Yet another loafers with suits debate...
... on a clothing forum. Yawn. Hasn't Mr. Grant taught us anything?
Just look at those sleek black loafers and try to tell me anyone (besides shoe enthusiasts) would balk at it.
Just look at those sleek black loafers and try to tell me anyone (besides shoe enthusiasts) would balk at it.
Will from A Suitable Wardrobe...then again, his opinions are quite staid and boring!
ReplyDeleteMr Grant looks splendid wearing his nice shiny loafers with his morning suit, no matter what anyone may say!
I wouldn't say that. He has good taste, if safe, and is very knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteCary's wearing a dinner suit, by the way. ;)
I dunno... I think he can only get away with it cos he's Cary Grant -- like how only Iggy Pop can get away with gratuitous shirtlessness.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Cary Grant could have looked suave and sophisticated in a burlap bag. It was genetic.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think the loafers with a tux are that much of a stretch. The more formal opera pumps traditionally worn with a tuxedo was a slip on shoe as well. I think C.Grant just updated the look.
I can't say I agree. From what I've witnessed, slight rule-breaking requires not the face of Cary Grant or the finesse of Fred Astaire. It requires confidence and an eye for what looks good together.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, these loafers are black, sleek, and highly polished. A wide toed "beef roll" penny wouldn't look nearly as good and would jump out as wrong. At first glance, these look like calf leather opera pumps.
I don't think Cary Grant's face had anything to do with it. He's iconic -- and "iconic" from a stage of "iconry" (?), possibly the last of said stages, where icons became such by first playing by and then subverting the rules.
ReplyDeleteTake other iconic bit of 20th Century culture that were based on that formula. If Kerouac had written On The Road and barely had a fourth-grade grasp of written grammar (the level most magazines and newspapers are written at), it would have been total crap and unreadable. But he understood the rules of good writing, first, then subverted them for something experimental.
As The Preppy Pauper points out, this is less a full-on subversion and more an "update" of the dinner suit and opera slippers, but to just go all slap-dash willy-nilly and jump into such an idea without understanding the basics of "dressing up", you'll hardly look as good as Cary Grant.
Check out Cary Grant's loafers/tux during the classic dance scene in the film "Indiscreet" with Ingrid Bergman. Spot on. Great blog, btw.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! There are still so many films I need to see.
ReplyDeleteGreat look! A+
ReplyDeleteHey if Cary Grant pulls it off, need there be any more discussion?
ReplyDeleteRupert