The Rebirth Of The Tassel Loafer

The tassel loafer is making a huge comeback. Some might disagree with that and think that it never left. But the reality is while most brands offered a tassel loafer in their collection, it was rarely the main focus. There are some exceptions, of course, such as the Cavendish by Crockett & Jones, which remains an iconic piece and will do so as long as dress shoes remain classic. But even C&J beefed up their collection with more tassel loafer options this Spring/Summer season. And not new versions of the Cavendish. Rather, new models altogether. And that is why I say, the rebirth of the tassel loafer is among us.

Tassel loafer directly below by Graziat Taipei

Tassel loafer directly above by Acme Shoemaker

I actually wrote about this last August, highlighting the very beautiful pair by Graziat Taipei (see above), and made the prediction that they would be further coming back into the fold. This Spring/Summer season marked a huge push in their direction as several brands either reintroduced them, added them for the first time, and/or beefed up their already existing tassel loafer collection. So why tassel loafers? Let’s look at my thoughts below.

As the world moves more casual in the world of attire, I believe that loafers will become more prevalent in the industry as the loafer ultimately is more casual than dressy. In my own company, I sold more loafers than ever before in the Winter season. I was truly astonished. The Winter season was a mild one in terms of colder temperatures but it was odd nonetheless as in previous years the only customer that purchased loafers in the Winter were the ones going to the Caribbean for vacation.

Tassel loafers, for me, are the ultimate casual model of the loafer family. The dangly bit, known as the tassel, is by no means a dressy function. It is more playful than anything. And, to me, that is why tassel loafers look great with jeans and/or a more casual look. I love to wear my brown suede tassel loafers with a pair of slim jeans and a polo shirt. That is my quintessential look in the Summer. And being that I just introduced 8 new tassel loafers into my own collection, means you will be seeing me a lot this season in that specific look.

Loafers above by TLB Mallorca

The tassel loafer has come a long way since we saw our fathers wearing those old-school, supper-short vamp models where the apron stitch created the outline of the toe shape as opposed to sitting on top of the vamp. Picture that classic Cole Haan or Allen Edmonds model. They are now far more elegant in my opinion, especially with the more prevalent use of a chisel last. On top of that, now you have brands making them even more casual by adding commando-style soles to them which further proves my idea of moving more casual and using the tassel to do that.

I imagine the trend of tassels will continue to grow and more brands will beef up their collections with some sort of tassel loafer style. As usual, time will tell, but mark my words!