The Style Edit: Winter Boot Styling, Suede Jackets & Shoes of the Past
DAMN, I've missed this!!!
The Style Edit is back in your inbox, and I, for one, am very happy about that. I missed these brain dumps!! Where else do I have to tell you that I went down an ‘Acne Studios boots from the early 2010’s’ rabbithole?! A break can be helpful, and after some time to marinate on the format, I want these to be a little looser going forward. I tend to be quite rigid in the routines I set for myself, but I prefer reading Substack newsletters with a more stream-of-consciousness quality. That’s all to say, these posts will probably feel EXACTLY the same to you, but I’m just keeping them more relaxed on my end. Less tick boxy, more flowy. Half-ish is unlocked for everyone to read; the other half is a little more granular and reserved for paid subs. There’s no paywall today, so everyone can get a taste of how these Friday posts usually shape up, but if you want more, then you know what to do…
So, the aforementioned Acne Studios rabbit hole. I had a flashback to my commuting days, when I used to get on the train at the same station every morning as this v. stylish woman who lived in the Acne Studios Cypress Platform Boots. My boss at the time wore the Acne Studios Pistol Boots daily, and whilst I made do with my Topshop dupe, I had Acne Studios boots on the brain. It turns out there’s a load on Vestiaire for like, £50 (Pistol style here* and Cypress style here*)!! And they all look in pretty good condition. These shoes LAST. Whilst I understand they are far too high to be a practical purchase for me these days, I needed to tell you in case these boots live rent-free in your head, as they do in mine.
A more suitable boot for my current lifestyle are the Toteme Everyday Boots*, which Sasha bought to the group in the TWE chat. Essentially, they have exactly the same shape as my heeled pair*, which I love for their elongating, outfit-polishing properties, but with a flat sole. Thanks to Shauna, who alerted us to a very solid M&S dupe*.
My Whistles Lani Tassel Sude Jacket* - you know the olive green one - is hands down one of my favourite jackets I own. It’s just FUN. But there’s no denying that this black version* is perhaps a little more wearable for most of us. I love that it’s black suede too, because suede is notriously pricey to launder, so you can be a little less precious with this one. It’s top of my wishlist right now.
Just a note that ARKET’s latest drop* is well worth a peruse. My top pick would be this Pure Cashmere Draped Top*, a style that covers the elusive ‘going out top’ category (and with 100% natural fibres, which is tough to find!). And they’ve bought back my Leather Cord Pendant Necklace*, which always feels like a handy tool to add personality to a simple white tee or crewneck jumper.
I really thought Christmas passing would dampen my lust for the & Daughter Fairisle Oversized Crewneck*, but I still find it in my open tabs on a weekly basis. It’s just the perfect funky winter jumper for those who are a little colour-averse. The brand sent over their Sligo Shrunken Crewneck*, which feels like a missing piece for grey knit lovers. A little cropped and shrunken, as the name suggests and a good accompaniment for your favourite pair of relaxed vintage jeans. Want a grey jumper that’s more oversized? I have the Balla Slouch V-Neck* (now on sale!).
Once I’m on a knitwear tangent, it’s hard to get off, but can someone enlighten me as to what the deal is with Navygrey*? They give me a DONNI-esque vibe, but the U.K. equivalent, with 80% of items made within the British Isles and all with 100% natural fibres. They are currently running an archive sale*, but the Oversize Jumper* feels like it would fit right in my wardrobe.
COS coming to the rescue with a dupe for my ARKET Boiled Wool Trousers, which are sadly sold out - I wear them A LOT. These are the Boiled Merino Wool Wide-Leg Trousers*. The style I have are barrel-leg, so these might be a little easier to play with (if you’re really committed to the barrel-leg - try these*). And the brown? Of course I’m into it. I know boiled wool sounds weird, but it gives an almost felted texture to the trousers, which means they are far hardier than their standard knitted counterparts. I’ve yet to de-bobble mine, and you’ve seen how much I wear them.
It was Emily who first shared this photo that made fashion Substack collectively weak at the knees. It turns out it was a snap of Mimi Nguyen, who confirmed that the jacket wasn’t The Row as we all first thought, but in fact the Almada Funda Jacket*. Honestly, just seeing this makes me DESPERATE for spring. The ARKET one that I have* is a good alt.
I wore this outfit on Wednesday, loved it, posted it on Notes, and you lot were into it too. I’ll go more into sizing in Sunday’s post, but I’d recommend going true to size in the jumper* and then going 1-2 sizes up in the jeans* to get a looser fit around the crotch and thighs, which feels like the secret to getting that more vintage-style feel with white denim.
Now I’ve unloaded my screenshots of the week to you, here’s what I’ve saved in my notes to share:
I’ve talked before about the severe drought of long-form video fashion content (there is only so much Style Class one can consume!!). So I’m always on the hunt, and I’ve been enjoying Liv Perez’s ‘Let’s Get Dressed’ podcast series that she uploads onto her YouTube Channel. Of course I devoured her episode with Allison Bornstein; her chat with Karla Welch is a fascinating look at how a team curates looks for a celeb press tour, and her episode with Mandy on her 2026 style predictions is a solid watch…
Big love to Beth over at PATTERN RECOGNITION for featuring me as part of her ‘Cultural Ominvore’ series. It’s where she digs into how interesting people stay interesting by reading/watching/listening to/noticing things you might not necessarily expect them to. SPOILER: All that goes into my brain are the ‘glory seasons’ of RHONY. I will, however, be asking Beth to write all my bios going forward. The way I blushed when I read this:
She’s a strategic/creative juggernaut who transcends all the usual labels. She’s held in high regard by major brand owners and fashion + media insiders. Not least for her honesty, which generates such trust among her readers and viewers.
I ADORE Jack’s ‘Shoes of the Past’ series, and I am particularly fond of this one about the YSL Tribute Pumps because way back in 2008, I had them as the saved background on my Sony VAIO laptop. What a time to be alive*. A 5.3-inch heel!!!!.
Very into the colour combo of this outfit:
A solid reminder from Erika that if in doubt, using Alexa Chung as a search term will always bring up a plethora of pics for your moodboard.
If you enjoyed my post on my Styling Session with Reva, then you’ll love this snippet that she shared on her IG with a few winter styling gems that we all need to hear right now. Just wear the darn wool coat and remember that functional = effortlessness.
The fun part of these Friday Style Edit posts is that nine times out of ten, they feature a video. So if you’re ever in the mood for more video content from yours truly, then there’s a LOAD for you already in the archive. They’re a space where I test styling theories, show you things I’ve bought recently and just generally have a 10-minute yap in my wardrobe.
I take requests, and this week, you asked for ideas on how to style winter boots. So here we go! Me? Talking about a practical footwear choice?! I KNOW!
Sidenote: I literally rinsed these boots out, scrubbed them with a brush, and they still came up on camera looking muddy. The lighting did me bad!! The boots in question are the Tretorn Garpa Hybrid Boots*, and, as I said in the video, I’d recommend going one size down. No time for the video? No worries, I’ve done a little Cliffnotes for you:
Wear them with black or washed-black denim. This is my number one tip that I’ve found to work for me. Whenever I’ve worn these boots so far, I’ve always worn them with a pair of black or washed-black denim - sometimes cuffed, depending on proportions. I’m sure I’ll break out as I experiment with them more, but just to warm up with them, I’ve found it the easiest pairing. The trousers and the boots being the same colour doesn’t add any extra visual weight to the bottom of the outfit and keeps that longline of the leg intact.
Try a more ‘polished’ coat. A shorter, barn-style coat might be the most obvious choice, and it certainly doesn’t look bad, but if you want to push yourself a little, then try a jacket or a coat that adds tension and contrast to the look. As I said, I’m sort of set in my trouser pairing, so outerwear is where I can mix things up. Allison agreed, ‘there should always be something that feels a bit wrong in your outfit’ - so maybe it’s your jacket? I’ve found that a longline piece completely takes the focus away from your footwear choice.
A different way to find inspo. Chunky boots can be HARD, but instead of searching for say ‘Rainboot Outfit Inspo’ on Pinterest, which brings up a load of Hunters, try something specific, like ‘The Row Zip Boots Outfits’. Now you might not necessarily have The Row Zip Boots - I certainly don’t! - but they are rather large, pretty chunky, have a similar silhouette to the pair I do own, and all the celebs have them, so there’s pap pics galore. Also, keep an eye on your favourite Canadian-style people - they are seasoned in this category. Essentially, when you see a look with hefty, practical boots that you love - save it.
Thanks for being part of The Wardrobe Edit. If you like what you read, I’d truly appreciate it if you liked, shared, or left a comment - it makes all the difference.
Want more?
If you’re a brand interested in partnering on a future post, please email na@insanity.com.
This newsletter features affiliate links, denoted by a ‘*’ and occasionally gifted items, denoted by ‘ad - gifted’. Find out more here.
What I would give for that green suede coat.
All about buying jeans a size or two bigger but then what is happening around the waist? when I wear jeans that are a tad big the fabric around the waist kind of sticks out unless I wear a belt - do you ever have this issue?