Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

Been lurking for a few weeks and looking to start off with a pair of dress shoes. I'm still trying to slim down 5-10 more pounds before I start spending on other pieces.

I've gone through the whole what are you wearing right now thread and have bookmarked every outfit that would fit the style and my environment. I'm a software developer at a large company surrounded by mostly t-shirts and shorts or jeans.

The looks I like the most and would fit into my life and work place are both CunningSmeagol's outfits and PhatGuido's casual weekend attire which would be at work dressing up for me

My child has baptismal this weekend so I figured it would be a good time to replace my ugly dress shoes with something more stylish and something I could build around. I live in the Seattle area so I'm probably limited to Nordstrom's and thinking Allen Edmonds.

Based on everything I've said so far what shoe(s) would you recommend starting out. Something I could wear with some really nice Jeans and button down shirt or polo and even up to dress slacks and button down shirt. Maybe the Clifton Oxford in brown, Park Avenue Oxford in Merlot, Strand Oxford in Brown Burnished Calf or Walnut Calf?

Originally Posted by calcio

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Maybe the Clifton Oxford in brown, Park Avenue Oxford in Merlot, Strand Oxford in Brown Burnished Calf or Walnut Calf?

Of these three, it's a matter of personal preference. Mine would be the Strand in brown burnished calf.

Originally Posted by binge

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Of these three, it's a matter of personal preference. Mine would be the Strand in brown burnished calf.
Yea, was browsing on Nordstrom.com and those or the Park Avenue seem to be the leaders in the clubhouse but I'm OPEN to any suggestions or feedback of any type. I do think I'll go with a non black, more brownish color. edit: Additionally is there a link to proper care? Should I get any care products the shoe salesman is going to inevitably try to throw in or get them somewhere else?

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Q1. On a bespoke suit are you supposed to wear belt or no? And if not? Nothing goes or braces?

Q2. How much shirt should be visible on the wrist? I mean how longer should shirt be than jacket? 1cm? 1/2 cm?

Q3. In diplomatic work are there any references towards the colors of the ties? I heard somewhere that blue means you show respect for the person you go to meeting with, while red means you put yourself forward or smth like that. Anyone can confirm?

Q4. Is silk more expensive than wool?

Q5. What should a 'rookie' go in the first bespoke suit? Wool? Silk? Or a mix?

Originally Posted by calcio

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Yea, was browsing on Nordstrom.com and those or the Park Avenue seem to be the leaders in the clubhouse but I'm OPEN to any suggestions or feedback of any type. I do think I'll go with a non black, more brownish color.

edit: Additionally is there a link to proper care? Should I get any care products the shoe salesman is going to inevitably try to throw in or get them somewhere else?

Be careful what you wish for...I mean, go through all few-hundred pages of shoe Appreciation and imagine that being the responses to your request for any and all suggestions and feedback. There's lots and lots of info about shoes on this forum, from Allen-Edmonds to hand-made-from-unicorn-tears.

If you want one shoe to cover business dress as well as pairing with jeans, you can browse the HOF: What are you wearing right now? thread to see what shoes people pair with what clothing and decide what looks good to you. There is a similar thread in the Streetwear and Denim forum, where you'll see more jeans and that sort of think.

Personally, if I were to one shoe to go with both, it would be medium-to-dark brown in color, most likely a wingtip or half-brogue. A general rule of thumb is that more decoration on the shoe makes it more casual. So, IMO, the Park Avenue wouldn't be a good match for jeans due to its austerity. YMMV.

There's tons and tons of discussion on this board about shoe care as well. The easiest thing to do is use shoe trees. Do a search on "polish" and you'll find a zillion discussions on that topic, ranging from technique to materials. I use a shoe shine, I don't have the patience to shine my own shoes.

Originally Posted by Mr.Sam

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I have recently purchased a couple pairs of shoes from the Brooks Brothers 346 store and have noticed that the shoes are easily being scuffed. My only guess is that this is due to the lower quality leather (possibly treatment?) but as Rambo had once said, I know nothing. What "kind" of leather should I be looking for if I want scuff-resistant durable shoes? Is shell cordovan the way to go, or are there cheaper alternatives?

Shoes will get scuffed. They are on your feet and in contact with the ground, chair and table legs, each other, etc. Better quality leather will respond to polishing better, meaning that over time the scuffs will fade. People around here consider the scuffs and such to add character to a well-worn pair of shoes (Shoes with character). Yes, keep them clean and polished, but realize that they won't look brand new forever.

Low-quality leather, especially stuff called "corrected grain", looks and feels a lot like plastic. It won't respond very well to polishing and will likely show the scuffs a lot worse.

Thanks for the reply, binge. I am almost certain that my BB 346 shoes are the "corrected grain" kind as I can make a scuff mark on them with very slight pressure from my fingernails.

Are the AE Strands made with the same corrected grain leather, or something better?

Originally Posted by Mr.Sam

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Are the AE Strands made with the same corrected grain leather, or something better?

I don't know. My guess would be that they are not corrected-grain, but that's just a guess. You're gonna try them on before buying right?

I got my first pair of Alden's today. My first pair of really nice dress shoes, really. I cant tell if I should switch them for a half-size smaller. What do you think - does this look like too much room behind the heel?

The shoes are untied and I am sliding my foot as far forward as possible in this picture:

And they are tied in this picture:

Originally Posted by BBSLM

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The shoes are untied and I am sliding my foot as far forward as possible in this picture:

Don't do that, unless that's how you intend to wear them. When properly tied, are they comfortable? If yes, turn to page 45 and keep them; if no, turn to page 12 and return them.

Critique my suit fit? Herringbone 2008 season made in japan, in size 38. I think I'm in between sizes 38 and 40 so yea... Maybe on my next suit I'll go up a size and tailor it down. THoughts would be appreciated

sleeves look pretty short

yea I know, I even took them out by about 1.5cm and I don't think they can be taken out any further unforutunately. But yea I'm gonna be getting another suit in the next week or so, so i'd love to get some feedbakc

http://pds15.egloos.com/pds/200909/2...e251e3506d.jpg I'm thinking about buying this cheap thrift coat and cutting the lapel. (Left side of photo to right side of photo.) What do you people think about this? It would be horrible one? Or it could be mediocre one that a sensible man would think about wearing? P.S It's a sad thing that +J do not have any topcoat.

Originally Posted by mfais

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can someone pls educate me on what shoe lasts are? is it the different models of the shoes? the shape?

All of the above and more.

The last is a carving, generally of wood or a similar material, around which leaher is stretched, hammered, and sewn to create a shoe. It looks like a prosthetic foot. Different lasts may be elongated, shorter, wider, etc, which all affect the final look of the shoe.

Google images of shoe lasts, or go to Allen Edmond's site to see examples.