In high school, I remember envying this girl because she had her knee-high boots custom-made to fit her tiny legs. My boots were always too big, and that annoying space between my leg and the leather made them look bulky no matter how many pairs of long socks I put on. But now, hope as arrived for skinny-legged females everywhere in the return of the bootie, winter’s sexiest shoe.

Ankle boots have definitely made a comeback and you can find them on the pages of various fashion magazines this winter. But these are not your mother’s old booties in plain leather with a square toe. The newest generation of the sassy footwear ranges from animal prints to suede and from black to pink. While the square-toes haven’t been completely ditched, they have been updated by new jewel details and creative twists in design. Booties are also a fav of Kate Moss and hot-ticket items at designer houses like BeBe and Balenciaga. But how can you make these sexy boots work for you and make your legs look fabulous while walking on campus?

The absolute best way to wear booties is with leggings or opaque tights because they will give the eye a vertical picture, making your legs look even longer than they are. It also helps if the color of your boots and the leggings or tights are the same color. If you are tall and worried about your height drawing too much attention, you can still wear booties with leggings.

For ladies who are gifted with height, just make sure your leggings do not go all the way down to the top of the boot. That few inches of exposed skin will break up the vertical line and make you look shorter if you feel uncomfortable with your height. For chicsters who hate the look of leggings and tights, you can wear jeans or a great-fitting pair of pants.

But, one word of caution in wearing booties: try to avoid going barelegged if you’re wearing a skirt and booties together. Mischa Barton has been known to wear her booties barelegged, and it makes her appear much shorter than she really is. Unless the outfit is to-die-for and you’re positive it’s a cute match, use caution when pairing the shoes with a skirt or dress.

Because booties come in all budgets, you can find them everywhere from shops located right outside of your campus to major shoe designers. You may even be able to find a few pairs during after-Christmas sales. Enjoy your bootie shopping!

(Photo: Green Boot — Swear)