Winter man and brown shoes?

Q I am a Deep Winter (Indian man). If tan and camel are not my colours, are they valid for shoes? Because if not then what will I pair with light or navy jeans/trousers since browns are good shoe combinations to team with blue.


A I don't normally get involved with men's fashion but this was a query that came up recently in my own family and caused me to do a bit of research!

A Winter man would initially have been told that black shoes always with a suit because of the classic rule of 'no brown in town' - meaning that brown shoes are not acceptable in a business situation only in the country.

But times have changed and so have the rules! Camel and tan have now become classics, let me go through the basics.

Although black is still 'the' color to wear for really formal occasions or perhaps city banking, brown is now an acceptable alternative and can be used to add style to an outfit.

A dark business suit (whether grey or navy) still needs an air of formality so choose deep chocolate brown classic shoes that can be polished to a high patina.

Soften the formality with a colored shirt and you can go to a medium brown shoe with a little more style. A reddish brown or burgundy is a great alternative, perfect for the Winter color palette.

As you get more casual then your shoes can be lighter and have more individuality.

Wearing chinos and jeans you can introduce a casual shoe in, yes, classic camel or tan. And wearing casuals means that you can add a more fashion conscious shoe/boot and a chunky sole if you like.

Wearing your best colors close to your face, i.e. Winter colors for jackets, shirts etc. will always allow you to introduce more individuality with your shoes.

Wearing a belt to match or tone looks good.

Hope that helps
kind regards
Pamela