Shoe Of The Day

Trying to find a good looking "dress sneaker" is a tough thing to do. Although, the premium-leather sneaker idea is on the rise so now is the best time to find them. Every company is at least attempting to make a good contender. This one by John Lobb is pretty fantastic. It's simplicity yet sleek design makes it a great candidate for something that you could wear with shorts, jeans, casual and slim-fitted dress trousers. It's versatility is impressive as I am sure the price tag is too!! I love the color and the fact that it does not have any stitching around the toe area, giving it a very clean and sharp look. If only I could afford a pair, I would wear it with pride!!! Anyone else know of any good one's???

Silvano Sassetti

A common misconception in this world is that most brands make their own shoes. WRONG! On the contrary, most brands have lesser known factories produce their shoes for them. Silvano Sassetti happens to be one of these factories, one of the finest in Italy who has been producing shoes for the likes of many large and famous labels around the world since the mid-nineties. Having learned to make shoes from a master craftsmen in his teenage years, Silvano, with much hard work and dedication, grew to become a respectable shoemaker himself in 1977 with the opening of his personal label and small workshop. Continuing with his passion and determination, 1996 marked the year that Silvano was able to turn his small workshop into a respectable size factory in the village of Monte San Pietrangeli located in the Marche region of Italy. Today, the factory still stands and the magic of making beautiful shoes, continues!

http://www.sassettisilvano.it/

The Sassetti family has thus grown from the work of just Silvano to the addition of his two son's, Emanuele and Andrea who now oversee the creation of new ideas in styling and design. Together the three of them create the entire collection which includes shoes made by all of the various types of constructions: Classic Goodyear Welt, Norwegian, Black Stitched, Blake Rapid, Tubular Moccasin, Bologna and Cement. On top of all of these constructions, Silvano Sassetti also managed to create and patent a construction of his own, The Goodyear Flex. This takes the classic Goodyear construction that is usually very stiff in the beginning and allows it to be flexible from the first wear, creating immediate comfort and wear-ability. Another added value of the company is the de-coloring and re-coloring of their shoes (as you will see in the picture above, right), thus allowing each shoe to have it's own unique patina.

The Sassetti label makes shoes for the likes of: Ralph Lauren's Purple Label, Zegna's Zefer Label, Faconnable (France), Nordstrom (Silvano Sassetti Label) and Silvano Sassetti for Bergdorf Goodman. Their shoes are also found under the Sassetti label at various boutiques around Japan and used to make shoes for the likes of Tom Ford and Tod's. You can see that their range was vast and will only continue to get bigger and their Sassetti label becomes more known around the world. Directly below I have added a few of the shoes that you can find currently as various Nordstrom locations around the US as well as some others that are from upcoming and past collections. Their shoes are very comfortable, stylish and well made and if you are an avid shoe lover, than I suggest you find yourself a pair. You won't regret it!!

Here are some others that are from new and older collections:

http://www.sassettisilvano.it/

Shoe Of The Day

I love brogues and I especially like the one's by Paul Smith (as pictured above). This one here has a particularly unique color. You might think to call it light pink at first sight but in this picture it seems to have a fleshy, skin tone look. I can only imagine how hard it would be maintain it considering the slightest of dirt would surely stain. I would love to see it in person and if it is indeed pink, I would have to tip my hat to Paul Smith because I am usually not a fan of pink shoes but this I would for sure throw on with some jeans!

Shoe Of The Day

I have said it twenty times before and might just say it a million times more: DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!!! How cool are these shoes by Pierre Corthay? Laces matching the lining: Brilliant!! That is one thing that I love about French makers; they are not afraid to push the envelope and try things that you would normally not see. And because of that, the shoes they create end up being some of the most intriguing and unique shoes around. I would love to just try these things myself but have a hard time finding dress laces in bright and unique colors. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find these? I would love to get laces in every color!!

On a side note, sorry for the long wait in another full-length post. I have been on vacation for the past couple days, attending a wedding of a dear friend. I will be back on track next week. Thanks for your patience. Other good news is I received my visa to go back to Europe. This means that I will soon make another pair of shoes to share with all of you!!

Shoe Of The Day

What's crazy is the difference between what a brand will offer in America versus the rest of the world. When I see Sutor Mantellassi shoes here in the States, the majority of them are boring and plain with a couple of interesting one's that are unique and forward. But in Italy, it's the opposite, most of them are extremely cool and unique and only a couple are for the conservative bunch. I have seen what Japanese people like by the orders they made while with Stefano Bemer and some of them were outlandish to say the least but many of the shoes were actually very unique and well thought out giving me quite a curiosity to go to Japan just to see the difference in what is offered there versus the States and Europe. Needless to say when I saw this pair by Sutor, I could only imagine that they must have either been offered in Europe or Asia but I still have hope that one day a shoe like this will grace the shelf of some upcoming, brave store in America. I will just hope that it is in my lifetime!!

Shoe Of The Day

What more can I say: Classic shoe, great look, amazing color options!!! What is great about Sperry is their ability to always stay fresh, to create looks that last and come out with shoes that are versatile and stylish. These two models are from a collaboration with Band of Outsiders to create a unique line of Sperry like shoes with a different feel to their design. To see more of these go here: http://sperry.bandofoutsiders.com/

Wearing Athletic Shoes With Suits - NOT OKAY!!

This post is dedicated to my friend Joe Loeffler who absolutely hates it when he sees people committing this cardinal sin!!

Seriously, what is wrong with people. Have we lost all of our decency??? Why do so many people in this country who commute to work via public transportation wear their fucking running shoes until they get to their office? Are your dress shoes so uncomfortable that you just can't stand to wear them while you walk to your bus stop?? Are you wearing Bostonians or what? Go get some decent shoes that feel good because you look like a silly idiot with your clunky-ass Asics paired with your Hart Schaffner Marx suit!!! How many of you actually spend more than 2 hours of your day on your feet? Do you all have sensitive feet? Most of you sit at some desk and probably don't even need to lace your dress shoes for the majority of the day. Give me a break!!

Okay, maybe you live in some wet place and don't want to get your dress shoes ruined. Well, I am from Seattle, the wettest and most unpredictable place in this entire country. You can wake up with clear blue skies, 70 degree weather and then finish your day with hail the size of marbles pouring on your head while wind is blowing 40 mph, yet you would not catch me dead wearing my running or basketball shoes with my suits. Why? Because it looks fucking retarded and there are so many other ways to be comfortable while at the same time not look like I was raised under a rock without common sense. You could at least buy some galoshes and if you don't know what those are then read this.

If galoshes don't float your boat then at least wear some comfortable leather loafer with a rubber sole that at least could pass as a suitable shoe. I am not going to lie, I run around on my feet in my leather soled dress shoes for 8 hours a day, everyday and sometimes I need to change my shoes to take the bus home and I will tell you that I wear a pair of black suede Ecco loafers. Now they are not stylish by any means but they are not butt-ass ugly either and look 10 million times better than a running shoe and suit combo. They are the shoes I usually use to get gas, to go to the grocery store, you know, all of the stuff where I just need to slip something on and not care what it is. But they are comfortable and honestly look better with a suit then most of the shoes that Seattlites wear anyway with their suits and I don't give a shit if they get rained on, dirty or trashed.

Honestly, I am not some monster telling you to suffer through pain to look good but I am telling all of you who do this to find another way to be comfortable while at the same time maintaining a level of decency that could pass as respectable. A driving loafer is the perfect example of what would be comfortable but yet could pass as a decent commute-to-your-house-shoe!!! Go find a cheap pair and leave your running shoes for actual running!!

Shoe Of The Day

Like I have said before and like I will say again, detailing is what sets things apart in this world! Without those blue shoelace holders this would just be another nice suede dress boot. But with them, this boot by Rivolta is simply amazing!! My only wonder is whether or not the owner (author of blog Permanent Style, which is a great read for style knowledge and advice) tucks his jeans in when he wears them so that he can show the details that set his boots apart from the rest? Somehow I doubt it though!

For those that don't know, Rivolta is an older shoe company out of Milan who was having their shoes made by Stefano Bemer when I worked for him and by the look of these boots is still having them made by Bemer. Since their collaboration it seems that they have been expanding their business and I only hope to see them in the States sometime soon!

Shoe Of The Day

This shoe, by Alfred Sargent, is simply amazing!!! I love the idea of purple suede and it's not very often that you see a shoe made in this color. Could you imagine pairing that with some jeans or a gray suit? That would be a site to see. I myself have a pair of burgundy/purple velour loafers by Ferragamo (that I will show in another post) but the vibrancy of the color is nowhere near as vivid as these! For those that don't know, Alfred Sargent is a very respectful shoe company that hails from England and was recently introduced into the American consumer market thanks to Leffot in New York City. I would say, go get yourself a pair of these but I know that purple is not the easiest color to pull off when it comes to shoes but if you ever find yourself with the spare money and see a shoe in purple that you like, BUY IT!!!! You will find that it goes with more than you think and you will receive lots of compliments, so long as you pull it off right!

What They Are Wearing In Italy

Considering that the majority of influence in the fashion world stems from Italy I decided that it would be an intelligent idea to periodically update everyone on what is going on in Italy i.e. what they are wearing when it comes to their shoes and the region around their shoes (pants, socks etc.). You may wonder: Why are Italians so great when it comes to certain things, for instance; creating an outfit? You would never know unless you heard from someone else or lived there for some time. They are such a nonchalant race in which they make everything look so easy yet they have still managed to create some of the best art, clothing, food and cars the world has ever known. In my opinion, they are this gifted due to their idea of appreciation.

















Picture At Top Courtesy Of: The Fashionist
Pictures Above Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist

When most Italians do something, they want to appreciate it to it's fullest extent. When they have a drink, they want to sip it, taste it, cherish it and appreciate it's existence. They don't just gulp it down like much of the rest of the world. They same goes for food, clothing, cigarette's, walks, the weather etc. Everything they do, they think about doing it in the best way possible, savoring it, appreciating it, maximizing it's potential and ultimately creating the best possible outcome from it. The easiest way to see this in person is to have a nice, big lunch with an Italian family: Un bel pranzo! To the way they cook the food and how the table is set, perfectly with the different waters (sparkling or flat)and the different wines (red or white) and to everything all carefully planned out, you will notice that everything becomes picture perfect with not one thing out of place or of no use.


























Pictures Above Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist

To get back on track with the post at hand, you will notice that this art of appreciation allows them to create things with their outfits or do/wear things that you might not ever find flattering, but looks damn great on them. For instance, white pants! According to these pictures by The Sartorialist and The Fashionist, it would seem that there are several different themes going on this year: 1. Wearing white pants with suede shoes and 2. Wearing loafers and no socks with your outfit, weather it be with jeans, trousers or a full on suit. Like I said before, how many people wear white pants? Not many!! It takes a certain individual of extreme confidence and style to pull them off and yet they do it so casually and make it look pretty much effortless!! Now obviously this is not the first time they have worn these themes but according to the grapevine and all of the pictures on the net it seems that these two trends seem to be appearing quite heavily this year. And why not? It looks great if you can pull it off. I, personally, am not a fan of doing either one very often but I would definitely utilize both looks if the proper occasions presented themselves.

























Pictures Above Courtesy Of: The Fashionist

I look at these Italians and others who live in Italy and think that if they can do it, why can't we? Why do Americans continue to follow these disgusting trends that make us look like morons or complete insecure individuals like those who are pushing 50 still trying to dress like they are 23? I will say it again, I love my country and my fellow Americans, but I absolutely hate the majority of our sartorial decisions. Maybe I am thinking from only one direction considering that, thankfully, I was blessed with some sense of style and I guess that others may not be so fortunate. But I wasn't always the most stylish, it took lots of observation and experimentation to become who I am and I feel like anyone else can do it too!! It just takes effort. Maybe we are just lazy, I could definitely believe that. Our lack of caring for fashion and looking sharp paired with our laziness and desire to spend an entire day playing video games may continue to cripple our society of the possibility of ever being considered well dressed. How sad..........













Pictures Above Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist

Picture Of The Day

To me, this is how people should dress: ELEGANTLY!!! I love how Ferragamo portrayed the people who wear their clothing in this ad. While the man looks all slicked-up in his suit, he manages to still keep his air of masculinity. He does this without dressing overly 'pretty' or 'flamboyant' which is great. His outfit is straightforward, good looking and simple. He makes it look so easy and really, it is. The hardest thing about dressing like that, is actually being able to afford it. Yet, there are so many people who actually can afford it but prefer to wear their Asics running shoes with their slacks. Why? I just don't get it!

The woman looks great! Being sexy without having to flaunt it is the best thing a woman can do for her attraction level to skyrocket, at least in my opinion. She hits the nail on the head with her simple, white 'look'. While I feel like the world is somewhat heading this direction, I know that we have a LONG way to go. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see ads like this that give hope to how we could be if we all put a little more effort into presenting ourselves tastefully!!