Man's best friend

I would like to introduce you to a pair of my best friends, my Massimo Dutti house shoes.
These are shoes, not slippers, which I wear virtually every single day.

I wear them when I get home from work and always around the house at weekends. Sometimes I put the rubbish out in them, sometimes I water the plants in them, and sometimes I even will pop to the local Co-op in them.

They are hand stitched, and it's the quality of the materials and the relative lack of construction that makes them so comfortable.
I like to look after them, and I always put shoe trees in them to help keep their shape, I occassionally give them a coating of leather renovator just to feed them and let me tell you, they are just getting better with age.

Perfect, but not perfect

On a recent trip to London we "accidentally" stumbled onto Jermyn Street. This just so happens to be where the flagship store of Crockett & Jones is situated. As I have been wanting to purchase a pair of their Merton loafers, I decided it would be rude not to pop in.
The shop (it's so much more than just a shop!) is certainly not your average shoe shop. Beautifully comfortable, worn leather chairs and sofas for the customer, and some of the grandest display cabinets I have ever seen, for the shoes.

I was welcomed by one of the sales persons and as I knew exactly what I was after, I was very quickly presented with a pair of Beechnut coloured Merton loafers to try on. I was advised to go half a size smaller to prevent the shoe from slipping. The advise was top notch which made the fit of the shoe equally as so. The deal was done.

At this point I was told that the shoes I had tried are were marked as "Subs" meaning they had a small cosmetic blemish. The mark I was shown was so small I was embarrassed to receive the 10% off I was given.

Once home I got the shoes out to give them their first polish. It was then that I noticed on the box the mention of a second blemish. When I looked, it was bigger than the first. It is still not noticeable when on, but still I know it's there.

The service, the shop and the whole experience was perfect. The shoes are perfect.

The mark doesn't make them "Subs", it's makes them individual. Shoes are not meant to look perfect. They are meant to look worn. As I wear them they will bring on their own marks and lines, all of which will give them the character that I will love.

 

I just can't wait to get it started!

My first love

I would now like to tell you about my first passion, and that my friend is shoes.
It all started when I bought my first pair of good quality hand-made leather shoes.

We had a close friend’s wedding coming up and I needed a new pair of black shoes, as my work shoes at that time simply wouldn’t do. I bought a pair of classic black cap toes. A shoe that is very smart, perfect as these would only be used for ‘best’. The shoes I bought were from the Jermyn Street branch of Crockett & Jones.  

Crockett & Jones are an English shoe company based at the shoemaking capital which is Northampton, England. The company was established in 1879 by Sir James Crockett and Charles Jones.

What made these shoes catch my eye was the fact they had a slightly more modern look to them. This is because they are made on the companies sleek and splendid 348 last (the last is the form on which the shoe is constructed and gives the shoe it’s shape) and if you ask me this is one of the nicest last’s in the business.

Once I had these shoes I realised just how nice, a good quality pair of shoes are. These simply made all my other shoes an embarrassment to own. So from that point, I was hooked.

Next up would come a pair of Brown suede brogues. A very versatile shoe which can be worn with anything from jeans to a blue suit. These were also from Crockett & Jones and were built on the exact same 348 last.

Since then I have added a few more to my ever growing collection. Some of which you can see here.

 

And next?? These please!

 

 

Sock swag

As my first proper post, let me explain about my love of socks.

Socks can make a huge difference to your whole outfit. Imagine someone wearing white socks with a navy Blue suit and you will get the idea. Most importantly they are cheap, which means you can have lots and lots of them in all different colours. You can have plain ones, striped ones, spotted ones and everything inbetween.

Socks in the most basic of “rules” should match ones trousers, not ones shoes. When matching your socks to your shoes you risk giving them the bootie effect.
Another option is to match them to something else in your outfit. For instance I know of one individual who will always match their socks to their pocket square. Often this is Red which is quite a vivid statement. I prefer to do both. This way my socks still make a statement but they tie into my whole outfit a bit better.

Below are three examples of what I have worn recently. In each instance the socks include colours from the trousers, but also colours from my shirt as well.

In this instance I am wearing a work suit, and when doing so prefer to be a little more subdued. So here I have chosen socks that match the trousers, but are still a little bit ‘fun’.



I'm not about to count how many are in my sock collection but needless to say I have quite a few, and yes, they are all kept in colour order.

It all has to begin somewhere

Hi there,

So, this is my first post on my first blog. I am a blog virgin if you will.

It is rather difficult to know where to begin, so I shall apologise now as I am sure this will not be the most intriguing thing you have read today.

My blog will not be a style guide and will not be telling people how to dress. What it will do, is show off some of the things that I am passionate about, things relating to style. My style.
I would describe my style as classically crisp with a hint of a modern twist.
In the past I was not always too concerned about how I dressed. Taking pride in my appearance and how I dress is something that I have become passionate about over the last few years. I have gradually built up a comprehensive wardrobe and in the up-and-coming posts I shall be showing you some of my favourite items, some of my not-so-favourite items, things I desire and things I certainly do not.

I am excited. I hope you will like what I post.

Please come back soon as I will have something a little more interesting for you.

Good day.