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6 Dress And Boot Combinations To Extend That Summer Feeling Into Autumn
Your favourite summer dress, plus new-season boots equals trans-seasonal styling, sorted.
Now that temperatures have dropped a little, I keep gazing wistfully at my autumn boots. Then again, I’m not quite ready to part from my beloved summer dresses. The good news is, you can have everything – well not everything, but, you know – since the simple formula of boots and a summer dress solves most between-season styling dilemmas, making the transition into autumn more effortless.
If you thought your halterneck mini was nothing without a pair of ballet flats, think again. Its Y2K-leaning sensibility makes it the perfect match for the slouchy boots that made an appearance on the AW25 runways, at Isabel Marant, Khaite and Louis Vuitton. Hold on to your satin slip dress, too – it makes an excellent layering piece when teamed with biker boots and a slouchy knit (and jeans, on extra chilly days).
It’s certainly not the cowboy boot’s first rodeo, as it stomps defiantly onwards into another season thanks to Altuzarra and Isabel Marant, who has long loved Western-inspired styling. Later, wear yours beneath sharply tailored trousers (as at Calvin Klein); now, slip ‘em on with a white cotton sundress for late summer festivals and hoedowns.
Whether you prefer an equestrian or Victoriana vibe, there is a new-season boot for you. Invest in your perfect pair and wear it right away, combining riding boots with a denim dress or lace-up styles with wafty, boho midis and maxis.
Without further ado, here are six tried-and-tested dress and boot pairings for a chicer almost-autumn.
You’ve spent all of summer wafting around town in a Chloé-esque maxi and there’s no need to let autumn stop you – simply swap out your ballet flats or jelly shoes for a pair of lace-up boots, either Victorian-inspired (as seen at Bora Aksu’s AW25 show) or biker-style, seen at Dior.
For chillier, late-summer days, hedge your bets in a long-sleeved, A-line mini dress (in denim, depending on the temperature) and riding boots. ELLE UK’s Site Fashion Editor Daisy Murray wears the combo especially well.
Crisp cotton sundresses served you well all summer – continue the party into autumn by eschewing sandals for cowboy boots. Judging by Altuzarra and Calvin Klein’s AW25 shows, they’re not going anywhere.
Last seen sometime in the early aughts, the slouchy boot was well overdue a second wind. Well, it’s back with a vengeance, thanks to Khaite, Zimmermann and Isabel Marant, whose Edrik boots are perfectly in-keeping with the Y2K look of a halterneck mini dress.
Reward the satin slip dress’s unerring loyalty in a heatwave by styling it throughout September and into October, with knitwear and buckled boots – the chunkier, the better.
Brown boots ruled the runways at Khaite, Alberta Ferretti and Fendi (amongst others) and will be a key part of your winter wardrobe. For now, we love how they look with a flippy, drop-waist dress, like this ruffled Gimaguas number.
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