FASHION FAQ: Tall Boots For Short Ladies

Dear Fashion Deal Diva: Tall boots for short people; do they exist? Not ankle, not mid-calf...a boot that will be below the knee, if your knees are like 4-6 inches closer to the ground than most women's knees.

- Short Legs, Tall Style Desires

Dear Short Legs, Tall Style Desires,

This question really has two parts. The answer to the first part is: yes, tall boots for short people exist. You just have to look a lot harder than the average lady. What will likely end up being a "tall" mid-calf boot or a "short" knee high boot for the general population will end up being your knee high boot. What does this mean? It means you can't buy boots online. You gotta hit the pavement!

The much much much MUCH more important question embedded in this original question is: should a person on the shorter side be wearing a knee high boot? The answer is...probably not. Generally, you want to elongate yourself, and a knee high boot could make you look pretty stumpy pretty fast. If your heart is set on finding a pair of knee high boots that don't make you look bad, here are some simple rules to follow:

1. No flats! You need a heel, over three inches and preferably a stiletto. No wedges. No chunky heel. We're trying to elongate here!

2. No slouching or ruching. Again, this goes against elongation, so it's an automatic no.

3. Avoid horizontal elements. Horizontal buckles? Horizontal cut off points differentiating the boot? NO-GO!

4. Tighter is righter! Make sure the boot is tight! Also, if you buy a boot that is made out of a stretchy material, you can probably bring it to a tailor and have the height adjusted to suit your calf!

The boot featured above is from Steve Madden. Buy it here.