Business attire for older women: what does it mean?

One of the nicer things about being a visible Invisible Woman is that now people know where to find me and that means I receive invitations. The most recent was to the launch of Harnessing the Power of the Purse – a revelatory piece of research on female investors, put together by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Andrea Turner Moffitt under the banner of the Centre for Talent Innovation. It’s possible that you heard Hewlett on Woman’s Hour talking about her book Executive Presence and what it means to be a woman in what remains predominantly a man’s world. I was invited to attend at the House of Commons (intimidating) and the dress code was “business attire”.

Rather like Lynne Truss in Making the Cat Laugh, I suffer from middle-aged havering about what to wear when I go out. Never mind that here was a golden opportunity to do the networking thing and learn something new (not to mention nosey around the inside of the House of Commons), what I was worried about was how elastic the term “business attire” is. This is a source of much angst now I’m in my 50s, and I think it’s something many middle-aged women cast adrift in the employment market suffer from. Figures released this week by the Women’s Business Council state that 2.4 million women are not in work but want to be. “Women are a key source of untapped potential, which we need to harness to boost economic growth in the UK,” says Ruby McGregor-Smith, the council’s chair, yet women over 50 consistently report being frozen out of the job market. Take Gerri Spiers, a former PA, who after applying for more than 1,000 jobs has taken to walking around London wearing a sandwich board proclaiming: “Immediately available. Interview me now!” I checked with Spiers this week and she’s still looking. I admire her enormously for having the courage to do something positive, but lately I’ve started to wonder if being an outspoken fiftysomething woman looking for work puts another black mark against us in addition to the fact that we are older.

Anyway, back to “business attire”. I pulled myself together and went. I wore a black blazer over a short black dress over black fitted trousers and wedge-heeled trainers (because it was raining and, you know, heels). This was not classic business attire, but then nor was anything else I saw, which is interesting but I suppose not in the least surprising. The only common denominator was heels – despite this summer’s trend for flats and despite the expectation of spending a couple of hours on our feet. Interestingly, among a wide age range, there were few trousers, a lot of dresses and a lot of colour. In fact, in the light reflected off the river, the whole room looked like a gorgeous oil painting with a palette of red, cream, green, blue and pink. Nor, thankfully, was there any evidence of the hyper-groomed, body-conned style of workwear so beloved by female candidates on The Apprentice.

I was reminded instead of women such as Jane Shepherdson of Whistles, Harriet Green at Thomas Cook, or Angela Ahrendts, who has just moved from Burberry to Apple – all of them women of power and authority and all beautifully dressed in a “not trying too hard” way. The main thing is feeling comfortable – both in the sense that what you’re wearing is comfortable and also in being comfortable in yourself because you’ve judged it correctly. And for this you don’t need the purchasing power of a high-flying executive. The simplest thing is to have a couple of frocks in which you know you will always feel your best. Something like the beautiful vintage-inspired Bette Bow dress from Saint Bustier or the Harper dress from Hobbs. Cos has a wide range of dresses that will do the dress/trousers combo that I find myself regularly adopting. I’d go for this draped-neck dress and wear it with fitted cropped trousers, heels and just one piece of jewellery.

I’m glad I got a grip on my own wobbliness, not least because, otherwise, I would have missed seeing at least 30 top-flight businesswomen changing out of their heels in the Central Lobby at the end of the evening, which delighted me no end and made me feel strangely happy to be a woman. Even an underemployed middle-aged one.

The fashion brands empowering women in developing countries

The textile and clothing industry is the second largest employer after agriculture in the developing world, and a large percentage of this workforce are women. Research shows that empowering and investing in women has a cumulative bonus: women are likely to spend their income on their children and families, on education, health and nutrition, bringing long term positive change and prosperity to communities.

There are numerous fashion brands making a strong social impact but restricted to their local markets. Because I am aware of the role that fashion plays in our lives and the lives of those that create it, I decided to support these brands and bring them to a global mainstream market via the online boutique Fashion ComPassion.

As of April, more than 53,000 Palestine refugees from Syria were seeking safety and shelter from the continuing conflict in Lebanon. One of the first brands Fashion ComPassion partnered was Palestyle, a brand providing jobs and an income to Palestinian refugee women in camps in Lebanon and Jordan.

With a vision of becoming a leading accessory brand in the Middle East, Fashion ComPassion worked as its retailer, agent and distributor, helping to build its market in Pakistan and securing its stock in the British Museum. Palestyle started with a small team of 20 women who used their skills and craftsmanship to add traditional embroidery and designs to fashion pieces, and today works with 100 women, investing in community projects such as the Water Tank Exchange Program, which has provided clean water to over 4,000 refugees.

Rags2Riches is another brand creating positive change through fashion, working with women in Payatas, one of the poorest parts of the Philippine capital. According to the Payatas Poverty Alleviation Foundation, almost 40% of the active population are unemployed and nearly half are earning less than 4,000 Philippine pesos ($100) a month.

Many women living in Payatas were part of the cottage industry of rug weavers controlled by middle men, leaving them with minimal money for the work they created. Rags2Riches was created to give these skilled women fair access to the market. It has formed a partnership with well known Filipino designers who have transformed the scrap material into high-end fashion accessories. In three years, the brand has supported more than 400 women (pdf) , upcycled more than 500 tons of scrap cloth, and increased the earning potential of artisans from less than $0.02 per day to more than $10 per day.

In Rwanda, Indego Africa is working with women to support them through economic empowerment and education. This summer it is launching a leadership academy in Kigali that will provide business training for 100 emerging artisan leaders over the next two years. Indego Africa has taken the work of its artisans to a global level by partnering with the likes of J. Crew, Eileen Fisher, TOMS and Nicole Miller.

Another social enterprise, Sougha, was established by the Khalifa Fund in the United Arab Emirates to preserve and promote the traditions of women emirati artisans. Sougha creates economic opportunities for isolated local communities by reviving their skills and connecting them to new markets. Due to religious and cultural restrictions, the women don’t have access to the outside work, so the Sougha team visits these artisans, refines their products and sells them to a global market.

As an online retailer the social impact of Fashion ComPassion is not limited to just providing a platform for socially responsible brands. It also creates awareness around sustainability, and supports girls’ education through its partnership with the United Nations World Food Program , which provides school meals and take-home rations as an incentive for poor families to send their daughters to school, while giving girls the nutrients they need to focus in class.

Ethical fashion companies do not have to compete with big retailers; they are different and can grow alongside them. Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse, steps have been taken by bigger brands to look into transparency, code of conduct, working conditions and wages. Retailers cannot afford another such disaster to happen, and checks are being introduced to ensure better standards. The bigger players will always dictate the fashion landscape but small retailers can also have a profound impact on the industry.

As consumers, we need to assess our needs, desires and the part we play in the cycle of consumption. Fashion has the power to bring positive change to the most disadvantaged women around the world, but it is only with the support of us all that the sustainable fashion industry can boom and grow.

Tips for a fashionable weekend in London

London, one of the most culturally and historically significant cities in the world, also knows the value of a fashion statement.

From the postwar Teddy boys and the Swinging Sixties to being the centre of fashion commerce and experimental craft it is today, London hasn’t been having a fashion moment as much as a fashion century. You couldn’t possibly stuff everything into one weekend, but the following recommendations should help you make a valiant effort.

Eat

You’ll have to fortify yourself first. The Breakfast Club, with locations dotted around the city, is perfect for a hearty breakfast. Its eggs are legendary (try the huevos rancheros with homemade chorizo). For those with a sweet tooth, the pancakes are all-American, airless wonders served with real maple syrup and crispy bacon.

Burgers are enjoying their 15 minutes in London, with US transplants Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and Shake Shack, setting up in Soho and Covent Garden respectively. In the West End, Meat Liquor serves up arguably the best burger in London. In all three, prepare for queues.

Shop

With full bellies and hearts full of hope, shoppers are ready to face the day – and have all their hopes and dreams savagely stamped out on Oxford Street. The main shopping thoroughfare is best avoided, except for an early-morning pilgrimage to Topshop’s flagship four-floor store.

Oxford Street is also home to several branches of Japanese chain Uniqlo, which stocks the best cheap cashmere and cotton in the country. It also offers a free next-day alteration service for those short in leg and pocket, and is the only place to stock up on non-grannyish thermal underwear.

Late May and early December are the sample sale seasons, with designers selling their past-season or one-off catwalk goodies at up to 80 per cent off. Sales are usually held in offices and vacant spaces, and are promoted by word of mouth, so keep an eye out.

Cut-price designer goods aren’t just for sample sales, however. Consignment stores Bang Bang on Berwick Street and Strut on Broadway Market buy and sell designer and vintage goods at half the original price.

For a healthy dose of window-shopping, take a trip to Dover Street Market. This London market, which also has branches in Tokyo and New York, is the original and best home for up-and-coming and established designers, including our own Simone Rocha. It is spread over six floors, each with a different concept. Nothing is affordable but everything is beautiful.

Fashion trainspotters would do well to visit Claire de Rouen Books on Charing Cross Road. Filled top to bottom with art, fashion and photography books, many of which are out of print, it is a style nerd’s fever dream. The shop also stocks magazines that will shock and astound your friends back home; much better than a Big Ben keyring.

Do

Fashion exhibitions are in vogue this summer. Two major fashion exhibitions are happening at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington: The Glamour of Italian Fashion chronicles the postwar building of a fashion empire, while Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 is a chance to gawp at gowns belonging to Kate Moss, Dita Von Teese and other brides.

There is a retrospective of French designer Jean Paul Gaultier at the Barbican Centre. Hello, My Name Is Paul Smith, a look into the creative mind of the designer, runs until June 22nd at the Design Museum. Fashion Rules, an exhibition looking at the wardrobes of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana, is at Kensington Palace. The photography exhibition Return of the Rudeboy – which looks at one of Britain’s more enduring subcultures and is sartorially sharp enough to cut cloth just by looking at it – is at Somerset House from June 13th.

Drink

The London Edition hotel, just off Oxford Street, has been open for less than a year and is already the place to book for Fashion Week parties. The hotel’s wood-panelled, reservation-only Punch Room is a cocktail bar with a twist, devoted to rehabilitating the tarnished legacy of punch.

The just-opened Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, the latest venture by André Balazs, is already a favourite of Cara Delevingne and Lindsay Lohan.

The best margaritas in town can be found in cocktail king Dick Bradsell’s Pink Chihuahua, a late bar hidden away in the basement of Mexican restaurant El Camion in Soho. It is members-only, so sign up before entering.

Sleep

The Zetter Hotel and its sister hotel, the Zetter Townhouse, are within a stone’s throw of each other in Clerkenwell and are an easy walk to and from Soho. The Zetter Hotel has perfectly appointed, soundproofed rooms – all luxe furnishings, exposed brick and blissful silence. The Zetter Townhouse is smaller and trendier. The 13 rooms of the converted Georgian building are individually decorated, with four-poster beds, heavy drapery and claw-foot tubs in very British colour schemes. The beds are very comfortable: one good night’s sleep and any shattered shopper will be ready to hit the streets again.

How to Wear White This Summer

Just in time for summer, designer Rebecca Taylor has launched her “Little White Dress” capsule collection. As we all know, though it’s the perfect shade to best show off your summer tan, it isn’t always the easiest color to wear. Thankfully, Rebecca breaks it down for Haute Living, offering up seven fashion tips on how to best wear white. She also gives advice on which dresses from her nine-piece collection, which was inspired by a trip to Turks & Caicos, are best for each body type, and which iconic white looks most inspire her (hello Marilyn).

REBECCA TAYLOR’S TOP 7 TIPS ON HOW TO WEAR WHITE THIS SUMMER

1) Be confident! This is the most important tip – there’s no reason to be scared of white, you can pull it off with the right attitude.

2) Keep proportions in mind – It’s important with white to be aware of the silhouettes that work best for your body. Balance out a shorter length dress with a blazer.

3) White looks great paired with metallic jewelry and sandals.

4) Pop color clutches really work against the solid palette of an LWD.

5) Keep makeup natural – there’s something really pure about a white dress, and it looks best with a neutral lip and subtle rouge on the cheeks.

6) A moto leather jacket can really elevate the look – I like white with a pastel moto.

7) A bright or patterned scarf is the perfect finishing touch to more casual white dresses.

5 Essential Fashion Tips For Men

Clothing can speak volumes about a person’s character, especially when it comes to men. Because of the way most men are, they sometimes tend to ignore the importance of fashion and dressing. This article speaks about fashion and clothing tips for men. These tips make you understand that dressing actually goes on to demarcate that thin line between good and awesome men (gentlemen basically).

When it comes to dressing, what you choose to wear is not only important to you but also to the people around you. It helps you carry yourself with confidence. Here are five essential fashion tips for men. Considering these tips will help you project the right image through your dressing.

Choosing Clothes That Fit

This is one of the important fashion tips that need to be taken into consideration. Many people have the wrong notion that loose-fitting clothes are the best fit. Although choice of clothing is dependent on a person’s build, it is essential to choose clothes that fit.

Maintain Clothing

There might be a day, or perhaps many days when you realize you are going to be late to work. Do not wear wrinkled or soiled clothing. It builds impressions in people and portrays a not so good image. Choose you clothing and maintain your clothes. Although it may seem difficult, incorporating the habit of wearing clean and neat clothing is indispensable.

Simplicity

People have the wrong notion that flashy clothes attract the right type of attention. The truth of the matter though is that although it attracts attention, it doesn’t do so as desired. So, remember to keep it simple and neat.

Getting Rid of Clothes that Are Old

Some men have the habit of using the same clothes for too long. This definitely isn’t a very good idea. Getting rid of old and faded clothes is important, even though it is and has been one of your favourites. This is an important fashion tip that you need to keep in mind.

Find Out What Combinations Work For You

An important aspect that needs to be understood is that not all types of clothes are fitting to all people. It is important, while choosing your clothes, that you know what exactly is good for you. By knowing what suits you best, you can make favourable modifications.

Love the dress: sharing websites are the latest must-have for fashion retailers

When Primark opens its first US store next year, it will be with the help of an army of its European fans. The cheap fashion chain doesn’t have an online shop, and doesn’t advertise. Instead, Primark will use its own shoppers to help sell the brand to fellow fashion lovers by posting photographs of themselves wearing their latest purchases on Primania, the company’s new social media site. Less than a year old, Primania now gets 300,000 visitors a week. Shoppers’ comments, often complete with the price tag, are translated into six languages to reflect the group’s spread across Europe.

Like several other high-street names, the brand is blurring the lines between publishing, shopping and social media in a bid to get closer to its customers.

Primania is a simpler version of online fashion retailer Asos’s Fashion Finder, which runs magazine-style features – a recent one was “What to wear for your graduation” – and has 160,000 registered users. Both supply a constant stream of street-fashion trends, styling ideas and fun photos to their own editorial teams, who then mix shoppers’ ideas and selfies with fashion tips, new product information and other content.

Asos also publishes a glossy magazine with circulation of 470,000 – more than Glamour, Grazia or even the giveaway Stylist. A digital version, available in French and German, and in US and Australian editions, goes to another 100,000 shoppers. More than 30 staff at Asos’s headquarters work on editorial content, and there are editors in each international territory the digital magazine hits.

John Bason, finance director of Primark’s parent company, Associated British Foods, says: “Showing off your bargains is a characteristic of Primark shopping. Before social media was big it was all word of mouth – people saying, ‘I like your outfit. Where did you get it?’ That helped Primark grow. With social media, word of mouth is increasingly powerful.”

Primania, he says, took inspiration from other social media sites, like the Primark Haul videos of Youtube blogger Zoella, which can attract more than a million viewers. “Primania is owned by Primark consumers and it’s crucial that it’s customer-led. Part of the pull of the brand is that it is something ‘owned by me’,” says BasonAlice Spencer of consultantcy Brand Union says shopping is no longer just about buying, but lifestyle: “Post-recession consumers want to hear (from) brands. They want to know what they think, where they stand and what their beliefs are. In a digital world, people no longer go into a shop, see something and decide to buy it. It is much more about buying into a lifestyle.”

With more than half of female consumers now starting each fashion shopping trip via a smartphone or tablet computer, eye-catching content generates sales. That content might be exclusive footage of favoured bands, celebrity interviews, “how-to” guides or fashion tips. The aim is to become the shoppers’ friend, interested in everything they love, whether it’s in stock or not.

Asos editorial director Melissa Dick, who used to be online editor of women’s magazine Elle, says she left traditional mags because she realised they weren’t keeping up with the way young women consumed information on lifestyle and fashion.

For young women, she says, magazines “aren’t democratic or collaborative enough. There has to be more dialogue. You can’t just broadcast as message; women want to check out how their peers are dressing or behaving, and find their views and reviews of an item.”

Asos, she says, is even experimenting with using shoppers’ pictures instead of model shots to illustrate some products in the transactional part of the site.

Shoppers also wanted to be able to buy what they saw with a couple of clicks, share their opinions and generally be part of the action. They wanted original information, ideas or pictures that could be shared with their friends. “Young women are on social media every 30 seconds,” says Dick. “We are giving them content they can share, and increase their social currency.”

Upmarket online fashion store Net-A-Porter is also trying publishing to bring in sales with Porter, a bi-monthly glossy magazine which shoppers can scan using a smartphone app to link to the shopping site. Not everything in the magazine is available on the Net-A-Porter website, but the firm promises to help shoppers find a way to buy most items, with links to brands’ own websites or a concierge service.

Magazines and newspapers are trying to fight back, however. Grazia has launched an iPad app which readers can use to buy featured products, and Vogue owner Condé Nast has also been experimenting with shoppable websites.

Some of the biggest high-street retailers – Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and John Lewis – are old hands in the magazine business, but even they are making efforts to reach out to customers. Waitrose now has a TV channel on its website, with cooking ideas, “how-to” videos, celebrity interviews and cookery demos by famous chefs. Online recipes from TV shows can be quickly converted into a shopping list of items that can be bought online.

Marks & Spencer has added a style and living section to its website, offering magazine-style content including editors’ product picks, trend suggestions and celebrity interviews. It has hired new staff, including former Times and Financial Times fashion writer Nicola Copping, and the 20-strong team includes specialist editors for categories such as beauty and womenswear.

Some say the new-look M&S website is more a hindrance that a help to its shoppers – mainly older women, who might be more focused on making purchases than the twentysomethings of Asos or Primark. Sales growth through the website has not been good, although marketing director Patrick Bousquet Chavanne says style and living is the fastest-growing section of the website and accounts for close to half its traffic. He says shoppers are 24% more likely to make a purchase if they’ve read about it.

Dick reckons all retailers will have to adapt to the new world of digital sharing: “For a shop to become a brand, it has to have a relationship with its customers – and the best way to do that is through other customers.”

Summer 2014 swimwear trends: Rash guards, cutouts and more

When it comes to swimsuits, women will be making some rash decisions this season. We’re talking rash guards.

The “it” bathing suit of summer is a surfer/scuba-inspired top, often paired with the teeniest bottoms. (The term rash guard refers to the shirts surfers wear to prevent chafing when they slide on and off the board when it’s too warm for a wet suit.)

“There’s definitely a sporty vibe in swim this year,” says Tom Mora, the head of women’s design for J. Crew. “The functionality of the rash guard has created a shift in how women are dressing for the beach.”

Designer Shoshanna Gruss concurs. “Women are involved in more activities these days — paddle boarding, water skiing, surfing — and it’s that active lifestyle … that makes rash guards the perfect answer.” But, she says, the surfy surge is not all about practicality. “There’s a youthful, sporty athleticism to these suits, and I do think it’s sexy.”

Of course, not everyone’s in for the big cover-up. Cutouts, body-baring side straps, crochet and netting are making waves, too. In the daring department, suits like Nicki Minaj’s for Kmart are strappy-to-the-max. Minaj says they’re “designed to make women feel confident, comfortable and sexy.” Emphasis on sexy.

While solid colors are swimwear staples, Stephanie Solomon, Lord & Taylor’s fashion director, points to an explosion in prints and mix-and-match styles. And, says Solomon, one-piece suits have gained on ever-popular bikinis, but with open-weave fabrics such as netting and crochet and deep cutouts, they can be more revealing than a two-piece.

As for that perfect summer tan? Between the rash guards, cutouts and straps, it may be elusive. Says J. Crew’s Mora, “Tan lines can always be an issue with any cut of suit … that’s what bronzer is for.”

Cover-ups are see-through

Ironically, this season’s loveliest solution to covering up your bathing suit is, well, kind of see-through. Lace and crochet cover-ups abound and are turned out in everything from blousy tunics to shorts, dresses and even pants. “With these cover-ups, you see the bathing suit, and it gives the sense of showing off more than you are, but it definitely hides those little things you don’t want everybody to see,” says designer Shoshanna Gruss. “It’s sexy without being overt. . . . It’s one of the best little illusions.”

Rock Skirts are Chic and Sexy

With stylish skirts, women can to be attractive to any party.Whether as a sexy leather mini, midi skirt or as stylish as maxi skirt in trendy boho style – skirts emphasize the femininity and are a tribute to the fairer sex. Unlike Dresses Skirts they give a new, look through countless top versions.

With opaque tights and blouse, you can wear skirts made of leather also in the office. Skirts can be combined with heels and lace top. In Maxi format, with fringed skirts vest and sandals can suddenly become a modern boho style. In combination with a solid-collared shirt, the billowing skirts also can be very attractive.

Skirts as a sign of femininity!

Chic and sexy or casual and sporty, skirts are available for every taste! They are as a kind of fashion statement revolution for emancipated women.Today, women celebrate by skilfully skirts and they are aware with the femininity and sophistication of the garment. Fortunately, skirts also changed over the years and the designers invent skirts repeatedly, give them new cuts, new fabrics and new lengths.Yet classic like the balloon skirt, pencil or mini skirt are still up-to-date even after decades skirts have more and more fans.

“30 Seconds to Mars’ frontman Jared Leto, for example, combines a long black skirt to bare, muscular upper body and proves that despite their feminine touch skirts are not just reserved the ladies.With its attractive men of rock singer and actor actually attack back on a centuries-long tradition in Scotland men for short, plaid kilts – a trend that also Sean Connery has publicly revived.

In addition, not just in Scotland are Skirts for men tradition: the warriors in ancient Rome or Greece led to skirts made of leather or metal. In such a short and hot piece, we could admire Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy. Skirts the men try to conquer back – but we sure do not give beaten in the struggle for feminine garments. Because skirts are indispensable basic pieces, which exude a pure femininity and they are combined great.

Norwegian sweaters – super practical and stylish

The Norwegian sweater is the epitome of comfort. The Norwegian sweater has shaken off the eco-image for a long time and today it is as much a standard range for each winter wardrobe, as the woolly hat, for example. It looks cool from a black skinny jeans or a black dress.

On cold winter evenings, the Norwegian sweater protects you from the cold as well as from the cold skiing on the slopes. Even fashion icons such as Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth and Sienna Miller recognize the benefits of the warm Norwegian and appreciate it! Most of the Norwegian sweater is knit from wool, especially because this keeps you warm and acts as a natural thermo regulator.

A Scandinavian knitting patterns from cross-species-typical diamond patterns adorns the neckline. The winter pattern may also extend to chest height across the Norwegian sweater. Today occur frequently beautiful motifs such as moose and stars, which decorate the Norwegian sweater in an incredible way. As the name suggests, the Norwegian sweater has its origins in Scandinavia – but not in Norway. Strictly speaking, this warm garment had its origins from in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the Shetland Islands.

In Germany, the stylish Norwegian sweaters established only in the 1970s. There are alternatives as coarse, hand-knitted sweaters made of natural materials to their dress code.Joschka Fischer and Co. probably also contributed to the fact that the Norwegian sweater of the fashion world has been ignored for a long time.

The Norwegian sweaters in summer

As much as we love our Norwegian sweaters – in the summer they are unfortunately taboo! Nevertheless, sometimes, they can be useful even in summer – if you sit in the evening, for example, around a campfire, and the fire cannot compensate for the cool breeze. On cold or rainy days even in late summer, the Norwegian sweater may even contribute to some extent for an expectation of the romance of winter.

Imagine how nice it would be to wear your Norwegian sweater by the fireplace, with a cuppa and a good book.It pays to pay attention to brands such as Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and Pepe Jeans.

Boots – sexy and feminine

Designers such as Marc Jacobs and Paul Smith made sure that the sexy ankle boots experienced a fashion revival. Boots, which are also called ankle boots, are a combination of boots and pumps shoes. As the name (English “ankle” = ankle) suggests, they include ankle boots from the ankle.

Boots are not only practical all-rounders, but they also lend self-confidence. Not only Victoria Beckham knows that boots guarantee simultaneously a sexy and stylish appearance. Ankle boots can boast of a variety of materials – from patent leather and smooth leather to suede to various details as large buckles, bows, fringe or tassels.Boots were presented to the public for the first time in 1930. 

The shoemaker feared that women would not wear them, because ankle boots covered their beautiful ankles.Of course, modifications that occur in terms of design soon dissipate all fears in this regard.Thanks to designers like Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and Burberry, the sexy booties sent back to the runways.It could even be said that from their wicked image they set out on a fashion campaign.

Today they are among the absolute favorite shoes of the stars and starlets.Combined right ankle boots have also become absolute classics trend, because you can spice up any outfit in an instant with them.The low cut boots offers some perspective on the instep and an optical extension of the legs. They fit both a tube trousers, under a boot cut trousers – although they lose the leg curl effect – as well as a skirt or a dress.

Particularly in combination with opaque tights in summer, they have a particular advantage. Even short legs conjure the sexy booties a couple inches to. Ankle boots with wedge heel should be better combined with a tight skinny jean. However, even the lace-up ankle boots, ankle boots no heel platform, ankle boots, where the seam is up ankle boots with flat or patchwork ankle boots are the permanent hit. Unlike high heels or pumps, you can wear closed footwear in wind and weather.