Shoe/boot advice for black velvet suit?

[stevie_wonderful77]

hi all i've got a black velvet suit that i intend to wear to a fairly formal but also festive occasion. do i combine it with black shoes/boots or can i do something a bit more adventurous? i'm only 32, and def don't wanna look older

could i go for white trainers or is that too much? if it has to be black then how about some army or doc martens style boots? and would something brown or tan be ok? i guess it also depends on what shirt etc. i wear. i was thinking maybe a white shirt, grey v-neck top and a bright red tie. or since waistcoats are back (at least here in the uk) maybe a matching black velvet one on a white shirt. any tips much appreciated!!

 

[Sander]

My first idea would be black Chelseas:

And better don't mention Doc Martens again.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Black Chelsea boots are probably your best bet. I'd stick with a white shirt, probably, but be careful with the read tie. Red and black can come off very mafioso and tacky if you're not careful.

 

[stevie_wonderful77]

thanks for your tips! black chelsea boots i've been meaning to get for a long time anyway, so now i've got just the excuse

re doc martens, point taken, and thanks for not *****foioting around about it

i was wondering whether i should bring it up, but i've seen this style in combination with black suits a few times recently (though admittedly not velvet) -- i think the september issue of gq has some photos of dior homme with this combo. the shirt and tie advice is welcome too. the velvet is of course pretty dandyish already so i should probably show some restraint in terms of what to wear with it. a black tie then? and would you say that a woolen grey sleeveless v-neck would be ok to break up the black a little or am i best off leaving this at home?

 

[Sander]

Originally Posted by stevie_wonderful77

thanks for your tips! black chelsea boots i've been meaning to get for a long time anyway, so now i've got just the excuse

re doc martens, point taken, and thanks for not *****foioting around about it

i was wondering whether i should bring it up, but i've seen this style in combination with black suits a few times recently (though admittedly not velvet) -- i think the september issue of gq has some photos of dior homme with this combo.

the shirt and tie advice is welcome too. the velvet is of course pretty dandyish already so i should probably show some restraint in terms of what to wear with it. a black tie then? and would you say that a woolen grey sleeveless v-neck would be ok to break up the black a little or am i best off leaving this at home?
I'd indeed leave the v-neck at home.
A black tie would look quite severe and you might look like you went to a funeral...
...on the other hand, with a thin black tie you can go for the "cool" look - though not anyone can pull it off.
If you already wear an informal velvet suit, why not go sans tie?

 

[stevie_wonderful77]

thanks again mr sand. when i mentioned the black tie, i suppose i had a tom brady kinda look in mind:

thin ties aren't really my style so if i decide against a normal black tie then i guess i'll just invest in a new white shirt some nice black boots. think i saw some pretty cool ones from boss black last time i was in town.

 

[stevie_wonderful77]

oh, and how about a pocket square? i read in another recent post on this forum (http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=44563) that they look good with open collars -- does that go for velvet suits as well? tom brady wears one in the photo above but this is combined with a tie, and his trousers seem to be wool (or anyway not velvet). if a pocketsquare is the way forward, then i suppose with a white shirt a simple white silk or even linen square would do?

 

[Sander]

A pocket square would IMHO a very good idea. The perfect way of making your outfit something special, and a little dressier as well without looking like you're trying too hard. It doesn't have to be white though - I think The official Style Forum pocket square: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=43194 could look quite good with a black velvet suit. In general, forum member Kent Wang has an amazing selection of beautiful and high-quality squares. You might want to look there: http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=28660

 

[stevie_wonderful77]

thanks again mr sand! i do like the look of the SF pocket square but am afraid if i ordered it now it wouldn't arrive in time for me. the link below the photo doesn't appear to work either -- i get a 404 error message. i checked the kent wang thread and while i can tell from forum members' responses that he must have some really cool stuff, the site doesn't seem to work either -- on pressing the link i get taken to some cPanel website that says "Apache is working on your cPanelÂ

and WHM™ Server". hmm, not sure what's going on here but i do hope kent is reading this.

anyway, would you say that with a white shirt a coloured or patterned pocketsquare would work? if so, what kind of colours would you recommend? something like duck egg blue perhaps? or burgundy? and if it's patterned, should i go for a pattern that has at least some white in it?

apologies for asking so many questions, but while im quite confident about ties, im totally new to pocket squares.

 

[Sander]

It is the general consensus that a white linen pocket square works with everything, so that would be your very safest bet - plus a good start for your collection of PSs.
On the other hand it is not the most imaginative combo. As you suggested, pale blue or burgundy (I especially like the idea of a dark red PS on a dark suit; not very flashy, but I think black/red makes for a quite festive combo - just think of the black tuxedo/red cummerbund ensemble) would work as well. Since you are new to PSs, I would rather stick to plain ones. If you only have few, they can be easier matched with the rest of your wardrobe and you might feel more secure with a PS that doesn't draw as much attention to it as a bright, patterned one.

 

[epa]

I would go for burgundy or dark violet, that is, something that has a bit of "red" in it without being red. This colour could be nice both for the tie and for the pocket square (yes, an open neck white shirt with a violet pocket square could look nice in a casual way, IMO). I have heard something about violet being gay and that in Poland the government wanted to prohibit a TV program with a violet puppet or something that was considered gay and bad for the morality of the Polish people, so I would think twice before using this colour for a meeting with the Polish prime minister or president. But apart from that, you should be OK.
Also, I would consider burgundy or oxblood as the colour for the chelseas (and belt).