light brown shoes with navy suit?

[Guest]

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?

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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...

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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.

[Guest]

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.