Reuters Says - No Brown Shoes !?

Christofuh · Jan 25, 2007

Ah, nothing shall surpass the joy of wearing black shoes

Maharlika · Jan 25, 2007

Article is preposterous. Besides, who wants to look like a banker??!!

Sator · Jan 25, 2007

I think in England you will find that the rule applies to just about anyone except farmers and those poor chaps forced to wear "business casual".

Windsurf · Jan 25, 2007

When it comes to finances I want the fellow who can safely make my investments grow. I don't care if he is wearing a suit or a dress or a potato sack.

xarope · Jan 25, 2007

Surely that's why people hunt for the elusive sweet spot between the mass produced and the complete luxury item? e.g. the hunt for a 80-90% good enough shirt at $200 versus a piece of doggy doo at $100, and sheer indulgence at $1000+.

Cantabrigian · Jan 25, 2007

Originally Posted by Windsurf

When it comes to finances I want the fellow who can savely make my investments grow. I don't care if he is wearing a suit or a dress or a potato sack.
Yea but keep in mind that the bankers the article is about aren't interested in your brokerage account or making you money.

It's about a very specific group of people who, at the more senior levels, work mainly with CFOs, company treasurers, etc. In that realm, I can see something of a old money (i.e. successful but established) look being an advantage.

dkzzzz · Jan 25, 2007

This article completely omits one very important requirement for achieving my banker-is-from-old-money-or-bankrupt-royalty look.
Bamboo umbrella should be lodged fully up your anus at all times. That is how one achieves famous annoyed-superiority look.

grimslade · Jan 25, 2007

Chris, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but these shoes don't match.

Originally Posted by Christofuh

Ah, nothing shall surpass the joy of wearing black shoes

Jovan · Jan 25, 2007

There is absolutely nothing wrong with white shirts and brown shoes.

King Francis · Jan 25, 2007

Originally Posted by Jovan

There is absolutely nothing wrong with white shirts and brown shoes.

Normally I would agree with you, but there is something wrong with them if you work in an environment in which they send the wrong message to the people you need to work with or compete against.

Obviously, clothes signify things about their wearer. A hoodie at a funeral and brown shoes in the upper echelons of London banking apparently both send inappropriate messages. Of course, no one is forced to work in an environment whose dress codes don't suit their sartorial fancy; but if one chooses to, one has to deal with the consequences.

A brown shoe in and of itself is neither proper nor improper. But in addition to being practical footwear it is a symbol whose signification can change depending on the human environment in which it is placed.

SimonC · Jan 25, 2007

I'll be something of a dissenting voice here - I really like the style they attribute to the 'rainmaker' - working in the City I occasionally see people like this, and if you know what you're looking at, it really stands out. Rather like a flawless D colour diamond in a plain platinum mount. Dark grey or blue bespoke suit, bespoke overcoat (often / usually with a velvet collar), top-quality calfskin shoes, MTM shirt and a muted tie. All with just that patina of use that signifies they've been worn before, but not overused.

It stands out in its own way, but then so would brown shoes, or split-toes, or button-down collars, or breast pockets on shirts, or.....

Jovan · Jan 25, 2007

Originally Posted by King Francis

Normally I would agree with you, but there is something wrong with them if you work in an environment in which they send the wrong message to the people you need to work with or compete against. Obviously, clothes signify things about their wearer. A hoodie at a funeral and brown shoes in the upper echelons of London banking apparently both send inappropriate messages. Of course, no one is forced to work in an environment whose dress codes don't suit their sartorial fancy; but if one chooses to, one has to deal with the consequences. A brown shoe in and of itself is neither proper nor improper. But in addition to being practical footwear it is a symbol whose signification can change depending on the human environment in which it is placed.
Fortunately I don't have to worry about such a thing. I say wear what works on you. People today are far too snobbish when it comes to workplace clothing. "OMG BROWN SHOES. HE IS DIFFERENT!!! HE MUST BE NOT A HARD WORKER!"

martan · Jan 26, 2007

The irony here is that the so-called important financiers feel bound to follow these arcane rules. If they were really as powerful or prominent as they think, rigid adherence to such tenets would be nonsensical. It is just further proof that we are all insecure, no matter how much we would like to think otherwise.

Needless to say, I like brown shoes...a lot.

Ren Fisk · Jan 26, 2007

While I think the story is accurate, I think the style trend is a load of crap.

If you're wearing a gray, blue or black suit - THEN you wear black shoes. If you wear Earth Tones like I do (Shades of Brown, Green or 'Autumn' colors) then you wear BROWN shoes.

You wear only white shoes if you're pulled into a time-vortex and find yourself in the 1970's.

Windsurf · Jan 26, 2007

I think the brown shoe issue is a symbol of most of the English style and attitude. As I believe I read in Flusser, the English dress to send the message that I am like you. We are from similar backgrounds and have similar goals. While the Italian look is more flamboyant and individualistic it isn't about the group but about the person.

Wearing brown shoes in those English circles sends the message you aren't part of their group/class/background and you don't want to conform to the team ideals. I'm not making a judgement whether it is good or bad just trying to describe what it stands for.

Reuters Says - No Brown Shoes !?

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