Black Derby Advice

[Tommym3]

So I bought these black derbies on sale a while back from To Boot, and I find I’m not wearing them very much. Any advice on best things to pair with them? Certainly I can wear them with my gray suits or gray dress pants, but I always prefer dark brown over black. Also, black is formal color and derby is a less formal shoe, so perhaps I just made a mistake buying this shoe in this color; ie, they probably won’t look good with casual pants or jeans.

 

[Duke Santos]

It would look fine with any tailored grey or blue trousers, suit or separates.

 

[BlueSteel]

So I bought these black derbies on sale a while back from To Boot, and I find I’m not wearing them very much. Any advice on best things to pair with them? Certainly I can wear them with my gray suits or gray dress pants, but I always prefer dark brown over black. Also, black is formal color and derby is a less formal shoe, so perhaps I just made a mistake buying this shoe in this color; ie, they probably won’t look good with casual pants or jeans.

For me, the key to making these shoes work in an outfit is to wear something smart or semi-smart in the color black on top...like a black knit polo, or a black turtleneck sweater. Then no matter what pants you are wearing it makes sense to go with a black belt - and these shoes suddenly seem like a great option.

Couple of examples found on websites that might provide some ideas:

 

[Thin White Duke]

People need to get over this hand wringing over “derbies aren’t as formal as oxfords” business. Ninety nine percent of the public will neither know nor care about this arcane ‘rule’.

I don’t own a single pair of oxfords and probably never will due to having high insteps. I don’t feel any less formal wearing derbies when I’m suited up, it’s not like you’re wearing chuck taylors with a suit.

I have one pair of black captoe derbies which don’t get worn much but they’re my most formal shoe aside from what I wear with tixedos. Weddings, funerals, job interviews etc they go with grey and navy suits. The more casual pics posted above look decent too. Yours might not get much wear but they are a necessary part of a well dressed man’s wardrobe. Through the ages James Bond has almost always worn black derbies when suited up in the films.

 

[Tommym3]

For me, the key to making these shoes work in an outfit is to wear something smart or semi-smart in the color black on top...like a black knit polo, or a black turtleneck sweater. Then no matter what pants you are wearing it makes sense to go with a black belt - and these shoes suddenly seem like a great option.

Couple of examples found on websites that might provide some ideas:

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Now this is useful. Thank you!

 

[Tommym3]

People need to get over this hand wringing over “derbies aren’t as formal as oxfords” business. Ninety nine percent of the public will neither know nor care about this arcane ‘rule’.

I don’t own a single pair of oxfords and probably never will due to having high insteps. I don’t feel any less formal wearing derbies when I’m suited up, it’s not like you’re wearing chuck taylors with a suit.

I have one pair of black captoe derbies which don’t get worn much but they’re my most formal shoe aside from what I wear with tixedos. Weddings, funerals, job interviews etc they go with grey and navy suits. The more casual pics posted above look decent too. Yours might not get much wear but they are a necessary part of a well dressed man’s wardrobe. Through the ages James Bond has almost always worn black derbies when suited up in the films.

Well, I wasn’t really “hand wringing“ over it, just finding that these shoes aren’t as versatile and not getting much use.

 

[Thin White Duke]

Well, I wasn’t really “hand wringing“ over it, just finding that these shoes aren’t as versatile and not getting much use.

OK not so much you but that theme keeps popping up on here where derbies are considered soooooo much less formal than oxfords which is largely bollocks IMO!

 

[Tommym3]

OK not so much you but that theme keeps popping up on here where derbies are considered soooooo much less formal than oxfords which is largely bollocks IMO!

I agree with your premise- the particular derbies can work anywhere a pair of oxfords will work. I was just having a hard time getting good use out of them and wondered if I had made a mistake. Every time I start to put them in (blue or charcoal suit or dress pants) I end up wearing the dark browns instead. There is something about the black that looks boring/office clerk.
EDIT and thank you very much for your suggestions!

 

[Duke Santos]

People need to get over this hand wringing over “derbies aren’t as formal as oxfords” business. Ninety nine percent of the public will neither know nor care about this arcane ‘rule’.

I don’t own a single pair of oxfords and probably never will due to having high insteps. I don’t feel any less formal wearing derbies when I’m suited up, it’s not like you’re wearing chuck taylors with a suit.

I have one pair of black captoe derbies which don’t get worn much but they’re my most formal shoe aside from what I wear with tixedos. Weddings, funerals, job interviews etc they go with grey and navy suits. The more casual pics posted above look decent too. Yours might not get much wear but they are a necessary part of a well dressed man’s wardrobe. Through the ages James Bond has almost always worn black derbies when suited up in the films.

I think the last matters just as much as the lacing system. An elegant last like the C&J Highbury or AE Delray will be just fine with a suit, amd as you mentioned 99% of people will not consider you a peasant for not wearing oxfords.