# A question of fashion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695 "2003-01-15T05:46:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/1 "2003-01-15T05:46:41Z")
White shirt, navy blue pants. Brown shoes or black shoes? Need to know by tonight! ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/2 "2003-01-15T05:51:00Z")
IIRC, the correct answer is black shoes. I will look for a cite. Off to MPSIMS … ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/3 "2003-01-15T06:00:28Z")
If it has a correct answer then GQ is the place, no? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/4 "2003-01-15T06:26:19Z")
Depends on the shade of brown. If they are very dark brown - OK - otherwise, go black. The actual rule is: “Never wear lighter shoes than pants/tights” So - if the shade of brown is darker than the shade of blue, you’re OK. The rule, incidentally, is because otherwise: A) Everyone will notice your feet first. B) Your feet will look like canoes. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/5 "2003-01-16T22:15:24Z")
I seriously don’t care what colour shoes you have on, dork! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/6 "2003-01-16T23:06:40Z")
I know I’m late, but Cordovan or Burgandy would look good. For a man. Or black cowboy boots. Can never go wrong there. ---
**Author:** ![banks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banks)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/7 "2003-01-16T23:23:09Z")
Too late now, but if it was me, I’d wear a black shoes, preferably matte black dress shoes. If all you’ve got are shiny black shoes, don’t sand them down or anything, but I would consider purchasing a pair of matte black shoes, something in a monk-strap, maybe. **NoClueBoy** , I could see getting away with cordovan, but burgundy would be pushing it a little bit too far, methinks. White shirt, navy blue pants, burgundy shoes… we’re starting to sound patriotic here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/8 "2003-01-16T23:40:35Z")
yeah, the darker cordovan sounds better. Flats or heels? For men and women. I think cowboy boots count as heels (My Naconas have 2 1/2" heels), wingtips or loafers as flats. I would never wear loafers with a suit, but my boots look good with double-breast suits. I have to wear my wingtips or captoes with a single breast suit. I could see loafers with a sportcoat and slacks… I work in the trades, but I have plenty of things to do, places to go that I need suits. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/9 "2003-01-16T23:50:41Z")
Oh come on, navy blue pants look much better with brown shoes, regardless of foot size. ‘Black and blue will never do, pink and green should never be seen!’ ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/10 "2003-01-17T00:11:46Z")
Certainly this belongs in GQ. (GQ? Get it, “GQ”? Yuk, yuk.) ---
**Author:** ![banks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banks)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/11 "2003-01-17T00:12:45Z")
Cowboy boots are a bit out of my fashion territory, but if they’re worn right, with the right suit, they can look great. I do like ankle and chelsea boots for informal occasions, so who knows… Heh… I bought a bolo tie the other day, maybe cowboy boots are next on the list. As for the suits/shoe question, I’ve never much liked double breasted suits. Never bought one for myself. Don’t wear the one I do own. But I wear a pretty good range of shoes with single breasted suits, depending on the cut of the suit, the material, and the occasion. As for loafers, it’s important to define what you’re thinking when you say loafers. Now, if you’re talking like, kick-around-the house loafers, or boat shoes, then wearing those with a suit would be flat out wrong. On the other hand, I have a a few pairs of loafers by the likes of Ferragamo and Bruno Magli that I wear with suits on less formal occasions. Recently, I’ve taken to wearing block toe monk-straps with the suits I wear to work. My wingtips are getting pretty dusty these days, and the captoes aren’t nearly as regular as they used to be. However, the captoes and wingtips are still pretty much the thing as far as formalwear goes. Captoes are pretty much my standard, “crap I slept in and don’t have time to think about shoes this morning” shoe. But over all, for me, flats. I only own one pair of shoes I would consider to have high heels at all, a pair of chelsea boots, and they’re really rarely worn. I call them my casino boots. Anyone reading this, take it with a grain of salt… I think a lot of the traditional rules of fashion are hogwash. Somehow, I still manage to look well-dressed every single day. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-of-fashion/148695/12 "2003-01-17T00:13:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stuyguy \* > \*\*Certainly this belongs in GQ. > > (GQ? Get it, “GQ”? Yuk, yuk.) \*\* Bahahahahaha! Hahahaha! Heh.