The London Lounge

Appreciating the black glove for black shoes, brown - for brown, still always a conundrum: how to deal with different shades of brown?
I do like brown shoes and have them in a small variety from mid to very dark brown. After my pair of mid brown gloves wore out last season I saw yesterday a napa leather cashmere lined beauties from Bill Amberg and bought them on-site. They are dark brown. Are they acceptable with mid-brown shoes? Or does one need to have a pair for each shade of brown?

There is no general answer because you need to take the colour of the coat into account. Generally, brown(ish) shoes (tan, brown etc) should be matched with similar gloves, but the hue chosen depends on the right match / contrast with the coat. Have several and take those that look best.

Please also note that black shoes can be matched with coloured gloves if these are chamois: grey, blue, yellow (the last being the preferred choice of the Regency buck)

The old rule, at least in English-speaking lands, was that a man did not wear black on his hands (in extension of that, in old films you'll never see the "good guy", if he is to be at all sophisticated, wearing a black wristwatch band, only dark brown or something else). Dark brown gloves, grey, or any of various other colours, were worn instead. Some of us still follow that rule.

Never knew that... I tried the look of dark brown gloves with black shoes and I fear I liked it!