PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.
Black and Brown
Got a question from a reader over the weekend.
I found your site from the mmsl article today. I’ve poked around a bit but didn’t see a post on a topic of interest to me and likely many of your readers: shoe color. I’ve seen men wear brown shoes with a navy suit and like the look but have never really felt comfortable doing it myself. I guess my question is does anything go with a navy suit or are there things to stay away from? A post with various pictures of good/bad combos would be great.
The short answer is yes – almost anything goes with a navy (or grey suit). The long answer is – it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.
There are some men like myself and the vast majority of Italians who are of the opinion that black should only be worn in the most formal of events like at a funeral or with a tux. For the most part this is personal preference, however it is based on a style truth:
The darker the color the more formal its appearance
For dress shoes, this means the spectrum will go like this:
Black is more formal than chocolate-brown which is more formal than a lighter brown.
As the color gets lighter it becomes increasingly more casual.
Black
Here’s a good example of a navy suit with black shoes. Even with the brighter colors in the shirt, tie, and pocket square, the black of the shoes anchors the navy of the suit and makes it appear darker. This gives a more serious appearance to his overall look (which is impressive given how loud and patterned his other articles are). If you do decide to go the route of black shoes, you don’t want black socks. The only time you will ever want black socks are with a black suit and only a man with a stark contrast should be wearing one of these before dark. Instead, you will want your socks to either match the color of your suit (navy with navy, grey with grey, etc.), work as a transition between your shoes and suit (charcoal socks with a grey suit), or work with something else you have on (red socks with a pocket square that has red piping).
Chocolate Brown
The chocolate shoes help lighten things up a bit but still keep this appropriate for more formal situations. This man would look great walking into a wedding or a boardroom. That being said, he could ditch the tie and be more comfortable in an airport lounge or club than he would be had he been wearing black shoes. Socks still follow the same guidelines as above but allow for more transitional colors too. He could opt for tan or cream socks to dress this down a bit more.
Walnut/Cognac
This is lighter configuration is going to make things appear more casual overall. A lighter shade of brown is going to be more youthful and a bit more fashion forward. It’s also the color that will grab the most attention. So if you’re a bit of a peacock, these are the shoes for you. Sock coloring works the same here as with the chocolate shoes.
The beauty of both navy and grey suits is their versatility. You can wear the same suit/shirt/tie combo with three different colors of shoes and have an entirely different look for all three. So follow the rule of darker being more formal and you’ll be able to get more use out of your greys and blues.
PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.
Dueling Pistols
These would make a great display.
Not sure if I like the heads but everything else looks awesome.
PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.
Casual Friday: Warm
Like:
- The coloring. There is such a thing as a warm blue and this sweater is proof. If you have a warm complexion, you can still wear blue and should look for it in shades similar to this.
- The shoes/socks. Great for fall because the socks are a heavy wool and the shoes are more substantial than summer slip-ons without being actual boots.
- The pants. Perfect autumn texture and color. The fit looks spot on too.
- The belt. Fall colors are more associated with the old tradition of country clothes. So, having a canvas belt in those same colors with club symbols on them is a subtle but direct nod to the sartorial history of this whole outfit.
- The plaid shirt. More warm colors for a warm complexion and provide a bit of pattern contrast instead of just texture.
Fence:
- The glasses. I like the shape but the frames need to be more substantial to be consistent with the country-vibe of the rest of his outfit.
- Random sword?
Don’t like:
- Nothing. This is one of the better casual ensembles I’ve seen.
PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.
High Maintenance: Shoes
Other than a suit, one of your biggest investments is going to be your shoes. While I like the idea of having a few casual shoes in rotation, I really believe you only need two or three pairs of dress shoes in your closet. In fact, having more than one pair is the first part of proper shoe maintenance.
Having a second pair allows you to rotate your shoes. Having them all day can be taxing on the leather. They’re wrapped around hot, sweaty feet all day and need some time off to recuperate from the heat and moisture. Having two pairs will allow you to rotate and give each pair a day off, thereby significantly lengthening the life of the shoe.
Shoe Horn
If you’re buying shoes in the proper size and width (yes shoes are also measured in width), they will be a bit tight to get on without some extra help.
A shoe horn will let you slide your feet into your shoes without breaking down the leather on the heel. It’s a simple purchase but one that goes a long way in helping maintain their quality.
Shoe Trees
The next step of properly caring for your dress shoes are shoe trees. Typically these are made of cedar or plastic and they are inserted into your shoes each night after you take them off. You want to do it right away as your shoes are still warm and the leather is more malleable.
Shoes trees will help the leather retain its shape and prevent any cracking.
Shoe Polish
The next step to taking care of leather is to shine it. Ideally you’d do this every week but once or twice a month is acceptable. Obviously in seasons with crazier weather you’ll want to shine more frequently . Shining your shoes doesn’t just make them look better, it conditions the leather and makes it last longer.
Shoe shining techniques are myriad and I won’t go into detail on them here. The basic rules are:
- Match the polish colors with the color of your leather.
- Remove the laces to keep them free from polish
- Apply polish all over the shoes in an even coat. Too little or too much will both have negative effects.
- Let the polish sit for a few minutes.
- Take your brush and apply quick, shallow strokes all along the body of the shoe until you get a good, even shine.
- Repeat until you get them to the shine how you’d like.
You can buy entire caddy kits at a department or shoe-specialty store, or you can pick up a cheap kiwi kit at the local drugstore or off of Amazon. Either one will do the job.
Suede Care
Whether it’s a pair of desert boots or the white bucks that have been on your feet all summer, suede requires some maintenance too. The first and most basic way to approach this is with a suede brush.
For the most part, these come in two different types: plastic and brass
. The brass is much more aggressive and I recommend you only use it when you’re trying to tackle serious stains. The plastic brush is typically enough on its own to keep your shoes clean. The ideal is to brush your shoes after every wear. However, you’re not going to do any serious damage if you do it once a week.
The next step up is a suede eraser. This gives a bit more friction and can help you fight the really serious stains. Most drug stores will sell a Kiwi pack that’s the plastic brush and eraser together.
If your suede gets real bad, you can use a sponge and shampoo to remove the stain. Just be careful as too strong a shampoo can also effect the overall quality of the suede.
Rain Control
The last tip I can give for basic shoe maintenance is how to care for them when your shoes get absolutely soaked. You can’t just let them sit out to air dry because it will ruin the shape of the leather. You also can’t do something more creative like use a hair dryer or throw them in the oven for a few minutes because it will dry out and crack the leather. The best way to take care of your soaked shoes is to fill them with newspaper. The consistency of the paper is ideal for absorbing all the moisture and doing it quickly so your shoes retain their shape. Shove in the newspaper and let it sit overnight. If they’re still a little damp in the morning, replace with fresh newspaper and give them a few more hours. You should be good to go after that.
It would be a waste and a shame to invest in a pair or two of well-made, goodyear-welted dress shoes only to have them ruined by improper maintenance. Expensive dress shoes are the kind of clothing item you only have to buy once and can wear for the rest of your life – provided you take care of them.
PS. Did you know I do private style consultations? I can help you dress better according to your budget and your needs.