Head to Head: Rag & Bone's Newbury & Harrow Booties

After lemming the Rag & Bone Newbury and Harrow Booties for what felt like an eternity, this season, I caved on...both. First came the Newbury in burgundy suede, while I picked up the Harrow in classic black leather just a week or two ago at Barney's. And after wearing the Harrow more in the past two weeks than I've worn the Newbury in the past two months, I've been forced to concede to a favorite, and it's clearly the Harrow.

Given the similarities between the styles (they share the same toe shape and seaming, as well as the same comfortably high stacked heel), my preference comes down to two design details - first, the shaft (that's the height of the boot) on the Harrow is an inch shorter than the shaft on the Newbury, which makes the bootie easier to wear with skirts and dresses, particularly for those of us with shorter legs (I'm 5'2" for reference). Second, as opposed to the clean finish of the Newbury, the Harrow has a notched v that sits at the front of the leg, which is not only flattering, but also makes it easier to tuck in a skinny jean (there's more room to play with at the top of the boot, though the Newbury works perfectly with skinnies, as well). That said, if I had picked up the Newbury in a more obvious color, I might have found it more versatile? You can't win 'em all, I suppose. If you're in the market:

Shop Rag & Bone:
Harrow in leather, $495 or suede, $346.50
Newbury in leather, $495 or suede, $346.50