The Oxford-Shoe-Worn-Casually Appreciation Thread

[dieworkwear]

Alright, grumpy, here's an attempt. Oxfords three ways. Black and brown in the spoiler. Might be the best I can do.

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Spoiler: Black and Brown Options

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Those look black on my screen. I agree that blue shoes work if they look black.

 

[UrbanComposition]

@yorkshire pud The 60s had lots of great style.

@acapaca I like that! Very well done.

So far we have excellent examples of oxfords worn with suits.

 

[ValidusLA]

Manton was a big proponent of balmoral boots back in the day. I bought a pair after reading his thread at The London Lounge, where he organized a group run of Carmina bal boots. Wore them once and put them back in my closet. Too dandy for me, and my cat later attacked the boots.

This is why I advocate pets that can neither get anywhere nor do any damage if they somehow do.

 

[yorkshire pud]

@yorkshire pud The 60s had lots of great style.

@acapaca I like that! Very well done.

So far we have excellent examples of oxfords worn with suits.

The 1960s for me are the end game of mens style,

@yorkshire pud The 60s had lots of great style.

@acapaca I like that! Very well done.

So far we have excellent examples of oxfords worn with suits.

To be specific 1966 ??

 

[Proleet]

I'd be happy to see some photos. Do you have some that show a full outfit with blue dress shoes? Doesn't have to be of you, but just any photo examples of full outfits and not shoe + pant hem combos.

imagine a pair of dark brown flannel or cord pants. Add a sweater or shirt on top. Is this really that difficult? you whine about “odd” colored shoes in every other thread while they go perfectly fine if one is half decent at color coordination…it might just not fit your rules…

 

[dieworkwear]

imagine a pair of dark brown flannel or cord pants. Add a sweater or shirt on top. Is this really that difficult? you whine about “odd” colored shoes in every other thread while they go perfectly fine if one is half decent at color coordination…it might just not fit your rules…

I find it hard to discuss this stuff without photos. Do you mean like this?

 

[JFWR]

I feel like this is pretty common. The shoe threads are full of non-traditional or overly dressy designs. Examples: blue shoes, green shoes, purple shoes; oxfords and wholecuts. Those shoes express formality and the virtuosity of the shoemaker, so people buy them. But I'm not sure they have the wardrobe for it.

You and @JFWR have said you like blue dress shoes. Do you have suggestions for how they can be worn well? Ideally with photographic examples of full outfits?

I own one pair of navy blue chukkas, one pair of navy blue/white spectators, and one pair of blue suede oxfords. I don't have any full outfit photos off hand, mainly because I broke my full length mirror recently.

In terms of combinations:

I wore my spectators in a rockabilly type outfit that isn't anywhere near CM. Black leather jacket, black pants, white and blue spectators. This was, again, not CM.

Otherwise, I have only worn those shoes twice, so I don't know if I have found coherent outfits to wear them with at this juncture. I am not quite sure I'd want to wear them in a professional setting. They seem very much "these are shoes for night time wear when I am out having drinks and having fun". I tried them with chinos and wasn't very satisfied with the result.

As for the chukkas: I have recently paired these with grey trousers, a blue waist coat, dress shirt, tie, and a very dark grey jacket.

I've worn them with medium brown cords and a blue corduroy jacket over a grey sweater in the winter.

I've worn them with very light-grey (dressier cut) chinos, a black linen sports coat, and a light blue polo shirt for summer night wear.

That's off hand. I don't remember every combination I've attempted with them. I am fairly certain I've worn them with black pants as well. Given they appear almost as dark as black shell, they work fine with that. (I believe you've seen pictures of the colour of the navy blue shell. Correct me if I am wrong.)

As for the blue suede shoes, I've worn them mostly for fun. I literally bought them because I am a NY Yankees fan. I'll be switching out the laces to blue again and then think of some coherent outfits to go with them. Likely, with the brown courdoroys and some sort of jacket or overcoat.

 

[Proleet]

I find it hard to discuss this stuff without photos. Do you mean like this?

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sorry. Let me make sure I get this right: mister “you need to consider the whole outfit and don’t obsess about just shoes or any other item” can’t imagine what an outfit with dark brown flannels, an obcd and a pair of nice navy shoes looks like? The picture above is just trolling and I’m sure you know that…

 

[dieworkwear]

sorry. Let me make sure I get this right: mister “you need to consider the whole outfit and don’t obsess about just shoes or any other item” can’t imagine what an outfit with dark brown flannels, an obcd and a pair of nice navy shoes looks like? The picture above is just trolling and I’m sure you know that…

I genuinely wasn't trolling. I wasn't sure what you were saying because you just said "dark brown flannel or cord pants. Add a sweater or shirt on top." So I tried to get an outfit to see what you meant. "Add a sweater or shirt on top" can mean anything. Don't know if you mean "wear an OCBD" because your choice in shoes is already so non-traditional to me.

an outfit with dark brown flannels, an obcd and a pair of nice navy shoes looks like?

This doesn't sound like a good outfit to me. So when you say, "how hard can this be to imagine," I can imagine it and it doesn't look good. This is why I said it's helpful to have photos.

 

[Proleet]

I genuinely wasn't trolling. I wasn't sure what you were saying because you just said "dark brown flannel or cord pants. Add a sweater or shirt on top." So I tried to get an outfit to see what you meant. "Add a sweater or shirt on top" can mean anything. Don't know if you mean "wear an OCBD" because your choice in shoes is already so non-traditional to me.



This doesn't sound like a good outfit to me. So when you say, "how hard can this be to imagine," I can imagine it and it doesn't look good. This is why I said it's helpful to have photos.

I am genuinely curious - you don’t like:

-dark brown cords or flannels period?
-a obcd on top of dark brown cords or flannels?
-or you just don’t like it with navy shoes? (Note: I didn’t specify oxfords)

if it’s not just the shoes, how would you style pants like that?

 

[dieworkwear]

I am genuinely curious - you don’t like:

-dark brown cords or flannels period?
-a obcd on top of dark brown cords or flannels?
-or you just don’t like it with navy shoes? (Note: I didn’t specify oxfords)

if it’s not just the shoes, how would you style pants like that?

I'm not really crazy about the outfit you described. I wouldn't do brown flannels in the first place. But let's say brown cords.

If we're talking about a pair of brown corduroy trousers (let's say tailored trousers of five-pocket cords) and a light blue oxford cloth button-down, then I think you need something else to finish the outfit. Even without talking about the shoes, these two things come too close to business casual for me. It's ... fine. But nothing really great.

I think outfits typically need some kind of finishing piece, such as a jacket. In the business casual thread, I suggested maybe going down to a textured sweater (here, I would do a Shetland to keep with a trad look). But even then, I would prefer the many other options above that "sweater option." I would do a sport coat before I did a sweater.

So then, let's say

- Brown corduroy trousers
- Light blue OCBD
- Ideally, a sport coat, if you can. If not, then a textured sweater, such as Shetland

Then for shoes, I would do a brown penny loafer, again to keep with the trad theme. You can also do brown grained or suede chukkas to keep with the fall outfit. Would not do blue shoes, as those don't make sense to me in the outfit. Blue shoes are not trad or autumnal or anything. When paired with just brown cords + dress shirt, it's also very close to the modern business casual vibe that I think looks bad.

Channel this vibe:

Avoid this vibe:

But, as you said, some people don't want to follow "my rules" (they are not "my" rules, but anyway). And they don't want to look like they're in historical cosplay (I don't think it's cosplay, but anyway). Or they just want to have fun and not be bothered by anyone (I think they would be better off spending money *and* looking good; I don't think having fun and dressing cohesively are mutually exclusive). Or they feel like they will stand out in "old CM" (I don't, but anyway).

 

[Proleet]

I'm not really crazy about the outfit you described. I wouldn't do brown flannels in the first place. But let's say brown cords.

If we're talking about a pair of brown corduroy trousers (let's say tailored trousers of five-pocket cords) and a light blue oxford cloth button-down, then I think you need something else to finish the outfit. Even without talking about the shoes, these two things come too close to business casual for me. It's ... fine. But nothing really great.

I think outfits typically need some kind of finishing piece, such as a jacket. In the business casual thread, I suggested maybe going down to a textured sweater (here, I would do a Shetland to keep with a trad look). But even then, I would prefer the many other options above that "sweater option." I would do a sport coat before I did a sweater.

So then, let's say

- Brown corduroy trousers
- Light blue OCBD
- Ideally, a sport coat, if you can. If not, then a textured sweater, such as Shetland

Then for shoes, I would do a brown penny loafer, again to keep with the trad theme. You can also do brown grained or suede chukkas to keep with the fall outfit. Would not do blue shoes, as those don't make sense to me in the outfit. Blue shoes are not trad or autumnal or anything. When paired with just brown cords + dress shirt, it's also very close to the modern business casual vibe that I think looks bad.

Channel this vibe:


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Avoid this vibe:

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But, as you said, some people don't want to follow "my rules" (they are not "my" rules, but anyway). And they don't want to look like they're in historical cosplay (I don't think it's cosplay, but anyway). Or they just want to have fun and not be bothered by anyone (I think they would be better off spending money *and* looking good; I don't think having fun and dressing cohesively are mutually exclusive). Or they feel like they will stand out in "old CM" (I don't, but anyway).

what you suggest makes sense but to me is a bit boring honestly (yet by the rules) and I personally loathe penny loafers with outfits like this. I prefer a tad bit more breaking of the rules as long as colors and textures form a coherent look.

your example of what not to do: sure, but large part is because it’s a combination of out of shape people with super boring outfits.

 

[dieworkwear]

what you suggest makes sense but to me is a bit boring honestly (yet by the rules) and I personally loathe penny loafers with outfits like this. I prefer a tad bit more breaking of the rules as long as colors and textures form a coherent look.

your example of what not to do: sure, but large part is because it’s a combination of out of shape people with super boring outfits.

If we're talking about CM, I've always felt that the outfit is improved by incredibly small changes to the cut and silhouette. So the "boring" part goes away when the person keeps refining their silhouette. IMO, a guy can go through a ton of jackets before he finds his silhouette.

I think @acapaca said that he doesn't feel this is so, and that anyone nowadays can just go out and buy a navy sport coat. I personally don't think this is true. It took me years to find a good navy sport coat and I'm still trying to nail down my pattern.

 

[ValidusLA]

personally don't think this is true. It took me years to find a good navy sport coat and I'm still trying to nail down my pattern.

My navy sport coats and blazers are generally the garments that leave me slightly miffed. Because I've yet to reach perfection, and with navy I want perfection.

With some more aggressive cloths I've used for commissions (like houndstooth or gunclub), your eye slips off imperfections. Navy brooks no small flaws.

 

[acapaca]

I think @acapaca said that he doesn't feel this is so, and that anyone nowadays can just go out and buy a navy sport coat. I personally don't think this is true. It took me years to find a good navy sport coat and I'm still trying to nail down my pattern.

Different people will of course have different standards of what they find acceptable. What is it about all the ones you went through that you don't find acceptable?