What I Am Wearing

The Astaire by Gaziano & Girling is hands-down my all-time favorite spectator (co-respondent). Every different part of it was designed perfectly, particularly the facing, with all of it's beautiful curves. When I decided that I was going to get it, I was almost a bit nervous in deciding what colorway that I wanted it in. Not that it was frightening or anything, but as I love the shoe so much, I wanted to enhance it as best as I could with my color options. At first I thought a bit crazily, and wanted to do some strong contrasting, but in the end, I decided that having the two different leathers was all the contrast I needed. Therefore, why not pick my favorite color in two different shades? And I am sure glad that I did, because the end result has turned out to be better than I would have imagined and has created a shoe that I absolutely love! And if you are like me, as in you love a beautiful spectator, but have never found one that really did it for you, then look no further than the Astaire. After all, it is named after my all-time favorite style icon, Mr. Fred!

Shoes: Gaziano & Girling
Zip Sweater: Intimissimi
Trousers: H&M
Undershirt: Primark
Tie: Drakes

What I Am Wearing

Before coming to England, I can wholeheartedly admit that I did not have a clue about suits and good tailoring. I used to even work in a place that sold (what I believed to be) nice suits but after seeing the quality of the cuts and tailors here on the Row (as we snobs like to call it), I now realize that what I used to see in the States was like a top sirloin from the grocery store and now I am dabbling in the Kobe beef from a 5-star restaurant. It's absolutely amazing what a good tailor can not only do for your figure, but for your whole image, and here at Gieves, we have someone who is rumored to be among the best and considering some of the things that I have seen him do, I don't doubt it! And in this new found passion of mine (whereby I am selling my personal shoes to buy more suits), I have come to love a nice double-breasted suit. Something about it just really appeals to me even though I am quite sure that I may not have the stature for them, as I am not the tallest of guys. Nevertheless, I don't care and will continue to pick up more and more of them, in every color I can! I must admit though, that my next order of suiting, is unfortunately not a DB, but rather a lovely navy flannel, peak lapel, single button suit and I can't wait to get it!!

Shoes: J.FitzPatrick design, Gaziano & Girling produced
Suit: Gieves (older label)
Shirt: TK Maxx
Tie: Robert Talbott, Best Of Class

Shoes Of The Week - Laszlo Vass MTO Spectators

I absolutely love a nice spectator (co-respondent), and this my friends, is among the nicest that I have seen to this day. It doesn't surprise me either, as most of what I see coming out of the workshops of legendary Laszlo Vass, is nothing shy of spectacular. Having inspired a reader with another model presented on the blog, he went out and found someone who could produce exactly what he was looking for, and the outcome was these, something I am sure that the reader was very pleased with....as I sure know that I would be!! Black and gray, as paired colors, is such a lovely mix to me. Not only does it keep the elegance of the black (being dressy), but it also separates it from being too muted (as I feel black shoes generally are). For me, this shoe would be something that I would love to see at a black-tie event. Call me crazy, but this to me is elegance. Sure, you may find it flashy, but how lovely would these be with a nice black-tie suit, with some gray accents in the tie/shirt region? Maybe I am just strange....but this to me is the way the world should be....not so stuffy as it is now!

 

Shoes -- Part 2: Style Names & Terminology -- Derby's, Monk Straps & Others

With the second installment of 'Style Names & Terminology,' I will finish off laced shoes and monkstraps, before getting onto loafers and boots. As I mentioned the majority of oxford styles (or closed-lacing shoes) in Part 1, it is now time to introduce their counterparts and show the open-lacing models, as well as some of the other styles that I forgot. Enjoy!

Derby (Darby in England) AKA Blucher AKA Gibson (far less known): 

As you can see above, I started with what I believe is the most iconic derby in shoe history. And even though the model is not that old, once you see it, you know instantly who it is made by, as it was the first to start this two-eyed trend in derby history. This model that I am referring to, above, is made by Pierre Corthay and is called 'Arca.' Now derbies come in all shapes and designs, most of which, at least in my mind, take form within the more casual side of the footwear industry, as they are not as dressy as their counterpart, the oxford. This could be why I am so drawn to the model above, as it's cleanliness gave it a dress feel that most derbies just don't seem to possess. 

Top Left: Edward Green; Top Right: Gaziano & Girling
Bottom Left: Berluti; Bottom Right: Corthay

It is my general belief that the more eyelets (the holes punched for the laces) that a derby has, the more casual that it becomes. Something about the extended facing part of the quarter, just makes it look so much more cluttered and therefore less elegant, as opposed to the single eyelet plain-toe by Berluti, above left. To me, that is just as elegant, if not more, than a whole-cut oxford. The extension of the vamp leading almost up to the ankle, just gives off such a beautiful look. As you can see here, I went on the extreme of both ends, showing a 5 eye and a 1 eye derby, where I believe that you will find the majority of dress derbies will have 3 eyelets. And speaking of eyelets, I know that many people have a hard time knowing what shoe lace length to get for their shoes. So here is your model:

27-30 inch laces (67.5-75 cm) = 3-4 eyelets in shoe;    36 inches (90 cm) = 5-6 eyelets in shoe

Monk Straps:

Monk straps are the shoe style that I have not taken fully advantage of, and of which I desperately need to. I don't know why I don't own more because I really really like them, all of them, even the triple monk straps (see below). I particularly like this model, above, one that I believe was popularized by John Lobb. Having that galosh-like quality about it, it poses as a elegant alternative to the oxford. Many people will disagree, believing that the metal buckles take away from it's elegance, but in my opinion, it's quite the contrary, where I see laces as posing a bigger threat to elegance. That's not to say that I believe that loafers are the most elegant, as they have no laces, but between this side buckle monk strap and it's galosh-like counterpart oxford, I believe that this takes the cookie for being dressier. However, it is generally regarded (by most) that monk straps sit in middle of oxfords and derbies when it comes to the scale of dress appeal.

Single Monk At Very Top: Aubercy
Top Left & Middle Two: Bestetti
Top Right: Gaziano & Girling
Bottom Picture: Imai Hiroki

Spectators (Co-Respondents in England) AKA Two Tone's:

This style of shoe fits many different looks, color combinations and designs. Most likely, when you think about a spectator you probably picture the Barker Black golf shoe below, as this is something that I feel like is driven into the minds of people in the States. But for me, a spectator or co-respondent is a shoe that has two contrasting colors and/or even contrasting materials, say for instance leather and suede, such as the Gaziano & Girling below. This is a style that I am definitely no stranger to, as I love the mixture of colors, hence my infatuation with saddle shoes and galosh styles with opposing colors.

The spectator, according to Wikipedia, was claimed to be invented as a cricket shoe, by none other than John Lobb. The height of it's popularity grew until about the 20's & 30's, where it was a mainstream shoe, even worn by the likes of my sartorial role model, Fred Astaire. To this day, it's a model that remains in the seasonal line up, whether Church's, Crockett & Jones, Allen Edmonds or some other classic shoe brand is releasing it's latest model. And while I do own one of the classic full-brogue spectators, I prefer two-toned shoes in different manners, such as saddles, galosh styles and anything with multiple materials. Well that is it for this week. Stay tuned next week for all of the different types of loafers, there are many!


-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

1st Row (Both): Gaziano & Girling
2nd Row (Left to Right): Edward Green; Barker Black
3rd Row (Both): Jan Kielman
4th Row (L to R): Stefano Bemer; Imai Hiroki

Corthay 'Wilfred'

From self-taught shoe design to dabbling in pattern making, I have truly learned to love and appreciate the details and complexities of a shoe's style/pattern/design and how the most minute of details, can truly make one shoe stand out from another. Probably the shoe/style that I appreciate the most, out of every shoe that I have ever seen, is the Wilfred by Corthay. You may look at it and think that it's not that special and that many shoes have been designed just like it, but that is precisely what you should think, 'shoes that are kind of like it' but not exactly like it. The galosh look (having a separate piece leather starting at the facing and extending to the heel) is something that has been done by virtually every bespoke shoemaker, and has trickled down into their RTW line, to become a popular style that you see worn by many, think the Kent by G&G. But never before had someone altered the line, that goes from the bottom of the laces to the heel, to give it this detailed look of the outline of a bouncing ball, until Corthay.

As you can see by all of the pictures, a style, so simple in it's concept -- a two piece -- can literally create an unthinkable amount of pairings simply by altering the leather color and the material used, let alone all of the small things like lace & stitch coloring, as well as burnishing. What is impressive, is the fact that Pierre Corthay has actually created more color options in one style, than I have ever seen before in a dress shoe. The 'Wilfred' is like the Sperry A/O of dress shoes, done season after season, in an array of new color and material arrangements. And why not? When you have created such a signature shoe with a timeless style, such as this, it only makes sense to release it year after year, to give your dedicated shoe fans, not only a new aesthetic look but also a familiar feel. That's smart too, because many men don't like to shy away from familiarity, especially when they are handing over a $1000 per pair. They want to know that the shoe, in a break in or two, is going to fit like a glove, and not give some other model a chance at hurting their feet. But that is just some men.....

While I could probably write a 10-page essay on the Wilfred and it's greatness, which is impressive considering that I could never write longer than a page, in high school, without going mind blank, I will keep it short to not bore you. Probably the simplest yet most intriguing part of the Wilfred, is actually the stitching, that almost every oxford in the world has, which follows the line of the lacing, on the facing. You can see it best on the picture directly above. In most shoes, you will find that this will be slightly sloped, kind of giving some detail to the shoe, but never have I seen it with the effect of coming to a bottom point and then creating another semi-circle, kind of like a really curvy 'M.' But not only is it stitched quite uniquely, it also continues to follow the top stitch line, going all the way back to the heel. This again, is something that I have never seen, maybe because I was simply not paying attention, or maybe because Corthay, a true artist, understands that the minor details are what create masterpieces and was the first to do this..... But like with all masterpieces, they come at a cost, a very high one...

On another note, but also involving Corthay, is an event that he is hosting from July 10th, for 4 days, that some of you might be interested in.

"Imagined by the prestigious shoemaker Pierre Corthay to honour the “Compagnons du Devoir” and their unique skills, the Excellence Run aims at discovering the heritage of exceptional craftsmanship and at promoting the Masters of their art." -- Parisian Gentleman

To read the full article GO HERE

Pictures from many sources but mainly Leffot and L'Atelier Du Chausseur

All the best,

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"