As the weather starts to turn and the cold creeps in, ankle boots become an undisputed essential. The beauty in this perennial staple? The right pair goes with absolutely everything. Whether you’re a midi dress obsessive or a fan of the classic jeans-and-a-tee formula, you’ll soon find yourself reaching for your Chelsea, heeled or lug-soled boots on an almost-daily basis.
There’s a specific combination we’ve been spotting lately that we decided was worth drawing your attention to: cropped trousers and ankle boots. The former is a popular style during the spring and summer months, when we want to have as much skin as possible on show. But it turns out cropped trousers can work wonderfully in autumn, and arguably look even better with ankle boots than full-length trousers. Think about it; the higher the hemline, the more boot is visible.
The proof is in the following looks we’ve saved from Instagram, featuring ankle-length trousers, jeans and culottes and their perfect boot pairing. You know what to do.
Style Notes: Team slim-fitting jeans with boots that lace up tight to the ankle—this will have an elongating effect and prevent the boots from being swamped.
As much as I love minimalist style, I’m always drawn to frilly blouses like this.
This dark wash feels smarter than light-blue denim.
Watch out for puddles when wearing these sleek cream boots.
Style Notes: Create a laid-back weekend look with relaxed black trousers and a comfy pair of Chelsea boots. Tip: try to have the hemline graze the top of the boot or overlap slightly. This looks a lot sleeker than having an inch of calf on show.
This is a great throw-on jacket for milder weather.
Ticks-every-box trousers.
& Other Stories’ boots are such high quality.
Style Notes: Cropped wide-leg trousers or culottes look best with narrower boots, ideally featuring a thin heel and pointed toe to balance out the silhouette.
I’d also style this blazer over an LBD.
Comfortable and polished.
The western-style embroidery completely transforms this boot.
Style Notes: You might be used to wearing your ribbed lounge-bottoms with slippers, but try styling them with chunky boots for a cool weekend look.
On the days when jeans just won’t cut it, turn to this super soft ribbed trouser.
An affordable way to tap into the lug-soled boot trend.
Everyone’s swooning over this designer-looking Arket bag.
Style Notes: You’ll often find us lauding the versatility of straight-leg jeans, so it should come as no surprise that the cropped kind is just as easy to style. We’re wearing ours with heeled ankle boots like Jessica Skye.
No autumn wardrobe is complete without a splash of khaki.
