How To Wear Ankle Boots With Skinny Jeans

We’ve all been there. You have some really cute jeans with some embroidery but it’s raining outside so out come your tall rain boots to hide it away. Or you’re going out and it’s hot but all you have are some lace up boots so RIP to your calves, they’re getting sweaty af and you’ll be peeling your jeans off later. If only there was a way to save your calves but still have the boot aesthetic that you’ve been trying to cultivate since the seventh grade.

Well friends, I’m here to give you the answer to your years old quandry.

Ankle boots

Not mid-calf boots, not knee boots, ankle boots. It’s time that ankle boots made a comeback and got the respect that they so rightly deserve Let’s face it, tall boots are great in theory but if your legs are built like mine than those kind of boots just serve to erase your precious ankles and make it look like you walk around on little sausages. I know what I’m talking about, I speak from experience. Not that that stops me from wearing and loving tall boots, because fuck societal beauty standards, but damn it all I want is to remember that I have ankles.

After all, there has to be a reason that back in ye old days the sight of an ankle was considered scandalous.

Ankle boots and jeans are the perfect combo because your outfit can be dressed up or down according to the fancy-ness of the boots and top.

Business Casual

Paired with a nice top and coat or blazer, your skinny jeans and ankle boots are ready for that casual Friday night networking event. Dressed up enough to show that you’re a professional, but not so much so that you’re perceived as incredibly uptight. It’s a delicate dance you play with your clothes and public perception as annoying as it is. I yearn for the day where pajamas and athleisure are all anyone wears for every occasion. Why be uncomfortable if you don’t have to be.

Tangent aside, ankle boots and skinny jeans are a great, versatile combo.

Date night

A good option for date night, it follows the same principles as business casual. With a nice shirt and jacket combo, your skinny jeans and ankle boots will be elevated without looking fussy. Remember that ultimately you’re dressing up for you, but it’s nice when other people know and acknowledge that you look nice too. I believe it’s called validation but I wouldn’t know.

The ankle boots and jeans are also pet approved, so really that’s all that matters.

Brunch with friends

Look guys, it’s ankle boots and jeans. We are all smart people and we know how and when to wear them but for the sake of my soul bear with me. Throw on a sweater with them and you’ll look like you spent more time than you actually did putting the outfit together. It’s good whether you and your friends choose to go to that trendy new hipster joint or to good old IHOP. The sweater also allows you to hide the food baby you’ll undoubtedly grow when you all order more food than you can eat and have no regrets. This time I do speak from experience.

Oh and a tip from me to you: just roll up the cuffs of your jeans to show off your ankles and your boots. I’ve never understood how people find jeans that fit perfectly and how off their ankle. What kind of which craft even is that??

Low-heel ankle boots

I see now that I’m focusing a lot on high heeled ankle boots, which I feel are necessary for me because I am on the shorter side. I like the added height and I feel like my feet look smaller with a heel. It’s just how my brain works. Either way, there’s no doubt that the low-heel ankle boot should really be the way to go. Not everyone can wear heeled shoes and that’s okay! There’s a hole smorgasbord of no/low heeled ankle boots that you can pair up with your skinny jeans. You lose nothing but inches with this approach, and honestly you’ll probably be way more comfortable. As an advocate and believer in personal comfort, I cannot believe I didn’t start here.

This approach is honestly more practical, especially if you like going to pumpkin patches and the like in the fall. Imagine trying to traipse your way across a grassy, muddy pumpkin patch in heeled ankle boots. You would constantly be needing to stop and pull yourself out of the spots of mud your heel seems to be inexplicably drawn to. Quicksand may not be the danger that television led us to believe it would be in our youth, but that’s okay because mud seems to have stepped up to fill that void even though no one wanted it. NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR NEGATIVITY MUD, PLEASE STOP.

The Skinny

Ha, see what I did there? Anyway, the world has an endless supply of skinny jeans and ankle boots to fit any occasion you need. You don’t have to settle just for regular skinny jeans. You can have distressed skinny jeans, acid washed skinny jeans, high-waisted skinny jeans, skinny jeans in every color under the sun (can you tye die skinny jeans? An idea for later…). Same with ankle boots! Suede ankle boots, open-toed ankle boots, leather ankle boots, ankle boots with laces, ankle boots in every color under the sun. Just think of the place you will be going and why and I’m sure that you will be able to put something together that satisfies both your personal comfort level and the propriety dictated by society. If not then you can always stay home, watch Netflix, and order-in some dinner, which honestly sounds like the better option almost every time.