'I feel more confident, my legs look longer, and they elevate everything I wear them with' – Zara Tindall's go-to boots are my new wardrobe hero

Multi award-winning brand Fairfax and Favor is one whose knee high boots I instantly recognise. Even without seeing the famous tassels and elegant shield logo, I can spot the distinct shoe style a mile off.

And I'm not the only one who recognises the quality. A firm favourite among the royal family, Zara Tindall is regularly spotted wearing the brand's signature Regina boots, as is her mother Princess Anne. Earlier this year Zara became a brand ambassador, and with Royal Ascot just days away, I wouldn't be surprised to see her wearing Fairfax & Favor during the five-day racing event.

Royal approved and the craftsmanship of its products clear, it's not hard to see how Fairfax & Favor has cemented itself as one of the best British clothing brands. But it hasn't always been that way. The company came from very humble beginnings, but finally got its big break with Regina – the boots the brand refers to as its 'lucky charm'.

I have long admired both Fairfax & Favor and Zara's style, and so when I got the chance to try the Regina boots, I was very happy to oblige. And while I had high hopes for how they would look, they also delivered in ways I hadn't expected - specifically how they make me feel while wearing them.

Which is why I'm recommending them at a time you might think a little strange. Summer is hardly knee high boot weather, I know. But these shoes are surprisingly more versatile than I thought - I have yet to stop wearing mine, particularly in the cooler evenings and love how they look with a dress and shorts.

However, Regina boots don't come cheap and have some trade-offs – here are my honest thoughts if you're considering investing.

Fairfax & Favor Regina review: Unboxing

If you do decide to buy Fairfax & Favor boots, you won't have to wait long. I was surprised - and very happy - to receive mine the day after ordering. And it was a rare delivery that made me feel really excited (a world away from Evri lobbing a parcel in my front garden hedge).

The packaging is much like the product itself - it exudes luxury and class, with thick cardboard covered in the brand's signature blue and gold colourings. It feels fit for royalty, and it really gave me a sense of anticipation to see the boots inside. Which stole the show.

Wrapped individually in ultra soft cloth bags with a drawstring top - the packaging is so befitting of the product inside. And I really appreciate having the box and bags to store the boots and keep them in as pristine condition as possible when not in use.

Fairfax & Favor Regina review: Price

There are now many different styles of Regina boot, which covers everything from the heel height, material and calf fit. Depending on which style you go for, prices start at £395 and max out at £465 per pair.

They are an investment piece, but the quality and craftsmanship of these shoes means if you take care of them, they'll last years.

Fairfax & Favor Regina boots review: Size & Fit

The Regina boot comes in either regular, sporting or narrow - which relates primarily to the fit around your calf. And this is where choosing the right size can get a bit tricky, as both the boot height and calf width increases with foot size.

The Fairfax & Favor website states both the heeled and high heeled Regina boots I tested come with ‘an additional 4cm worth of stretch - split across 5 elastic panels to help fit a range of calf sizes’. It also states both boots fit true to size.

I have quite wide feet, so I ordered a size 6 in the regular fit burgundy high heeled Regina and a size 6 in the sporting fit black suede heeled Regina boots to compare the fit.

The regular fit burgundy high heels were up first – I could barely get them on bare-legged. As I pulled the zip up I could feel my skin pinching uncomfortably all the way to the top. Once done up it was very difficult to move without any discomfort - there was no chance of getting even the thinnest kind of clothing underneath these.

I was quite shocked by this, the fit being true to size and having an extra 4cm to play with I thought would allow more than enough room for even jeans to go underneath. Alas, this was not the case.

I sized up to a 7 to see if that would help, which it did - the bigger size was much easier to get on. However, the bigger foot size meant the boot height was taller and it now sat directly in the crease of my knee, making it impossible to bend my leg (and therefore walk or sit down).

At this point I tried the heeled suede Regina knee high boots in a size 6, with the sporting calf fit, and it was perfect. The sporting fit can stretch an extra 6cm, and it seemed this was what my calves needed in order to easily be done up both with and without clothing on underneath.

It's worth mentioning I didn't find these boots the easiest to get on and off, and I don't have any mobility issues. The zips are on the outside of your leg (so show off the beautiful tassle), and so moving them up and down requires some positions I think anyone with mobility issues particularly might find tricky. Holding the tassle made this a little easier, however I was very conscious to not do this too much for fear of it damaging either the tassle or zip in the process.

Before buying I would highly recommend looking at the size guide on the Fairfax & Favor product pages to determine which boots will be right for you. Not just from a foot size point-of-view, but with calf width and leg height taken into account too. All three of these sizes combined have to align in order to make these boots fit comfortably, and it might take a bit of back-and-forth to get that right if you don't really pay attention to measurements first.

Fairfax & Favor Regina boots review: Comfort & Support

While finding the right size and fit might take a bit of consideration, and getting them on isn't the easiest thing to do, all of this was quickly forgotten when I was wearing them.

Knee high boots aren't exactly renowned for their comfort, but Fairfax & Favor have redefined what it is to wear these shoes – they are so comfortable. Which is not something I thought I would ever say, especially being someone who rarely wears knee high boots and usually avoids heels at all costs.

The fully leather lined interior and memory foam insoles are so soft against my skin when wearing them without anything underneath, and I didn't experience any rubbing or blisters anywhere.

The craftsmanship of these boots is really clear when wearing them, not just from an aesthetic point of view but a comfort one too. I have worn the smaller heeled version many times for the whole day without issue, and even the high heeled boots are much more comfortable for longer wear than I was expecting.

Fairfax & Favor Regina boots review: Style

The reason anyone buys these, right, because they are beautiful. Truly, just pulling them out of their individual bags before you put them on, there's still a moment I take every time I wear them where I just soak in how they feel and the intricate detail and care of how they have been put together.

But trust me when I say this pales in comparison to how I feel when I actually put them on. I stand taller, I feel more confident, my legs look longer, they elevate everything I pair them with - there is genuinely nothing not to like about not only how these boots look, but the pure sense of joy and confidence-boost they give me on every single wear. If I want to mean business, these come first, and the rest of the outfit follows.

Fairfax & Favor Regina boots review: Cleaning

Having tried both the leather and suede versions of Regina I can very confidently say if you are going to wear these boots a lot, the leather version is your best bet for longevity. Like any product made out of these two materials, the leather version is so much easier to clean - and keep clean - than its suede counterpart. But that's just the natural of the material, rather than anything to do with the design.

I personally favour the suede version over the leather ones, so I wear them more and have to clean them after every wear. They show marks really easily but a soft suede brush is often enough to buff them out. But it does limit where I wear them, to a degree. I have covered mine in suede protector, but would still never wear them out in the rain for fear of them being ruined. If you want to be able to wear Regina's whatever the weather, leather is definitely the way to go.

Fairfax & Favor Regina boots review: Verdict

Fairfax & Favor's Regina boots are an investment piece, but when it comes to comfortable, stylish knee high boots, they are hard to beat. For this price you really need to make sure you look after them, but if you do they'll last for years to come. And, honestly, the sense of confidence and joy I get when wearing them is enough to justify the price tag.

There are a few considerations, other than price, you need to think about, the size and fit particularly - to part with the money you need to make sure the fit is perfect. But the good news is my experience of the support team was it is just as important to them that you find your perfect fit, and I exchanged twice with no issues at all.

There's not many things in my wardrobe that invoke the sense of excitement and pride I get from these boots. Pieces like this, which give you an instant sense of confidence that you'll never tire of and offer timeless style are rare to find, and so well worth the investment.