The London Lounge

I have warn caramel shoes with navy suits. While black looks fine with such suits, and I am with Manton, there is something jaring about black shoes with odd jackets, I thought caramel looked great with the suits. Does anyone say I am wrong?

They're fine with certain tweeds and with light coloured summer suits.

I do not like light colored shoes with a dark suit.

Light brown shoes upset the color and tonal setting of a dark colors of the suit.

The wearing of light shoes with a dark suit seems to be a bit popular with some clothing salesman in NYC, however, it never looked right to me.

I love brown shoes with a navy suit! Italians have always worn it - so - do it!

Never cared for the look. I do believe that shoes are generally best at least one shade darker than trousers. Light brown shoes don't really fit that scheme except for tan/cream/white/sherbet kinds of trousers.

But you do see that look a lot on Italians. So not everyone agrees with me.

I've always been partial to brown/cordovan with a navy suit. Black shoes with a navy suit is a bit too...cumbersome, sad, heavy, etc. to my aesthetic taste.

It easier, much easier to get away with light brown shoes with a darkish grey suit, than with a darkish navy.

With a lighter blue, or blue/grey, caramel shoes look fantastic...

Where is the old guy like in the beer commercial who hits the gavel and says "MAN RULE!"

It is important not to mix up two issues: rules and aesthetics.

In certain environments / locations brown is not commonly worn for business, or in the evening. That does not affect whether it may look good or not.

In terms of looks, the art education I slept through at school insinuated something about complimentary colours: the more opposite two colours are on a circle showing the three basic colours (yellow, red, blue) and their combinations, the larger the contrast. Blue is a basic colour. Brown is not, it is a mixture of yellow, red and black (a non-colour, together with white). Pale tan is rather close to orange, and this is exactly opposite a dark blue with a hint of red. So this is a very strong contrast, and that is what makes it stand out.

A dark brown with navy, or a tan with grey are alternatives that are less contrasting. Therefore easier on the eye.

Unless you have a very strong visual imagination and are generally apt at colour combination, I advise to pull out several shades in the morning and trust your intuition what looks best. My personal view is that a darker, more deep and sedate brown looks better with navy than a bright tan.

TVD

Yes, to a mid-brown (or darker) with a navy suit. No, to caramel/tan with a navy suit.

On the other hand, I've begun to appreciate the lighter brown colors having come across an EG recently in the color , I believe , called Edwardian (a lighter shade of Chestnut).

This color highlighted the magnificent details of the Ecton which I was admiring.

But I would save this shade of light brown for Summer wear and only with lighter colored suits or trousers.

It would take a bit of getting use to transition from darker browns to this light shade but I think that a darker brown swallows up a shoe's details while the lighter shade really does display the shoe brilliiantly.

Anonymous wrote:It is important not to mix up two issues: rules and aesthetics.

In certain environments / locations brown is not commonly worn for business, or in the evening. That does not affect whether it may look good or not.

In terms of looks, the art education I slept through at school insinuated something about complimentary colours: the more opposite two colours are on a circle showing the three basic colours (yellow, red, blue) and their combinations, the larger the contrast. Blue is a basic colour. Brown is not, it is a mixture of yellow, red and black (a non-colour, together with white). Pale tan is rather close to orange, and this is exactly opposite a dark blue with a hint of red. So this is a very strong contrast, and that is what makes it stand out.

A dark brown with navy, or a tan with grey are alternatives that are less contrasting. Therefore easier on the eye.

Unless you have a very strong visual imagination and are generally apt at colour combination, I advise to pull out several shades in the morning and trust your intuition what looks best. My personal view is that a darker, more deep and sedate brown looks better with navy than a bright tan.

TVD

I am quoting this post so that people will read it again. There is much in good advice here.

I think that the above gave good advice.
I believe that one should choose whatever suits him.
Most of the time rules can be bent for some very profitable results.
Especially when you're trying to elevate the way a Man dresses.

I only wear them on less formal occasions but ginger suede looks great with a navy suit. They combination does however break the general rule that an individual item of clothing should not stand out.