Ask Alela Sirah vol. 2 : One Dress 3 Ways / How to Find The Perfect Over The Knee Boot

1. I have a few holiday parties to attend but I don't want to buy an outfit for each one. Any suggestions?

There are a few different ways you can tackle your holiday wardrobe. Start with a solid neutral colored piece. The easier the piece, the better. For example; a dress, jumpsuit romper, a classic skirt (pencil or flared) and skinny pants. All of those items can be transformed with other pieces. Make sure you pick an item that is classic (nothing too trendy, however) so that it can be easily transformed. With a good foundation piece to start with, you can build from there. Use your shoes, accessories, sweaters, blazers and blouses to reinvent your foundation item. This is a great way to save time, money and your sanity. In my example, I went with a navy dress to show that while the LBD (little black dress) is never going anywhere, there are other colors you can choose as a “go to”.

I want to try and wear over-the-knee boots, but I am looking for other ways to wear them besides for a night out.  

There are so many options out there. I always like to start off with a checklist of your needs to narrow down your search.  

Ask yourself where you will wear the boots most of the time?

Do you work in a corporate environment with a conservative dress code, or more of a creative environment with a relaxed dress code?

What's your commute like? If you have a long train commute or walk a lot, a stiletto heel may not be for you.

Are you a stay at home mom?

If you're a stylish stay at home mom, you may want a fun boot but with a low heel or no heel at all.  

Will you wear them for a night out and for work, or because it’s Wednesday and you want to look Fab?  

Once you determine what’s important to you, hit up your favorite website for shoes that make it easy to narrow down your search with the criteria you want. Color, heel height, material, etc…You can use this method even if you plan to shop for your boots in person so that you save time and possibly money before you even arrive at the store.