Patent leather - only for formal/evening attire?

[ElPrincipe]

Just a very quick Q here. I recently picked up a pair of Derby brogues in a dark burgundy colour. They're quite shiny and I'm 90% sure they're a patent leather, which as far as I know, means the leather has a lacquered finish. I normally would have given them a miss, but they were on a knock down and are good quality.

My Q is: is patent leather a faux pas outside of formalwear? I've done a bit of searching, but only seem to be turning up info on black patent leather for evening wear.

Thanks!
ElP

 

[Phileas Fogg]

it’s not a faux pas. It’s not a look that I can appreciate outside of the formal setting, but depending on the person, your overall stylistic choices and preferences, it could work.

 

[ElPrincipe]

On further investigation, I've realized they may just be "hi-shine" leather, which (if I understand correctly) is different to patent. I thought I was pretty well versed in leather types, but I have no experience with either of these! I wonder if there is there a quick test to tell the difference?

 

[dieworkwear]

Can't imagine when patent leather would work outside of formalwear, or in a setting where you're trying to emulate formalwear.

 

[masernaut]

Just a very quick Q here. I recently picked up a pair of Derby brogues in a dark burgundy colour. They're quite shiny and I'm 90% sure they're a patent leather, which as far as I know, means the leather has a lacquered finish. I normally would have given them a miss, but they were on a knock down and are good quality.

My Q is: is patent leather a faux pas outside of formalwear? I've done a bit of searching, but only seem to be turning up info on black patent leather for evening wear.

Thanks!
ElP

I've never seen a pair of formalwear patent shoes in anything other than black. You might mean that the shoes are corrected grain. Nothing wrong with corrected grain (other than the quality) for casual wear, especially since you describe them as brogues.

 

[dieworkwear]

patent leather looks like this






corrected grain looks like this