Pop of Red

Sweater: LOFT | Denim: 7FAM (with DIY distressing) | Boots: Hunter 'Packable Tour' | Scarf: J.Crew Factory | Bag: Mansur Gavriel | Hat: Anthropologie | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Watch: Michael Kors

I've owned and loved my black Hunter 'Regent' rain boots for several years now, and recently I thought I'd expand my Hunter collection with a pair of the classic boots in a bright color. I tried on the original glossy style, but I found them to be very heavy on my feet, and they looked too wide in the calf area on me. After seeing them on Jean, I decided to see if the 'Tour' style was a better fit for me.

The 'Tour' is a lighter, slimmer rubber boot that's intended to be easily folded and packed for travel. I've traveled with my Regent boots without folding them in my suitcase (I stuff socks and rolled t-shirts in them to put the space to good use), but it's convenient to be able to make these more compact. Good rain boots are a must-bring for me on fall or spring trips where I'm planning to do a lot of sightseeing and there's a possibility of showers. Walking around beautiful places and sightseeing with cold, wet feet is no fun, and my trusty Hunters have saved the day on a number of wet, chilly vacation days.

The Tours are a good fit for me in the smaller of the sizes I usually take. I usually wear between a 5 and 5.5, with the occasional 6 if the shoes run small, but I've found I always take a 5 in Hunters. The toe area was roomy, and my arches felt decently supported in them. I tried them for a day of running errands in overcast, damp weather, and they were comfortable throughout the day albeit a little too warm in some stores. I've also worn these for trips up to the mountains this winter. They are great for keeping my feet dry while taking little Stanley out for a walk in the cold, wet snow, but staying outside much longer than a quick walk would probably require thicker, insulating socks. The Tours will be perfect for springtime, especially if this spring is anything like the rainy one we got last year.

Hope this mini-review was helpful to you. As always, please feel free to ask questions in the comments or via email by hitting "contact me" on the top right of my page.

Hope you're enjoying your week!

x, Tam

A Rainy Day in Boston + an Updated Hunter Boots Review

Jacket: Eddie Bauer (similar here) | Sweater: ASOS | Jeans: J Brand (the Mid-Rise Crop with its 27" inseam is perfect for no-alterations, ankle-length petite jeans) | Boots: Hunter (read my review here) | Socks: Nordstrom (I also like these and these) | Scarf: Gift (similar here) | Bag: Longchamp

I spent Columbus Day weekend in Boston, visiting with some family and friends and seeing my adorable goddaughter. My last visit with her was two years ago, so she has changed and grown a lot! We spent a rainy Saturday at a cute French bistro in Back Bay and taking a rainy walk through Boston Public Garden.

Fall in Colorado is gorgeous, but the foliage really can't hold a candle to New England's bright reds and oranges. The fall colors weren't in full swing in Boston yet, but there were enough red leaves around to delight this Denver girl.

Since I knew rain was in the forecast, I packed my trusty Hunter boots and stayed warm and dry in the wet weather. I wrote a review about these boots a couple years ago, and I love them just as much now as I did then. They have lasted me through hundreds of miles of walking through puddles and slush, and they've been consistently comfortable, even in chilly temperatures. I particularly like this Savoy style from Hunter because they are styled more like riding boots than traditional galoshes (I like the Sandhurst and Carlyle styles, too), and they have a light quilted lining inside that helps keep my feet from getting too hot or cold.

I'll leave you with a pic of the brightest, prettiest fall foliage in Boston Public Garden and my favorite little lady at brunch at Bistro du Midi.

P.S. Shopbop's Friends and Family Sale just started--25% off your order until Thursday!

Winter's Encore

Coat: J.Crew (similar here) | Sweater: Urban Outfitters (last seen here) | Pants: [Blank]NYC | Scarf: J.Crew (last seen here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Boots: Hunter (review here) | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim (read my review) (pre-order here)

Early spring was derailed a bit in Denver this weekend when we got nearly a foot of snow on Saturday! It seems like winter decided to make a final appearance--hopefully this current cold spell will be short-lived. Hope you are having a great Monday and that it's warmer wherever you might be!

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A Little Trend Salad

Sweater: J.Crew (similar here) | Tank: Urban Outfitters (last seen here) | Skirt: H&M | Leggings: F21 | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Belt: Vintage | Boots: Hunter (review here) | Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim | Necklace: JenniJewel | Bracelets: J.Crew, ALDO, Boutique

As I finished getting dressed for a casual Sunday working at home and running errands, I realized I had thrown a whole bunch of different trends into my outfit.

I started with the comfy leggings I was wearing around the house in the morning and this cozy pink sweater, but since leggings < pants, I thought I should add a little length. Out came this skirt, which I had bought with New Year's Eve in mind, forgetting that NYE in Denver is always freezing, and therefore, a teeny skirt wouldn't really cut it. When I grabbed the skirt from my drawer, I saw this neon yellow lace tank I hadn't worn since last summer and thought it'd be perfect under my cozy cardigan. Since it had snowed on Saturday, warmer temperatures Sunday meant wet, slushy streets, so my galoshes seemed like a practical choice. My new Pashli has been going everywhere with me since it arrived last week (review coming soon), so that was added to the mix. And then what outfit isn't complete without lots of bracelets and trendy sunglasses? On they went, too.

In the end, I had to smile in spite of myself as I ultimately decided to throw Coco Chanel's advice (take one thing off before you leave the house) to the wind and wear a little trend salad. (Because why be a fashion blogger if you can't do that on occasion?)

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Sunday Snapshots: Paris Edition

Jacket: Zara | Cardigan: Abercrombie | Shirt: Limited
Jeans: Current/Elliott (similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker
Scarf: Target | Boots: Hunter

L'Artisan Feminine Parfum Set (contains Mure et Musc, Nuit de
Tubereuse, and La Chasse aux Papillons) and L'Artisan Mon Numero 4.

Macarons from Laduree

Blazer: Zara | Top: Aeropostale | Jeans: Current/Elliott (similar here)
Shoes: ALDO | Bag: Longchamp | Necklace: Ann Taylor (similar here)

I.M. Pei's pyramid at the Louvre at night

Basilique du Sacre Coeur

Jacket: Zara | Tee: Nordstrom (similar here) | Jeans:
Current/Elliott (similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Boots: Hunter
Bag: Longchamp

Van Gogh's Starry Night at the Musee D'Orsay

A sparkling Eiffel Tower at night

I learned a couple things on my trip to Paris.

1. The people who said Paris in the springtime was generally chilly and rainy were absolutely right. I thought I was prepared to ward off the cool weather and some spring showers when I packed my umbrella and rain boots, but the chill was a little more biting than I had expected--fifty degrees in dry, sunny Denver is very different from fifty degrees, damp, and raining in Paris.

Enter this fabulous Zara leather jacket, which was both reasonably priced (even in euros) and the perfect fit. I'd been searching high and low for a petite-friendly leather motorcycle jacket in the U.S. that met these criteria to no avail, yet there it was right when I needed it. I was warm and cozy for the rest of the trip. (Although the black jacket I have appears to be out of stock online at the moment, you can still snag the cream one right now.)

2. Always bring your charger and a back-up battery for your fancy camera. I wish I had lots of gorgeous photos to share with you, but my DSLR camera ended up being an expensive and awkwardly-shaped paperweight after I forgot to pack these essentials. Live and learn! On the bright side, I am continually impressed with the quality of the photos one can take with the iPhone 4S.

Life lessons notwithstanding, it was truly a lovely trip. I adored the city, the food, the shopping, the history, the art, and the Parisians, and I can't wait to go again!

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Hunter Regent Savoy Rain Boot Review

Photos: Katie Derus | Shirts: Aeropostale | Pants: Wet Seal | Sunglasses: Chloe (similar here) | Boots Hunter | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Necklace: JenniJewel | Bracelets: F21, Saks, Common Era, Boutique | Rings: F21, Vintage | Earrings: Kendra Scott

For all of you who know me well, you know that mornings aren't great for me (okay, yes, that's been nominated the understatement of the year), especially when they are rainy or snowy mornings. Seriously, what could be better than staying in, all curled up under your blankets, when it's gray and dreary outside your window?

Despite the dreary and uninviting weather on the morning we were supposed to go out and take photos, I was still excited to get a few blog shots with my new Hunter rain boots on, and they were great in the snow. My photographer, Katie, had always been telling me how frozen her feet would get in her Hunter Boots, but when I read some of the reviews of the Regent Savoy style, it seemed like they had some extra lining that kept your feet a little warmer. Lo and behold, there is a thin quilted lining in these that has been keeping my feet pretty toasty in cold weather. While Uggs they are undoubtedly not, the Hunter Boots are great for the wet snow or chilly spring showers that are just around the corner.

While I had admired the colorful line of traditional rain boots that Hunter has had available for a while, they didn't seem to work well on my petite frame. Once I tried on the Hunter's Regent line with its much slimmer and sleeker sihouette, I knew I had found the perfect rain boot. It was a tough all trying to pick which of the gorgeous Regent styles I wanted--I tried on the St. James, the Carlyle, the plain Regents, and finally decided on the Savoy with its quilted pattern.

Tip: if you do plan to order these online as I did, I would consider going half a size to a size down. I normally wear a 5.5 to 6, but I definitely needed this boot in a 5. If you're planning to buy the thick Hunter Wellie Socks with your boots, you should probably go down only a half size so the socks fit well. (Note: the socks don't fit wonderfully on the Regent styles because of their riding boot-type cut.)