From Plastic Sandals to Leather Boots: A Journey to Overcome Fashion Intimidation

It started out innocently enough this 4th of July. I left the Waterfront Blues Festival with the lovely Madeline and a fully developed *Mike's Hard Limeade buzz. Naturally, we decided it was the perfect time to go shopping for shoes.

I ended up buying these beautiful, dark brown suede, over the calf Cole Haan boots. I was pretty excited until the buzz wore off and I had them in my closet next to my lovingly broken in Chuck Taylors, Sambas, and Locals sandals. Meh, so I guessed that since it was summer all they really needed to do was sit tight and look pretty until the fall. But every time I looked into my closet that old Sesame Street song would play in my head,
"One of these things is not like the other, One of these things just doesn't belong". The problem is, I haven't attempted to wear boots since I was twenty. Actually, no, that's silly. I've worn boots MANY times since then. In the forest. Working. Which did cause me to suffer some very unattractive "boot feet". Tall utilitarian leather work boots worn for 10+ hours a day during the summer heat....yeahhh. Needless to say, my feet were pretty much the new hotness for a couple years. So what I really meant is that I haven't tried to put together an outfit anchored by cute boots since I was twenty. Ultimately, I decided to figure out how to wear them with my wardrobe laaater (I picture my friend Miki saying that and giving a care-free, dismissive little wave at the problem. It makes me smile).

As fall started to approach, I still didn't see how I would take the fashion leap from wearing over sized V-neck T-shirts and jean shorts cut off at the knee to prancing around in my new leather beauties. Well, Europe has made me a little bolder. So bold, in fact, that I set out this morning to H&M determined to buy my first scarf. And I don't mean a winter scarf. Cutting edge fashion, my friends. Ha! This would be the first step in my transformation to "boot-wearer". Simple enough, right?

But something started to happen on my Underground ride to the city center. I started to get really jealous of all the women wearing boots. Seriously, at least 75% of the women at any given time are wearing boots. "I want to wear my boots", I mentally pouted. Since the length and cut of my jeans do not lend themselves to a boot wearing situation, I begrudgingly knew what I had to do. It involved a trend that I had really hoped to let pass right on by. And I've been very successful at doing just that for the last few years. Alas, the boot mania took over and made me bolder than ever (that is saying a lot, because I used to wear some crazy hippie dresses and old wool sweaters depicting fox hunts to my very conservative and fashionably unimaginative Catholic high school). So I did the most inexpensive thing to update my wardrobe to "boot friendly". I bought leggings. Who do I think I am that I go out and buy leggings? The answer is, I don't know. What I do know is that trying new things when you've been in fashion rut for the last 8 years is actually easier around strangers than good friends. And douchebag Portland hipsters. It provides the anonymity to try something different, take it out for a walk, see if it feels nice. Also, Josh commented the other day on the fact that since we're Americans, no one here is ever going to think we're really that cool anyway.            It's very freeing.

So to wrap this up, the extremely enlightening, important, and life enriching point of this story is that I can now wear my boots. Or that I'm taking risks. Or something.

And for the record, I did buy that scarf.

This post if for my real life fashion icons - Maddie, Megan, and Miki

*Hey, you know what? It was a hot day and that was the coldest alcoholic beverage available for purchase. It was served on ice which is something that I wouldn't mind these Europeans getting on board with. "Ice is unhealthy" my ass.