Ever since I have come to England, I feel as though I have become a tad bit more conservative, which isn’t a bad thing at all as I sometimes pushed the limits before coming here, but every now and then makes me feel a bit boring. Therefore I decided to get back to my roots and have a bit of fun by adding a bit of flair. The thing that I love most about ‘dress slippers’ is the shape of them, which allows the wearer to show off one of the most important components of one’s outfit: the socks. The socks are the one thing that whether or not you want to be completely conservative or entirely wild, allow you to add a dash of color without going overboard. This is why so many people here in England will wear that bright red sock underneath their dark navy suit paired with their monotonous black shoes. They are screaming to blend in, but at the same time stand out, and the sock is the one article of clothing that can allow you a bit of separation from the next guy in uniform…. Luckily for me, I can wear what I want, so going a bit overboard every now and then makes life just a little bit more fun!
By the way, I have yet to receive one submission for July’s shoe polishing contest. Don’t you guys want to win free stuff?
Shoes: Del Toro
Jacket: Pete Werth
Tie: Hardy Amies
Trousers: H&M
Shirt: Primark
14 thoughts on “What I Am Wearing – Going Bold!”
With all due respect, you need to step your trouser game up, lad. I want to see some creases…keep up the good work on the blog.
Constructive advice Justin ..
Get a nicer haircut as currently hair looks flat on head and a bit of a puddin basin as we say in England.
Tie is lovely .. nice turquoise paisley print ..
Shirt collars look small and a bit bent ..not surprised from Primark ..
Trousers nice enough ..nice khaki colour ..
Blazer not a nice cut but a nice bright blue .. lapels are skinny and v boxy skirting on bottom of jacket ..upgrade at canali or brioni rtw ?
slippers cool in so,e scenarios .. in house or v relaxed surroundings .. a Monogrammed pair, would add some character perhaps to a slipper like skull and crossbones or somehthing similar…
On another note .. have you thought about getting your girlfriend involved in these what I am wearing things .. I’m curious what your other half is like .. is she fit?
Dave
I suppose this business these days of wearing trousers an inch too short and jackets two sizes too small, is just the fashion It looks marginally less hideous on you, to be fair, as you’re a wee fellow and young enough – although there is a risk of looking like one of The Bash Street Kids (look it up).
But for most other men, especially fat forty year-old knackers like me, fashion be damned and let’s have some style!
Anyway, I do agree about the socks. Lovely colour – missing from my selection along with yellow. But having made all that fuss about the sock centre-point, it’s the one item you’ve omitted to source. It is a Mazarin fil d’Ecosse number from “Mes Chaussettes Rouge”, by any chance? And do I win a pair for guessing?
Justin,
Your choice of clothes is always interesting. Knowing, as we do, that you work at G and H it is clear that you must know the conventions (lets not call them rules) associated with a formal dress sense, yet you are happy to mix a casual approach below the waist with a business ensemble above the waist. So all credit to you for being your own man and wearing what pleases you rather than what formality dictates. Keep it up.
Regards,
Snapper
Nice socks! For a number of years now I only wear purple or (very occassionally) pink socks from drakes. It’s my little thing to make my normally conservative workwear exciting….I think the little details make all the difference. 🙂
Anon1 – I hear what you are saying, and I know….only problem is that trousers are probably the least of my worries. If I do tend to have the money to get nice trousers, I would rather save it up and get a suit or a nice trench/coat….it’s strange but I have a hierarchy (probably like most) of what is important in my outfit and while I do love trousers, getting nice, expensive ones is probably on the lower end of that list.
Dave – says the guy who sits behind the keyboard and when asked to display his own sartorial skills, sends in a picture of David Gandy….constructive or slyly jabbing??? Why would anyone care about or mention my haircut, unless that person fancied me? Weird….as usual…
Alex B – Trousers actually sit perfectly atop my shoe…but that thought is the difference, most likely, between our generations.
You were close. Probably made in the same factory, but these socks are actually from Septieme Largeur. Mes Chausettes does not carry this color, a baby blue yes, which I do have, but this is far more turquoise. You will have a chance to win a pair in a few months when I devise a new contest and give away some of their socks….be ready!
Snapper – Thank you as always Snapper. It doesn’t always turn up quite right, but at least I give it a shot! The greats weren’t always conventional….
Joseph Lo – Indeed Joseph, it’s always in the details…..
-Justin
I suppose they look shorter for being narrow too – again, just a fashion thing. But that jacket, sir, like your little brother’s school blazer! To hell with fashion!
Anyway, yes, absolutely lovely socks. Are they above or below the calf? I shall take another look at Septieme Largeur and see if they can send me some – it is a splendid colour.
Now, this business of “dress slippers”: saw some remarkable items from Jimmy Choo a while back – brilliant in an outrageously camp way. But are these things really wearable? Do they have proper soles, or are they smelly rubber or delicate soft ones like house slippers? I’ve never seen a pair up close.
Where does one draw the line between slippers and dress slippers? Once you get past the age of 37, going out in your slippers risks accusations of mental decline rather than admiring glances from the fashionistas!
So do tell, Justin, how are these put together and what makes them wearable outside the house?
justin,i do not fancy you .. i mentioned the haircut as it detracts from your overall look .. a pudding basin’ hairdo really doesnt suit, if you dont want to spend money on a haircut i think you would look ok with a shaved head vin diesel style, alternatively if you decide to keep a hairdo get hairdresser to thin it out with thinning scissors and put some height into it as currently it looks like a flattned rodent!
there is a lot wrong in this outfit mate ..& i want you to look good mate when rolling down the row. do not listen to the sycophants who say everything looks fantastic as you will merely compound the problem and never learn & develop your style. GO BACK TO THE RULE BOOK if you have to & think about why the rules are there .. there is a reason for most of them. PICK UP DRESSING THE MAN or roetzel book i would suggest. the proportions of clothing you are wearing do not show your body shape in the best way in this picture and there is a juxtaposition between pieces. 2 examples .. the small shirt collar & thin jacket lapels make your head look larger, another example the slippers do not go with a jacket and tie .. juxtaposition going on in my opinion.
i like you and your story and think your an interesting guy ..i dont fancy you i can assure you ..i hope you do well mate, and look good doing it. one other suggestion for the blog, why dont you get friends & your gfriend to wear different things and share their story as well as try out difeent looks on different people etc ..
DAVE
Mr Dave I beg to differ.
Certainly the Primark shirt is nasty – I suggest Justin get some nice traditional black oversleeves to cover his arms while polishing instead, and protect a nicer shirt – decent ones are to be had for a little over £20 in the summer sales. I would also agree that the cheap generic skinny chinos are a bit of a let-down considering the rest of the effort. The current fashion of tiny jackets is not to my taste either, as I’ve mentioned.
But really, why abuse the man so roundly? Narrow lapels and the like are the way these “fashionable” jackets are made these days. I prefer the peaked lapel, higher and wider myself, and I’ve seen our man wear a few of those too.
And finally, as for his hair, for God’s sake must one? Short tidy cropped hair is perfectly decent for a respectable young man. I am relieved that, excusing the other questionable forays into the world of “trend”, Justin has resisted the temptation to carve a tonsorial arrangement reminiscent of a roadkill cockerel.
Certainly, a little more shape might be obtained, but after all we’re not women or third division footballers around here. No silly spiky asymmetric nonsense. Cut it like a man, and good for you, sir!
As for your notion, Mr Dave, as to posting pictures of a man’s wife, I find that a rather improper invasion of privacy. This is Mr Shoe Snob’s blog, and his own willingness to subject himself to public scrutiny is quite enough, without exploiting his nearest and dearest for your titillation!
I imagine that Mrs Snob would also be the appropriate final authority on his haircut. 🙂
George’s dad, appreciate your comments and think your points are valid. I perhaps was direct but didn’t mean to abuse so roundly as you put it, I also complimented what I thought looked good. I think it’s important to have a range of views though .. and if something to ,y eye looks terrible I think it’s fair to call it out! Justin doesn’t hold back on criticising shoes etc so why should people hold back on commenting on general style and clothing since its being ou tout there?
Anyway, glad you mentioned the thin lapels ..they look FOOLISH. They won’t be wearable in 2/3 years.. only men who I can forgive for wearing similar are teenage boys who don’t know any better / don’t have much cash so can only afford to shop in top man or Primark , i know everywhere on the high street is selling these jackets so it’s an evil which is difficult to escape without spending 600/700 quid and up but a style blogger should know better I’m afraid .. skinny jeans the same .. nobody wants to see your bits .. except ms Justin (perhaps).
Dave
Hahaha…well, quite. 🙂
Alex B – They are above the calf. Not sure if they offer them on the site, but you can always refer to this post to ask if they still carry them and if they could send you a pair.
As far as the dress slippers go, they are glued together and having a leather sole makes them wearable outside of the house. But it is a very casual look…and mainly just for fun.
Dave – I now see that despite your way of commenting, you are actually trying to be genuine. But what you have to understand about me Dave is that I don’t dress for you, for my wife, or for anyone other than myself. Therefore, I will always wear what I feel like despite whether or not it is seen as “stylish” or even “acceptable” for that matter. I am not trying to fit in or look like I have memorized ‘Dressing the Man’, of which I do have somewhere in a box with all of my other style books. Nor am I trying to be the worlds best dressed man. What I do with this post is not to show off my dressing ability (or lack of it according to you) but rather try to give inspiration to people who may not know how to wear shoes outside of black and brown. I appreciate that your style sense is different than mine, but what you have to understand is that no matter how many times you tell me to do this and that, it won’t make me want to. All I can do is be me and nothing more. And I am content with the way that I dress. Thanks for your thoughts though Dave. Oh, and yes, please do refrain from mentioning my wife or bringing her into the picture (no pun intended), as this will never happen.
Georg’s Dad – Thank you.
-Justin
hmmm your comments remind one of the ricki lake show where vulgar americano fatties would say ‘I KNOW I LOOK GOOOOOOD RICKI’ .. when it was clear to everyone in the audience that they were just delusional (fatties) .. my point is that I may have an opnion, YOU may have an opinion .. BUT the universal truth is seperate and distinct and OUR various opinions and do not change this truth!
Now this may be getting a little philosophical but dont you dress a certain way to present yourself to others as representing certain ideals and to show you as being a certain type of person? If not why stop at the skinny lapels & slippers look .. why not dress like a japanese samurai one day or a medievel european nobleman on another? this woukd surely be a means to express yourszelfd better? why not design your own outfits like a modern fashion show and wear space age clothes .. to explore ‘themes’ etc …? my point is that you are still gravitativhng to a classical modern european menswear look, shoes/trousers/shirt/blazer. WHY? if you dont care why be so constricted & yet in a contradictory way say you want to express your individuality through wearing ridiculously thin lapels?
If you were on a desert island with no one else on the island would you put on these get ups or would you walk around in a loin cloth (or in the buff as i would choose to)? I think the truth in this instance is that you are still learning as you talk about in your recent post of tassle loafers. i think in 2/3 years you will come round to the rules as you put it & probably look very much like the obsessives who lurk and post pics of themselves on blogs like style forum.
DAVE><
Whatever Dave, now I am just getting bored of this endless conversation…
You are entitled to your own opinions, but it’s not EVER going to change mine…
-Justin