What I Am Wearing

For those that have been big time followers of my blog, you will know that I used to do a post called, "My Shoes," of which I wanted to give you all a chance to see the shoes that I, the self-proclaimed 'Shoe Snob', own and allow you all to critique me. But no one did so and I could not be bothered to constantly have to pick a different shoe to wear just to take a picture of. Plus, maybe you all don't care about my 100+ shoes. Therefore, I have decided to change it up a bit. I figured that since I put of loads of colorful and quirky shoes up on my blog, and it may not be the easiest thing to justify not only owning but buying these types of shoes, that I would show all of you my outfits 2-3 times a week so see how I do it. Therefore, for those of you who wish to branch out of the realm of wearing just black shoes, I can hopefully provide you with a visual stepping-stone to do so. I hope that you all enjoy my outfits. Please feel free to comment, even if negative.

Shoes: Gieves & Hawkes loafers by Edward Green with patina done by Paulus Bolten
DB Jacket: Vintage
Pants: H&M
Shirt: Primark
Bow-tie: Gieves & Hawkes

Shoes -- Part 2: Style Names & Terminology -- Brogues

The term, brogue, is a word that can describe many many styles of shoe within the shoe realm. It is because of this that it is commonly misused and due to this misconception, I wanted to dedicate an entire post on brogues and what they really are. First off, let me start by saying that a brogue can be used to describe any shoe that has perforations in it (little holes). Because it ranges in such depth, you might find that the term can sometimes be confusing and attributed incorrectly. Therefore, let us begin the brogue education. The word brogue was first heard and used by the Scottish and the Irish in the late 16th century. But it was not until later that it became something that was used to describe shoes. As you may think of it now, a brogue in it's original use, also had holes in it, but they were actually functional, being that they used to drain the water that would get in a person's shoes, from walking across a wet terrain. Up until the early 1900's they were still considered a very casual shoe. It was not until later that they became what they are today: a super-hip dress shoe!

Full Brogues:

Full brogues, as shown above and directly below, are categorized by several things. First and foremost, they must have a wing-cap toe. Without this, it is not a full brogue, it will be called something else, of which I will get to below. The second thing is that you will find that full brogues will have each of the 5 pieces to the upper: cap, vamp, facing, quarter and counter (in case this is your first time reading, I described all of these here). It will always be the shoe with the most amount of perforations. Now, there are several shoes that may look like a full-brogue but will not be, because they won't have these 5 pieces, such as the Brummell shoe by Edward Green. While I find this shoe much more appealing than a full-brogue, it sadly is not considered one, as it does not consist of all of the necessary components to make it so. Full brogues, however, are in my opinion the most well rounded shoes in dress shoe history, as they can look good with everything, from suits to jeans. This is obviously subjective, but can easily be proven by putting together the proper outfits. Now this can be up for debate, but I was always under the impression that a full brogue needed to be an oxford and not a derby, which would therefore categorize the picture below the 2 directly under this writing to be a semi brogue. However, this I am not 100% sure about.

Semi Brogues (AKA Half Brogues):

Semi brogues are the full brogues cousin. They can look exactly like a full brogue except that they will have a cap toe (as opposed to a wing cap) and also have a medallion (decorative perforations) on the toe. This is a very common shoe in the business industry as a cap toe generally denotes a business setting. Obviously though, you won't find too many spectators, such as the one above, in the corporate environment. On that note, you will notice that a spectator, which is a style of shoe, can also fall under the brogue category as well as something else, like just calling it a cap-toe or a wingtip. All of these style names, as you can see, can sometimes be interrelated.

Quarter Brogues:

As you can somewhat see, the lesser down we go, the less perforations you will find in the shoe, and the more dressier the shoe will be. Quarter brogues seem to be far less common, at least from what I notice, especially in comparison to the full-brogue, which are among the most common of shoe styles. Quarter brogues are certainly not among the most stylish, when it comes to design, and maybe therefore this is the reason why I don't notice them as much. They dwell in appreciation of being simplistic and are therefore used as a conservative shoe for conservative occasions, such as working in the financial district. You will find that the majority of quarter brogues are going to have a cap toe. It will be uncommon for you to find a wing tip quarter brogue, as most designers seemed to be inclined to add all of the other pieces to the vamp when designing a wing cap shoe. But this is just my theory, let me grab my pen and paper and see how it actually looks! You will also notice that it must have not have a medallion on the toe, or else it becomes a semi brogue.

Longwing Brogue:

Ahh, the longwing brogue. This is the shoe most loved by Americans and American shoe companies. I was actually going to try and fill this entire post up with Edward Green's but just realized that of course, they don't a make a longwing brogue, at least not that I have ever seen. That being, I must give it up to the longwing master, Alden, as pictured below. The longwing derives it's name from the fact that the wing cap, instead of ending at the joints of the foot, extend all the way back to the heel, creating a long-wing-cap AKA longwing. You really don't see this shoe made too much outside of American shoe companies, with the exception of maybe trickers. I don't know why really? Maybe because they are generally made in a bulky fashion, but I must say that they can look good with a nice pair of jeans.

Top Two Pictures (directly above): Alden, Bottom Picture: Tricker's

All Other Pictures: Edward Green

Some Pictures Provided By: Leffot & Leather Soul

While there are many other shoes that have perforations on them, such as a monk brogue, it is pretty easy to understand what they might be labeled, or in actuality the fact that they might simply just fall under the casual title of 'brogue,' and truly not have a proper style name. Well, it's been a long one and I need to go and enjoy what's left of the sun, so until next time, enjoy the post!

Sincerely,

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Shoes Of The Week - Edward Green Brummell

As a lover of brogues, I must say that to this day I have not seen one that I like more than the Brummell, by Edward Green. Named after the well known dandy of the early 20th Century, Beau Brummell, this model of shoe, has taken the idea of the full brogue, but has altered it ever so subtly to create something that is not only unique, but in my opinion a lot more elegant, as it captures the curves of the last shape ever so much better. Late last year, Edward Green re-released this model as a mark of their 120th anniversary, only supplying the world with a selected amount. It makes me sad that this is not a model that you can just buy at any time, as for me, I would prefer it all day, everyday over the traditional full brogue. But I guess such is life and in fact makes this model that much more special...

While I am not sure about this, I am hoping that they will still make MTO requests for this shoe, because this will be the model that I will want to buy, when I am able to afford a pair. As I stated in my post, 3 Piece Suits & Edward Green's, there are two things that I have been yearning for since I began to appreciate style, and as I am waiting for my MTM 3 piece suit to arrive, the only thing that is left, is a pair of Edward Green Brummell's!

Shoes Of The Week - Edward Green

It doesn't get much better than an Edward Green spectator (or correspondent as they say here in England). What I love about Edward Green's version is the fact that they don't necessarily use white as the contrasting color (or any other color for that matter), they tend to use suede, which due to it's texture gives off the look of another color, even if the swatch was to have the calfskin be the same colorway as the suede. Hopefully that was not too confusing. But as you can see above, that is a midnight blue calf with a navy (or midnight blue) suede and they look like very different colors but they are actually comparable, just that the suede's texture provides a different appeal to the eye in terms of look and color. For me, it still gives it that spectator feel but it is not as loud as a white contrasting one would be. That way, it's more versatile. I still have yet to get a pair of Edward Green shoes, now that I am here in England, but I will do and until then will just keep admiring them!

Today's Favorites - Brogues

Two Pairs Above: Alden (Pictures Courtesy Of: Leather Soul)

Two Pairs Above: Edward Green  (Pictures Courtesy Of: Leffot)

Two Pairs Above: Stefano Bemer

There is something about brogues that just makes them absolutely timeless.... If I tried to create a reason to make that prior statement valid, I would just be uttering subjective beliefs. But even though, me stating this, makes it subjective, I truly feel that at the same time it is true, very true for that matter, as a fact. There is something so magical about them that just draws you in. Every time I see a pair, my eyes are drawn to it, no matter if it is being worn by a man or woman. The holes punched in the leather are just so intriguing and unique and I find it absolutely amazing of how they came to be and how they have evolved (For history read here). And their evolution has been recreated by every single shoemaker known to man. The 'brogue' is a style that every shoe company will make, guaranteed! It just makes sense to. Most people love them, as they should. There is not a shoe more versatile, period. So today, I will pay homage, to what I will say is tied for my favorite style ever (along with saddles) and make it known that brogues are timeless -- FACT!

Customer's Shoes - And My Shine

Working my concession at Gieves & Hawkes for the last 2 months now, has brought me a few shoes to shine. Unfortunately, most of them are boring black shoes, the typical London businessman type. Not that I am complaining, because some shoes are better than no shoes but it's always nice to get something different. So when I finally did have a customer that gave me something a little out of the ordinary (and right up my alley), I was eager to see what I could do for them. The first pair that you see above and directly below were actually a pair of my co-workers shoes: a green, braided tassel loafer. My friend being kind of a dandy, wanted me to add a little bit of color to them. So I thought that I would add some blue to really bring out a nice patina. Unfortunately I completely forgot to take a 'before' picture, but as you can imagine, they had lost of lot of their life and looked pretty dull, before I laid my hands on them.

 

The two directly above are shoes that a wonderfully dressed gentleman from Greece, who happened to be passing through London and managed to stumble upon my service, dropped off for me, to give them my 'artisan mirror shine.' When I received these, I was quite eager to see the end results. It truly makes a huge difference in how a shoe turns out by the quality of the leather and considering that the shoes on the left were a lovely pair of chukka boots by Edward Green and the one's on the right were a pair of bespoke shoes from makers (whom I do not know of?? -- Correction: look at the first comment for info) in Rome, I was in for a treat! 

 

Thankfully they turned out quite well, as you can see, and the customer was so pleased that he also left me to do his Edward Green "Shannon" boots, that were just to die for!! It was so nice to see what a polish can do for a color that is not black. It can truly transform the shoe! While none of the shoes that I shined looked bad when I got them, they sure looked amazing when I was done with them (not to toot my own horn) and that was thanks to the lovely wax polish that I use and the wonderfully great leather that I was working with. The only downfall to giving shines to beautiful shoes, is the amount of jealousy I feel afterward, knowing that I do not get to keep the shoes! I await the day I am brought a pair of Corthay shoes.....

Before:

After:

P.S. The smudge-looking thing on the picture above, near the stitching, was not actually there, it must be some effect of the lighting couple with the flash from my camera.

Today's Favorites - Edward Green

Green nubuck is not something that you see often, but is surely appreciated when you do! These two pairs, by Edward Green, are amazing to say the least. And while I am not crazy about the penny loafer I would probably buy and wear it just for the fact that it is green nubuck and you know damn sure that you won't see anyone else on the street with a similar pair. I have to give it to Edward Green, as always, for being innovative yet classic, and forever creating shoes that are fresh and unique. Could you just imagine wearing one of these shoes with a crisp pair of jeans? Picture perfect!!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Tassels of Hong Kong

On The Way To Lorsdship: Edward Green's & Three-Piece Suits

 
There are two things, both quintessentially British, that I have always wanted but have never come across the perfect opportunity of getting. When I say this, I mean in the sense that all the pieces of the puzzle did not fit. While I have never been rich, there were definitely times where I may have been able to splurge on some Edward Green's offered on eBay or something of the sort. But simply buying them in the States at retail price might set you back at least $1000 and unfortunately I never wanted to use my limited disposable income on something that costly. The same goes for a three-piece suit. Many a time, there were opportunities but the suit was off or the price just did not correlate with my net cash flow. But now that I live in England and earn in the British Pound, things are going to change!

I always tell my wife (jokingly), "now that we live in England, I want to work my way up to Lordship like Lord Alan Sugar". Considering that I am not British there is no way this will ever happen, unless of course I follow in Schwarzenegger's footsteps and sell 20 billion British Pounds worth of movie tickets. Only then, as we did in America, might they appoint a non-national to a seat with the knights of the round table. But until then, I can at least look the part by getting my hands on these two quintessentially British, staple pieces of the stylish man's wardrobe! My biggest dilemma will be deciding which Edward Green shoes I want to buy, because I am in love with like 50 of them! I at least know that since they offer shoes in the colors of midnight and olive, the shoe (or boot) that I do get will be in one of those colorways.

A nice three-piece suit is something that I have always been enamored with, particularly a heavy tweed, prince of wales type. But it is one of those things that needs to be perfect, you know! And almost more importantly then style and look, all of the details and fit need to be spot on. Because of this, I have come to the conclusion that due to my pickiness, I am going to have to go down the MTM (made-to-measure) route. You might ask, why not go bespoke then? Well, I am still not rich, at least not yet! And to be quite frank, if I did have that kind of money to make a one time purchase, it would be on shoes, hence the blog title. While it still might be a little bit down the road that I actually acquire both of these things, I can feel their presence gravitating closer to me. And you can believe that when I do get them, I will post many pictures of the two put together!!