The sad reality: Women are fumbling with styling their booties with their jeans. And ladies? It shows ...
To help unravel the deep mystery that is styling your booties with cuffed jeans, Store Manager Laura Flom from jb and me offers up a few pointers to get you out the door quicker and more confident in your bootie and jean pairings.
To start off: Cuff, don't stuff (into your boots). "The idea is that it doesn't look right when you stuff jeans in a bootie. Denim designers are making jeans to hit at a certain length or with trendy hems so we can wear booties."
Quite simply, this can be broken down into three looks, depending on heel height.
Big, tall cuffs.
These usually work best for heeled booties.
Short, tight, small cuffs.
Made for skinny jeans and denim that hits at the ankle.
Repeatedly rolled cuffs.
Ideal for boyfriend jeans. Forego perfect rolls and go for a relaxed, messier cuff.
So, when do you stuff?
"The only time to do that is when it's a tall boot with a jean fitted at the bottom, so it easily goes into a knee-high or over the knee boot."
Once you feel you've mastered the formula, add socks to the equation (and silently weep). When wearing booties, trends lean toward a skinny jean cuff with a short sock peeking out while still showing a little ankle. Simple socks or ones with ruffle details are easy to pull off. If you're looking for the socks to really show and be the statement—such as slouchy, legwarmer types—this is the right time to pair booties with a legging layer.
What about booties that are on the tall end? Cuffing seems silly and only adds to the floodwater look. "In between sizes like mid-calf booties call for a single cuff that goes over the top, not tucked in but brushing the top of the boot."
If you've asked yourself if you're too old for this trend, think again. "There's no age limit but we want women to do it the right way and not over do a trend." Try cuffing a dark jean instead of a light, faded jean. This way the look is more subtle.
When in doubt, trust your gut.
"Booties elongate your leg. If you're feeling choppy, that's the point when you'd want to take the cuff down or rethink what bootie you're wearing."
Jb and me is located at 36 W. 8th Street in Holland and at 1964 Breton Road in Grand Rapids. The stores offer a denim club where you can buy three full-priced jeans and receive the fourth pair at 40 percent off. Free alterations on regular-priced denim could help get those jeans at just the right length for world bootie domination—which is what we're going after here, right?
Written by Missy Black, a footwear fanatic, style child and contributing writer for West Michigan Woman.