My indisicive nature and experience with fashion has taught me not to hate something on principle. (Although I do enjoy and regularly engage in unmerited hating) but when ankle boots first became about three years ago I thought: "No. Just no. Not ever." And now I own a pair -isn't life ironic? Now I know you're thinking, "but Rachel, if you didn't like them why did you buy them? There must be more to this story you're not revealing. What happened inbetween?" Well, I'll tell you!

Once I had time to get used to them, I decided they were okay for some people. And then I decided I would really fancy some, providing they were black suede with a cuffed portrait collar- elf shoes, basically. Sadly, these seem to exist only in my imagination, probably because most people wouldn't willing choose to dress themselves like elves. I have, however, found these which are pretty close and practically named after me- I think it's fate.

Anyhow, my quest for ankle boots began. So last week when I bough some badly needed sneakers at the Warehouse, I got these as part of a 2-for-1 deal. I still can't decide if they're ugly or not, but I think, just maybe, they're ugly-cool. Here are some pictures of me wearing them, as requested by Libbie, so you can "see what New Zealand men see." The first outfit I wore to class. I can't decide if the second outfit is too crazy. I wore it to the produce store and no one seemed upset but since I'm a pretty poor judge of social conventions, I thought I'd let you guys decide.

I'd like to take the opportunity in this caption to say the reason I'm making a hipster d-bag face in the second photo is because I did not expect it turn out. But it was the only one that wasn't blurry (irony!) so I kind of had to use it. Plus it's kind of funny.

Is my outfit sociall acceptable? You Decide!