Are oxfords only for suits?

[jrd617]

The only two oxfords in my collection are black and brown captoes. I only wear them suits.

However, I notice that some here wear oxfords with odd trousers. Was wondering what the forum's opinion on the matter is.

 

[Macallan]

I wear oxfords with smart odd-jackets and trousers - some of my oxfords are not black (i.e. midnight blue, old rose, chameleon)

 

[GBR]

Can be worn with a sports coat but perhaps too formal in the twenty first century.

 

[Longmorn]

I wear oxfords with smart odd-jackets and trousers...

+1

I even wear some (brown or burgundy) models with dark jeans on weekends.

 

[Chuckie Egg]

I like wearing non-black oxfords with jeans or chinos

 

[JubeiSpiegel]

I see where your earlier comment to me tied in to this thread.

I would say that I have little need to be so conservative, and wear suits rarely. On that note, maybe that is why I have yet to pick up the stable dark brown/black oxford captoe.

I have mostly boots, derbies, and monks, but I would not be afraid to wear an oxford of more casual color/details with odd trousers and jacket.

 

[RogerP]

Almost exclusively with suits, absolutely never with jeans.

 

[archibaldleach]

The most formal oxfords such as stitch cap and punch caps I only wear with suits. Once brogues get involved, I don't care as much.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]



The most formal oxfords such as stitch cap and punch caps I only wear with suits. Once brogues get involved, I don't care as much.

This is my rule as well. I would add that I never wear black shoes of any kind with odd jackets.

 

[jaywhyy]

I occasionally wear more clunky (i.e. Allen Edmonds) and casual (i.e. wingtip, lighter colors) oxfords with heavily tapered chinos or jeans. I am 21, though, so I get a bit more freedom with what I wear. Black straight tips I'd only wear with a dark suit. Couldn't pull off wearing something like C&J or G&G with jeans either without looking eurotrashy.

 

[JayJay]

I wear oxfords with suits only. I have bluchers for everything else.

 

[JLibourel]

More casual oxfords like saddle oxfords or spectators I will wear with garments other than a suit. My more dressy oxfords, e.g., A-E PA or Byron (same as Fifth Ave. on a different last), I reserve exclusively for wear with a suit.

I have never been able to savvy the rationale for the supposed rule that black shoes are to be reserved for suits exclusively. I first discovered it in Manton's book, have not heard much about it otherwise, but just saw it re-iterated above.

 

[Gauss17]

Strictly speaking, oxfords go with suits or dressier attire...but realistically speaking, no one outside this board really cares. Non-black oxfords such as the AE strand look really nice with dark denim and an OCBD.

 

[Mattia]

As others here have pointed out, a brogued oxford, like a blue/navy or brown wingtip, would be fine with odd trousers or well cut, darkly colored jeans. A black whole it could possibly pass, too. Balmoral captoes would be too formal IMO for anything but a suit.

 

[koolhistorian]

Oxfords with suits is a very anglo-saxon UCBD principle - in continental europe the divide is more black/other colors. My personal approach is the following - very business suits - i.e. worsteds, plain or stripes with "dress" oxfords or derbies (captoe black oxfords or derbies, brown oxfords, captoe or whole cut), less city suits - i.e. flannels, visible PoW, etc. - black or brown shoes with brogueing, tweeds, onfly brown derbies or very heavy brogues. Of course this is a very simplistic approach, different situations can call for special solutions - travel, etc. Btw, other posters are right, nobody out of the board will notice!