Zara Tindall often favours athletic styles over glamorous ones as a talented equestrian, but the royal is partial to more outwardly fashionable outfits.
On a recent public outing at Cheltenham Racecourse, the mother-of-three donned the best of her spring wardrobe, wearing a suede khaki trench coat (£625 Fairfax & Favour), black trousers and black ankle boots and a Carvela tassel bag to match (£109).
There’s no denying that the 42-year-old looked fabulous in her casual but cool outerwear, but she did break one unspoken style rule – wearing ankle boots with straight-leg trousers.
While it’s not considered a fashion ‘sin’ as such, there are other, better ways Zara could have styled her staple LK Bennett Sierra Platform Ankle Boots in Black Suede (£429), which are currently on sale for almost half the price at just £214.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Susie Nelson, fashion expert and founder of Modes & More Vintage, weighed in on the royal’s look.
Susie said: “I don’t think ankle boots are an out-of-date footwear option. They tend to make an outfit look younger, e.g. pairing an ankle boot with a floral dress looks more youthful than the same dress with a court shoe.
“But as Zara was wearing quite narrow trousers, she could have paired them with boots with a less chunky heel or a sock bootie.”
This is a notion many other fashion experts agree with, including Instagram and YouTube sensation Lydia Tomlinson. In a video posted on her YouTube channel, she explained how to style heeled ankle boots with different kinds of bottoms.
Lydia said that a “slouchier trouser” is best for a “modern feel”, and often recommends pointed boots under wide-leg trousers, or slightly cropped hemlines with a bit of movement in to flatter the figure.
When it comes to the space between trouser hems and the top of ankle boots, some fashion-focused bloggers claim that the ideal spacing is no more than 6cm to avoid the outfit looking too separated.
But Susie suggested that it depends on the elements of the look. She explained: “In fashion today, I don’t think there are any rules regarding skin exposure between the hem and top of the boot.
“If there is a gap and you don’t want to show undressed flesh, you could wear an interesting sock or tights, fishnets or something the same colour/tone as the boot and so elongate the leg.”
Despite many celebrities opting for such a style, Susie suggested that “stuffing or tucking the hem into the top of the boot isn’t a good look”.