Do you keep to any rules about the appearance of boots with trousers and skirts

[RememberBeKindWithKaren]

I bet I've not worded this well. Also must preface this to say I'm quite ancient and have never followed fashion as such.

In general if I wore a skirt or dress with boots, the boot would be knee high, or if an ankle boot, then it would be relatively smart. As in a bit of a heel, they'd fit round the ankle and probably not betoo loose at the top.

If I wore a boot with trousers, again they'd be smartish if with smart trousers, or more loose/ clumpy, perhaps mid-calf height etc if with jeans or casual trousers.

But now, going by images on shoe websites, anything goes at all. Which is fine if you're ok with that.

So, do you apply any rules still? Guess I'm more interested in the boots you wear with smart clothes.
Thanks in advance

My question was inspired when I clicked on a link in another question. Of course nobody will wear the exact match of clothing as in the advert but I feel I've completely lost my way these days. What trousers would go with these boots? Or does it not matter in the least?

www.stories.com/en-gb/product/leather-sock-boots-brown-suede-1169401004/?clickref=1011lBFG5VcH&utm_source=Partnerize&utm_medium=affiliate

I grew up in the 80s. Frequently wore docs with all types of dresses, smart and not smart.

I think you can wear whatever you think looks good. Personally, I don’t like ankle boots or mid calf boots with a skirt or dress but many people do like that look. I like knee high boots with a skirt, but again many people don’t. What I have learned in my advanced years is that I don’t really care what other people think of what I’m wearing!

I would wear wide leg trousers with the boots in your link.

I'm also 'quite ancient' and have never followed any rules when it comes to wearing boots. I wear Chelsea boots with skirts, dresses, and trousers, or sometimes a cowboy boot. It doesn't matter if the clothes are smart or casual to me.

Sorry if that's not much help.

I'd make sure you wear two maching shoes/boots OP, surely that's the only 'rule' that could apply 😉.

No, I don't follow any rules about this and never have (I'm in my 50s, if that's relevant). No doubt what I think looks good/ok has been subconsciously influenced by fashion over the years, but I don't consciously apply any rules and will happily ignore current fashion in favour of what I think looks best.

@ConkersEverywhere , now you're just being silly 😜

I’m lost too OP, for me all the rules I’ve always dressed by seem to have changed this last year.

I know, I know, apologies. 🙏 Tbh I think the lass in the boots you linked to looks ridiculous 😂, but that is fashion for you.

I'd wear those boots with opaques and dresses, skirts plus with socks/trousers/jeans. But what do I know?

Not rules per se, but I do have some boots I don't really like wearing with dresses and skirts as they just don't look right. They're calf length boots and they look off with shorts and dresses unless they're maxi length and cover the top of the boots anyway.

I'm quite fussy about knee boots too as lots look awful on me. Especially if they're quite chunky.

I still do.

I like a smart round-toe block heeled ankle boot with a long skirt but it must have a gap between the boot and my skin otherwise my shin looks too wide

I wear a knee high boot either flat or heeled with an above the knee skirt/dress

I wear wide leg jeans and would generally stay away from boots under these although I have just bought some kitten heeled pointy leopard skin ankle boots which look great with wide jeans and trousers so I’m in the process of adjusting my thinking on that

The boots you have linked I would only wear with cropped trousers

These are my own personal ‘rules’ and are based on my proportions and my own style. I’m tall and have good thighs and knees but disproportionate calves and ankles.

What a rogue role-breaker I am, then! I’ve been wearing BLACK lace-up boots with a PURPLE lace on one and and a YELLOW lace on the other.

WOOWOO I can hear the style police coming down the street!

I haven’t personally tried breaking any ‘rules’ - but I think if I thought it looked good on me I probably would .. in reality I spend 95% of the time in trousers now - every time I go out in a skirt I literally see no one else in one (50s)

I never wear ankle boots with skirts, not because it's a rule, but because I try it and think it looks weird on me (even though I often like it on other people )!

I did manage to go to work once in non matching but similar black shoes 🤣🙈

i don’t like knee boots and tend to wear ankle boots including some quite tall ankle boots with anything and everything inc dresses.

Also ancient … Love clothes but don’t really have many rules. I’m inclined to disapprove of narrow trousers tucked into tall boots (unless actually astride a horse) - probably because I have short hair and broad shoulders and mortifying memories of trying that look in my youth, to the general hilarity of the populace.

Otherwise, it’s just a matter of trying things on and seeing what looks good together.

I do wonder if perhaps people buy too many clothes these days. When a poster asks whether she could possibly wear this new thing with that garment already in her wardrobe, my first thought is Well, why don’t you try them on and look in the mirror?

I only own one pair of boots. Ankle height black flat ones which I can wear with anything.

I love a sock boot. I'd wear my tight leopard trousers with them or a long skirt. They go with anything really. Im 63.

Knee high boots with a skirt look a bit dated to my eye now. I’d be more inclined to a flat lace up boot at the moment.

But it takes my eye quite a while to adjust to a new trend, so presumably I’m at least 18 months to 3 years out of date now.

Also my algorithm is a bit barefoot shoe/boot heavy at them moment so I’m probably thinking of skirts that are a bit more grunge/peasant than what you have in mind op.

Knee high boots with a skirt look a bit dated to my eye now.

I keep seeing articles saying this is back in fashion this year (not that I particularly care about that!). Especially tan suede knee high boots, it seems.

I’m going to start by saying that I am short, and therefore my rules round boots are based on not creating optical illusions that make me look even shorter than I am.

So, if a skirt sits below my knee, then the boots should be longer and ideally be covered by the skirt hem. Having a line across the lower leg for a hem then another line cut across at ankle boots makes short women look shorter.

ankle boots can be worn with shorter skirts, as there’s enough leg to not have the two lines close together.

slimmer, not chunky boots with wide leg trousers /jeans, chunky boots with wide leg jeans just is too much bulk on the lower leg and the proportions don’t work. (I try to avoid all boots with wide leg jeans, trainers always seem easier to get right.)

I aim for black tights with black boots, brown or flesh tights with brown boots.

if your boots have laces, when buying the boots, check if the shop sells spare laces, buy a pair.

I'm far from fashionable or know what is 'in' fashion, I just wear things that I feel suit my body. My 'rules':

-Skirt or dress I'd wear flats, heels or knee length boots. Ankle boots or sandals with ankle straps make my legs look fatter whereas a shoe that is open, gives the effect of a longer leg
-I have a few ankle boots but only wear them with trousers
-No tights with sandals or peep toe shoes. The only caveat would be toeless tights if they were completely invisible at the toe
-No visible bra straps and if I can't wear a bra with it, then I don't buy it
-No socks and sandals- EVER!

I think it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask on a style and beauty board. Having spent most of the last decade in trousers and jeans, I'm planning to wear all the skirts this winter. I'll wear most of them interchangeably with both ankle and knee high boots, so I was about to say I didn't have any rules. However I've just remembered I've got a couple of vintage 1970's skirts and, with them, I'll probably stick to ankle boots because I wore them with knee high the first time around. So I guess that's a kind of rule - if I've worn a style before (and these days I nearly always have) I try and give it a bit of a different twist.

All my boots and shoes are flat but I wouldn't call it a style rule, it's just a preference. And I don't wear knee boots over trousers or jeans because I dislike that look. That's about it, I think

Oh, I didn’t mean the OP shouldn’t ask the question! Just that in general posters seem to ask for a rule rather than looking in a mirror.