Better in Boots

I love these boots. They are slightly simpler but  similar to the Azzedine Alaïa boots worn by Leighton Meester in an earlier post. The stacked heel and high platform give these a fierce but not over-the-top look.   They have a star-but not rock star-quality. Beautiful leather, and a very current look.  The Yvers Saint Laurent “Vanity” cut-out ankle boots are available for $850 at Madison Los Angeles online.

Although not much has been said of the fact, Yves Saint Laurent has really been the only designer to give Christian Louboutin a real run for his money in terms of creating unique, recognizable footwear styles that have achieved almost cult-like popularity. The Imperial 95 Boots with their tall, uniquely curved platform have been big with celebrities and thus harder to come by, especially now that they are on sale for $703 at mytheresa.com. I’m definitely a fan of a boot like this that is almost as much a sculpture as it is something to wear.  They have a 5.5″ heel with a 1″ platform. Shakira sported her YSL’s on the streets of NYC this month.

If you are looking for a simple, elegant boot to wear with knee-length skirts this season, the  black suede Yves Saint Laurent “Gaby” boots seem just about perfect.  These look sky high. But with a 4″ heel and 1″ platform, it’s just like wearing 3″ heels. You can pull that off, right?  The narrow ankle and curved shaft does justice to the shape of a woman’s leg.  A beautiful boot for a beautiful price. They’ve recently been reduced to $905 down from $1,288 at mytheresa.com.

“What boots is she wearing and where I can get them?”–a question posed countless times a day in chat rooms all over the web, referring to a photo of a celebrity trend-setter wearing a fabulous but unrecognizable pair of boots.  The boots below do not fit into that category.  Anyone with a respectable amount of fashion trend awareness KNOWS who made these boots because they have the killer combination of 1) having a distinctive look, 2) reflecting (most likely setting) a trend, and 3) having been worn, at least once, by one of today’s fashion icons–women like Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung, Rihanna, Rachel Bilson, Leighton Meester, and Beyonce to name a few.

Hate, like or love them, these boots were some of the most recognizable of 2009.

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 This YSL bootie is exquisite, AND has been a red carpet regular this season. There’s a reason. It looks as beautiful on as it does on its own on the shelf. The contrast between the shimmering elastic and the suede toe gives them an interesting overall texture, and just the few elastic straps criss cross in a flattering V shape at the front. The gravity-defying needle heel is placed against a unique black suede bottom sole–a demonstration how attention to minute detail is the difference between a shoe, an a work of art. Stubtly dazzeling! Buy the Yves Saint-Laurent elastic ankle bootie for $895 at SaksFifthAvenue.com and Luisaviaroma.

 
Kylie Minogue pairs the YSL bootie with a leather dress.

Why just wear any old pair of boots when you can make a real statement? Even if your boot budget is only around $1000 for boots from now through spring (OK I know that’s over budget for a lot of us but I’m just trying to make a point here) then I say buy ONLY one pair. A pair like these for example. Rather than several cheaper pairs. These geometric-angular-stand-out booties from Yves Saint Laurent say something. What is it? Well I leave that to the wearer, but to ME they say that you respect boots as works of art and not just something to cover your feet. There. I’m done. If you’re in this price bracket, you can have the Yves Saint Laurent Imperiale 95 Bootie for $1027 at mytheresa.com