I was recently at a Gallery opening on the West side. The attire was ‘dress to impress’ (sidenote: impress whom?) but it was mostly casual with a bit of hipster meets fashion due to the summer weather (or because it was in the West end).
I digress.
The crux of the matter, or at least this blog post – I was approached by as fashion-forward gentleman who questioned my shoe choice – who wears patent anymore? I do and so do Viktor + Rolf (normally, I despise the name-dropping but he was asking for it, one-two punch, and it was the brand of the loafers I was wearing). See below
Viktor + Rolf Monsieur, from the archives
Patent shoes have been a part of my wardrobe since I was a child. I still recall wearing black patent brogues when I was 8 and asking to get a new pair of the exact same ones the following year. My mom, who knew I had an insatiable appetite for newness and fashion, questioned my choice. I replied, no they are classic and the shine has worn off a bit – I need another pair. And besides, if you find something you love, especially in black, always buy two or three – this lessons has served me well throughout my life.
My unorthodox trick to wearing patent leather – do not be orthodox. Don’t dress them up. My patent loafers are always the most formal item I am wearing – in fact I am known to wear them paired with navy blue polka dot short shorts or even swim trunks. My style has always been dictated by this dichotomy of being totally appropriate inappropriately dressed. I am also the guy who shies away from suits with formal dress shoes – much better with an sneakers or a boot. Patent shoes and a suit or tux are just too much for me. But patent loafers and ikat-patterned swim trunks – perfection.
Nicholas Kirkwood, S/S 2014
I actually used to own patent desert boots similar to the ones above – sans studs – and I wore them out. One of the few times I did not buy a second pair based on a friend’s advice. Lesson learned – don’t trust friends when it comes to style. Fashion yes, but not style. And who cares about fashion?
Lesson of today’s post: don’t run out and buy patent shoes – they will probably look foolish on you (stick to your designer sneaker trend you just discovered). But if you have been tempted by the high gloss shine before, take the jump already.
And no these don’t count (although Navy patent leather is amazing): Lanvin, F/W 2013, S/S 2013, F/W 2012, S/S 2012…
