Fall neutrals + tall boots for short legs

petite fashion - tall boots cardigan scarf1

Bobeau fleece (in “mink” sz xxs petite), LOFT scarf (sold out), Target chambray shirt (old), BP “Transit” leather boots (sz 5.5), J.Brand jeans (old), Tory Burch robinson tote

I noticed these affordable tall boots got restocked in sizes 4 – 12, so wanted to share these photos before sizes dwindled down again! The calves are not as narrow as I’d like (the top opening measures 13.75″ around for reference, and they’re also available in wide calf), however the shaft height was just right on my shorter legs. When I ordered, only the “chocolate” color was available and now I see classic black is as well. Black is probably the more flattering and versatile choice (especially for wearing with tights or leggings), but I have to say I love the earthy look of the dark taupe brown.

petite fashion tall boots cardigan scarf 4

Fall beauty faves: MAC “Charismatic” lip color, Essie “Hot coco” polish

A few of you requested more pairings with this cardigan, so here’s a casual one I wore for running errands. I stopped by Nordstrom recently and couldn’t believe all the new variations it comes in! I tried on this black & white texture version which seemed versatile – please note that fabric felt thinner, more like a lightweight sweater knit than a fleece, and ran even narrower in the arms. For that pattern I would suggest sizing up, especially if you want to wear something under. Personally my favorite is still this original fleece material. I layered a chambray shirt here for texture at the sleeve cuffs, and added a plaid scarf for pattern and warmth.

I couldn’t be happier with my final color choice for this Robinson tote. I usually love the classic pop of true red with outfits, and the burgundy here serves a similar role but in a more muted, deeper hue for fall outfits. I’ve been carrying this mostly with the crossbody strap which is great for hands-free errands. The strap is surprisingly short enough for a petite frame, without having to punch extra holes and have excess strap flapping around. The base of this bag is thick and didn’t sag with my current 4lb laptop, however a base shaper may be ideal when carrying items that are heavier and more concentrated in size.

petite fashion - tall boots cardigan scarf

I meant to take these boots to the cobbler last weekend for calf slimming alterations, but couldn’t bring myself to part with them during peak boot-wearing season! I was thinking a temporary alternative could be knit legwarmers or boot cuffs – something to help fill the gap around the calves without adding extra thickness in the foot area. I’ve seen interesting DIY ideas floating around the web involving cutting off the sleeves of old sweaters. I don’t have any unwanted sweaters, but might try snipping off the toes of old knit socks for the same purpose.

The heel of these boots is stable and doesn’t feel like 3″ high at all. Similar to the ankle boot version (restocked in 6 colors), if you plan on walking in these for a prolonged period, I’d suggest ball of foot cushion inserts for more padding. Once again I’m usually between 5 and 5.5, and sized up to the 5.5 for these. If anyone else owns these boots, please share thoughts on how you like them!

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67 Comments

  1. chassiness wrote:

    Thank you so much for featuring the BP Transit tall boots – I've been looking for brown tall boots for quite a while now! I went to Nordstrom a few hours ago and tried them on and they're just the perfect height! I tried on both size 4 and size 5, I think I'm a 4.5 but they didn't carry half sizes so I just went online and bought the 4.5 from there. I'm petite too, only 5 feet tall so it's a struggle for me too to find tall boots that don't cover my knees. I even had to resort to "cropping" my Franco Sarto tall boots last year so they wouldn't hit my knees. It's a good thing I found a shoe shop that was able to do a good job on "cropping" them. Anyway, thanks again! 🙂

    Posted 11.2.14 Reply
  2. Vicky wrote:

    Hi Jean, I want to thank you for recommending this wrap. I bought the same color (xsp) to try, and it feels heavenly. It's so warm too. Jasmine stole it from me and wouldn't take it off. I might have to get another one for myself. The sleeves are so soft against the skin if worn with sleeveless top, but I do find it hard to put on over a cotton shirt. Takes some finagling.

    Posted 11.1.14 Reply
  3. Anonymous wrote:

    Can you recommend some other brands that have narrower and shorter shaft for thin, petite women? I have been looking for the perfect boot for years.

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  4. Jean wrote:

    I'm so glad you liked it! And thank you for sharing your fit notes on the sleeves. The one I tried on recently was soo snug in the arms whereas my older one was comfortable, so I wonder if fit differs between colors and fabrics!

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  5. Jean wrote:

    The sales are so good there this year…and that is a classic work piece! thanks for sharing!

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  6. Jean wrote:

    Thank you Shelby for the recommendation! Would you mind sharing what the calf measurement is for reference? Sometimes I know the online listings aren't accurate..

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  7. Jean wrote:

    Yes makes perfect sense…unfortunately with my shorter legs boots tend to hit either awkardly low mid-calf or way too high. After so many years without success for comfortable heeled boots, I'm going to give calf alterations a shot since at least one out of the two aspects here were what I was looking for : )

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  8. Jean wrote:

    Thank you for the tip! If you could share the brand, that'd be great!

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  9. Jean wrote:

    Hi there – yes, i tried on both the Chelsa and Lylee and ended up returning the first pair because they ran even smaller than the Lylee. Both were cute and comfortable in my opinion, and very suitable for narrow feet. The Chelsa looked more delicate and were more of a "shootie" versus bootie because they hit lower at the ankle area. I had only ordered half a size up and would've needed a full size up, and they were out of stock at the time.

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  10. Jean wrote:

    Hi Cynthia – I wear my Stuart Weitzman OTK boots quite a bit. You can search for them in the sidebar on this blog! : )

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  11. Jean wrote:

    Hi there – the height is a little under 14 inches. I am also 5 feet tall for reference!

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  12. Jean wrote:

    Hi Kim! Similar to with Rakela above, I hope you will share any future finds on boots for both narrow and short calves : )

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  13. Jean wrote:

    Hi there – the only ones I've tried that fit nicely in the calf are from pricier brands. I'm not sure why that is, but more mainstream brands in general tend to run normal or wider while many higher end brands run pretty slim. I've tried Stuart Weitzman, Aquatalia, Manolo Blahnik, and Prada tall boots that all fit my 12-12.5" calves surprisingly well. The Aquatalia Rhumba boot especially was beautiful with a snug fit and walkable heel, plus is fully weatherproof. That one is $500-$600 priced at the lower end of the brands mentioned above.

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  14. Jean wrote:

    I'm so glad to hear they work well on her!

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  15. Jean wrote:

    You'll have to let me know if you find well-fitting boots for both narrow and short calves : )

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  16. Jean wrote:

    Hi Emily – these hit below the knees so that was not an issue for me. For above the knee boots that are fitted (like Stuart Weitzmans), the leather will bend a bit with the curvature of the knees so the line is not entirely straight visually, but it didn't bother me much.

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  17. Nissi Mendes wrote:

    Nice outfit 🙂

    http://www.nissimendes.ch

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  18. maya luna wrote:

    lovely outfit.. 🙂 womens boyfriend jeans@http://robecart.com

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  19. Dr Elin wrote:

    Thanks to your recommendation in a previous post I bought the fleece wrap in S petite – perfect fit! It is so soft and comfy, and I don't find the arms to be that narrow (just the right "narrowness")

    Posted 10.31.14 Reply
  20. Anonymous wrote:
    Posted 10.30.14 Reply
  21. Anonymous wrote:

    love the outfit!

    Posted 10.30.14 Reply
  22. Shelby Dickinson wrote:

    The Frye Rory Scrunch Boot has a very similar look and an even smaller calf opening, and the leather is so soft. I ended up getting them in two colors because it was so hard to find something that was small enough at the top to work with tights.

    Posted 10.30.14 Reply
  23. une vie à vivre wrote:

    I love your outfit! But I prefer to return boots when they have that kind of gap… I also tend to look at boots that are high but not very high so the calf will fit at the right high (does it make sense)? Love also the great tips you gave all the time !

    Posted 10.30.14 Reply
  24. Anonymous wrote:

    Actually I got a really similar pair (in black) at Target over the summer, you should check there! It was also only about $30 with a 25% discount code for boots

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  25. Anonymous wrote:

    Sorry, *were not the Lylee booties

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  26. Anonymous wrote:

    Love this entire outfit, Jean! You posted some Sole Society booties in an Instagram photo (that we're the Lylee booties) Did you wind up keeping those?

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  27. Cynthia Nguyen wrote:

    This is such a nice look for autumn! I'm wondering would you do OTK boots look as well for us petite gals?

    Cynthia
    http://www.pinchofchic.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  28. Ailén Celada wrote:

    Love the photos!!

    Kisses,

    IT GIRL AILÉN

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  29. Suzie Q wrote:

    This is such a cute fall look! I love the final color of the TB bag that you decided on! Those boots look great on you! I actually like the current look of the boots with the wider calf 🙂

    Suzie Q
    http://www.StyleCueBySuzieQ.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  30. tellmeyblog.com wrote:

    You look very cute in this casual outfit, and great choice on the colour of the bag! 😉

    xx
    Yvonne
    http://tellmeyblog.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  31. Miriam Henderson wrote:

    I love this simple and elegant outfit. You look stunning.
    X
    Miri
    http://currentlywearing.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  32. Anonymous wrote:

    I love this outfit! Your blog posts have really been helpful for me as I really struggle fashion wise. Can you tell me what the shaft height is for these boots? I'm 5'0" but I have really short legs so I'm worried they would still be too high on me. Thank you!

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  33. Kim Uyen Dang wrote:

    Thanks for the recommendation! Glad they worked out for you but unfortunately, I'm going to have to return mine. They are too roomy in the ankle area, which wouldn't be too big a deal if the leather were stiffer. I'm so disappointed – they were so comfortable, especially the heel!

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  34. Mandy Huey wrote:

    Love, love, love this outfit! So cozy and perfect for fall. And I'm sooo in love with your bag <3 My sister has the same one in black and it's beautiful!

    Mandy
    http://www.mandydacandy.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  35. Candice wrote:

    Love your outfit, Jean!

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  36. lil desiqua wrote:

    Such a cute look! Thanks for recommending these boots, it's hard to find ones that don't take up my entire leg! Do you have any recommendations for ones that are slimmer in the calf?

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  37. Julie wrote:

    So you did buy that scarf! I was hoping you would so I could see it paired in other outfits. Too bad the image of it on the Loft website doesn't show up.

    I love this whole outfit–it's a great fall look!

    Style by Joules

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  38. Lynn wrote:

    My daughter is 5'1" and has calves about 13" around. These fit her like a dream over jeans. Go up half a size like everyone says if you want to fit socks.

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  39. Chrissy @ Pink Polish and Running Shoes wrote:

    Love those boots! It's so hard to find a tall pair that fit properly on petite women. That's my biggest struggle during the fall.

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  40. Rakela wrote:

    I really wanted to love these boots (own & love the booties) but couldn't justify the gap between the calves. I have very thin calves as well and they looked funny on me so I walked away…But your suggestions to the gap issue sounds totally doable and functional 🙂

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  41. Rick Robillard wrote:

    The boots are perfect for you!

    Red Reticule

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  42. Satu // XL Elämää wrote:

    Great look dear <3

    Satu
    http://xlelamaa.blogspot.fi/

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  43. itsjpei wrote:

    Ahh, such pleasing fall colors!

    http://itsjpei.wordpress.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  44. MochaGirl262 wrote:

    Perfect Fall outfit! Everything is so cute and the fleece is so affordable! Thank you 🙂 xo Kelly kellylovesmakeup.blogspot.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  45. wanderlistblog.com wrote:

    Love the boots and your layering in this post!

    xo Tam
    http://wanderlistblog.com/ | Put it on The List

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  46. Sasa Zoe wrote:

    So cute and chic! Love this outfit<3

    http://www.shallwesasa.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  47. prudence yeo wrote:

    Such a cute pair of boots! It makes the whole ensemble looks more fun and chic!

    Prudence
    http://www.prudencepetitestyle.wordpress.com

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  48. Emily wrote:

    Sometimes I find tall boots awkward on me because my legs are bow-legged. Your legs look fine but I thought you mentioned in earlier posts that you also suffer slight bow-leggedness – does it ever make it tricky for you to find the right boots?

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  49. Chantelle wrote:

    Totally adore this look. Thanks for showing us some boots for skinny legs!!! Appreciate it <3

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply
  50. Audrey Lin wrote:

    Loving everything about your outfit! I struggle with dressing in a way that makes me look shorter than I already look, so I usually refrain from wearing longer tops, such as the cardigan you're wearing, but you're really making it work! With tall boots nonetheless! I'm also really loving all the layers–that's what autumn is all about! 😛 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply

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