By Angela Skane, St. Petersburg High

It has been eight lonely months since I have worn my long lost friends — my boots. Oh, how I missed them dearly. The crisp fall weather is settling into place and I couldn’t be more excited. I love shoes, any and all, but boots have always held a special place on my top shelf. We do live in Florida, so you might not be ready to retire your dresses, shorts or skirts yet. But here’s how you can bring out your dear boots without sacrificing the few weeks we have left of moderate temps.

A dress and knee-high boots

A fall-toned dress paired with a pair of slouchy light-colored boots helps you to hold on to summer while beginning to embrace fall. A navy dress with light brown boots or grey boots would be a great casual look for school. Make sure the dress has a small sleeve on it so you don’t look completely ridiculous.

Shorts and cowboy boots

If you are a country girl deep down, you know the perfect way to rock this. Shorts and your favorite pair of cowboy boots topped off with a flowy blouse will be great for a day out with friends. The way to make this work is the loose fitting top. If you do wear a tighter top, a loose baseball jacket or cardigan will help balance the outfit.

Shorts and combat boots

This season I feel like straying from last year’s popular “Peter Pan” boot. Combat boots are much more in this year, and they add spunk to any outfit. They are perfect for the girl who likes to dress a little bit edgier. But, these boots now come in many more girly styles. Patterned tights under a pair of shorts with an edgy shredded tee or shirt and blazer go perfectly with these boots. Yes, I like to match my outfits to my shoes, no shame. If you decide to skip the tights, grab a pair of contrasting colored socks to peek out of the top of the boot.

Skirts and wedge boots

If you are going to wear a skirt and boots, you should stick with a longer style skirt. If you wear too short of a skirt you could look …well not how you want. A longer flowing skirt and boots with a wedge heel are great for nights out. The wedged ankle boot adds a girly fall touch to your outfit. As always, if it is a bit cooler, pull out some of your tights and throw them on under your skirt!