*This post is sponsored by Zappos, but as always, I’m only sharing because I’m a big fan myself

Let’s begin with this – anyone who doesn’t already know, I’m obsessed with shoes. I like them all – sneakers, boots, dress shoes, sandals, everything. It’s rare that I see a shoe that is either too much or too simple for my taste. Therefore when I found these Clarks Desert Boots from Zappos I couldn’t resist. Purple is one of my favorite colors, and I’m a total sucker for a classic shoe silhouette in an unexpected colorway.

When they arrived, I excitedly ripped open the box and basked in the bright glow of these sexy purple boots. Few things irk me more than when a product appears bright and colorful on a website, only to arrive and look muted and dull. Thankfully, these didn’t disappoint and Zappos had done a great job of photographing them realistically. I immediately started brainstorming on how to style them. My initial instinct was to go dressy, so I tried on a solid black suit with a white shirt, thinking this would allow the boots to pop all on their own. However, it wasn’t working. The style of the boot was a bit too casual for this formal of an outfit.

Next, I decided to tone it down with something a bit more casual so I grabbed these skinny fit distressed jeans. I liked the way they fell over the top of the boot but didn’t pool at the ankle. You should always strive for your pants to fit snug and land right around the top of your shoe. A bit of a break in the pant is fine but you don’t want a ton of excess fabric bunching up around the shoe. Not only is it unflattering for your legs, but it takes away from the impact that a great pair of shoes like these Clarks can bring.

When I’m getting dressed, I like to build outfits from the ground up if I’m focusing on my shoes or from the top down if I’m focused more on my shirt or outerwear. I didn’t want to distract from the purple of the shoes but I thought it would work nicely to add in a bit of extra purple with this plaid shirt belt. I knew in order to let the purple pop, I needed the rest of my outfit to be pretty neutral so I thought the shirt belt would break things up nicely around the waistline rather than having it all run together.

With the bottom half of my look determined, my boots feeling good, I needed to decide which direction I wanted to go with the rest of my look. Dark distressed jeans and purple boots were great because they made me feel edgy. I didn’t want to go with something up top that negated that, so I settled on a crisp white tee and this black suede bomber jacket. These are classic pieces that typically always evoke a casual yet tough emotion for me. To embrace that even further, I added the two necklaces and the dark watch.

Styling an entirely dark outfit is fun. I embrace it – especially during fall and winter. Yet adding in the color takes things to a whole new level. I guess what I’m getting at is that if you see a pair of bold shoes out there that you really love, don’t shy away from them because you don’t think you can pull them off. Think about letting them be the focal point of an otherwise pretty basic outfit and you’ll look like you know what you’re doing. Slim jeans, a white tee, a plaid shirt, and a black jacket. Most all of us have these items, right? Well, combining them together is classically casual and kind of basic, but when you add in the purple Clarks Desert Boot from Zappos, you’re leaving basic behind.

Thanks again to Zappos for sponsoring this post. There are several links throughout the article to the shoes, or you can click any of the imagery.

Questions? Comments? Message me on IG @parkeryorksmith or email me directly at parker@thelooksmith.com!

Thanks for reading! -PYS