A Penny for Your Thoughts...

Hello again! Today's piece (as an armchair journalist or columnist or whatever I am, I figure I can get away with calling my writings "pieces") concerns yet another wardrobe staple: the versatile penny loafer. Penny loafers as we know them today are an American evolution of the Norwegian leisure slippers of decades past. A brief history may not be neccessary, but I'm going to provide a short lesson regardless. Here we go...
Moccasin style leisure slippers were a popular production in Norway in the 1930's.
The Norwegians began exporting their unique shoes to the rest of Europe where they were adopted by visiting Americans and then introduced to the states by the American Esquire magazine.

In 1934, G.H. Bass (then a boot maker in Wilton, Maine) started making loafers marketed as "Weejuns" (a play on "Norwegians"). Bass made popular a strip of leather across the saddle with a diamond cut-out. Initially only worn in the summer at home, the shoe grew in popularity in America to become a significant part of men's casual shoe wardrobe. The loafers became more of a mainstay of the American wardrobe than they ever were in Europe.

Eventually American ingenuity inspired prep. school students to make use of the diamond shaped cutout atop the shoe. Aside from making a fashion statement, a dime placed in the cutout also assured that the price of a phone call was always at the wearers... er... fingertips (well, close enough). As the price of phone calls went up, pennies replaced dimes to maintain the fashion-statement while shelling out less coin, and eventually, the practice was abandoned altogether. The shoes, however, were not (nor was the term "penny loafer," a description which is still common today).

The penny loafer has remained a versatile shoe that can be dressed up or down, looking equally at home with a sport coat or blazer, white oxford-cloth-button-down, and dress trousers (Miles Davis became known for this look), or a white tee with jeans (James Dean invented this look, but in photo 2, borrows Davis's aforementioned ensemble). The shoes can be worn sockless in the summer and with socks in the cooler seasons. I'd say pair them with anything in between athletic wear and a suit on the formality spectrum.

My loafers (pictured in photo 1) are made by Allen Edmonds, a brand who's consistant quality and American provenance I adore, but many makers produce the penny loafer. G.H. Bass still makes their Weejuns in several price-ranges with variations on some of the more minor details, and while my Allen Edmonds are not an inexpensive pair of shoes, French shoemaker J.M. Weston's basic penny loafers start at about twice their price.
All of these options look very similar. All of them are just as versatile, and all of you can afford a pair.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Seeing Red, Part 2

Well here they are, in the flesh. These shoes fit true to size, and are very, very comfortable. The insole, shown in photo 2, has the perfect amount of padding and provides an excellent cushioning effect when walking. The suede uppers are soft and supple. All-in-all, a great bang for the buck.

I did shorten the laces, which were quite long, and I still feel the need to take them out and dye them red. The contrast of the white lace on the soft red upper may appeal to some, but I believe I'd like a more uniform appearance.
The red of the shoes is a nice balance between brick red and pink; my one reservation about dying the white leather laces is that they may turn out more pink looking, and therefore upset the balance of the overall shoe color.

The pebbled soles of the shoes, similar in appearance to those of Tod's (despite the absence of a few "pebbles"), provide excellent traction on slightly uneven ground. Granted, these are not an "outdoor" shoe, but the presence of a rubber sole makes wearing the shoes outside safer on the suede.

I look forward to peoples' reactions to these shoes. I'm sure I'll enjoy experimenting with appropriate pairings and discovering ways to wear them. If the red driving shoe is for you, my thoughts are that you will be well pleased with the price, quality, and comfort of this pair.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Seeing Red: The Red Driving Loafer (part 1)

I have a pair of driving mocs in chocolate brown suede. I picked them up from Banana Republic about a year ago. They are constructed rather well, except for the fact that the man-made insole causes one's feet to sweat and slide around in the shoe when going sockless. The problem was solved by purchasing some of the small loafer booties offered by such retailers as Banana Republic or Journey's (although Target sells them for a much lower price in the women's hoisery department, in a large size that accomodates a male foot). The lesson learned here was to buy a loafer with a soft leather insole: no sweating, and consequently, no sliding.

In the Spring of this year, Esquire magazine published their now semi-annual Big Black Book of men's style, and featured a driving loafer in a spread about Italian style (pictured, left). What got my attention about these loafers was their color. Bright red. Nice. After several months of not being able to forget how freakin' cool these looked, I decided I had to get a pair. Suddenly, a new problem presented itself: $$$$$$! The Car Shoe brand driving loafers featured in Esquire go for $420 bucks! Major drat. I looked around and found that Tod's makes a pair as well. $450 bucks! While I may have some $400 shoes in my closet, none of them have a novelty element to them (such as a bright red finish) that would limit my ability to wear them with everything. I'm willing to fork out some coin for versatility, but I can't justify such an expense on a driving moc.


Then, I found these (photo 2). Shoe manufacturer Born makes a red driving loafer (the Lynch) for just a value meal over $100. SOLD! These have an attractive appearance, a leather insole, and are constructed using the Opanka hand-sewn technique, where the upper, the padding, and insole are sewn together in a single process. Sounds good to me.

Now these shoes have been featured on some other blogs; most notably Tweed & Velvet (there is a link in my Blog List), and I haven't received mine yet, so after they arrive I promise a review. One thing that I may do is remove the laces and dye them red for a more uniform appearance... I think the white laces may be slightly distracting from the overall effect. We shall see. It's nice to have the prospect of a comfortable pair of driving shoes. If these work well, I may have to invest in some of the other color options that Born has available. The navy pair looks nice too. Check out the available Lynch models on Born's website, through the link here.
http://tinyurl.com/born-lynch


Until next time,
Cheers!
Paul