Short-sleeved shirts and leather shoes

[josepidal]

We've had the cap toes and jeans discussion, but what do you guys think about short-sleeved shirts and more formal leather shoes, or beyond loafers and bluchers?

I was thinking that monkstraps and wingtips, and maybe even lighter colored cap toes, could possibly be worn with short sleeved shirts and polos depending on how you put it together.

One thought that occured to me is that there'd be less objection if we were talking about dressier chelsea boots.

 

[designprofessor]

Some conditions. If you are cut and have some biceps and pecs and your in a close fittting short sleeve it looks good, but when you pair this with some leather shoes it can look a little "pimpish"
I've got some merlot colored chukka boots that work all the time with short sleeve or polo type shirt.
I guess it comes down to your build and the kind of short sleeve shirt.

 

[Roger]

DesignProfessor, please tell us what looks "pimpish"--wearing a short-sleeve shirt with leather shoes when you are "cut and have some biceps and pecs"? Or wearing leather shoes with a short-sleeve shirt when you are not so endowed? Just what is your point here? Is the issue here whether or not one should wear short-sleeve shirts--and that depends on one's build--or is it that anyone, regardless of build, can wear short-sleeve shirts, but whether or not he can pair them with leather shoes depends on his build?

For my part, I think that short-sleeve shirts are the summer equivalent of long-sleeve dress shirts worn open-collar (in other words, I wouldn't wear a tie with a short-sleeve shirt). And it certainly makes sense to wear dressier leather dress shoes with an open-collar shirt (even without a jacket); thus, there is no problem that I can see with wearing nice, dress-level short-sleeve shirts with the same shoes. As you note, Josepidal, it all depends on the overall look. If you've paired the short-sleeve shirt with a pair of dress trousers and have gone for a fairly dressy look, then any of the leather shoes you've mentioned--monks, oxfords (particularly the less formal ones, like wingtips), light-colored captoes (particularly semi-brogues), along with the slightly less-dressy bluchers (the sleek ones, like those with 2- and 3-holes and long vamp look good in this context) and, particularly, sleek loafers--will all work perfectly.

 

[designprofessor]

Didn't mean to offend. I'll try and clarify. I see some guys that are cut and wear tight short sleeve shirts and dress slacks and nice shoes and it looks overdone somehow. Excuse the word "pimpish", my mistake.
On leaner guys or where the clothing is more draped, the shoes seem to work better. Just observations.

 

[josepidal]

Thanks Roger! Incidentally, I live in a tropical country so "summer" is a very important term here!

Incidentally, I was thinking that depending on the overall look, you could push the envelope to sleeker dark oak oxfords, judging from the Mackay v. Barksdale thread.

I don't know about dressier bluchers, but I was thinking it works with the dressier monkstraps, all the way to the Jermyn II.

Again, depending on the overall look and bearing you carry.

 

[DocHolliday]

I find this thread interesting, partly because the opinions seem so divergent from my own. I wouldn't wear a short-sleeve shirt in a dressy way, so the notion of pairing one with bals strikes me as odd. If I were seeking to wear a short-sleeve shirt for semi-casual business use, I'd choose bluchers (or maybe a monk). For casual wear, I might see bals as a possibility, but that's not really my style. I'd be more likely to choose chukkas.

Also, I'm with Roger on never wearing a tie with a short-sleeved shirt.

 

[Roger]

Designprofessor: no offense taken, and sorry if it seemed as though I was offended. Just trying to understand your idea. You've clarified it nicely in the second post. Cheers.

 

[tangerine]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

...

Also, I'm with Roger on never wearing a tie with a short-sleeved shirt.

But it's classic NASA style!

 

[acidboy]

imo, a short sleeved shirt no matter how good the fabric is, no matter how nice the fit is, and most especially no matter how expensive you bought it (or had it made) it still is not something one wears to be "dressy". i suggest, though it is just a notch higher, would be wearing a nice full shirt and just roll the sleeves up in a neat way. in an airconditioned environment, i have opted to wear a sweater vest too- but the weather here (i am also in the philippines, like jose) made wearing an odd jacket, sad to say, an exception rather than a rule.