Thursday, December 9, 2010

These Boots Are Made For... Me!

Gentle Readers,

This is a momentous day.

As you perhaps know, I like things.  I like clothes.  I like shoes.  I like furniture.  I like nice paper products.  I like cute dishes.  I would like a KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt Head Stand Mixer in navy (in case Santa reads my fledgling blog).  And I love tall boots.

I first fell in love with tall boots in high school, when my friends on the drill team got to wear white go-gos with their uniforms.  In college, I had what I considered to be a rockin' pair of black platform-heeled cfm's (I think they actually were sort of matronly Nine West numbers from DSW, but I liked 'em).  And those black platforms are where my love affair stalled... on very sad, wistful terms.

You see where I am going with this.

My legs got too fat for tall boots.  Unless they were made of that weird, stretchy pleather or had unsightly elastic inserts, there was no way they would zip up my tree trunks.  I have always had a more rubust rear section and "shapely" calves, and I have learned to appreciate that over the years (I really do like my butt and legs and I do not mind telling you that Sir Mix-A-Lot has a lot to do with it).

Still, every time I saw a stylish San Franciscan wearing dark jeans tucked into a pair of camel-colored boots, I seethed with jealousy and lamented my legs. (I don't care if your anaconda wants some, I want boots!)  Despite the power my legs grant me to inflict certain ass-kicking defeats on anyone who crosses me, my prefrontal cortex began concocting a silent campaign of dissent against my calves and their overt effort to keep me out of fitted boots that rose above mid-shin.

Confession:  I even busted the zipper on a pair of "extended calf" models from J. Crew back in 2003.

Friends, those sad days are over.

Today, this happened.

That's right. Those are tall boots.  With a zipper in the back.  With not a stitch of elastic.
And.
They.
Zip.
I first tried-on these little numbers back in August, when my sister was visiting.  I had been coveting them for a couple of weeks and thought, "Maybe they will zip..." And they did not.  In fact, they were about two or three inches from zipping.  I walked around the store with them halfway unzipped and the sweet boy who was helping me said, "They look great!" Until I turned around and showed him the gaping zipper in the back.  Fail.

So, it was a bit of a dare when I ordered these very boots online back in October.  Luckily, they were back-ordered so I had to wait until today -- December 8, the year of our Lord 2010 -- for them to arrive and endure the ultimate test of my steely, yet shrinking, calves.

Friends, I wasted no time.  I picked the package up from the mailroom at work, brought the box to my desk, tore open the package, pulled all the stuffing out of the boots like it was 1984 and I was uncovering the last Cabbage Patch Doll and I slid those puppies on.  Let me recap what happened next.
And.
They.
Zip.

Once again, the proof.  Aren't you crazy about the contrasting orangey-red on the tape? (Fun Fact: People here in the Bay Area call it  International Orange.)


There's not much to this post in the way of insight.  It's just a celebration.  I know the boots don't go with this outfit, but it's what I wore to work and I just had to put on the boots as soon as I got home.  And btw, that skirt has been in my closet for 5 years and today's the first time it fit.  I love these little victories.

5 comments:

  1. Wish I could give you a double high five right now! Those boots are gorgeous, and so are you. Also this made me laugh out loud. xoxo

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  2. Yay! I love this... and I love your boots!

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  3. I love Becca and Carmen... you two really should meet... sisterhood! Thank you, ladies. I love you both.

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  4. Ok, so you posted this a million years ago, but I just found your blog today. And I'm WEARING those boots...RIGHT NOW. I adore these boots. They were the first "trendy" thing I bought to wear once I started to feel comfortable after my (relatively small, but still substantial to me) 30 lb weight loss.

    I consciously have to limit myself to wearing them only once every other week. When I first got them, I put them on with jeggings and was so proud that I could fit into the jeggings and show off the boots that I wore them almost every other day for two weeks. These boots got me over the body image issues that came naturally with the idea of wearing tight pants. They were worth it. <3

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  5. Bethlin:
    Thanks so much for the comment!
    I am in love with those boots, too. Aren't they the best?
    We've had a longer-than-usual rainy season here in the Bay Area but one bright spot has been those boots. I love them.
    I am hoping they will work with a nice summer dress... but I may be delusional...

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