Saturday 2 June 2012

STYLE@LXG: Brogueism

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen – fashionista extraordinaire Jean Saint-Martin here with the first of my essential style guides for classic, man-about-town fashion that never goes out of style…

So let’s start with a number one necessity – you can’t stamp your footprint on life without a damn good pair of shoes – a pair that works as well in the city as it does out of town. Brogues are my recommendation: 

Appropriate with business attire, brogues look equally right with corduroys and jeans. What's more, the brogue, an oxford with perforations on the tip and border seams, started out as a heavy country shoe. This pedigree remains. Cap-toe Brogues are of heavier construction than most dress shoes. And this feature will also serve you well, should you be forced to kick the stuffing out of some boorish swine.

In the office, black brogues are king. Black pebble-grain brogues in particular look great with a grey suit. The wingtip brogue is great with a suit in a “winter cloth” – think heavier fabrics like flannel or tweed. If you’re wearing a slick, trim suit in a light cloth then a quarter brogue will do the trick. When it comes to picking your socks, never forget to match the colour of them to your trousers and not your shoes.

However, outside of the office or in creative industries, anything goes. Casual suits look amazing with a twist on the usual brogue - for a creative kick, choose an out-of-the-ordinary colour – like yellow brogues matched with a charcoal-grey flannel suit. Nice. Of course it does take a certain look and air of confidence to pull this off – so Mucho Mojo Muchachos!
With jeans, any colour of brogues will do but the perennial favourites are brown quarter brogues or wingtips. With a shirt and a blazer they add a sort of nonchalant casual sophistication that so many guys try to pull off but rarely get right. You’ll also score major style points with the ladays

Brogues are the way to go – 'cos JSM said so!


‘Til next we meet…

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