Black or Brown?

[Wingnut722]

I won't argue that there are outfits where some shade of brown may look more dapper. I suppose my philosophy could be summed up thusly - "Black may not always be best, but it will never be wrong."

That's a great philosophy. I appreciate everyone's comments. Seems to me that I don't necessarily need to automatically purchase a new pair of shoes for these slacks. I would have to agree with Doc4 as well, that the level of contrast be minimized. It seems that navy slacks fall right in the middle and it could go either way. I just didn't know if wearing black was an unforgivable faux pas, like wearing white after Labor Day, socks with sandals

 

[Oscroft]

Seems to me that I don't necessarily need to automatically purchase a new pair of shoes for these slacks.

Seems a shame to miss an acquisition opportunity, though

And reddish shades of brown, like Oxblood, Burgundy etc, really do look good with Navy!

 

[Wingnut722]

Seems a shame to miss an acquisition opportunity, though

Indeed! Christmas is coming, too!

 

[Deltaboy]

EITHER one is fine.

I've seen it work both ways so I'm curious as to a show of hands from this crowd.

Typical business casual office setting - Slacks and button-down long sleeve shirt.

When the slacks are navy blue, which color shoes and belt would you wear? Black or brown?

 

[Doc4]

I won't argue that there are outfits where some shade of brown may look more dapper. I suppose my philosophy could be summed up thusly - "Black may not always be best, but it will never be wrong."

I can't disagree with that philosophy ...








... unless of course your belt is brown.

 

[Kazeryu]

I can't disagree with that philosophy ...
... unless of course your belt is brown.

Well, if you apply my philosophy to your belt, you won't have that problem either.

 

[Doc4]

Well, if you apply my philosophy to your belt, you won't have that problem either.

Well, since we are peppering this thread with quotations from American literary giants ...

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Gentleman's Guide to Boots and Belts

 

[thinBLUEline89]

Either color would work, but I am partial to a dark brown with navy slacks. I have worn both colors though.

 

[Stevew443]

If I wore a belt, I would most likely go with black, but I would sew buttons in the trousers and wear dark maroon braces. For shoes, my go to shoes are oxblood. Black shoes are great for after dark or funerals.

 

[Eaaqas]

Brown for me! Black+Blue=the color of my face after fighting a very large hyena over the weekend.

 

[professorchaos]

Generally speaking, I prefer brown shoes to black. I find the color richer and they develop a better patina. In more casual attire, it is perfectly acceptable to wear brown shoes with navy pants. So I'd opt for brown.

Lighter brown shoes can look quite good with navy pants. Perhaps many people shy away from the combination because it does call attention to you. My rule of thumb is no less than one shade lighter than the pants.

Seems we're split down the middle, with a small renegade group telling me I need to go out and buy a pair of oxblood shoes.

Yes you do.

 

[musicman1951]

Either color would work, but I am partial to a dark brown with navy slacks. I have worn both colors though.

+1

Socks match pants, belt matches shoes.

 

[Kazeryu]

Consistent Hobgoblins, Great Souls, etc.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Gentleman's Guide to Boots and Belts

None of the "great souls" listed therein are known for all the time they spent dithering over belts and shoes - quite the contrary! They are "great" because they spent their time thinking and speaking about more important things.

I could also argue that most people who bring up this quote assume it is meant to deride the notion of "fashion rules", while I believe that it is merely ridiculing those who are unable or unwilling to discard them at need. My "philosophy" does not maintain that black is mandatory or best; it merely asserts that black will always be acceptable. As this leaves room for an adherent to choose to wear something other than black if they feel it is appropriate, I don't think this quote is applicable at all.

I promise I'm taking this all in good fun, no harm done! Just having fun with the debate.

Lighter brown shoes can look quite good with navy pants. Perhaps many people shy away from the combination because it does call attention to you. My rule of thumb is no less than one shade lighter than the pants.

Everyone sees things differently, I suppose. In the rare case of wearing brown shoes, I would do exactly the opposite - shoes (and socks, btw) should be one shade darker than the the pants. Perhaps it's a silly way to look at it, but if you take it to an extreme, which looks better - black socks and shoes with white pants, or white socks and shoes with black pants? (But maybe we'll disagree on that point, too...)

 

[Useless shaver]

Generally speaking, I prefer brown shoes to black. I find the color richer and they develop a better patina. In more casual attire, it is perfectly acceptable to wear brown shoes with navy pants. So I'd opt for brown.

Lighter brown shoes can look quite good with navy pants. Perhaps many people shy away from the combination because it does call attention to you. My rule of thumb is no less than one shade lighter than the pants.

View attachment 513281

Agree.

 

[BSAGuy]

+1 for this.

Mid to dark brown, or oxblood (the "dark brown with the red tint") would be best. They're both fairly conservative colors acceptable in business environments. Black shoes are good for black, charcoal, and that's about it.

 

[professorchaos]

Everyone sees things differently, I suppose. In the rare case of wearing brown shoes, I would do exactly the opposite - shoes (and socks, btw) should be one shade darker than the the pants. Perhaps it's a silly way to look at it, but if you take it to an extreme, which looks better - black socks and shoes with white pants, or white socks and shoes with black pants? (But maybe we'll disagree on that point, too...)

No less than one shade lighter than the pants is quite a bit different than white shoes with black pants. If an extreme example urges you to hew to rigid rules, please feel free. I prefer to exercise my judgement and discretion. Sometimes that includes brown shoes after 6 PM too.

 

[LogisticEarth]

Everyone sees things differently, I suppose. In the rare case of wearing brown shoes, I would do exactly the opposite - shoes (and socks, btw) should be one shade darker than the the pants.

It really depends on what you're going for. A lighter shade is a bit more flashy, a darker shade more conservative. At an evening wedding, I'd probably go darker brown. For a night on the town, lighter will draw more attention and look great. Black shoes with navy pants isn't "wrong", it is just very conservative. In certain contexts, that translates into "dull", which is not the look most guys are going for.

Perhaps it's a silly way to look at it, but if you take it to an extreme, which looks better - black socks and shoes with white pants, or white socks and shoes with black pants? (But maybe we'll disagree on that point, too...)

I see the point you're getting at but there's a lot more that goes into that, and black and white is very different than tan and blue. Neither is universally "better", but again, it depends on the context, and who is wearing it.

 

[Doc4]

None of the "great souls" listed therein are known for all the time they spent dithering over belts and shoes - quite the contrary! They are "great" because they spent their time thinking and speaking about more important things.

I could also argue that most people who bring up this quote assume it is meant to deride the notion of "fashion rules", while I believe that it is merely ridiculing those who are unable or unwilling to discard them at need. My "philosophy" does not maintain that black is mandatory or best; it merely asserts that black will always be acceptable. As this leaves room for an adherent to choose to wear something other than black if they feel it is appropriate, I don't think this quote is applicable at all.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreampt of in your philosophy"
--Hamlet

I promise I'm taking this all in good fun, no harm done! Just having fun with the debate.

Everyone sees things differently, I suppose. In the rare case of wearing brown shoes, I would do exactly the opposite - shoes (and socks, btw) should be one shade darker than the the pants. Perhaps it's a silly way to look at it, but if you take it to an extreme, which looks better - black socks and shoes with white pants, or white socks and shoes with black pants? (But maybe we'll disagree on that point, too...)

I would generally agree with shoes being a slightly darker shade than the pants, rather than lighter. As long as they are close in the "lightness/darkness" scale, then I think things are fine. As a general rule, I don't like shoes that are very different on that scale from the pants/suit.

 

[The Knize]

<Lighter brown shoes can look quite good with navy pants. Perhaps many people shy away from the combination because it does call attention to you.>

I agree and I would consider the shoes in the photo to be tan, and probably more than a shade lighter than the suit pants, which does not bother me at all. I really like the whole outfit in that photo.

I would say that tan shoes like those in the photo became very fashionable for a time in a conservative way a number of years ago. I think I recall reading a number of folks, citing tradition, argue that lighter shoes were inappropriate with dressier business clothing. However, someone came up with some great pictures from old magazines of well-dressed men from back in the day wearing tan shoes with conservative suits of many different hues.

I feel like I have written this a number of times over the years, but my understanding was that the English rule of dress was black shoes only in the city. That brown, and I guess tan and oxblood shoes were for the country. Brown suits, too, I would assume.

I would have said that the norm was black shoes with blue and gray business suits in the US, too, or at least in the east--NYC, Philly, Baltimore, DC--and I would think in the south, except with seersucker and the like. However, I have also read that among Boston Brahman, brown shoes with blue suits have always been the norm, enough that one would very stand out in that group if one wore black shoes. (I think I would stand out among that group anyway, and not in a good way!)

So "rules of dress" have apparently varies quite a bit even in the past.

I guess my opinion is these days that brown shoes are acceptable with blue or gray suits. To me black shoes seem dressier and latently more correct. But I do not think anyone can fault brown shoes and navy.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[musicman1951]

I've seen it work both ways so I'm curious as to a show of hands from this crowd.

Typical business casual office setting - Slacks and button-down long sleeve shirt.

Given these original parameters I would be hard pressed to argue against any shade of brown shoes. While I would agree that black is more formal, that seems a bit irrelevant.