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Opera Pumps: Show me your real world pics

Cravate_Noire

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I've got only the AE Ritz and need another, more filigree pair because of the vamp and the 360° welting!
Getting these in Germany will be a quest of epic scale...I will consider ordering from S&H or B&E, thanks for the links!

(Pulled the trousers a but up in the first pic)
823_26_05_08_11_40_49_3.jpg

823_26_05_08_11_40_49_4.jpg
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by Toiletduck
O man.

those would be way too feminine for me


It helps to be masculine in the first place.

This is a great thread because there are many photographs on the interwebz fora of pumps, few of men in them, and much of the chatter focuses on the shoes alone rather than how the shoes contribute to the overal look for dinner or formal wear...almost as if the shoes were going to the event, and not the man.

My opinion is that when a man is dressed severely in black and white, in surroundings that are typically (although not always) special, and often surrounded by women, some of whom will be beautiful (one hopes), and most dressed well, if you come off as feminine unintentionally because of your shoes, well...

...you're f*cked for the evening anyway, and not in a good way.

Pumps take something mundane and make them special and connected to history. For me, that is inherent to having personal style in an age of aesthetic mediocrity.

It is almost guarenteed that at a black tie event, the least stylish men will be wearing lace-ups (or, say, bicycle toe loafers). I do not mean that there will not be guys who look good in their oxfords or patent derbies, but all of the ones who wear their dinner clothes uncomfortably and self-consciously will be in lace-ups as well.

Why join them?


- B
 

larsrindsig

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Originally Posted by AndrewRogers
How about these

The first pair are from Shipton & Heneage; the second from Bowhill & Elliott.

I'm sorry they're not real world pictures, but they might be an option for you. I know that Bowhill & Elliott will be very well made and they run at 110 pounds. S&H 129 pounds.


As I understand it, Bowhill & Elliott makes slippers for S&H. (My only reference is an old AAAC post and eyeballing - they do look very similar to me).
 

Film Noir Buff

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Originally Posted by SuitingStyle
Here are mine , EG , last 100. I had mine cobbler dye the bow to black (GVH had them green ). Came out ok, like the last shape a lot. I want to wear them for the wedding, but wife wants me to get the patent lether lace up, so we will see.
pump3.jpg

The bow was green?
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by RJman
I bet Manton wears pumps.
I don't actually.
Originally Posted by Skyler
I'll bet Manton wouldn't dare. He has better sense.
But neither do I dislike them. I simply have a decent pair of formal lace-ups, and prefer to spend my shoe dollars elsewhere than on another formal shoe.
 

marc237

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I also wear the pumps. I think the concern that they are effeminate is silly.
 

ethandesu

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Originally Posted by marc237
I also wear the pumps. I think the concern that they are effeminate is silly.

Hear hear. I wear Opera pumps from Church's custom grade (mine too are exceptionally tight) and I have never been considered effeminate. But then I think being very straight and fairly masculine helps with the overall look. If I was 65kg instead of 95, clean shaven rather than bearded, and gay rather than a straight married man, I'd probably opt for a lace up. Thankfully I'm not, and can wear my operas without fear of ridicule!

ethandesu
 

grimslade

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Originally Posted by SuitingStyle
yes, then I had my cobbler dye into black

It was a green tartan, no?
 

SuitingStyle

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Originally Posted by grimslade
It was a green tartan, no?

yea, the one GVH had , I think everyone was scared off from buying them because of the bow color.
 

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