Riding High

By: Angela Parks

Contributing Writer

While we are happily engrossed in Fall and winter is soon nipping at our heels, this is the appropriate time to chat about boots. Not just any boots; the wardrobe essential AND eternally fabulous - Equestrian Boot! Riding boots can be paired with your favorite dress, skirts or skinny jeans.  We are even seeing them worn with shorts (yes, I said shorts). Better yet, they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, soles and hardware. I personally prefer my boots to be vanilla (a.k.a. plain). I stay away from revealing hardware (buckles, etc). Though, I adore embellishments on boots, I find pairing accessories to the hardware to be a nuisance. In a perfect world (and a very fat bank account), I would have two dozen pairs that would suit my many wardrobe needs. However, I am on a budget, so I purchased two pairs - one in black and the other in brown (told you I was vanilla).

Pictured above are the two Ciao Bella boots I purchased on Endless.com (both reasonably priced under $200.00 in addition Endless.com is having a 25% SALE RIGHT NOW on thousands of boots)

  

For the love of a couture Riding boot. If cost were not an option, the boots above would be in my closet as we speak! Gucci, has designed a convertible Riding Boot. The top portion is removed, revealing a lower profile boot. Next in line is the Tall Burberry boot, classic styling with the buckle, and incredibly fabulous (would pair well with....well what else - a Burberry Trench!). However, my favorite BY FAR is the Chloe Equestrian inspired boot (allow me to wipe the drool from my keyboard).

Finally, how fab are these Riding Rain Boots? As I mentioned in a previous post, I adore Ralph Lauren, while these equestrian rain boots are not in my budget, perhaps one of our loyal readers will be lucky enough to call them their own! I've always been a huge fan of Hunter. With a reasonable price tag, these Hunter Reagent rain boots will be mine (available at jildor.com)!

Not sure how to pull off an equestrian inspired look? Here are a few photos of your fave celebs for inspiration:

Side note: Equestrian inspired fashion is NOT a trend. Two couture powerhouses come to mind when I think of this look: Hermes and Gucci. REPEAT: This look is not a fleeting trend! Purchase the best pair of boots you can afford and look casual chic whereever you go. Not to mention, they are incredibly comfortable. Style and comfort - why compromise either?



Featured Blogger: Chloe

Why do we LOVE her? Let's us count the ways......


1.) She has a fabulous blog.
2.) Her style is beyond MAJOR. 
3.) The OOTD numbers she shares, inspire. 


And the list goes on and on and on....so wait, read all about Chloe below & just why we are well.....obsessed with her. 

1.) Tell us about yourself -- the face behind the name.

My name is Chloe, I'm 29 years old, happily married, and living in the (un)fashion mecca of the entire world - Colorado.   We're also the only state to have ever turned down the Olympics (back in 1972) AND we all love to be high here- we have the world's highest mean altitude, of course. ;)

2.) When did you first realize you wanted to blog?

I started my blog first as a place to just get my thoughts out.  I've always been a writer, and at the time I was going through a stressful period in my life. I had been ill for about a year and a half, was diagnosed with Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia, and since those diseases tend to at times make me so sick I can't get out of the house, I was craving a way to still be able to interact and share with others.  My blog initially started and had almost nothing to do with fashion- that came later!

favorite outfit to date! 

3.) What is your favorite outfit to date?

Oooh.  I would have to say this one; it was surprisingly simple to put together, I had nearly everything in my closet already, and the colors make me feel all blissful and happy. 

4.) What is essential for the upcoming Holiday season that all fashionistas

need in their closet?

Too many to list! I'm going to pick camel, though- I've been on a pretty big neutrals kick lately, and camel-colored coats, jackets, and sweaters are a great way to give a bit of warmth to a color palette that tends to run the risk of washing most people out.  It's just so darn pretty!

5.) When getting dressed, do you have an inspiration? Style icon you love?

I love Olivia Palermo's style- she is surprisingly edgy at times, while still remaining very feminine and chic. I also love that she mixes high + low, and you will often see her rewearing things.  I also love Rachel Bilson since she's about the same height as me- she proves that short girls can still rock it, too.

6.) How would you describe your personal style?

I would say feminine and classic; I love designers like Jason Wu, Nanette Lepore, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Milly.  But while I always seem to go for girlie things (ruffles, bows, and floral prints),  I do like to add a bit of edge to an outfit with either funky shoes a la Alexander Wang, Miu Miu, or Valentino.  Shoes for me are the easiest way to take an outfit from 'okay' to fantastic; never underestimate the power of a fabulous pair of shoes.

7.) Besides shopping & fashion, what else do you enjoy?

Photography, traveling with my husband, music of almost any genre and going to concerts, drinking mimosas for breakfast with friends, health & fitness (I'm a gym rat!), laughing, playing the harp, playing the piano, and pretending to be a cook while making confit de tyson frozen chicken nuggets with an aoili of hidden valley ranch dressing. 

15 things we don't know about Chloe 

1. I'm a twin

2. I've played harp at Carnegie Hall

3. I placed second in the state of South Dakota for the National Spanish Exam when I was in the eighth grade

4. I'm terrified that one of these days I'm going to accidentally punch someone that is cracking their knuckles in the face (can't stand it!)

5. I love anything cinnamon flavored and will always choose cinnamon over chocolate

6. I'm not afraid to order a grilled cheese-a-roo at  Outback Steakhouse, even if we're meeting family, friends, or business contacts.

7. I hated my name when I was little and once convinced all the kids at the public pool near my house that my name was Aja (and I was the backup vocals/guitar player for Jem, natch, which strangely no one bought)

8. I am a hair product/make-up product/skin product junkie and will buy almost anything new just to try it!

9. I am an insane workaholic; if  I could work 26 hours a day, I would.

10. I wore green contacts in highschool because I hated my brown eyes (sad, huh? love my brown eyes now!)

11. If I could hoard 100 puppies and somehow hide them in the house from my husband, I would.

12. If I could kidnap Nanette Lepore and Valentino and somehow hide both of them in the house from husband (and the media, and Giancarlo Giammetti, and um....the police), I would.

13. I love indie music as much as I love hip-hop.

14. I love playing LEGOs with my niece and nephew!

15. I make a mean strawberry daiquiri, mmhm.

See, we told you that you would just love her. Check out her sites below & follow her on Twitter because she rocks! 

{The Chloe Conspiracy}

{See Chloe Shop} 

{Twitter}