I’d never heard this before – am off to London, annual president’s reception for a national organisation, a colleague is collecting an award.

I’m wearing a blue suit, had planned to wear mid-dark tan brogues, but a friend has suggested this is a fashion faux pas and I ought to wear black. I’ve read it’s an old city based ‘rule’ and brown supposedly denoted being a bit of a country bumpkin. Well, I am.

Thoughts?

**** ’em, go in wellies

Don’t forget the complementary deerstalker.

Is this a UKIP reception?

Core later…

It’s a fashion faux pas for people who wear those shirts with a coloured body and white collar and cuffs. No body else cares.

Wear what you feel comfortable in, if people judge you on your suit/shoe combo they’re not really worth your breath.

He says after judging others shirt selection…..

Ah Fashion is just some twonk claiming he’s the best so you should dress like him.

Be the Twonk, not the follower of the twonk.

Hmm, not sure about it being a rule on it’s own, but brown shoes with a blue suit 😯

Embrace being a country bumpkin though 😀

thestabiliser – Member

**** ’em, go in wellies

You have no idea how much that made me smile – **** ’em is one of my oldest friend’s catchphrase, he uses it for almost every situation, regardless of if he’s right or wrong, I admire his attitude, life’s too short to woory about things 😆

Am in agreement about the contrasting collar and cuffs (on shirts….) looks horrendoes, as does any double collar detail.

Blue suit, brown shoes: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=blue+suit+brown+shoes&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifj56oqa_PAhWLAMAKHRzNDJAQ_AUICCgB&biw=1920&bih=945#imgrc=_

why not wear a brown suit with blue shoes – that’ll show em

I was always of the opinion that blue/navy and black was a big no no but apparently not in that there London

Thanks for proving the point so perfectly!

Ha! it is a handy phrase to deploy

When I go to that London on bzzzznzzzz I wear green wool trousers and brogue boots and say ‘aye’ and ‘now then’ a lot. I’ve not been banned or asked to fetch round the carriages, yet.

Be proud of where you come from.

This is what I have to cling to..

The only acceptable combinations are navy blue (no other blues), grey or charcoal (not black) suit with black shoes. There is some latitude with shirts but when in doubt, white, white, white. It matters – if you turn up looking like you’ve run round Next blindfolded then you don’t get hired, because there are several other candidates who are just as good as you but who know how to present themselves.

Think of it as a uniform. If a policeman turned out for work wearing a pink shirt he would, quite rightly, be told to get to f***. It’s no different in the City of London.

😉

He’s not going for an interview.

edit: 😉

The only acceptable combinations are navy blue (no other blues), grey or charcoal (not black) suit with black shoes. There is some latitude with shirts but when in doubt, white, white, white. It matters – if you turn up looking like you’ve run round Next blindfolded then you don’t get hired, because there are several other candidates who are just as good as you but who know how to present themselves.

Think of it as a uniform. If a policeman turned out for work wearing a pink shirt he would, quite rightly, be told to get to f***. It’s no different in the City of London.

if, however, the event is not an interview for a City Boy job, and the OP has no intention of becoming one…. 😉

so anyway – OP, wear the brown shoes!

There are only three acceptable items of brown footwear or clothing.

Hiking boots.
Clark’s Desert Boots.
Clark’s Wallabees.

If you go full Wiggo, you might just get away with it.

No snobbishness here, I just don’t like brown shoes.
🙂

What a load of tosh.

The purposes of impractical/expensive outfits are solely to indicate how far removed the wearer is from manual labour, and by association, their wealth.

Stick it to the man, show up in a onesie 🙂

5tens FTW

**** em, wear your tweeds.

Take a gun bag with a broom in it too.

I’ve got new boots and I’m very proud of them. They have lots of holes.

had planned to wear mid-dark tan brogues, but a friend has suggested this is a fashion faux pas and I ought to wear black

This is the disturbing bit for me.

etc..

Patent leather oxblood DMs

nothing wrong with brown shoes as long as they are made in either Italy or Northampton and not pointy and scuffed.

Where’s Flashy when you need him?

i opened this thinking it was a another trump faux pas.

Where’s Flashy when you need him?

Last I heard he was staring at a Peacock

nothing wrong with brown (OR tan) shoes (OR boots) as long as they are made in either Italy or Northampton and not pointy and scuffed.

What he said.

Mid brown brogues with a blue suit. Ugh.

Dark burgundy or nothing.

See the blue suit, brown shoe combo a lot, i would however play safe & go with black, it does look ‘smarter’ a well.

As an owner of several suits and both black and brown footwear, the brown only really works as boots with jeans. I’m no fashion model but seriously look in the mirror or try the last episode of line of duty

Brown is absolutely fine.

What you need to throw out immediately is the pointed or chisel shaped shoes. Go on, throw them out. I know you’ve got some.

nothing wrong with brown shoes as long as they are made in either Italy or Northampton and not pointy and scuffed.

Yes, but preferably made in the latter.

Blue and brown is very fashionable at the moment, and whether you like it or not you’ll find lots at social events (weddings christenings, parties etc) where suits are worn.
As a business look, nothing says estate agent or used car salesman more….
What sort of occasion it is only you know, but if you’re not wanting to do business with people who may judge, then who cares!

See, as a younger (mid 20’s) guy) nothing says “I don’t shop unless my wife tells me too” more than black shoes in a 9-5 setting.

Wedding, formal, of course.

If you really are going a serious city look, brown brogues or suede ok, just. Oxblood is underrated. I’d be more concerned about the suit being blue…

what if you dont want the city look?
none of my shoes or suits are black, the main reason is to not be mistaken for somebody who works in an office, knows spreadsheets intimately and when they look up from the computer they see this:

following convention is fine if you want to fit in.