in love.

I just think these look ACE
I just think these look ACE

Firstly the leather is great, so they look classy straightaway. And they’re lovely and low on the ankle, which keeps them looking dainty and makes them way more likely to suit being put with skirts and dresses, as well as jeans. But I think the thing I’m most excited about is the sole: it looks like a fine, classic boot sole, but those clever sods at Clarks have made it rubber and padded, so pounding the pavements without having to resort to sneakers or DMs is easy.

These boots instantly smarten up my jeans so that adding a shirt, silk tee, or blazer makes me look ‘finished’, but equally they could go with a casual tee-shirt or sweatshirt, plenty of which I plan to wear this autumn and winter. I realise that a chelsea boot is not exactly a ground-breaking choice, but for under sixty quid these are a great, quality basic to go into cooler weather with. And the taupe suede is pretty sexy too…

Clarks Lolly Dawson boots, £56.99

Category: Style
Dr Martens Church 2

Covetables: Dr Martens Church Boots

Dr Martens Church boot – £110

I tried these on as part of my birthday shopping trip and loved them. The shop alas did not have my size, but I am still coveting the Dr Martens Church boot very much.

Dr Martens Church
You really don’t get a sense of the detail here; it’s delicate but bold.

The photos belie how almost delicate these look in the flesh; the oxblood version is beautiful but the contrast stitching on the black version is just divine. They have that great nipped-in feel that you get to a genuine, low-line ankle boot, and with my uniform of super-skinny jeans these will be perfect autumn and spring footwear. M called them a ‘transitional piece’, which I certainly can’t disagree with.

They’re marketed on the DMs website as men’s, which I found a bit odd since so many Doc Martens are unisex. But they’re very handsome and I will be saving up for a September purchase…

Category: Style