3 Ways Our Editor in Chief is Styling Her Boots for Fall

The new season always nudges me to shop for things that make me feel like the 2.0 version of myself—however, I had so many virtual shopping carts filled to the brim that I didn’t know where to start for fall… Luckily Kat Collings, our esteemed editor in chief, stepped in to help. I caught her right before she left for fashion month to get her advice on what to buy this season; basically, she’s your girl if you’re ready to do some real shopping, and if you want to find secretly practical pieces that ride the fine line between hyper-chic and actually wearable.

Her brilliant method of styling her looks? Dressing from the boot up. Chunky-soled SOREL boots are majorly trending, and Kat’s pairing them with other items that do double- (if not triple-) duty. Think a blazer refresh, surprisingly versatile leather dresses, and other pieces that can seamlessly transition her through days where she’s racing from meetings to events and back to the office (and then probably another event). Kat showed me just how she’s dressing from her SOREL boots up with her three go-to looks for this season, and trust me, you’re going to want to take screenshots.

A lace-up boot and a plaid blazer is a mainstay in every editor’s arsenal, period. What started as a trendy item a few years back has now become a stylish staple that’s the perfect way to update any outfit—and it’s particularly good at tidying up vintage jeans, as Kat has shown me time and time again. I love the way this early-’90s power-woman blazer juxtaposes with faded denim and rugged sole of these lace-up SOREL Blake Lace boots. Styled with a pearl-detailed cardigan underneath, a touch of red (check out those shoelaces), and a mock-croc bag, you’ve got yourself a polished and practical Upper East Sider look that will take you from your Friday meetings to dinner and drinks.

I’m on the shorter side, so maxi silhouettes (think mid-calf-and-below dresses and coats) are something I tend to shy away from—unless I have a shoe that will give me a nice lift. If you’re also someone who struggles with longer hemlines, take notes from Kat and style your look with a hidden-wedge Chelsea boot for an extra bit of height. Kat styled her SOREL Joan Wedge Chelsea boots with an on-trend dark printed dress (bonus trend advice—keep those floral prints nice and small this season), a vintage-inspired trench, and an editor-staple mock-croc bag, aka her go-to outfit for when she has multiple events to attend in one day. For girls on the go, this outfit is super versatile for when your calendar is back-to-back insanity with varying degrees of dress code.

Sorry, guys: I saved the best for last. To me, this look is basically perfect because it’s equal parts trendy and classic. Head-to-toe leather, whether you opt for real or faux, is undoubtedly one of the biggest trends of the season (and my personal favorite). You’ll find that your outfit instantly becomes polished and very fall 2019 when you style it with SOREL’s Blake Lace boot à la Kat. The puff sleeve! The stacked heel! Just. So. Good. *Chef’s kiss.*