Special to Stylelist by MEGHAN CLEARY

Winter Boots You Can Actually Wear in the Snow

Winter boot shopping can be tricky. While you want to look cute, mincing around town on stilettos navigating piles of dirty snow and perilous 'black' ice isn't exactly the move. And let's not even talk about trying to fit soccer-playing calves past some of the season's skinny knee-high silhouettes. That's why we've put together a list of season-friendly styles that are not only gorgeous, but practical.

1. Franco Sarto "Edizione" Stretch Riding Boot

Franco Sarto comes to the rescue for the most common boot conundrum -- the uncompromising calf -- solving this problem with the one size fits all Nappa stretch leather. Pair this classic with some cable-knit tights and a denim mini, or try a longer skirt for a more classic look.

2. Jeffrey Campbell Ankle Boots

Bypass the calf issue altogether with a cute pair of ankle boots. These anklets work well with a suit or jeans, and the bow at the back makes it a great choice for a simple holiday outfit. They're also small enough to throw in your bag if you want to protect these leather kickers from snow-melting salt.

3. Adidas Snow Chic Hi Boots

Sneaker-soled snow boots are perfect for trudging through piles of powder because you're less apt to slip on icy patches. Rock these with body-skimming jeans and a puffy parka to complete the snow-bunny look.

4. Kate Spade tan faux fur 'Alaska' Boot

Access your inner 'Abominable Snow Woman' with these delicious boots. The rubber sole makes maneuvering across town comfortable and quick while the fluffy faux fur adds fun kick to any casual outfit.

5. BCBGirls Labany boot

The sturdy heel on these shearling boots make it a great choice for daily winter wear. The braided accents and button detail add a touch of luxe to tucked in skinny jeans and a little Wuthering Heights-esque romance when paired with a long skirt.

8. Christian Dior Cognac Distressed Leather Boot

Thigh-high boots aren't only for the long-legged among us. You can actually create the slimming illusion of length when you wear with a tucked-in pair of tight jeans or a winter mini.

9. BCBG Max Azria 'Ilke' Over-the-Knee Boots

The long legs of these tall boots give your legs another barrier against the brrr. Fold over the cuff to adjust the length and add a little metallic flash to your outfit.

10. Ugg Patchwork Classic Tall

Say what you want about Uggs, but these shearling lined boots can't be beat on those cold as ice, 10" and above snow days. Pair these with your favorite pair of jeans and that impenetrable winter coat.

Looking for a new winter coat? Check out our list of coats for every cold-weather occasion.

No matter how cranky their lack of sleep made some Fashion Week attendees, Tuesday afternoon snapped everyone back into a good mood. Betsey Johnson's bouncy prom influenced show was a pink party of poufy crinolines straight out of a yearbook from the 1950's. The show was admittedly a bit hokey, but it was too fun to get nitpicky about. Around the corner in its New York flagship, alice+olivia showed its trademark cool girl clothes in an inviting and whimsical presentation including cupcakes and giant cookies ala an "Alice in Wonderland" tea party. The wear-them-in-real-life dresses were terrific, but a high point of the collection was its shoes, which are the first installation of designer Stacey Bendet's collaboration with Payless. There were lots of patent pairs and wedge bottoms (from black near-flats which would be great for work to Kelly green high wedges for a night of clubbing) and even some adorably kids' designs which would make any young girl the coolest kid in the playground.

A couple hours later Heatherette showed its red, white, and blue collection at nearby Gotham Hall. Their show always feels more like a fabulous party than a poker-faced runway collection, and this year was no exception: everyone seemed to have a blast, from the audience (including editors, drag queens, and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs), the models, rapper Lil Mama (who opened the show with an energized performance), and particularly the five children who modeled Heatherette's new kidswear near the end of the show. It's worth mentioning that in the midst of the fun, there were actually a few looks which edged towards commerciality (in a good way), like a lightweight red coat and a simple pair of mens' swim trunks with a print of picnic table ants which seemed straight out of a vintage Moschino collection.

The show began with a series of white pieces and then showcased more brightly colored pieces. To balance out the clothes, MAC makeup artist Kabuki created two different looks for the models. "For the first, it's very clean black and white eyes, with a thick white eyeliner with black on the lid to get a beautiful leaf shape," he explained. "You get a really elongated eye. I keep thinking of tuxedos while I'm doing it-it has a classic feel about it with the black and white. We're just doing matte lips and making it all about the eye."

"For the second, it's just a full lash on the top and the bottom," he continued. "It's the glamour of the 'Valley of the Dolls' eye. It's just about full lashes in a wide-eyed, sunburst effect."

Afterwards, justsweet's show a few hours later in Chelsea was admittedly a bit of a downer. Although it was great people watching (with cast members from 'The Fashionista Diaries' along with a brief end of show appearance from Jennifer Lopez, who is the force behind the line), the collection was filled with type of girly minidresses we've all been living in this summer...while every other designer showed a different and newer silhouette on the runway. With the show starting at around 10 pm, Lopez' wave at its conclusion to the pit of photographers shooting the show was most people's cue that it was time for bed.


Come back tomorrow for coverage of Tommy Hilfiger, Anne Klein, and an overview of the week as a whole!

Earlier in day, BCBG showed a just plain lovely collection of pretty dresses and silk organza pieces which would be the perfect to throw on after work to head out to a cocktail party or fancy dinner. Like the Kate Nash music which was the show's soundtrack, the looks were confident, modern, and spunky with a capital F. Just as feminine was Abaete's collection of dresses and beautifully crafted swimsuits, but its feel was straight out of a classic movie from the 1940's or 50's. Abaete designer Laura Poretsky is really hitting her stride...and, luckily for the budget-conscious amongst us, that applies to her line of shoes for Payless as well, which are unquestionably a bargain!

Alexandre Herchovitch, who's known for his uber-theatrical runway extravaganzas, also showed yesterday. His pieces were surprisingly wearable and often quite beautiful: They were unique takes on tuxedos and tuxedo dresses which would stand out (in a good, not outrageous, way) at any black tie function....

Rachel Ray also showed her collection yesterday, choosing to present the pieces at her showroom near the Bryant Park tents instead of mounting a full-fledged runway show. It was an ideal way to showcase her delicately crafted dresses and separates for ladylike ladies who lunch: metallic touches and painterly color details elevated the pieces to make them special instead of plain. The hair at the show, which was done by Frederic Fekkai Soho's Fabrice Gili, echoed the clothes. We've put in hair extensions," Gili said. "It has a lot of length and almost an Amazon look to it. We're going for a really clean look on the top with a lot of length and volume in the back. When we looked at all the clothes-the prints and the textures-we thought it would be nice to have a lot of length following the shape of the clothes. We didn't want a lot of volume on top, but the contrast follows the clothing's shape."

He said working with Roy is a pleasure. "She's lovely and has a lot of talent," he raves. "The clothes are very wearable and modern. There's no pretension-it's very real. I love the fabrics she used. And the prints are amazing!"

Come back tomorrow for coverage of shows by Miss Sixty, Badgley Mischka, and much more!

For true fashion addicts, it's hard not to get excited about the array of designers showing over the next several days. Established names like Carolina Herrera, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Diane von Furstenberg are always worth checking out. Newer names to have on your radar this season include Preen (a highly-touted design duo from England), Steinunn (a talented Icelandic knitwear designer who worked at Gucci and Calvin Klein before launching her own line), and Josh Goot (an Australian who is showing in New York for the third time and has built steady momentum for his crisp, wearable pieces.) At the Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion show this week, insiders are already touting Madison Harding (footwear designers) and Yarborough (who crafts chunky jewelry from bright colored yarn) as the event's standouts.

Another highly anticipated show is Chaiken, which has a new design team in place this season following the departure of creative director Jeff Mahshie. The company's founder and namesake, Julie Chaiken, says the collection she's showing on Friday will appeal to the confident, savvy women who have always been fans. "The women who gravitate towards the collection know who they are," she says. "It's about wearing what's right for them. It's self-expression rather than this whole world of people wearing something just because it's right for this season."

Nonetheless, her color palette does sounds very spring and summery. "The whole color story is Mediterranean," she explains. "When you think of the Mediterranean, you think of that gorgeous blue water. We're using that color with sand and white, and we're also doing a coral color and a yellow. You're going to see a lot more color and more prints." (Come back on Saturday for a review of the show, which is taking place on Friday.)

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Just when you think every reality TV star is just out for his 15 minutes of fame, you run into a story like Blake Mycoskie's. Capitalizing on his access to the press, the Season 2 'Amazing Race' contestant has founded a charity shoe line he has started distributing to children in developing nations. The charity runs on a "Buy One, Give One" policy. For every $38 shoe customers buy, a child gets a pair of the slip-on footwear inspired by traditional Argentinean alpargatas. Find out what inspired him to go from reality TV star to shoe maker.

How did you go from 'Amazing Race' to making TOMS shoes?

When I finished 'Amazing Race', coming four minutes away from the $1,000,000 Grand Prize, I promised myself that I would go back and visit all of the countries I passed through... I spent two incredible weeks learning to sail in Brazil before heading off to Argentina to learn to play polo. Like so many things in my life, TOMS kind of just fell into my lap. I remember watching the sunset after a really hard day of polo, when the one-for-one concept first entered my consciousness. The next day I was up and running... traveling from town-to-town buying excess rolls of canvas.

Tim's t-shirt comes from designer Jeff McElroy
at DeadbeatDesign.

Josh is keeping it pretty casual...

... and cool at the same time with a pair of Sambas.

This is a classic suit from White House | Black Market.

One of the hottest trends in L.A. this summer is the souped up sneaker. Ranging from limited edition punk rock Chucks, Vans by Marc Jacobs and neon Nike's, there's a sneaker out there for everyone!

I get a lot of press releases in my in box every day boasting every outlandish claim you can think of, from miracle wrinkle-erasing cream to butt-lifting, tummy-tightening pants that will suddenly pack your dating schedule. But when I got a press release about Fit Flops, I knew it sounded too good to be true. So I had to test them out for myself.

This is a classic Brooklyn look.

Cool Ben Sherman shoes.

Jordan and Mike are California "beach-y keen" in summer casuals and Crocs!

That's right, Crocs! Most people know them as the love it or hate it ubiquitous rubber clog. There are many other incarnations, such as this super-comfy flip flop style. In bright, punchy colors, they make a bold summer statement.

Bring your sweet tooth and stylist's eye to Minnie Wilde's scrumptious summer sale on Saturday, July 21st, from 11am-7pm. You'll find select summer wares by the local label, including bonafide samples up to 40 percent off. Plus local fave Pink Spike tees will be served up, with prices starting at just $10. Grab a Popsicle as you shop the feminine-meets-funky figure-flattering flowy dresses, vintage-y tops, precious print skirts, edgy shorts and hip jackets. Yum!

Minnie Wilde is located at 3266 21st Street @ Valencia; 415-642-WILD.