This post is courtesy of our fashionable friends at CollegeFashion.net. Have you checked them out yet?

Hot last year and coming back for round two, over-the-knee boots are both hot for fall and tricky to wear. But if you know what you’re doing (and you will after you read this), they could be the best fall accessory you’ll ever own.

If you weren’t sure about these boots last year, now is the perfect time to try them out!

Tips and Tricks for Rocking Over-The-Knee Boots

Much like any other trend, consider proportions for the most flattering look. The perfect pair of boots should hit about an inch above your knees. For hip coverage, consider pairing them with a longer top or tunic.

Squeamish about showing too much thigh? This trend looks just as chic with jeans, jeggings, or leggings.

Want to rock this trend, but low on cash? Try wearing a pair of mid-calf or knee-high boots with a tall pair of socks underneath for a very “model off duty” look!

Short girls can rock this trend too. Pint-sized stars such as the Olsen twins, Hayden Panettiere, and Hillary Duff have all been spotted in over-the-knee boots. I’m only 5’2″ so I understand the hesitation. As long as the boot hits the right part of your thigh, it will look just fine! If you’re still nervous, pair your boots with a pair of leggings that match their color– your legs will look miles long!

Let the boots be the focus. As with all trends, a little goes a long way.

Ready to buy a pair? Look for styles that can be adjusted to last throughout the seasons. After we featured the Chinese Laundry Tripin Boots last season, I rushed out and bought myself a pair. These boots have no heel (perfect for day or night), can be scrunched down to make a shorter slouchy boot, or can be buttoned or unbuttoned for several different looks!

Hop on over to CollegeFashion.net for affordable picks and adorable outfit inspiration!

I hate to admit it but fall is almost here. Major tear.

But while I’m not excited for midterms, wool coats, shivering on my walk to class and being too cold to drink iced coffee, I am excited for boots (and really excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes). I know, its not easy to think about knee-high boots when you’ve got sweat building up in the crook of your arm (just me?), but right now- while you’re still in summer mode – is really the best time to stock up on boots for the season:

1) Because you can find good deals.
2) You can find whatever you want in your size.
3) You’re so sick of dirty flip flop feet, you just want something soft and buttery covering up those toes.

Those three reasons were good enough for me to go on an Internet shopping spree from my bed last night. And I found some major gems.

This season, embellished boots and more masculine lace-up boots are totally in my closet. Doesn’t seem like you? Wrong. You can wear these little guys with anything. Pair them with leggings and a long button down for the day, or pair with a flirty feminine look for a nice juxtaposition of girly and boyish.

Here are a bunch of boots that I’m loving right now. There are different heights (from over-the-knee to ankle booties), colors (grey, olive, and tan are nice alternatives if you already have black and brown but want something new) and styles. So go ahead, stock up! You’ll look bootiful (did I just say bootfiul? Ohhh no. That was so a joke my 7th grade geography teacher would have made…) and kick off the new semester in style.

Top Row (L to R): Lulus, $48; Gap, $79.50; Target, $39.99; Madden Girl, $69.95
Middle Row: Forever 21, $27.80;  Charlotte Russe, $40; Forever 21, $34.50; Madden Girl, $49.95
Bottom Row: Delia’s, $59.50;  Lulus, $49; Rocket Dog, $69.95

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.]

Ashley lives in the room next door to mine so I see her a lot. Yet somehow, every time I spot her in the hall (or lounging on her bed) she’s wearing something different that looks amazing on her. Ashley’s got serious style. She not only knows what looks good, but she knows how to put things together that other people wouldn’t think of. And it always works.

The thing I probably love most about her fashion sense is that she always looks unique. She takes trendy pieces and makes them all her own, something I think we all wish we knew how to do. Plus, she’s not afraid to mix colors, patterns or styles and she always makes it look so right. If you see her around campus and you’re a fashionista, take notice; you’ll probably get some awesome ideas for how to spice up your wardrobe.

Name: Ashley Gates
Year: Sophomore
Major: Journalism

1) Describe your personal style:
I would say I really enjoy mixing and matching. Things don’t have to match, they have to go. I’d call myself Urban boho chic.

2) You can’t leave your house without your…
Boots or a necklace.

3) What is your favorite store to shop at?
It changes frequently. Right now I’d say Arden B or H&M.

4) What/who is the biggest influence on your style?
Kim Kardashian or a toned down Rihanna.

5) What’s your favorite trend, past or present?
I love fringey boots from last year. Right now I love over-the-knee boots with studs.

On Ashley:
Jacket: Delia’s
Dress: Armani Exchange
Tights: Urban Outfitters
Boots: Zara
Necklace- Forever 21
Belt: Thrifted

Khloe Kardashian is notorious for being the loud, outspoken baby sister of the Kardashian kclan.  I guess you gotta have that personality when your one older sister just popped out a baby and the other is famous for a sex tape. But while her personality makes a bold statement, it’s her fashion choices that speak the loudest.

When it comes to their closets, all three Kardashiennes lean toward what’s trendy, expensive and high fashion. But Khloe has adopted a chic, edgy and perfectly personal spin on style sets her apart from the rest of the family and, I can’t deny it, makes me drool a little. She has mastered the art of taking something basic to a whole new level. Girlfriend can take a boring black tee and make it fabulous.

Khloe also knows exactly how to dress for her body, which might be the sexiest thing of all. Although she towers over her two older sisters, she isn’t afraid to accentuate her 5’10’’ frame with heels or her favorite over-the-knee high-heeled boots.  And she doesn’t mind, because she knows she looks good.

She is often seen lookin’ fly in her go-to outfit of a black shirt paired with skinny jeans.  A bold statement piece of jewelry and black nail polish are always a must, and both have really become her signature accessories. Well, those and her new man, Lamar.

Now, I can’t nab you an Odom to call your own, I can get you Khloe’s chic look on a much friendlier “I don’t have a reality show” budget.

Product Info- Blazer- Forever 21, $29.80; Black scoop neck tee- Forever 21, $10.50; Layered chain necklace- Express, $59.50; Skinny jeans- Asos, $50.99; Over-the-knee suede boots-Alloy, $36.90; Black nail polish- OPI $7.50, Zoya $6, Chanel $30

If you want to make this outfit your own, go for a brighter polish, or layer on a bunch of your favorite necklaces instead of forking over the cash for a new one. The basic idea behind Khloe’s style – slim fitting clothes that flatter your frame and make a statement – will remain intact, leaving you looking casual-chic and fashion-forward.

The Golden Globes are coming, which means the hottest of the hottest will be strutting their bad selves down the Red Carpet to talk to Ryan Seacrest and look damn fine doin’ it. And I’ll be sitting there, laptop in hand, taking notes – the kind I should be taking in class – on what everyone is wearing.

Honestly, award show red carpets are my heaven. I tune in just to see what everyone’s wearing, then tune out before the actual award show even starts. I just get so inspired by what I see on my favorite celebs and can’t wait to get a little bit of that beauty for myself. Before I know it, I’m sitting in my salon as my hair stylist is cutting me a fresh set of bangs.

And then reality sets in and I realize that red carpet styles rarely survive in real life settings. Yep, there is a reason a red carpet is not rolled out for me on my way to my Communication Studies class.

Bangs:

Red Carpet: They are cute, chic, and, like a magical power, turn every celebrity into an edgy and sassy beauty queen. Sure, the last time I had bangs was in my 3rd grade school picture (when my mom splurged to get me the laser background!), but they’re back and fabulous, so how can I resist?

Real Life: OK, bangs look great for a few hours on a red carpet, but not so much after a shower or a date with the treadmill. You have pretty much 3 minutes post-shower to get those little guys in place before you’ve got yourself a one-way-ticket to Wavy Town. And forget about rockin’ the fringe at the club.  A little perspiration and – boom – you look like that weird kid who never showered that sat in the back of your classroom sniffing White-out in high school. Soon you’re scouring the aisles at Target for cute clips and headbands to get those things out of your face.

Rompers

Red Carpet: They look so sporty and stylish on those young celebs with their perfect legs and sky-high heels.  And they are so versatile! The young and fabulous work them on the red carpet, the beach, and grocery shopping.  There’s nothing I like more than mixing it up.

Real Life: Have you ever tried wearing a romper to the bathroom? It’s like a bad party you didn’t want to be invited to. Do you mean I really have to take next to the entire outfit off to take a leak? And it’s not much better in the outside world, either. A one-piece shorts ensemble is not cute when your thighs rub together and start pushing those puppies up to your happy place. No thank you.

Strapless

Red Carpet: The strapless gown is a Hollywood classic. Celebs look elegant, sexy and chic walking the carpet in a sweetheart neckline, which also happens to be the perfect canvass for that blinging diamond jewelry.

Real Life: Yeah, everyone looks stunning in strapless…. but its hard to feel that way when you spend half your night tugging at the top to avoid a serious wardrobe malfunction. Then you pull it too high so you yank at the bottom. Then it starts to fall and you grab at the top. Then the bottom. Then the top. Then you start feeling the pinch of that awful strapless bra you’ve got on underneath. It’s not pretty. At all.

Super High Heels

Red Carpet: The red carpet dresses may be gorge, but it’s the shoes that always make the outfit. The taller the better when it comes to the carpet; there is just something so much more fabulous about a woman in a tall pair of heels. I drool over the red bottoms, how long and lean they make everyone’s legs look, the embellishments on the front…. Sigh. I could just do a little dance.

Real Life: But don’t try doing the little dance while actually wearing them. These things are lethal for walking purposes, and your feet haven’t hurt this bad since the day your mom strapped them in a pair of jelly shoes that were far too tight. Seriously, I bet those Hollywood A-Listers kick those $1000 bastards off their feet as soon as they hit their seats…then subconsciously pray they don’t win so they don’t have to put them back on.

Thigh High Boots

Red Carpet: Who doesn’t love how hot Kim Kardashian looks in a pair of over-the-knee boots? She’s like a sexy, real life Cat Woman. Meow.

Real Life: Obviously, Cat Woman didn’t need to worry about pairing those hot leather boots with jeans. Us real ladies can barely shove our jeans into those things without getting all bunchy and gross,  and if you finally succeed, they are always a slouchy disappointment.

Everyone wants a little Hollywood glamor in their own lives, but maybe it’s time we all take what we see on the red carpet with a grain of salt. Or find ourselves a way to afford a team of stylists to keep everything in place and designer goods made just for our bodies.

Get your Jonas on now, peeps, cuz it’s gonna end soon.

New Year’s Eve makeup ideas!

Make some resolutions….in bed.

Everyone wants Kate Winslet’s bod.

Crave: platform boots. Drool.

Is Rihanna headed for a meltdown?

Hard to believe that in only 2 days we’ll be ringing in the new year and it’ll have been a decade since all that Y2K mumbo jumbo.

I know; that whole “only 2 days” thing freaked me out, too. Not because I’m not ready for 2010, but because I’m not ready for NYE. I’ve been so busy unwrapping presents and relaxing in front of the TV that I have yet to secure a NYE-worthy ensemble for the big countdown.

But it’s OK. As usual, Forever 21 has come to the rescue with some pretty fantabulous frocks and smocks for under $20. So grab that wad of Christmas cash (don’t worry, you won’t need much of it here!), and head over to the mall. Here are some of the goodies our BFFs at F-21 have to offer for the big, bold and boozy night.

Bandage dresses are sexy, sassy and give your curves some major va va voom. This one comes in 3 different colors and, holler, it’s only $13.50. That means that even with all that holiday spending, you can look hot to trot on NYE…and have some extra cash leftover for that bottle of bubbly.  Pair it with some hot heels and sparkly jewelry and you’ll be set.

Looking for a little more sparkle?  This tube dress is sexified with some glam rocker thrown in.  You can doll it up with some stilettos or really rock it out with some knee high boots or booties.

And if that’s not enough bling and shimmer for this one special night, Forever’s got plenty more where that came from. On any other night a sequins dress or mini might be too much for you, but on New Year’s Eve there’s nothing wrong with shining like the Times Square ball. (And if you’re only spending $20 on a dress, who cares if you only wear it once??)

If sequins aren’t your thang, leather is perfect for you. What better way to scream sexpot than with a “leather” mini? It’s totally hot on its own (well, with a top, of course), or you can have tons o’ fun giving yourself a rock star alter-ego; heavy jewelry, over-the-knee boots or booties can make this look hot, hot, hot.

Too cold for minis or dresses?  Rock out a sequined, studded or jeweled top with a pair of skinny pants/jeans and a pair of sky high heels. You can’t go wrong with this tried and true look…

Now all you gotta do is do some sexy hair and make-up and get ready to break all your new year’s resolutions…

Style can be really stressful, especially for someone that is so obsessed with fashion that I can’t walk a street without being drawn in by some supernatural force to pretty much every store I see. No matter how full my closet is, there is always a new trend coming out that makes it feel incomplete (and keeps my wish list a mile long).

So anything that takes a little stress out of fashion, I’m all about it.

Which is why I am in love with the new Frannie boot by Michael Kors.

Why, you ask?

Well it’s leather, it’s chic, it has an adorable fold over top. And, oh yeah, did I mention it’s four trends in one?

That’s right. This boot has three zippers, which allow you to instantly transform your boot from above the knee, to below-the-knee, to mid-calf, to ankle booties. Tell me that’s not the most genius thing you’ve heard in a while.

I can wear them as-is over skinny jeans, fold down the cuff for a more conservative right-below-the-knee look, zip off the top layer for a mid-caf boot that will fit nicely under a boot cut pant (because how annoying is it to have that bulkiness that makes it look like you have gigantour calves?), and then zip off the top two layers for a trendy ankle bootie that looks adorable with a mini dress and opaque tights.

It’s so perfect it makes my head hurt!

These boots are the answer to my fashion stress. Owning these means an end to my drooling/crying when I pass a shoe store with a window display full of ankle boots and I’m stuck wearing my knee-highs. I can simply zip off the top and instantly be on trend once again!

Too bad genius comes with a very steep price tag. As in, a month’s rent. Here’s hoping Target or my pal Steve Madden will get on board and bring me a little Michael Kors knock-off that is both fashion and wallet friendly.

We all have that friend who can wear the same dress over and over and over again, but each time it somehow looks new. Or different. Or cooler. “I wish I could do that,” you think as you stare at your dress and think that by wearing different shoes you will somehow achieve a whole new look.

FAIL FAIL FAIL, my friends.

Fact is, in order to make a dress look new and different you must change all components surrounding it. If you wore tights and heels last time, wear leggings and flats this time around. If you rocked red lipstick before, do a smokey eye and a muted lip. Add accessories, switch out the belt that came with it for a new chunky detailed belt, throw on a blazer…

Think about that piece in your wardrobe like your favorite fro yo place with an add-your-own-toppings bar: Oreo makes everything better the options are endless!

I know it can be a bit overwhelming (lord knows you can’t pile everything on top of a cotton tee like I pile on every. single. topping at Yogurtland), so let me help. As an example I took one simple gray conservative-ish looking dress and broke it down into 3 totally different, totally awesome Budget Stylista ensembles.

Look #1: Rocker Chic
Throw some lace, patterned or colored tights into the mix with a leather jacket. Add some rocker chain earrings and a pair of sky high platform pumps and this dress just laughed in the face of Hilary Clinton’s conservative pantsuits.

Dress: American Apparel
Lace tights: Apostrophe by Sears
Black leather jacket: Urban Outfitters
Black heels: Forever 21
Chain Earrings: Stella & Dot

Look #2: Casual With a Twist
Take that gray dress and work it for daytime with a pair of leggings and some adorable flat booties. Add a little touch of sparkle with a fun headband and make it more Fall-appropriate with a cozy scarf. If you wanna add more layers, slip on a long cardigan and you’ll be comfy and put-together.

American Apparel Dress
Black leggings: Forever 21
Headband: Forever 21
Flat booties: Yup, you guessed it, Forever 21
Scarf: Urban Outfitters

Look #3: Day or Night Glam
I love the option of this over the knee boot because you can rock it high or fold it down! Hide the tie that comes with the dress under this sequined belt (or put the belt on over the sweater in place of the cardigan tie), throw on black opaque tights and the beret and you are good to go! You can wear this for day (especially those days when your hair is dirty but you don’t want anyone to know) or trade the cardigan for a vodka soda and hit the town at night.

American Apparel Dress
Detailed Belt: Urban Outfitters
Chunky Cardigan: Old Navy
Black Tights: Hue (the best tights in the business, fo sho)
Over the Knee Boot: Forever 21 (these bad boys are a steal compared to the hundreds you’d pay elsewhere!)
Black beret/beanie: Forever 21

There are many styles of boots in fashion this season, from shooties (shoe booties) all the way on up to the hottest style of ’09, the over-the-knee boot. It’s super sexy and a great way to add some va-va-va voom to your basic jeans and t-shirt combo. Yes, without looking trashy.

Boots aren’t cheap, but they’re a versatile addition to any college girl’s wardrobe. The perfect riding boot can be worn with jeans tucked in, or even with leggings or a dress – meaning they can dress up or dress down any outfit.

Boots are so popular right now that even the ugly Sorels of our childhood days are getting in on the action.  These super-functional boots have gotten a makeover so they will not only keep your feet dry in snowbanks, but they’ll look pretty damn adorable in the process.

You want to be warm, dry and totally hot? It’s time to get thee some boots. Tall, short, ankle or knee-high – there is literally something for everyone. Here are a few to drool over inspire you.