IF you haven't yet bought all your winter footwear - and given the mildness of weather until very recently, who has? - bear in mind that boots are very much back in fashion this season. But not just any boot; the style you want to look out for comes up to the knee and fits tight on the calf. Perhaps this is just another aspect of 1996's obsession with the 1970s.
After all, boots of this kind have not been much around for the past two decades. There was an hilarious moment on last week's Top of the Pops as old footage of the band Slade was shown. Along with the maxi coats and hot pants being worn by the audience were lots of knee boots which, unlike almost everything else (including the music), did not seem horribly dated. Mini skirts and kneelength boots are an easy combination for any woman who wants to revive memories of the early 1970s.
But boots of this kind don't just look great with retro styles; they work equally well with present trends too. At the moment, knee length skirts are in favour and they team wonderfully well with boots which come up almost to the hem. Equally, this season's favourite ensemble, the trouser suit, is terrific with them - it's not by accident that the favourite pants shape right now is called the boot leg. True, the full height of the boot will not be seen, but it will give better definition to a lightly flared trouser, particularly when the wearer is sitting down.
When it comes to footwear, getting the shape right is important. The toe should lie square rather than too pointed and the heel is stocky and about two inches high. The best examples are cut to fit at the ankle and follow the line of the calf, stopping just below the knee. The closest fitting boots have strong zips to ensure the shape will hold. Leather can tend to sag after a time (especially if boot trees are not used constantly) which helps explain why stretch suedette is so widely favoured right now.
For these photographs, all the boots are shown with what are the only must be seen wearing tights this winter. Wolford's "Follow Me" brand has attracted an almost fanatical following in the past few months. Its lace knit style was originally noticed at the Milan collections last spring; it turned up particularly at the Prada show. Fashion editors quickly picked up on this trend and when Wolford produced its own variation on this theme, there was enthusiastic response.
Since then, "Follow Me" tights have become so popular that there are now waiting lists for them in most London stores. Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, recently wrote of her desperate search for a pair and there are rumours that English fashion obsessives are willing to pay up to £100 to satisfy their craving. Oddly, Wolford's number one style this season would not appear to have attracted the same fan club here just yet, because there are still plenty of these tights around. Go and get them now; not only are they the season's hot hosiery, right now they also look better than anything else with a pair of boots.