Pairing oxford shoes with chinos

[JFWR]

Not meaning to come at you personally here, so please don't take it as such.

But I think this thread is illustrative of some of the points being made here.

JFWR is in the chinos w/ oxfords camp, and thinks that oxfords w/ jeans (in some situations) can work. Yet doesn't wear jeans.

Similarly, other vociferous posters on the thread who support oxfords w/ chinos, or jeans, have expressed generalizations that they prefer suits or don't wear denim.

I feel like the people who are generally against the look of chinos/denim w/ an oxford have much more exposure to denim/SWD in general.

I, for example, do operations for a private label denim company (I know, Chihuahua will be upset I'm neither a famous dead painter nor a wedding planner). We ship tens of thousands of jeans and chinos in 100's of sku's every week. I walk into our showrooms both in LA and NY and see what our designers are pairing with chinos and denim. Oxfords are just, not in the wheelhouse. Not even stylistically adjacent.

I also wear denim, mostly Japanese selvedge with a higher rise and thicker hand feel. I have left the Diesel abominations behind in my 20's (though I liked them quite a bit back then - live and learn).

That's an interesting point. That's a really interesting point, in fact.

Yeah, I am not really into the whole SW world. That isn't my life. Especially as I associate that look with sneakers, and I just really, really, really hate sneakers.

But to be clear: I also said -sometimes-. I could imagine a pretty casual oxford, like a suede brogue, which could work with jeans of the right cut and colour. I am sure there are people who could make that look work.

As for chinos, I do wear chinos (as evidenced in this thread). I wear them quite frequently, in fact, and I just don't see the stylistic problem. I look at a man wearing oxfords in chinos and go "that seems fine to me". I also tend to wear trousers and a sport coat rather than a suit, though I do like wearing suits.

 

[Sir Jack II]

I don't get it. People have been wearing it selvedge denim with turn-ups/rolls for decades.

This wouldn’t be the first time I’m wrong.

I think decades ago this look said, Rough around the edges, working-class vibe. Now, at least to me, it says something more like, I spent more on my jeans than you did on your entire outfit.

 

[JFWR]

No socks with black cap toe oxfords is pretty silly. No socks with black cap toe oxfords and denim is ridiculous, imo. This would have been much better with some loafers.

It would have been better with pretty much anything other than black cap toed oxfords and no socks.

 

[smittycl]

It would have been better with pretty much anything other than black cap toed oxfords and no socks.

Goofy soles on those Viberg oxfords as well.

 

[JFWR]

Goofy soles on those Viberg oxfords as well.

View attachment 1672166

Those kind of soles remind me of very low-tier shoes, like contemporary J&M and Florsheim, or Cole Haan and Rockport.

If it ain't leather or dainite-esque on an oxford, I ain't buying it.

 

[ValidusLA]

As for chinos, I do wear chinos (as evidenced in this thread). I wear them quite frequently, in fact, and I just don't see the stylistic problem. I look at a man wearing oxfords in chinos and go "that seems fine to me". I also tend to wear trousers and a sport coat rather than a suit, though I do like wearing suits.

I also generally wear trousers and a sport coat, and love wearing suits. I got to go to a black tie wedding two weeks ago and have another formal (though not BT) wedding this Saturday.

Working at a denim company, I can do sport coat + trousers w/o being out of place. I wear a suit occasionally, but never when I meet w/ our buyers because that would be way too far for them. They work for big corporations, but are well into the casualized world.

If I go to a club or lunch with our lawyers or real estate team or something I might put on a suit, but still prefer sport coat.

I almost always wear a derby. Occasionally something else. Not oxfords. I used to, but now I find it stylistically jarring. In the same way that when I was in my twenties I used to own AE chili double monks. We all make mistakes, but admitting them is important. (Honestly I owned those well into my thirties to my chagrin).

The thread has been highjacked by people trying to make it an absolute argument. The most vocal voices on here on the "no" side have said many times that it can be done. I have posted these quotes from months ago a number of times. We have just also argued there are better choices, and its important to understand the stylistic reasons its not the best choice before choosing to go that way.

The most vocal in the "yes" camp have taken this as a starting gun to go full "rules don't exist, and you are all igents" and make it into a flame war.

 

[ValidusLA]

This wouldn’t be the first time I’m wrong.

I think decades ago this look said, Rough around the edges, working-class vibe. Now, at least to me, it says something more like, I spent more on my jeans than you did on your entire outfit.

Me wearing my Momotaro denim w/ turn ups:

 

[smittycl]

Those kind of soles remind me of very low-tier shoes, like contemporary J&M and Florsheim, or Cole Haan and Rockport.

If it ain't leather or dainite-esque on an oxford, I ain't buying it.

$765 for oxfords with lug soles?

Bastion Oxford - 2020 - Ridgeway - Comipel Black Horsebutt

Specs Exclusive to Division Road Black Horsebutt Leather - Comipel (Italy) 2020 Last Folded Cap Toe French Binding Leather Structured Toe Lined Blind Eyelets Black 270 Flat Welt Black Leather Midsole Ridgeway Sole Channeled Insole Goodyear Welted Construction Round & Flat Waxed Laces VB x...

divisionroadinc.com

 

[JFWR]

I also generally wear trousers and a sport coat, and love wearing suits. I got to go to a black tie wedding two weeks ago and have another formal (though not BT) wedding this Friday.

Working at a denim company, I can do sport coat + trousers w/o being out of place. I wear a suit occasionally, but never when I meet w/ our buyers because that would be way too far for them. They work for big corporations, but are well into the casualized world.

If I go to a club or lunch with our lawyers or real estate team or something I might put on a suit, but still prefer sport coat.

I almost always wear a derby. Occasionally something else. Not oxfords. I used to, but now I find it stylistically jarring. In the same way that when I was in my twenties I used to own AE chili double monks. We all make mistakes, but admitting them is important. (Honestly I owned those well into my thirties to my chagrin).

The thread has been highjacked by people trying to make it an absolute argument. The most vocal voices on here on the "no" side have said many times that it can be done. I have posted these quotes from months ago a number of times. We have just also argued there are better choices, and its important to understand the stylistic reasons its not the best choice before choosing to go that way.

The most vocal in the "yes" camp have taken this as a starting gun to go full "rules don't exist, and you are all igents" and make it into a flame war.

I mean, double monks were really popular for a time, so I don't think you can be faulted for falling into a trend that was literally everywhere. In fact, I consistently still see double monks out there in the world. Some of them still look nice.

Yeah, I dislike the whole "everyone who disagrees with me is an igent". That's a silly take.

I think we can sanely disagree here, while maintaining our respective aesthetic preferences.

Part of my love of oxfords is that I like what styles of shoes work with oxfords. I like half-brogues, I like cap toes, and I like quarter brogues, all which I think work better on an oxford than a derby of blucher. Bluchers are for plain toes and long wings. Derbys tie oxfords for the full brogue, though the fewer-eyelet derbys look really nice on plain toes.

That being said, one of my favourite shoes I own is my Crockett and Jones Pembrokes in brown scotch grain. Those are lovely derbies.

 

[JFWR]

$765 for oxfords with lug soles?

Bastion Oxford - 2020 - Ridgeway - Comipel Black Horsebutt

Specs Exclusive to Division Road Black Horsebutt Leather - Comipel (Italy) 2020 Last Folded Cap Toe French Binding Leather Structured Toe Lined Blind Eyelets Black 270 Flat Welt Black Leather Midsole Ridgeway Sole Channeled Insole Goodyear Welted Construction Round & Flat Waxed Laces VB x...

divisionroadinc.com

Christ.

Lug soles should never go on an oxford. I am sorry. Really, just.....just don't.

Lug soles are made for boots.

 

[ValidusLA]

I mean, double monks were really popular for a time, so I don't think you can be faulted for falling into a trend that was literally everywhere. In fact, I consistently still see double monks out there in the world. Some of them still look nice.

Yeah, I dislike the whole "everyone who disagrees with me is an igent". That's a silly take.

I think we can sanely disagree here, while maintaining our respective aesthetic preferences.

Part of my love of oxfords is that I like what styles of shoes work with oxfords. I like half-brogues, I like cap toes, and I like quarter brogues, all which I think work better on an oxford than a derby of blucher. Bluchers are for plain toes and long wings. Derbys tie oxfords for the full brogue, though the fewer-eyelet derbys look really nice on plain toes.

That being said, one of my favourite shoes I own is my Crockett and Jones Pembrokes in brown scotch grain. Those are lovely derbies.

Pembroke is a beautiful shoe.

Interestingly I was trying to decide between getting a pair or the Vass Budapester last week. My friends gave the edge to the Budapester.

 

[mak1277]

Goofy soles on those Viberg oxfords as well.

View attachment 1672166

These would look infinitely more normal as a blucher.

 

[Stylewords]

Forget oxfords and chinos. If you don't like Dylan, you have no taste and no soul.

 

[JFWR]

Pembroke is a beautiful shoe.

Interestingly I was trying to decide between getting a pair or the Vass Budapester last week. My friends gave the edge to the Budapester.
View attachment 1672175

The Budapester is really nice, but I take it to be a dressier shoe. What I liked about the Pembroke is exactly that it is quite rugged and rustic. It's an English country shoe, and given that it is quite different from most of what I wear, I really like the contrast.

The Pembroke also is really wonderfully resistant to everything. I've been caught in some serious downpours here in Illinois from thunderstorms, and my Pembrokes were like "lol, we're fine, don't worry. In fact, we'll look better once you're home". Excluding getting mud stuck in the dainite, they really don't take a beating from the weather at all.

I think derbys should also be recommended for grain leathers. Smooth box calf is more of an oxford thing for me.

 

[mak1277]

Forget oxfords and chinos. If you don't like Dylan, you have no taste and no soul.

Yes! The only thing that could possibly make this thread worse is a debate about music. Please continue so I can just swear the thread off for good.