When and where factors in wearing unique attire
Q What is the right and wrong way to accent a piece of unique clothing in a business casual and/ or party setting? You discussed cork shoes recently and I have a pair of handmade shoes created out of baseball gloves that I got at a place called Al’s Attire when visiting San Francisco, and I want to show them off.
A After checking out their Instagram pages, I can certainly understand why you would have fun wearing them and want to show them off. When an item of clothing is not just useful, but so different and so much fun, it is worth its weight in gold.
Of course, you are wise to pay attention to that old favorite topic of mine, appropriateness. When can you wear such an item? And where? If you give careful thought to the answers to these two questions, you can get many hours of pleasure from your purchase.
Some clothes are conventional and traditionally correct almost anywhere and almost anytime. A navy blazer, gray trousers, a blue Oxford cloth shirt, and a brown leather jacket are four such examples. Because they are so universal and work in so many situations, you seldom need to wonder if they are an acceptable way to dress and you never need feel guilty about spending top dollars on them. But your whimsical shoes are another story. They are unusual and extremely eye-catching, much more so than the cork spectators. They are limited as to where you can wear them, and they definitely make a statement about the guy who is wearing them.
Among the messages they send about the wearer are: He has a fun side.
He enjoys clothes.
He likes baseball.
He is self-confident. He knows his clothes project his personality.
All this without saying a word! That is one of the great things about the clothes we choose to wear. Whether they are subtle or startling, they speak for us and tell the world a lot about us.
As to your questions of how, when, and where you can wear them, here are a few guidelines.
How? Your primary rule should be to avoid wearing more than one garment that is bright, shiny or unusually eye-catching at a time. When wearing something so distinctive, restraint is important. You never want to look as if you were working too hard to be noticed. Stay with simple, straightforward items for everything else you wear with your funky shoes. Don’t, for example, choose a lavender-colored shirt, or a bright orange tie, or patterned socks. Go with classic items for all your other garments.
When and where? Unless your work environment truly has an ongoing relaxed business-casual vibe (where, say, jeans are acceptable), exercise restraint about wearing them to the office. But if your workplace is truly casual or has a Friday exception, and guys do dress down on those days, you could break out your new kicks. Important note: If your work is not confined to an office setting, and you are in sales and out and about with customers, I recommend you do not wear anything so unusual.
On the other hand, for most weekend parties and family gatherings, where casual dress is pretty much the rule, your shoes would be perfect. They make great conversation starters. Not only are they unique/ special, but they are also festive and contribute to the sense of “dressing up,” which is always a compliment to one’s hosts. Since the shoes are brown, you can, if you like, wear them along with something else in the brown family, such as khaki pants. But you do not need to concern yourself with color matching. Of course, if the mitts are from players on the Red Sox or Reds, red socks might be an excellent (if very noticeable) addition.