Fashion for the Modern Man Pt. 2

By Nicholas Neyhouse on October 24, 2014

Brown Capped Oxford Shoes: image via http://goo.gl/QLfdMI

Part 2: A Variety of Shoes

Shoes tie an outfit together (pun intended). If someone knows about fashion and looks you over, they are going to look at your shoes.

I recommended last time that guys invest in some form of classic sneaker, such as a pair of converse, and that they invest in either loafers or boots.

This time I’d like to speak on when to wear different kinds of shoes and how to fit them into your outfits.

Let’s begin with sneakers.

Converse and vans are perfect for weekends or in between classes. They go with a fresh pair of jeans, a t-shirt or casual button down, and a hoodie. Canvas sneakers give a more casual look compared to running shoes. Running shoes are great for the gym, but I’d recommend you have a different canvas or leather pair for everyday activities.

I’d say you want to stick with dark colors like brown, grey, and black for your sneakers, but don’t be afraid to try something different. Grab a pair of bright red converse and rock ‘em. A dark color is going to keep eyes up on what you are wearing on your body, but a colorful pair of sneakers get a lot of attention and can look pretty cool.

Don’t worry about matching the color of these shoes to your outfit, but just remember that if you are wearing black shoes wear a black belt, and for brown shoes wear a brown belt, even with sneakers. Sneakers with a blazer and jeans look pretty trendy, but with a full suit you have entered an odd world of casual and dressy. I’d recommend staying away from the full suit and converse look.

With dress shoes you are opening up a larger and more complicated box, a shoe box if I may say so.

There are levels to how dressy a pair of shoes can get. The highest level is a pair of black capped oxford shoes. These shoes are meant to be worn primarily with suits and fancy clothing. Again, your belt and shoes should be matching, although in this case you will want to wear black dress shoes with either a black, navy blue, or grey suit.

A lot of guys right now are wearing a pair of brown shoes with these particular colored suits, although this is very modern compared to black shoes. I’d recommend staying away from brown shoes with a black suit, and if you desire to wear brown dress shoes with a navy blue, or grey suit, then I would say go for darker brown.

OF COURSE this is all personal taste, and rules are meant to be broken in fashion, but the more classic look is a pair of black shoes with these suits. The next level of dress shoe would be a pair of brown capped oxford shoes, and these can go with primarily brown suits or lighter colored suits and coats in general. Other black and brown non capped shoes in an oxford style are lower on the dressy scale, but the darker the shoe the dressier the pair.

The lower tiers of dressy shoes are things like wing tipped shoes. Wing tipped shoes are very much in style currently, and I would recommend going for a light brown pair, because they will be very versatile and because black is usually for dressier occasions. Wing tipped shoes are great for casual suits, but also for blazers and slacks. They look great with a pair of dark jeans and an oxford shirt as well. Other variations of dress shoes such as saddle shoes, fit into the same tier as wing tipped shoes, and penny loafers fit right below them, because of their lack of laces.

Next come the in between shoes.

The shoes that aren’t really considered dress shoes, but aren’t as casual as sneakers. These are your boat shoes, chukka boats, and high top boots. These all go great with jeans, chinos, and chords, but they can also be worn with slacks and a blazer.

I usually would recommend brown or tan for these types of shoes, but a black or grey pair of boots can come in handy as well. When matching up a pair of these shoes you want to pair attention to your outfit. If you are wearing a lot of natural colors, or your pants are brown or tan, then I’d recommend going with a brown pair of shoes.

But if you are wearing jeans and a blue sweater, then go for anything! Just look at the details in the clothing you are wearing and try your best to match your shoes to those details, but don’t forget to match your belt to your shoes. Next time I will speak more on matching up your clothes overall.

 

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