<p>Nothing mysterious to me about my own fashion phobias. I learned them from my mother and grandmothers. The challenge, for me a huge challenge, is breaking free from nonsensical rules. I am not convinced these rules ever really made any sense but I know they don’t today. Do you really have no idea where your fashion phobias come from? Interesting you associate tall boots with riding. Is that a negative connotation for you? Sometimes tall boots do remind me of riding boots but that’s a happy kind of thought. I did not ride competitively but good friends did. Riding clothes are happy clothes imho :)</p>
<p>lol, alh – Brookner’s first paragraph absolutely paralyzes me, don’t know how I’ll ever be able to get dressed again! So much symbolism in what we wear, what a responsibility!</p>
<p>Seriously, though, it’s very interesting stuff. Shoes, especially, interest me. So many women’s shoe fashions have entailed so much pain – ballet en pointe, footbinding, stilettos, Lady Gaga foot-high platforms. Risk and pain and a certain amount of danger. Why the foot? Why the societal fixation on this part of our anatomy to contort and festoon? </p>
<p>Another thought – sometimes we happen upon a fashion at the right moment in our lives to embrace it. I remember loving Dansko the moment I tried my first pair on because they increased my height, made me feel more formidable and gave me a great sense of stability. It was a time in my life when I needed to feel strong and confident. And those shoes were a good foundation for just that.</p>
<p>My understanding is that Danskos switched manufacturers a few years ago. Sanitas use the same mfr that Dansko did originally. A fellow CCer told me about a place that sells the Sanitas at discount (not all models), but I have picked up several pairs for $30 each. Very comfy, and I have high arches, skinny heels and bad knees. I don’t do heels, so these give me height without tottering around. Now if I could find a 1.5-2" heel that is dressy enough for a wedding and will allow me to be on my feet for an evening…</p>
<p>I am a size 40 (European, which is a 9.5-10) and the clogs do not look too huge on me – but I’m tall, so I guess my feet are proportional.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m really puzzled because the new “Sanitas” brand does not at all feel like my very old Dansko brand. The current Dansko feels more like the old Dansko. But I’ve also read the stuff on this but my feet don’t agree.</p>
<p>The best Dansko bargains I’ve ever come across are transition seasons when the sandals go on sale in late summer/fall and when the clogs go on sale in the spring.</p>
<p>For a dressy but comfortable shoe, I like Beautifeel but they are not usually in my budget. The Cole Haan Nike Air line has some dressier, pretty, comfortable shoes, too.</p>
<p>Horse people probably wear tall boots less time than the average woman.</p>
<p>Depends on how tall you are and how deep your mud. ( I grew up next to a forested park with 28 miles of bridle paths- it was really muddy)</p>
<p>I’m looking for tall boots for D. She has a pair of leather lined,almond toe, flat, plain, inside zipper, knee high italian boots that she found at Goodwill. I had them resoled last year ( although they were already far gone) and since she wears them so often they need to be done again - but I told her we would do it once more while we look for something else.</p>
<p>I was looking online & while I thought there were a lot I liked, especially when I didn’t have to take into account my weird feet- they weren’t plain. They had buckles or straps or elastic inserts she would object to. ( this is the child who wore Tevas for a whole year, she’s particular )</p>
<p>There are some pricey boots that would fit the bill, but even if she wasnt a college student living in a rainy environment, she would probably think $ 500 was ridiculous to pay for a pair of boots. Unless they were waterproof, but I expect that would be too much to ask?</p>
<p>Re:more orthopedic shoes- the Walking Co worked with the Center on Longevity @ Stanford to develop a shoe for people with osteoarthritis. ( if they help, I’m buying stock )
They aren’t the most sophisticated things but its worth a try.</p>
<p>Right - I wore tall muck boots a lot, but most people only wear tall dress boots for shows or schooling for shows. For lessons and trail riding, my D and her friends preferred paddock boots and half chaps. She wore out several pairs of Ariat paddock boots.</p>
<p>H and I went to Tractor Supply last night to buy mouse traps. (An aside, we found a mouse in our house, I screamed and jumped on the furniture. It was not dignified) </p>
<p>Anyways, they sell Ariat boots there. I immediately thought of dressing young. I’m sure that is the first time dressing young and Tractor Supply belonged in the same universe. :)</p>
<p>Emeraldkity, michael kors has several different styles of riding boots and for way less than $500. I bought a pair two years ago which I love though (they have a few embellishments on them.)</p>
<p>“Nope, not me. Can’t do white pants anytime of the year. Cream? Yup. Off-white? Yup. But not stark white.”</p>
<p>I love my white jeans and wear them all year round even though I live in NY. </p>
<p>“I enjoy wearing flats–metallic or otherwise–and have concluded that, when wearing them with slacks, ankle pants can accommodate flats better than a longer, wider leg. Is this my imagination or do you agree?”</p>
<p>Imo, flats - especially ballet flats -only look good on me with skinny jeans/pants.</p>
<p>Actually, Tractor is quite trendy with young people. They shop for John Deere hats, plaid shirts (very “in” this year) and the Carhartt parkas. I didn’t think the Ariat boots at Tractor were the most stylish ones, but they certainly are the practical ones!</p>
<p>I bet that many a 500-dollar fashion boot is trying darned hard to look and feel like an Ariat boot. That’s the thing about some fashions – they try so hard and expensively to make us look like we know our way around a barn and such.</p>
<p>Rutgersmom and Booklady – thanks so much for the links explaining the mysteries of scarves. My DD is a wonderful knitter and I have so many lovely scarves she’s made me and she is beginning to be hurt that I rarely wear them. I have problems with the feel of a scarf around my neck, which a mystical friend told me, means I probably was hung in another life.</p>
<p>The Ariat tall boots are quite expensive too, particularly for the taller, slim calf combination. The boots have to fit just right - snug to the point that you can barely get them on or off but not snug enough to cut off circulation. There is a whole mythology dedicated to how to break them in. My hard to fit D was able to wear the Ariats, but she had to get the more expensive ones - about $500. That’s considered a steal in the horse world though. The wealthy kids in her barn all had custom boots, with many costing well over $1000. My D wore consignment boots until her feet stopped growing.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, Tractor Supply! Sounds like a place the local youth would totally dig. Just like in MOfWC’s neighborhood, plaid shirts are “in” here where I live, and Carhartt seems to be a popular brand among the younger generation.</p>
<p>Booklady, what a nice scarf video! Thanks. Wendy’s Lookbook is now bookmarked. :)</p>
<p>I think Alumother and I might have a bit in common. My style matrix also has many variables, and the looks get created by addition of a few trendy pieces to a “baselayer” of “classic” clothes, since the majority of the items in my closet fall into that category. The rationale is simple - I neither have the $$ to spend on current designer duds nor the desire to get cheapo imitations that will be trashed after a couple of washes. Hence, the fusion of mostly classic and a sprinkle of hip. I do not follow style guides religiously, but if a newsarticle on fashion falls into my inbox, I’ll read it (I’m sad that the local papaer killed their fashion column - I guess Seattle does not give a rat’s behind about fashion). When I shop, I pay attention to what’s on display and what the SAs are actually wearing (latest example: saw a really cute jacket on the lady who sold me a pair of jeans, inquired about its origins, and walked away from the register with the same jacket in my bag). Another characteristic of my clothes is that they have to be comfy and can be put on in less than a couple of minutes (therefore, I do not own any elaborate, multiu-layer blouses that tend to get tangled into a big mess). Occasionally, however, I’d get a piece or two that are completely out of my comfort zone, like stiletto heeled JC shoes (but I have to be able to walk in them :)).</p>
<p>I used to know what was in fashion from the comic strip Cathy I always like looking at the NYT coverage of high fashion, but it never seems like anything anyone normal would wear. I tend to be an LLBean girl at heart, but try for artsier/trendier touches. I wear a lot of craft jewelry, never wear scarves though I own some because people seem to think I ought to wear scarves. My favorite accessory at this time of year is a jacket that will dress up my jeans.</p>
( I grew up next to a forested park with 28 miles of bridle paths- it was really muddy)</p>
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