Boots - Less is More

One of my oldest friends has asked me to find something, and who am I to refuse?

The opposite of wider wellies ... narrower boots for those of us with chicken legs !!! yes the rest of me continues to expand, however those chicken shins ... well they make a nice pair of boots look like wellies !!!!!!!

I'm supressing the urge here, to say "what have you got to complain about?" - we all have bits of our bodies that we hate, or which - as here - are just a pain in the arse to dress swelegantly.  And I truly wouldn't want a pair of boots that stuck out beyond the width of my calf.

Okay, so - the first thing is to say that the sites that specialise in wide calf boots also cater for narrower legs.  Duo are the market leaders and their prices can be high - but they currently have a sale and you should be able to pick up a pair of boots for around £100 - in calf sizes down to a teeny 30cm.  This boot is £140, but I've chosen it for two reasons: the length is over-the knee - this will draw attention to a more shapely thigh, and the horizontal straps will give an impression of width.  They also buckle behind the knee for a guaranteed close fit.  The dramatic and sexy effect of the length is diffused by the practical heel - and the overall impression is very stylish.  Think a groomed Kate Moss.

There are other calf-width boot specialists, but I've been let down by two separate companies in the past so some kind of recommendation is in order, and the Fitted Boot Store comes with a recommendation from Auntie Gok himself.  They have much less choice than Duo, but a rather fabulous selling point: they make their boots to order, and take your ankle measurement as well as your calf to ensure a glove-like fit all the way up - particularly important for slimmer legs where baggy ankles look very obvious. I've chosen this pair in tan leather at a promotional price of £100 (but nothing on this site is priced over £125 - and that includes the made-to-measure service).  Brown is a better colour for wearing with jeans tucked in, and being lighter than black, it will add the impression of width, as will the horizontal seam and the fact that the boot should stop at the widest part of the calf. This company also start at a 30cm calf circumference.

If you don't want to order from one of these specialists (you might want to try the boots on, and although Duo has some facility for this, it's not easy) what can you do?  Firstly, it might seem obvious, but shop around.  The boots available in Topshop are likely to be slimmer fitting than those in Next, for example, because their customers only go up to a size 14.  If you can afford to splurge, the top labels make very narrow boots to cater for their size zero clientele.  But even within stores, be aware that sizing will vary between styles.  It may be worth trying boots that lace up the front, Victorian-style, or that are soft suede or fabric cinched in by criss-crossed straps.  Over the knee styles might be an option if your thighs are a more regular size, as they only need to fit well at the top of the boot - a looser fit on the calf will be disguised by a thicker, more rigid leather.  Obviously you can tuck in your trousers, but you should also be aware that wearing heels changes the shape of the calf, elongating the muscle and giving you a smaller circumference.  Flat boots will be a better fit.