going to get very into the weeds on color theory in mensewar, repeat some info that im sure many people have already heard me say, and then recommend some things without regard to price bc jason has the money to spend 🧵
tan shoes are one of the worst trends in men's style. i think guys buy them because they don't want to look boring in black or dark brown shoes. they want shoes with ZING! but in a tailored outfit, the focus should be on the V-shape formed by the coat, shirt, and tie. not shoes.
guys often pair tan shoes with dark suits. but this ends up creating two competing points for attention: your face and your feet. the bright colored shoes end up shining out from underneath your dark trousers like flashlights. they become a distraction.
others pair tan shoes with the other basic uniform: navy sport coats with grey trousers. but this again creates two competing focal points. here we see dan roan and lance amrstrong wearing similar outfits. but whereas armstrong's outfit supports him, roan's shoes are distracting
if you buy tan shoes, make sure you have the clothes to support them. tan shoes work when you have a light colored suit or sport coat (pics 1, 2, and 3). or if the outfit is sufficiently summer-y (pic 4).
dont pair them with dark suits or navy sport coat + grey trousrs
the other thing to think about is color temperature. warm colors are those with yellow or red undertones. cool colors are those with a grey or blue undertone. here we see four pairs of suede shoes, but some colors feel warmer than others.
while not an iron clad rule, it can be useful to stay within the same family of color temps. here we see 3 pairs of cream trousers increasing in color temp. see how they match with increasingly warm colored jackets. switch the jackets around, and the outfits dont work
same is true for shoes. some shoes, such as oxblood, work with almost anything bc of social tradition. but some have such a warm undertone and unusual color, they end up dragging the eye downward, esp when they're paired with cool-toned clothes. see Allen Edmonds' walnut leather:
if you wear very warm-toned tan shoes, your jacket should 1) be light colored, and 2) have a warm undertone. see how biden here pairs a tan sport coat with a yellow undertone, which balances out the shoes. vivek's tan shoes don't go with his outfit; they drag the eye downward
ok, so to answer jason's question: where can you get brown or tan shoes to wear with a blue suit? the most important thing is the fit, which is determined by the shape of your foot and the shape of the shoe (which is determined by the shoe's "last"). this is a last:
best to figure out which companies use lasts that work for you. if you already get a good fit from crockett & jones, then go to crockett & jones. if you haven't found the right company, then shop around. what works for one person's feet may not work for you.
but generally speaking, if money is no object, then try edward green, john lobb, crockett & jones, and carmina. these four brands make tasteful, conservative shoes that go well with suits. if you can afford bespoke, try @shoesbynoonoo. he will make custom shoes for you by hand
one of the nice things about edward green (a RTW brand) is that their burnt pine leather is very cool in terms of color. this is easier to wear than, say, allen edmonds' walnut bc it pairs with the cool colors in men's wardrobes.
should add: this is only for classic tailored clothing. other aesthetics have their own rules and logic. westernwear outfits often look great with tan cowboy boots bc of social tradition. fashion "rules" are not a science; they are contextual to social traditions and culture.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
When I was on a menswear forum, navy trousers were of great controversy. Discussions about them lasted many years, resulting in long-lasting rivalries. Sometimes people refrained from speaking about them out of fear of dredging up old debates.
First, I should state at the outset that there's no way to have this conversation without, in some way, speaking crudely about certain classes of people. I make no judgements about their worth or dignity. I am only describing the semiotics of men's dress.
Second, everything depends on your goals. Dress is not a science, so there are no overriding laws. Everything is contextual to culture. More on this later
Before we start, here are two outfits involving green sport coats. Which do you like better? Please choose before moving on.
I get this question a lot. I don't have strong views on how transmasc people should dress, but since I often get the question, I've thought about it a bit. Will share some thoughts in this thread. 🧵
My general feeling is that this question often approaches the idea of style from a perspective I don't share. I don't believe in approaching dress first from the perspective of body type. For instance, there are a lot of guides online that break down body types like this.
I disagree with this perspective because they always seem to be about forcing the person into one narrow ideal. So if you're short, they tell you how to wear certain things to give the illusion of height. Or if you're heavy, they say how you can dress to hide your weight.
I don't think people such as Hegesth are intentionally choosing to dress like this to signal they're "not like the swamp." I think we're simply in a generational change in terms of taste. Will show some examples. 🧵
A hundred years ago, men's dress was governed by time, place, and occasion (TPO). If you were of a certain social position and had to do a certain thing, you were expected to wear certain outfits. If you didn't know these rules, a tailor would tell you.
Over the course of the 20th century, these rules loosened, partly because society became more accepting of different social groups and their lifestyles (which is a good thing). By the close of the 20th century, the rise of business casual swept tailoring out of offices
Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, says that he would use a US manufacturer for his company's t-shirts. However, he feels the US company doesn't meet his quality standards and they "must maintain quality."
So what constitutes a quality t-shirt? Let's find out. 🧵
For reference, I'm comparing Sticker Mule's t-shirts (made in Nicaragua) to Bayside Apparel (fully made in the US from fiber to finish). Sticker Mule charges $19 for their t-shirts. Organizations that print on Bayside blanks sell their merch for $27.
I should state at the outset that to properly determine quality, I would need to send these t-shirts to a lab, which I'm unable to do because I don't own a Sticker Mule t-shirt. Additionally, quality can be subjective, as it depends on your preferences.
It's very hard to find a suit jacket that can be worn with jeans, assuming you mean the kind of suits that would be worn for business. Let me show you. 🧵
What do we mean by "suit?" The term suit simply means that the jacket and pants were cut from the same cloth. You can have corduroy suits or linen suits. But when most people say suit, they mean the kind of outfits that would be worn for business, funerals, and court.
Such materials are typically dark in color and slick in feel. Historically, men wore these things with white dress shirts, dark ties, and black oxford shoes to do business in London. This history is why this outfit telegraphs "I'm here for serious business."
I disagree. In this thread, I will tell you what's wrong with Stephen Miller's outfits. Hopefully, this will help you judge whether a suit fits when you're shopping for one. 🧵
For context, here is the video that @FischerKing64 is responding to. Can you spot the issue with this suit?
It appears that Miller has spent a considerable sum upgrading his wardrobe since his time in Trump's first administration. I suspect these are all made-to-measure suits because they look new and come in a wide variety of materials. Unfortunately, all of them exhibit a collar gap.