I don’t know what it is about Autumn that gives me a sense of starting over. Perhaps it’s the leaves falling on the ground, the smell of football in the air or the cooler, brisk mornings that come with the season.

When I was a child my favorite part of going back to school was getting a new school wardrobe and choosing the perfect outfit for the first day of class. So, in the spirit of Fall Fashion, here are my top must-haves that won’t leave your pocketbook empty.

1. Plaid:

Brianna Plaid Shirt from Delia’s, $39.40

Carlos by Carlos Santanna Roulette Heel, $89.99

2. Zippers:

Zip Front Dress from Alloy, $44.90

3. Florals:

Sangria Floral Print Dress from Overstock.com, $49.99

BCBGirls Sesta Flat, $79.99

4. Tweed:

Merona Tweed Skirt from Target, $14.99

Baby Phat Cynthia Heel, $69.99

I was inspired by The Shoe Girl’s adorable ankle boots in a recent post – something about cutouts on an ankle bootie, like peep toes, are just plain sexy! Maybe it’s the combination of “covered” (the foot) and “uncovered” (the peep toe), or the fact that they tend to have really high heels, or just the inherent sexiness of a cutout in general, but there’s just something about them! My fall closet definitely won’t be complete without a pair of peep-toe ankle boots.

Our ankle boot collection at Heels.com is chock full of peep toes and other cut-outs. Here are a few of my favorites:

Camp Heel by Cindy Says. I love this color. I really do. And these ankle boots have all sorts of other wonderful things going on, like the slouchy leather ankle wrap, the cone heel, and the understated but sexy peep-toe.

Thief Bootie by Fergie. These booties are a perfect example of Fergie’s strappy, stylish line. From the zipper back to the platform sole to the sexy cutouts, these would be perfect for a night out on the town!

BCBGirls – Wartol Boot in Acorn. I love these! They combine that cowboy-boot feel that is all the rage this fall with a sexy peep-toe, and the end result is very attractive. Love the two-toned color scheme too!

Just browsing through some celebrity blogs, I noticed Dakota Fanning looking gorgeous and making a somewhat unusual shoe choice on the red carpet for the premier of the movie Push. She looks so grown up and it’s a bit stunning to see her wearing heels!

After I got over my shock, I realized that she is wearing a BCBGirls shoe – one that we have here at Heels in a couple other colors – however, to my surprise, I have been so far unable to locate the color she is wearing online. We have the amaretto/gold variation of the BCBGirls Exus heel here:

I’m not really sure how I feel about this shoe – I definitely like it better in the color combo we have rather than the black/pewter Dakota is wearing.

I also don’t like the shoe at all with what she is wearing – it would have been so easy to throw on something, anything, better! Where are her strappy Jimmy Choos?! Or she could have gone with a route myself and Ruthie Davis would like to see more often – bold shoes to go along with pretty dresses – not just another pair of boring, strappy metallic sandals.

What do you think of Dakota’s shoes?

UPDATE 2/3:

Clearly, Dakota loves these shoes much more than I do – she’s spotted again wearing the same shoes, different outfit, to the Late Show with David Letterman last night.

BCBGirls Slim Sandal, $112.99, heels.com

Linda and I love this sandal for spring and summer. It is a perfect color to go with everything, it has a t-strap so it will hold your foot in (making it easier to walk), umm – look at that sky-high heel!, and it has that fantastic decorated platform that adds just the right amount of the elusive “special” factor we are always looking for in the sea of “regular” shoes.

Everyone around the office knows I’m so in love with my new BCBGirls Petler boots in black - I wear them almost everyday!!

We have also really been loving the Shoe Girl’s new feature where she shows what shoes she wears everyday with what outfit – very interesting! So we thought we will start doing something similar here!

As usual, I’m wearing my Petler boots… they are so great because they go with pretty much everything, keep my tootsies warm and dry, and are super comfortable with their small wedge! They also remind me a lot of a certain Loeffler Randall boot that I had been lusting over for a long while…

Dress – Forever21, no longer available, belt – Forever21, leggings – AA, boots – BCBGirls Petler

Well, maybe for a little while ;)

We have been totally swamped in shoes… in the past month I think we have uploaded over 200 new shoes with about 30 or so more coming soon!

We’ve also been working on some new and VERY exciting projects involving opening our boutique and adding some video to heels.com.

I just wanted to take today to say sorry for being gone for so long – it’s tough to keep up with blogging when there are soo many new shoes to gaze upon and write about ;)

I’d like to highlight some of my favorite styles we have received in the past month – please keep in mind we have a ton of other shoes that suit everyone’s tastes, these were just the ones that really popped out at me – and if I had an unlimited budget I would own them all!!:

Boots:

Guess Teddie Boot – Dark Brown: I love this boot because it’s sleek and has some traction which is great when the streets get a bit slippery!

Max Studio Zemo Boot – Black: I absolutely adore this lady-like boot. From the concealed platform to the stem-skinny heel to the leather covered elasticized calf – this boot is a perfect example of understated glamor.

Chinese Laundry Turbo Boot – Brown: This inexpensive boot has a much more luxurious feel than the actual price (a great value!) and it can be worn over the knee for a trendy look ala Gossip Girl or it can be cuffed. Either way it’s a fantastic wardrobe addition – you can never go wrong with a sleek flat boot.

BCBGirls Petler Boot – Amber: Speaking of sleek flat boots, this one is definitely another winner. While the price point is a little higher, I still think this boot is a fantastic buy. The leather is really high quality and the fit is great. A beautiful boot that would be perfect with skinny jeans.

Luichiny Claire Boot – Black: While I’m not the biggest fan of ankle boots (I know, I know, they’re sooo in – but I think they are hard to pull off unless your legs are miles long and very slim), I will make an exception for these perfect ankle boots. With that great bow, shape, and price – how can you say no?

Pumps:

Naughty Monkey Square Biz Pump – Grey: I LOVE the look of this pump with some black opaque tights. They have very great details, a great shape, and with this price point you can’t go wrong!

BCBGirls Bobby Heel – Gold: I love the look of this shoe – and the height! Wow, its really comfortable for such a high heel – and something about the double platform makes it seem a lot less chunky than it actually is. It’s a great shade of nude/gold that definitely adds to the elongating effect. One caveat though, if you don’t have a tan (which a lot of us don’t now) it may make your skin look paler than it is.

Guess Borda Maryjane – Black: Initially I thought the platform on this pump was a bit too much, but when I saw all the pictures of Gala Darling wearing them, I sort of fell in love. I’m always a sucker for maryjanes because they make sure your foot stays securely in the shoe, without cutting you off at the ankle too much.

Max Studio Tulli Maryjane – Brown: I love this maryjane too! So ladylike and sweet but with a fantastic elasticized strap with ruched detailing – love!

Save for warmer weather:

(Or pair with some tights!)

Charles by Charles David Minis Heel – Navy: It’s no secret around here that I am enamored with navy. I wear something navy everyday it seems – and when I find such a lovely navy shoe… well, lets just say that this one might come home with me!

Chinese Laundry Bossanova Heel – Coffee: I think this is a really great spring/summer shoe that would look fantastic with a little shift dress and a trench. Plus, how fun is that name? Bossanova!

Chinese Laundry Scarlett Flat – Mustard: I know some of you are not too into the fringe trend, but I think this sandal is a really great way to get into it! It comes in 3 great colors, the price is great, and the shoe is very flattering to the foot. We previewed it earlier! Either add a fun pop of color with mustard or turquoise, or subtly add the trend with a toast colored sandal. Oh, and don’t forget the glimmer of gold at the heel which really adds a luxe look.

One that’s not uploaded yet but we all cannot get enough of:

BCBGirls Leda Boot – Brown: We LOVE this boot. It’s very high quality and has a great look. In fact, I think we may all get a pair! What’s not to love?

So that’s the run-down of my favorite shoes from the past month when we’ve been crazy!

It seems that everywhere you look this fall shoes have gotten tougher and more hardcore. We are seeing a lot more straps, cutouts, and hardware enhancing the style of shoes. We’ve been seeing lots of zippers, studs, and modified shoe shapes too.

Who What Wear chronicled this trend about a week ago – saying “Go Buy Now – Fetish Footwear!”

We have seen a lot of shoes like this come in recently – and while some styles are a bit too out there for my tastes – I think a couple straps here and some studs there make a great addition. Some of our favorite dominatrix shoes here at heels.com are below:

LAMB Nayuta Heel – Lots of zippers keep this gladiator fresh. Also, I love the shape of the heel – just a little bit different than usual…

Marciano Tana Heel – I absolutely love this shoe on the foot. It has that great peep-toe thats ever present this season with a really great zipper and jewel like zipper pull details. It’s also this fall’s fav color…

LAMB Finsbury Pump – We got this in last week, not up on the site yet – but very soon! We love how this pump is sort of conservative with great on trend details – perfect even for more conservative offices.

BCBGirls Fiona Heel – This is a great little bootie/pump that is exactly on with the fetish trend. Unfortunately this one is super popular and basically sold out – only size 6.5 left! – but look for details like this, and the attention grabbing heel is also great because it really brings out the sexiness.