Boots

How should sheepskin boots fit?

Snug when new, with your toes just short of the end and no slide at the heel. The lining packs down as you wear it, so a pair that feels roomy on day one feels loose within a month. Sizing down half a size is the usual answer, and most people wear them bare-legged, which is what the lining is there for.

The short shaft is the one that gets worn. It sits above the ankle, disappears under a wide-leg hem and stays out of the way. Taller shafts want a slimmer trouser or a bare leg, otherwise the fabric bunches at the calf. Lace-up pairs sit closer to workwear, carry a heavier sole and change the balance of a fit more than a low boot does.

Suede darkens where it gets wet, so a protector spray before the first wear is five minutes well spent.

The rest of women's footwear holds sneakers and slip-ons.