Just one pair…

What you always wanted to know about Elegance, but were afraid to ask!
yialabis
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Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:32 pm

I wear my oxford cap tows often .. As often as I can . I wear them with blue suits and with grey flannels , I wear them with Eden and they look great with the ll 05 flannel too. I also wear them with a dark pair of blue jeans and a grey sport coat with a sky oxford shirt. They get lots of wearing . They have to be elegant and simple in my view .. I have a pair of church's consul , bought in 2000 in the Knightsbridge shop . I'm aware they were not the best make back then and they are definitely not now ..but for me they are the best last I've seen in an oxford . I also have a pair of CG and one of Trickers but they don't get nearly as much wear ..

Regards
Vassilis
hectorm
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Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:02 am

uppercase wrote:These Churchill Consuls have been recommended to me as the one pair to own.
Dear UC,
I hope you follow my sincere advice and do not settle for these Consuls. Please do not misunderstand me, they are a fine pair of sensible shoes, they look English indeed and they will last a lifetime while very reasonably priced. But you said that your suits were on the slick side and even shyster-like. The Consuls will not match.
For many years I have owned a pair of Church´s Aarons which are almost identical to the Consuls (someone knowledgable tell me the difference, please). They are a bit of a clunker and only see the light of day at funerals to which I wear very conservative suits and when walking on grass is expected. I have not managed to wear them at ease in the contexts that Yialabis details.
But I also own a pair of much sharper looking "City" model RTW cap-toe oxfords by John Lobb Jermyn St. and these are the black oxfords that frequently see high-end business, night-about-town outings and the occasional rather formal wedding. I truly believe that these (or something similar) will serve you better than the Consuls.
jb
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Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:41 pm

Uppercase,

Both Edward Green and Lobb Paris have excellent shoes that will meet your needs. However, given that you have problems with oxfords, Crockett and Jones may be the better bet. They have cap toes in two different lasts in their hand grade range, Audley and Lonsdale. I suspect that one of those may work comfortably for you.

Joel
jb
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Sat Jan 04, 2014 8:28 pm

Ironically, posting on this thread got me thinking about my desire for a black shoe other than my typical-for-business punched captoes, to wear on a fun evening in a social setting. In Hawaii for the holidays, I stopped in at Leather Soul and found they were having a John Lobb trunk show the Friday after Christmas. Of course I went back, and of course I put in a special order and will finally have a pair of black shoes that that are neither evening pumps, nor basic business wear.

Uppercase, I hope you find the shoes you need.
uppercase
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Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:26 am

Well, I've got an old pair of black Berlutis but I'm not sure that they really will do for the sort of conservative setting I anticipate.

Interestingly, these Berlutis are very comfortable and maybe not that exaggerated, slick or excessive as I imagine right now. But then, maybe they are.

In any case, I'm going to look at the C&J oxfords. Maybe the Lonsdales. But I've got to take a live look at that and I haven't been able to do that yet.

It's a pity about the color black- it just sucks up the light and doesn't allow for nice leather and design to sing. Still, black is nice and conservative and solid. Not too clever.
T.K.
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Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:35 pm

uppercase wrote:
In any case, I'm going to look at the C&J oxfords. Maybe the Lonsdales. But I've got to take a live look at that and I haven't been able to do that yet.
The Lonsdale is made on a last that to my eyes is ridiculously long. I have tried on a pair and found them to look clownish and feeling uncomfortable and ended up buying the other model Joel mentions (Audley). These have a softer, less dramatic shape and still have plenty of elongation (if that is what you are after). Much more classic.
rodes
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:38 pm

Depends. If you intend that the one pair should be able to be worn with black tie then I would go with a plain cap toe such as the Edward Green Chelsea. If only standard business wear plus semi-formal and formal day wear, then a punch cap such as the Berkeley is the best choice.
hectorm
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Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:44 pm

I agree with rodes on the fact that EG´s Chelsea and Berkeley are great pairs of conservative oxfords.
But I believe that both are running one notch behind the formality required by the occasions mentioned on his post.
The Chelsea is a cap-toe and its stitching gets in the way of the smoothness and simplicity required for black tie. It is perfect for formal day wear though.
By the same token, the Berkeley is decorated with punching along the stitching and will not cut for formal day wear in its pure form. But it´s perfect for semi-formal or business.
Costi
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Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:03 pm

Image
Wholecut. Sober, but not a misfit to your slick suits.
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