Black wing-tips - what can you wear it with?

[blackwar12]

Alright, so I think I have a strange attraction to the color brown/dark brown/walnut. I don't own anything black, and every single one of my shoes are in brown/walnut color. It seems this is partly because I just can't see myself ever wearing black shoes outside of extremely formal events (weddings, funerals, the sort...)

Do you guys wear black shoes, particularly wing-tips, with casual/business casual clothing? Black just seems a tad too formal for me, but then, again, I've never ever used a casual black shoe in my whole life. However I see in a bunch of comments/pictures on SF that people do wear black colored shoes of all kind. Looking to buy a black colored wing-tip but I don't know if it will look good with casual clothings that I intend to pair it with

Or maybe I'm just overthinking it, I don't know. I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments greatly.

 

[pebblegrain]

you can wear black shoes with any shade of gray suit or blue suit /thread

 

[deadly7]

Originally Posted by pebblegrain

you can wear black shoes with any shade of gray suit or blue suit /thread

Oh, dear....

 

[blackwar12]

Originally Posted by deadly7

Oh, dear....

It's not a good idea to wear black with a navy suit/jacket? Or

?

 

[hohneokc]

I wear black shoes with business casual. Most of my black shoes I wear with business casual are slip ons, but I have a couple of lace ups - one wingtip and one cap toe. I wear them with black and gray slacks. And I also have a pair of navy/black check pattern slacks I wear them with.

My only suggestion is pick black shoes with some perforation/medallion pattern, etc. A plain cap toe might be a tad to formal for business casual.

I don't know if I would do black shoes for casual, but I think you can do black shoes with business casual.

Chris

 

[deadly7]

nvm

 

[Archivist]

Originally Posted by deadly7

But it's seen as a great fashion faux pas to wear black shoes with a navy suit. If you only have a navy sport coat, depending on the color of the pants black shoes may be acceptable. The general rule of thumb for navy/blue is to wear brown shoes: some prefer light browns, some prefer more of a burgundy.

You are entirely incorrect.

 

[Manton]

It is not seen as a faux pas, major or minor, to wear black shoes with a navy suit.

 

[Archivist]

..

 

[deadly7]

Originally Posted by Manton

It is not seen as a faux pas, major or minor, to wear black shoes with a navy suit.

Really? I've always heard on here to steer clear of black shoes unless wearing a navy suit in a very formal situation. Maybe the faux pas of which I am thinking is a navy coat and black pants?

 

[Archivist]

..

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by deadly7

If you can only afford one pair of shoes, then get black--they'll serve you in formal and informal situations. But it's seen as a great fashion faux pas to wear black shoes with a navy suit. If you only have a navy sport coat, depending on the color of the pants black shoes may be acceptable. The general rule of thumb for navy/blue is to wear brown shoes: some prefer light browns, some prefer more of a burgundy.
This is why attempting to solicit certain advise from SF can be misleading.

 

[Ich_Dien]

There was a point, when only black would be worn in the city.

 

[Henry Boogers]

Originally Posted by deadly7

Really? I've always heard on here to steer clear of black shoes unless wearing a navy suit in a very formal situation. Maybe the faux pas of which I am thinking is a navy coat and black pants?
The risk in both Navy trousers (as opposed to a suit) and especially said pants worn with black shoes is that you may look like the local gestapo. The quality and texture of your pants and the quality and model of your shoes make this pitfall easily avoided. That said, I rarely ever wear black with navy simply because I enjoy more contrast.

 

[Simplicio]

It may be that black shoes with navy slacks/suit is not a faux pas, but it still might not be the best choice. I think a truly dark navy will usually look better with brown or burgundy shoes. But there are other color schemes where black shoes work better. In any case, I'm not sure that this was the original issue. Wasn't the question more about what you could do with a pair of black wing tips? I'd also be interested to hear what people think about this. I know that there is this idea that the broguing, medallions, etc. make a shoe less formal, but I'm still not sure how well wing tips work with business casual or casual. I've thought about getting a pair (black), but I don't see what to match them to.