How To Style Embroidered Ankle Boots for Fall

There’s a lot of great trends this fall, but one of my favorites is the embroidered or brocade ankle boot. The bootie has been a trend for several years now, and this update is a fun and surprisingly versatile one. Available in a variety of silhouettes and heel heights, there’s an embroidered bootie that likely can fit every personal stye. Embroidered and brocade ankle booties are a great way to not only update your wardrobe for fall, but transition a lot of your summer pieces. Below I provide a few outfits to illustrate how embroidered booties can work for the office, the weekend, and in between.

Shop the Look:
ankle booties | dress | necklace | tights

This looks shows how a pair of statement ankle boots can update wardrobe staples.  This outfit could work for the office or a night out.  A simple black dress and super opaque black tights are the perfect backdrop for eye-catching accessories.  Incorporating a statement piece of jewelry like this pendant creates cohesion and makes the booties look purposeful.  For dresses at the knee and above, look for stiffer fabrics like ponte, denim, and wool to balance the bulk of the boots.  For midi and maxi dresses, choose the opposite.  Chiffon and rayon will float and give a '70s vibe when paired with the booties.

Shop the Look:
sweater | jeans | booties

This look shows how embroidered booties, even when very decorative and “fancy,” can also work for weekend.  A soft slouchy sweater and well-worn jeans look chic and expensive when styled with a pair of floral ankle boots.  What makes this look modern is the soft colors, and the worn jeans.  While these are the wedgies from Levi's, any pair of boyfriend jeans or favorite vintage jeans in a crop, straight, or slouchy silhouette will work.  If you wished to do something in a more polished manner, consider dark denim in a straight or baby bootcut silhouette with a more tailored sweater in a dark neutral (charcoal, black, navy) or deep jewel tone (forest green, plum, garnet). This is the kind of look that can work with shin-high booties or “shooties” which are cut below the ankle bone, and any heel height you prefer.

Shop the Look:
blazer | pants | booties | earrings

This outfit shows how embroidered booties can even work for many office environments.  With a classic suit like this combo of blazer and pants from ELOQUII, the booties add the drama often provided by a statement necklace.  Depending on your personal style, choose a blouse or shell in any of the colors in the booties, or keep it simple with black on black.  Green sparkly earrings (I own these studs in rose gold and love them) pull the look together without making it too over the top for the boardroom.  Depending on your office, you can get more creative.  Consider other colored suits, blouses or sweaters with wide leg trousers, longer styled blazers or tunics with slim ankle booties (with or without some ankle showing between boot and hem).  Choosing a monochromatic or tone on tone outfit (cream with tan, blush with grey, dove grey with charcoal, etc.) lets the accessories stand out and keeps it from looking costumey.

Shop the Look:
dress | booties | earrings | clutch

Yes, you can wear booties with bare legs, even if you're not 25!  The way to keep it looking polished and sophisticated is ensure the dress has a bit of volume, whether it's silhouette or fabric choice.  This dress (which comes in a variety of different colors) has a fit and flare style, but the pleating and classic sleeves and neckline keep it from looking twee.  A bootie with a wider opening will be more flattering with bare legs and won't dig into ankles.  To keep the playful vibe of the boot's embroidery, I added some whimsical earrings in another color from the pattern, and a completely different but complementary patterned bag.  Embroidered boots work really well with pattern mixing, don't be afraid to pair them with printed bags, blouses, or even dresses.  The key is to have one pattern the statement (a floral, paisley, big pattern), and one complementary (smaller animal prints, dots, stripes, subtle plaids and tweeds). While this outfit is pretty bold and colorful, it can be achieved with more subtle of colors and prints, and the concept can also work for denim with a colorful blazer or sweater.

Shop the Look:
maxi dress | bootie | earrings | crossbody bag

While this dress has long sleeves, this look shows how a switch of footwear and accessories can take your summer maxi and midi dresses into fall with ease.  Right now the weather is still warm, but when the temps drop, add a leather moto or denim jacket to extend your summer dresses even longer.  This outfit also shows how you can mix patterns.  Again as mentioned above, balance one bold pattern with one that is softer, smaller, or has less contrast.  The black accessories tone down the look while completing the outfit and making the mix of patterns purposeful.  This concept will also work with solid colored dresses or solid colored booties.