Tartan Kilt & Stomping Boots

We interrupt usual programming of sixties ankle boots and seventies flares to bring you tartan and stomping boots. It’s no secret that my favourite eras for fashion are the 60s and 70s but a decade that creeps into my styling every now and then is the 90s. As a child of the nineties (albeit only just – I was born on 6^th January 1990), it’s inevitable. And while platform shoes and slip dresses are some fantastic examples of 90s fashion, today I’m not talking about the Spice Girls era but rather about grunge.

Tartan checks, red and black colour palettes, leather jackets and stomping boots. It’s easy to inject the grunge movement into everyday styling but today, I’m wearing it all, absolutely loving it but not feeling too cliché.

I’ve had this red tartan kilt for years – it’s a vintage one from M&S (or St Michael to be correct) and I bring it out every autumn. Worn with a lace petticoat underneath, first and foremost for comfort (the wool is quite scratchy) and secondly because I love how the lace trim looks poking out of the bottom of the hem, adding a layer of grunge to the look.

I always pair the kilt with a black slim-fitting turtleneck top as it allows the tartan skirt to do the talking and I’m rarely without a trusty black polo neck throughout the colder months. I finished the look with leather, adding yet another layer – physically and figuratively – of grunge. The leather biker jacket is from The White Company and it was my mum’s. It’s the perfect fit and features that dream silver hardware and buckles at the waistline that I always wanted from my previous one.

Finally the boots…the boots that have been adorning our Instagram feed since the weather started to turn. I am rarely one to be swayed by clear influencer marketing, however on this occasion I was totally won. Having an ankle boot collection that previously consisted solely of block heels, I decided at the beginning of autumn that I needed to invest in a pair of flat, stomping boots that would be durable enough for the rainy British weather and a more comfortable option for those much-needed “non-heel days”. And these were the ones for me.

They are the Grenson Nanette boots and while they keep selling out, I managed to track down the last pair in my size on a random website. I’m absolutely delighted with them and I’m so happy that I took the plunge. They style really well in lots of different ways – with skirts, jeans and dresses – I sound like Monica justifying her expensive boots to Chandler, except these don’t kill your feet in the slightest. They have taken almost no time to break in, are super comfy and feel light as air to wear. If you can get your hands on a pair, I would highly recommend them.