Ankle boots are by far the best place to begin building your boot collection.

They are the hardest-working boots in your wardrobe because they pair easily with jeans, pants, skirts, and dresses, making them one of the most versatile purchases you'll ever make.

And if you're starting with just one colour, make it a warm tan.

A warm tan boot naturally contrasts most colours worn on your bottom half and pairs effortlessly with colours and both light and dark.

It's also less likely to repeat colours already in your outfit, which helps the boot become its own stylish feature rather than blending into everything else.

One of my favourite Make It Look Easy formulas is to let your boots and handbag have their own moment.

So if you're wearing tan boots, try reaching for a handbag in a different colour rather than matching them together.

This allows each piece to stand confidently on its own and gives the outfit far more personality and interest.

Once you've decided to start with a warm tan boot, the next thing to consider is the shape of the bottoms you wear most often during winter.

Do you tend to wear fuller skirts, flowing dresses, looser-leg jeans, or wider-leg pants?

If so, a chunkier warm tan boot will fit perfectly with the extra volume in the lower half of your outfit.

On the other hand, if you live in skinny jeans, tapered pants, slim skirts, or more streamlined shapes, keep your boots slimmer and more refined.

Fuller bottoms enjoy a chunkier boot, and slimmer bottoms love a sleeker boot, but a more refined boot with a bit of a heel (either block or slim) can be worn with any bottoms you own, making this a great first choice.

Then, as your confidence grows and your budget allows, you can start branching out into lighter and darker boot colours to create even more outfit possibilities.

This is usually the stage where women stop playing it safe and start having a little more fun with their wardrobes.

A light boot will create a beautiful contrast against darker bottoms, while a dark boot will ground lighter outfits and add depth.

The beauty of starting with a warm tan boot is that it gives you a strong foundation.

Once you know what works, adding lighter and darker options (and maybe even a print) becomes much easier because you're building on a system rather than buying on impulse.

THE SIMPLE WARDROBE FORMULA

Start with warm tan ankle boots 

• You can create fabulous outfits in minutes and add impact by contrasting your last hem line. 

• It’s an easy way to add interest to your outfit, so you won’t get bored and end up buying more clothes when all you needed was more boot contrast.

• And best of all - it adds a touch of your very own personality in anything you wear - without the old matchy-matchy! (I’ll tell you more about #matchymatchynono later.)