I am so slow with these ‘boots on a budget posts’ that you’ve probably already filled out your Fall 2011 boot wardrobe and no longer want/need my sage fashion wisdom. Well I put a lot of time and effort into this post young lady so you’re getting this wisdom whether you want/need it or not!! Today we’ll be tackling another one of my boot essentials – the brown ankle boot.*

*For purposes of this post I considered “on a budget” to mean $100 or less. I was surprised to find it was harder to find ankle boots at this price point than it was to find knee-high ones. Oh retail pricing, you will never cease to confuse me.

 
Let’s get started with the Nine West Azzurro Bootie:

I love that bootie. (I also love how this sentence would have a totally different meaning if you swapped out ‘booty’ for ‘bootie.’) Classic, simple shape makes it totally versatile and I love the little wrap detailing at the ankle. And waiting a little longer into fall to buy your boots means you can get this one on sale for $79.90 down from $109.95. Win!

Next is the Enzo Angiolini Haver Suede Bootie:

Another good example of how sometimes it literally pays to be a procrastinator (like me) because this bootie is on sale for $89.99 down from $120. This is another super-simple shape with some fun, subtle details around the heels. Also the yummy brown suede makes me think of hot chocolate – and who doesn’t like hot chocolate??

Speaking of suede, here’s the Nine West Darion bootie:

This color taupe is great – it’s like dark brown’s younger, hipper sister. It’s a great option for pairing with this season’s bright oranges, reds and pinks. And yes, at $99 it’s at the very top of our budget-friendly price range, but it’s so pretty!!

And finally, if you’re really looking to branch out, I recommend the Sabine Bahari bootie:

In case you haven’t noticed yet, this type of lace-up bootie is a huge trend this Fall. Pair these with a girlie dress or tunic over a pair of leggings with a gray or black boyfriend blazer for automatic adorableness.

And just because I love you – here are my general ankle boot tips and tricks:

1. If you plan to wear your ankle boots with skirts or dresses always go with a narrower heel or wedge. A heavy square-shaped block heel or  super-high wedge (no matter how comfy it may be) is going to bring all of the visual weight to your feet. What does that mean in layman’s terms? It means you’ll look like a horse. And no one wants that.

2. Make sure to be cognizant of where your ankle boots actually hit your ankle. Generally speaking, to avoid the appearance of cankles you want your boot to hit just above, not at or below, your actual ankle bone.

So there you have brown ankle boots on a budget. Next up, brown knee-high riding boots – which at this rate will be up sometime around Memorial Day 2012. Mark your calendars accordingly.  🙂

I need this. I need this right now:

From here

It’s a locket. It’s a pendant. It’s amaaaaaaaaaaazing*:

*Here is where I would normally insert the picture of a model wearing the necklace, but for some reason the model is wearing the necklace with an open cardigan and no shirt. So if you want to see that you’ll have to do so at the source – I don’t want to end up on the google results list of some very specific kind of fetishists out there.

In addition to being head-over-heels for the colors and  design, I also love that this is handmade and sold on etsy.com. Hooray for small businesses and upstart entrepreneurs!!

Now who wants to support one of them by buying me this necklace?  🙂

Someone at the Nashville Anthropologie clearly reads my blog and is trying to make my head explode:

If you need me I will be at the hospital recovering from a ruptured brain aneurysm for the remainder of the week.

Aaaaaaaaaand we’re back to boots.

So I’m starting to think that not only do I have seasonal affective disorder – you know, the thing where you get depressed when you don’t get enough sunlight in the wintertime – I think I might also have a weather-affected shopping disorder, too. Because while the weather in Nashville looks like this today:

I find myself thinking I’m in desperate need of things like this:

And this:

And this*:

*Ok, not really this one. Seriously – what is up with Anthro and clothes with animals on them this season???

All that to say, I can’t be sure whether I actually love these boots or my judgment is clouded by the actual clouds that are hovering outside of my window:

L.L. Bean 10-inch shearling Bean Boots

Dare I say I actually think these are kind of, in their own way, cute? No, I will never wear them to trudge through the snow-covered hills on some kind of hunting expedition. But I would wear them to keep my toes warm and my feet dry on the rare occasions Nashville actually sees some snow accumulation – or more likely on the days we have rain that is so cold and blowing-in sideways that you wish it was snow instead.

So what do we think kids? Has my fashion sense been compromised? And have I mentioned that I hate Winter? Because I do. I just want to make sure you all knew that.

When it comes to fashion I have learned that it is safest to never say never.* I mean, if you had told me this time last year that I would own a pair of these I would have punched you in the face:

But there they are – in my living room.

And while I still think they have absolutely zero redeeming qualities from a style-standpoint, they did an excellent job of keeping my calves and feet warm last winter. And for that I thank them.

So in the spirit of embracing things you once never thought you could love, I give you cardigans with elbow patches:

I am especially digging that navy blue one and the gray wrap sweater.

Once upon a time I would have scoffed at these. I would have called them too old college professor-like or asked you if I looked like someone who just came from riding at the stables. But for whatever reason, this fall elbow patches have started to grow on me. (And I mean that in a good way – not like a fungus.)

But what do you think?

*Here is something I can say never about. NEVER. :

And I mean over my dead body will you EVER find these on my feet. And if for some reason one of you decides to literally put them on my dead body as a joke, I will haunt you for all of eternity.