The Buck Stops Here!

Yes, yes: I know. A cheesy title. But c'mon! It ought to be expected given the topic of today's post. As spring approaches I find myself getting excited about breaking out wardrobe items that haven't seen the sunlight in the past six months. I enjoy the opportunity to lighten up a bit and embrace the coming warmth of early spring. One way to do so is with the proper shoes. I suggest these; classic nubuck oxfords.

Nubuck is top-grain cattle rawhide leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein fibers, producing a velvet-like surface. It is resistant to wear, and may be white or colored. I don't own a pair of white bucks. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for a pair as they look pretty sharp, but to me, the white buck works best as a summer shoe. They seem most apt for the blazing heat of months like July and August.  The tan bucks, which I own (shown, available at Brooks Brothers), are a bit more versatile and look perfect from late winter to early fall.

They can be worn with almost anything, from a rugged workingman ensemble to a blazer or sport coat and  khakis. I don't know of any type of shoe that can so easily bridge the gap between blue collar and dressy. The reason, perhaps, is that nubuck is similar to suede, which I generally think of as being more delicate and refined. The difference is that suede is created from the inner side of a hide, whereas nubuck is created from the outer side of a hide, giving it more strength and thickness along with a fine grain. It is generally more expensive than suede, and must be coloured or dyed heavily to cover up the sanding and stamping process. Because of the strength of nubuck over suede, it can take one hell of a beating and wears like iron, but it preserves the aesthetic of a suede shoe.

The signature orange rubber sole of a pair of bucks flashes just enough color to draw the eyes of passersby, adding a little bit of "look at me" appeal to an otherwise conservative piece of footwear. What more can you ask for in a shoe? Versatility, durability, timeless style and classic good looks? I'd say you'll quickly run out of reasons not to go a grab yourself a pair. Mine are from Brooks Brothers, but J. Crew, L.L. Bean, Bass, Sperry Topsider and countless other makers offer a stylish nubuck oxford. Hope to see some on the streets this spring and summer!

Cheers,

Paul

(photo at left, from The Sartorialist)

Anniversary Post, January 16th, 2010... (and Sneakers!)

Hello all. Today is the one year anniversary of the creation of this blog! The content has at times drifted from the original idea of providing information and photos of local sartorialists and fashion lovers and has become more dedicated to tips, trends, and staples, but I appreciate those who have stuck with me all year. Nikki: you were my first follower who encouraged me to post often. If you're still reading, thank you. I felt that the anniversary date required a little bit of recognition, but I'm not going to wax sentimental here and wear you all out by turning nostalgic. We have a style blog to write!

Today we're talking sneakers. For a while now, magazines such as Esquire and GQ (and Details, I'm sure) have featured the occasional photo of a suit paired with sneakers. I am often asked by people that I meet, after mentioning that I write and consult about style, what things can be done to bring an edge to otherwise conservative dress. This, my friends, is one of them. Pair sneakers with a suit or sport jacket.

Now, I'm not going to discuss ad nauseum the multitude of ways to pair sneakers with different articles of more formal attire, but be it with a suit, khakis and a blazer, jeans and a sport coat or what have you, I will say this: Think minimalism. Think classic. Think simple. Go for a sneaker with history, like Converse All Stars (pictured) or Jack Purcell's (J. Crew offers a "broken-in" Jack Purcell), Keds Champions, or Adidas Stan Smith's. Each of these models has been around for decades and have remained relatively unchanged. Avoid bright and loud colors. Go for something in a neutral, respectable color, such as navy blue, white, or bisque (leave day-glo to Kanye West). And be respectful... this is not a look for church, business, or funerals, no matter how fancy the sneakers. It's still a sneaker. This is a night out look. A casual Friday look... an MTV music awards look... you get the drift.

Common Projects (favored by well-dressed crooner Justin Timberlake and blatant tool-fop rapper Kanye West) offers a boutique line of sneakers based off of many of the classic designs mentioned above. The Converse All Stars in the picture, however, cost about $300 less than a pair of Common Projects. Buy according to your budget (I sure did)! In terms of pairings, start with khakis and a blazer. Pretend that you are Owen Wilson's character in The Wedding Crashers, enjoying some of Christopher Walken's New England hospitality. Pretend that you have a weekend party in the Hamptons... whatever. If you can make the sneakers work with khakis and a blazer, only then should you move on to suits. REMEMBER THAT, and YOU'LL DO FINE!!!
Thanks for a great year.

Cheers,
-Paul

Shoe Grooming

If anyone out there is a self-professed "shoe queen" (believe it or not, Arnold Schwarzenegger has defined himself with this term), than the importance of shoe maintenance is obvious. Caring for one's shoes prolongs the service life of the footwear. Polishing alone, however, does not actually do the trick. A woman who puts makeup on her face everyday is going to suffer from horrendous skin problems if she does not wash her face and apply moisturizer prior to "putting on her face" and after er... taking it off again at day's end.

Awkward analogies aside, proper cleaning and moisturizing of our leather shoes will keep them feeling softer, looking new longer, and prevent drying and cracking, insuring years of comfortable wear (providing that they're not crappy shoes made of highly lacquered corrected-grain leather... in which case this post can be disregarded; the lacquer won't let the conditioner absorb).

What I suggest to you gentlemen, and ladies who may be reading, is that one use a leather conditioner on his or her shoes to clean and moisturize the leather. Meltonian Leather Balm and Kiwi Leather Lotion (pictured) are great choices. Use is simple: work small amounts into the leather with soft cloth. Allow to absorb for a few minutes. Buff. It's that simple. Afterward the leather will be softer and exhibit a soft lustre. One can polish afterward if one so desires, but it may not even be necessary. Best judgement is the key.

Obviously, doing this often will give the best results, but it's relatively easy and a relatively quick

process. Trust me. The shoes pictured here are the same Ferragamos from the last post, although they are now shown after using Kiwi Leather Lotion and no polish. Looks good, if you ask me. And even if you didn't ask... you are reading my blog.

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

When eBay Goes Right!

I thought I'd share with you one of the joys of eBay: taking a risk and completely scoring. I found these shoes on eBay in my size, crafted by none other than premier Italian shoe maker Salvatore Ferragamo. Online they looked like hell, but knowing Ferragamo's reputation for using high quality soft, buttery leather for their shoes, I figured that a little conditioning would go a long way.

I was looking for a pair of simple medium-brown cap-toes and these fit the bill to a T, but they definitely looked like they had quite a few miles on them. The soles, however, seemed to be very much intact without any spots of highly concentrated wear; one of my specifications when buying shoes on eBay is that I need not resole them.

There were some spots on the leather and the pictures showed what appeared to be heavy creasing, but again with buttery glove-grade leather, creases are not at all the end of the world. When I received them I was very optimistic. The shoes needed new laces, a spare pair of which I had on hand. Prior to re-lacing them I applied two coats of a brown cream polish and let each coat soak in for 30 minutes, buffing in between each coat. I then applied two coats of Kiwi neutral wax polish for a nice shine (again buffing between each coat). Cedar shoe trees and a couple of wears with newly conditioned leather knocked the heavy creases right out. Before (top) and after (bottom) pictures are shown here.

These shoes appear to be from Ferragamo's upper mid-line, and would have originally retailed for somewhere in the neighborhood of $550 to $595. On eBay, shipping included, I paid less than 10% of that price. This goes to show that the higher the quality of a used item, the easier restoration will be. I am very proud of the way these fantastic shoes turned out. They fit like a second skin. The leather is amazingly soft and supple. I could play baseball in them if I wanted to, remaining comfortable through all 9 innings. Take a risk with something truly fantastic at a thrift store or on eBay. You may find something that is (or that can be conditioned to be) as good as new while still being kind to your wallet. Enjoy the search!

Until next time,

Cheers.

-Paul

Making Your Skin Crawl

Hello again; pardon the sebatical! The week has been quite busy. I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Today we're talking belts. I used to think that a man needed only one belt in his wardrobe: a reversible belt, brown on one side and black on the other, with a swiveling buckle allowing for an easy change between colors. Then, my shoe wardrobe began to expand, and I realized that different shades of brown required different belts. There is no way for one to appear as if he knows how to dress when his chocolate-brown wingtips are paired with with reversible belt "stock" chili-brown.

So I began to collect belts in varying shades of brown, keeping my reversible belt for use with black shoes, which I wear much less often. After amassing sufficient brown shoes and belts to match, I began acquiring more black shoes, and realized that a chintzy, reversible belt made my good shoes look cheap, and that one high quality black belt was required to complete my collection. I chose the belt in the bottom photo, a sleek looking alligator number from Ralph Lauren, with a silver buckle (if you don't wear gold jewelry, buy only silver buckles: NO gold). This did it. Not only does the belt look great, but simply having it inspires me to wear black shoes more often.

All of that being said (and thank you for bearing with my brief history of accessory consumption), I wanted to offer a suggestion for finding a classy belt. Exotic skins, such as lizard (top picture) or the aforementioned alligator are a little bit dressier than the smooth calf-leather belts that are more commonly seen. They can, however, be dressed down and worn with jeans. I like the exotic skins because they set the wearer apart a little bit more from the rest of the crowd. Everyone and their proverbial brothers sport belts without any character. Grab some attention from those who want to give it by having an accessory that pops!

Do remember, though, that it is very important that one invests in good belts. Cheap belts may be initially easy on the wallet, but the corrected grain leather (if leather at all: a lot are "pleather") will show wear very quickly and will crack and crease. The belt will eventually require disposal, but before it's thrown away the inferior belt will diminish the overall appearance of a polished outfit, cheapening the look of every other component.

One doesn't need to spend a fortune. Genuine alligator belts cost several hundred dollars, but high-quality embossed leather belts can be found for well under $100. One of the belts pictured above is the genuine article, and the other is embossed leather. Can you tell which is which? My lips are sealed, but the one that sells for well under $100 is still of exceptional quality. Just resist the temptation to spend ten bucks on a dress belt. You're all worth more than that.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Winter Weather Shoe Solutions

So here's the problem: Winter is approaching fast, and is sure to bring with it gnarly sidewalk and street conditions. Icy, possibly snowy, and plenty of slushy wet streets are in our future. This can be particularly dangerous for folks who appreciate the aesthetics of proper dress shoes, which when equipped with leather soles are not the best at providing traction on slick walkways. Ugly, thick rubber soles detract from the appearance of quality in a dress shoe, and are usually found on more casual shoes or cheaper dress shoes.

Today, readers, I offer a solution.

There are high-quality shoe makers who make shoes with lug-soled rubber that sits atop a leather sole, still maintaining a slim silhouette when your shoes are viewed from the top or side. Two examples are shown here; a chocolate brown wingtip by Ralph Lauren, and a black oxford by Allen Edmonds. Each of these maintains a classy, high-end appearance while giving the wearer a weapon against the hazards of adverse weather conditions. Each of these shoes is still constructed with a Goodyear Welt, rather than having a gaudy and clunky rubber sole glued to the bottom of an inferior shoe. The Allen Edmonds are shown at the top of the post and the Ralph Laurens are shown below, both from the top, and then the bottom allowing a view of the silhouette and then the secret weapon. Go out and snag yourself a pair!

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

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

Essentials: The Chocolate Brown Wingtip

Every man is at some point in his life going to need to make a court appearance. We all speed on occasion, right? Though unfortunate, every man is also going to have to bury somebody someday, be it a grandparent or a coworker or a friend. By the same token, almost every man is going to attend a wedding, be it his own or someone else's. We're all most certainly going to have to interview for a job (or in today's times, two jobs), as well. Because of these four inevitabilities, every man needs a pair of black captoe oxfords. Since these occasions are the only times that somber and decidedly formal black captoes enter the realm of necessity, I don't believe we need to dedicate a feature to this particular species of shoe.
I write today's article because every man also needs to have a pair of nice, rich brown wingtips. Why? Because these shoes are perfect for almost any event not listed above. Office, dinner, days off (paired with jeans), there is not another type of shoe that so easily bridges the gap between casual and formal; there is not another shoe that would be as equally accepted in a boardroom or in a bar room. These are shoes to add to one's wardrobe.
I'll spare the history lesson about the reason wingtips originally came about, but it had to do with the need for a dressy looking shoe that would disperse moisture in the boggy moors of Scotland. The design of the wingtip assisted in doing this, and those who do a little research will understand how. Our reason for the discussion today involves style, so hopefully the brief historical reference will suffice for those who may be interested. My point being; even at the time of its inception, the wingtip was designed to be a shoe that could be worn anywhere.
The shoes pictured are by Ralph Lauren and are made of very high quality leather: because of the amount of wear one can get from the brown wingtip, I would highly recommend investing in a high quality pair of shoes. Often you can expect that these will not be inexpensive, but I have found that J.Crew offers a lovely and very well-made pair of Italian leather wingtips for somewhere between $155 and $168, which is a bargain for a high-quality shoe.
I would consider the chocolate brown wingtip to be another wardrobe staple, and I hope you find a fantastic pair. Soon.
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

The Paul Walters Magical Mystery Shoe Polish Treatment

With a title like this, I almost can't believe myself that I am giving away this secret. In fact, peace out, I'm gone. Hmmm... I guess that joke doesn't translate itself too well to print. Well here it is, my methodology for a truly unique look for your medium brown shoes. As usual, pictures don't quite do justice to what I am describing here, but I have included one image that will hopefully give you some idea. I am giving away my secret for a beautiful shoe finish here. I say that this works best for a medium brown shoe, but I have not tried it on darker chocolate browns because I believe the canvas may be too complex to build upon.

I discovered this treatment one night when I couldn't sleep; I usually polish my shoes at night when insomnia kicks in, but this night in particular, I knew I was going to be up a while. The result was a beautiful shoe with four coats of polish and a luster I hadn't seen before.
Here is what I offer... take what works, leave that which does not. If this does indeed work for you, however; you will fall in love. Without further ado...

Begin by cleaning any residual dirt off of your shoes with a damp, soft cloth. Use a welt brush to remove dirt from between the sole of the shoe and the uppers. If it's bad, you shouldn't have been wearing dress shoes in the first place.

Pour a small amount of water in the lid of your polish tin, or in a small saucer. Dip your polishing cloth in the water prior to scooping up some polish. Reapply water every so often to keep your wax moist and to insure smooth application. Start with BLACK polish. You need not slather it on, but don't be stingy. You want a nice even coat. Using your polishing cloth as a shroud for your index finger, evenly apply the polish over the surface of the shoe using small circular motions until the entire shoe has a nice, dull haze. Repeat with other shoe (duh). After each shoe has sat for about 5 minutes, use a second cloth (your buffer cloth) to remove the polish using the same small circular motions that you did when applying the polish. Now that you're finished, your shoes should look lovely!

Congratulations! You are 25% finished! Repeat the above instructions with BROWN polish. At this point, the black has darkened your seam lines and stitching, giving you a beautiful antiqued patina, and your brown has brought out more of the shoe's natural color and subdued the black. The shoe should look even better now.

For the third coat, apply a NEUTRAL polish to the surface of the shoe and finish as above. The neutral polish will give the shoes a nice glaze, and will let you know where to buff better since neutral polish remains visible in cracks and crevices on the shoe. Buff out all the neutral polish, and proceed to step 4, which is the most important (and secret) step. This is the step that completes the look, and the one that you have probably not thought of before. Some purists may hem and haw, but once they try it, the peanut gallery shall remain suppressed!

Repeat the application and buffing process, but this time, use a CORDOVAN or OXBLOOD polish. The dark, reddish eggplant color of cordovan polish will not turn your shoes red, but will in fact give them a sheen that you will instantly adore. It will be subtle yet beautiful, and trust me; you will thank me. I used a vintage pair of shoes to try this, but the right medium brown in a supple leather should give you gorgeous results.

When you are done, buff the shoes with a horsehair brush to finish off the lovely look. Just be patient. Doing this properly will take you around 2 hours. Once you have tried this, please let me know. I hope you will fall in love with the effects of the Paul Walters Magical Mystery Polish Treatment. Just make sure to call it by its proper name!

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

Put Your Best Foot Forward!

Hi there!

Today we'll be talking shoes. Brown ones, specifically. American men seem to be somehow enslaved to the black shoe, taking something that God created for weddings, funerals, and court appearances and allowing it to envelope everyday life. It's not enough that we're already all too quick to give up our individuality to embrace conformity in these tough times, when being a by-the-book little soldier is the surest way to

keep a precious job as unemployment rates climb; now we allow our footwear to furthur drain our creative nature as well!

Black is... well... black. Always has been. Always will be. Brown can be chocolate, chili, mocha, almond, cognac, whiskey, cocoa, cafe, espresso, mahogany, rosewood, tan, caramel... I know I've omitted plenty but included enough to make my point. Brown shoes can be as important a part of your outfit as your tie or your pocketsquare! They go with any color suit (except for black), and have as many hues as the air has aromas. Black shoes are an anchor. A safe bet. Unimaginative. Boring.

In Italy, where style oozes from the pores of nearly every man woman and child, black shoes are a wedding and funeral accessory. Well dressed men are almost always shod in brown shoes. Let's break away from the matrix for a while and pop a little bit!

For those just getting started, start with a chocolate brown and work your way to lighter shades. Pair the shoes with a grey suit to start (until your comfort level allows you to adopt other colors), keeping the color pallette neutral. I understand that it can be hard to break the black shoe habit. Start small, but by all means, give it a try (Just make sure to match your belt to those shoes)!

(pictured: Allen Edmonds "Sanford," in Cognac)

Cheers!

Paul