Hello, Y'all!
If you had to ask me what my top staple piece in my wardrobe is, I would say riding boots. Since high school, I have worn out a fair share. The classic look and comfort make riding boots perfect for the cooler months of the year. Now do not get me wrong, funky boots or trendy booties are cute, and I own a good share of them, but time and time again I grab my riding boots. This may be because I am outfit-prep lazy but I would they are my go to because they mesh with practically any outfit. From leggings and a big sweater, to dress pants and blouse, riding boots fit the bill!
The perfect pair of riding boots has to meet the following requirements. One, they have to have a small heel. A true riding boot should not have a huge chunky heel or a wedge, functionality is key here. The riding boot style is based on the century-old design of well, riding boots. The heel should be big enough for a potential stirrup but this is it. Secondly, they need to be durable. A great pair of boots shouldn't fall apart after one season. I wore my old pair for about four seasons before looking for a new pair. Lastly, they need to be simple. Again I love trendy pieces but when looking for an everyday pair of boots they need to be simple and classic enough to never look out of date.
This year I went on the hunt for a new pair of riding boots. (When they start to fall apart, no matter how much you love them a new pair is sadly necessary.) Keeping in mind my requirements for proper riding boots, I also had to take in consideration the price. There are many B E A U I T F U L boots out there but I can not justify spending thousands of dollars on anything let alone a pair of shoes. Some people think that high-quality shoes have to come with really high price tags but that is not necessarily true. Cleverness and patience can go along the way when shopping, especially when it comes to staples, like riding boots.
Surprisingly, this year it was actually pretty hard to find a reasonably priced pair....that I liked. And even more surprisingly I found my current pair at Nordstrom Rack. Okay, maybe I am just late to the Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack club but I was seriously pleasantly surprised by my recent visit to the Birmingham location! We walked out of Nordstrom Rack with a pair of riding boots and a pair of Kate Spade wedges for half the price of the boots I had been trying on at other stores. Winning!
Here I am styling my boots as I would for a more casual day in the office or a fun Fall weekend. The burgundy pants I got from the Loft outlet this Fall. *** This is where I insert a thank you to my mom and dad for fun mommy-daughter shopping days! I love you both so much!*** These pants are the softest and comfiest dress pants ever and the color is great for the season! HERE is a similar pair. The embroidered striped top is a JCrew Factory pick, find the exact shirt HERE. Bell sleeves are everywhere right now and this top's bell sleeves are perfection!
Do you have tips for where to go shoe shopping? Leave a comment below!
{Boots- Nordstrom Rack similar}{Top- Jcrew}{Pants-Loft similar}
Blessings from Birmingham!
Shop some fun riding boots here!