Dressing up is not hard yet too often I hear people say, ‘I just never have an opportunity to wear dress shoes anymore.’ I always think to myself, ‘why’? Why do we have this mentality that we need to only use leather-soled shoes to go to an office? You might hate to hear this but that is ‘so American’ and a part of this ‘I just always want to be comfortable’ mentality where comfort = cushion i.e. Nikes/Cole Haan’s and baggy clothing. Except that is not ‘comfort’; that is just laziness.
Comfort is not always an article of clothing. It can be a state of mind. I know people that feel comfortable in suits and dress shoes. A lot of people outside of the US do not own jeans/shorts (except for the beach) and sure as heck do not own sweatpants other than to play some kind of sport. Yet, so many men in the US just love to be lazy. It’s sad, really. But don’t get me wrong, I love jeans, but I also love wearing jeans with leather-soled shoes and a tucked-in shirt. I see that as a compromise to not wearing my suits. But you won’t see me in sweats other than to loaf around my house.
I love how I feel when I wear a suit. I would wear a suit more often except the reality is that I am always getting into a mess at work, whether it is the handling of dusty shoe boxes, polishing shoes, packing of shoes, and the like. I wear the aforementioned outfit of jeans + dress shirt/polo + dress shoes more often than not simply as a way to not destroy my actual nice clothes, but I am never more mentally happy than when wearing a suit. I wish that I wore them more often.
During my time in Italy making, I became very close with one of my fellow shoemakers who took me in and treated me like family. I would often spend time at his parents house getting a good dose of the Italian lifestyle. His father was super old school. At the time he must of been in his late 60’s. He wore a suit or at least trousers with a jacket, dress shoes and a tie every single day. And he was retired.
His day consisted of going down to the cafe below his house for his morning coffee and breakfast, taking a walk, going home for lunch, smoking a few cigarettes in the process, watching TV, and repeating the routine at night, for dinner and a stroll. That was his daily life and never once did I see him casual. He loved to be in a suit. And only at night when sitting on the couch, smoking his cigarettes would he take off the tie, unbutton his shirt and roll up his sleeves. And to this day, he is the same and is now in his late 70’s. I always admired him and still do.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a place and time for everything. Of course, you do not need to wear a suit to get groceries or take your dog for a walk, but it would be nice to see more people put more effort into ‘looking nice’ and not need a reason to do so (at least their reason). One doesn’t need to go out to a fancy dinner to wear a suit. One doesn’t need to go to a show to wear dress shoes. You can wear them because it is Tuesday. You can wear them on your days off. You can wear leather sole shoes with jeans, a polo shirt, and a jacket.
But we have to shift our mentality. I know that if I put on a suit on my day off, my wife would look at me and think ‘Where the heck are you going?!’ And that is the issue. We have trained ourselves to think that a suit only equals work and dress shoes only equal dress clothes. Nope. Dressing nice has no boundary other than what our minds tell us. So let’s shift our mentality and dress nicer. It may sound silly, but if we all dressed nicely, the world would change, and for the better.
And I get it, too. I am not some super snob that only dresses up. I dress casually and now that I am permanently in the suburbs, day and night, I will have to make even more of an effort. I was at the UPS store the other day and the lady said, ‘Wow, you are all dressed up’ and I was astonished by that statement. I was simply wearing some loafers, dress trousers, and a buttoned-up shirt tucked in. That, to her, was ‘dressed up.’ And that is precisely how society thinks now. For me, I was dressed casually. Smart yet relaxed. It was by no means ‘dressed-up’. But, here I am the minority and she is the majority and that is what must change.
Suit by: J.Mueser
Shirt by: Yeossal
Tie by: Ike Behar
Watch by: Rotary Watches
Socks by: Mes Chuassettes Rouges
Shoes by: J.FitzPatrick Footwear
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
Shop · Marketplace · J.FitzPatrick · Patreon
You always look so incredible. I have always admire your style.
Thank you Marc, I appreciate that brother. Hope that you are keeping well!
Same in Canada, i can’t agree more.
People dress lazy, it looks like people give up,
It’s as if they say to themselves i feel miserable i might as well feel confortable. And it has been proved that if you dress properly you will behave more nicely and perform better.
Exactly! Thanks for sharing Guy!
What size is the cuffs on your slacks?
always 2 inches 😉
You have exactly reflected my thoughts regarding wearing a suit. My grandfather was just like the Italian gentleman you described. He was a software merchandise distributor in the 1940’s to small towns and even in his warehouse he always wore a suit and tie. Whenever he had to actually do some work himself, he would just remove his jacket and roll up the sleeves of his white shirt but I never saw him remove his tie. He never drove a car but would catch a bus and while waiting for the bus he would sit on a bench or concreate slab but before he would take his handkerchief and lay it down before sitting on it. I’m now in my mid 70’s and his only grandchild who seemed to have inherited his style of wearing suits and better clothing on a daily basis. And yes, I constantly get the odd look or constant questions “where’s the party”? Going to an interview? Here comes the fashion king, and “why don’t you wear something comfortable”? etc, etc. I’ve learned to overcome and ignore those remarks. And as a matter of fact, I do feel comfortable in my suits and leather shoes and I do find it just as easy dressing in a suit as I would throwing on a T-shirt and some jeans. I get it. Americans prefer a “laid-back-casual type fashion. Cargo shorts, T-shirts, baseball caps and sneakers is the overwhelming American fashion attire even when traveling on vacation and visiting other cultures. I don’t demean this way of dressing; it’s just how American culture has evolved over the years. It’s just not my style. And not often, but occasionally I do get a complement on how I dress, and it’s most rewarding when it comes from youngsters (mostly young ladies) admiring my dress. I feel there’s hope for the upcoming generations.
Thank you for sharing Ernesto. Yes, I do love to see a resurgence of young gentlemen highly interested in the classic menswear side of the industry. I, too, have hope for the younger generation.
Thanks for the post. Could not agree more. While I do not even own a suit anymore (I live in SW Florida) I still care a great deal about my footwear and what I wear in general. Where I live men my age (65+)seem to have taken up the uniform of cargo shorts, graphic t shirts and New Balance walking shoes 24/7. I look at them and wonder if they care at all about how they look. It’s very sad.
I think that your assessment of “lazy” is dead on. I also think that most American men have very little knowledge of how to dress. My daughter’s boyfriend does not even own leather shoes! (I’ve been advising him on his first pair and it is a strange new world for him). Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing Eduardo! And I appreciate the kind words and support!
A sports jacket (unstructured), jeans or chinos and dress shoes is my standard, year round attire. (Of course, once the temperatures hit 30C, I cave in to a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers.)
Really, there’s nothing so comfortable or so flexible as the combination of an unstructured sports jacket with a pair of well fitted and well made dress shoes. The choice of shirt and trousers can make the outfit dressier or more casual to suit the occasion.
Thanks for sharing David, it really is as simple as you described it!
Those shoes you have on are very nice looking. They remind me of “Norwegian Split Toe” (or whatever they’re called) designs I have seen (and own – I have a pair made by Bally – but they’re not anything special – or Goodyear welted) – except they appear to almost be like a whole-cut shoe, with the stitching suggesting seams where leather pieces were sewn together. Very cool.
Thank you Steve!
Justin, totally random question, I hope you don’t mind -the cloth for your suit is lovely, what is it?
Pete
Hey Pete, not a problem at all. I want to say Caccioppoli but would have to double check to be sure
Fantastic post! I believe untidy and mismatched shoes demonstrate your lack of fashion sense and perhaps laziness. However, chic and appealing shoes display your taste and artistic sense. A decent pair of shoes not only enhances your fashion appeal but also assists you in creating the right style and satisfying your need for fashion accessories.
Thank you for sharing Harper
The links don’t really work but a set like that is maybe 3000$ as I can see. The large majority of people can’t afford that, not even close. Leather shoes and half-decent looking suits are expensive ($100 suits are not worth bothering, worse than t-shirt and jeans).
Your tattoo is to me like 3/4 yoga pants on a man for you.
that was kind of funny. Thanks for making me laugh. And of course not everyone can afford $3000. But that is not what it takes to dress nice. Sneakers these days cost almost as much as Meermin do if not more. Same with Nike Clothes. The amount people spend on athletic brand names, they can afford to wear dress clothing without having to go MTM or bespoke. A good tailor can make magic
Love this post. There is a time and place for many different looks. Leather soled dress shoes are not just for suit and tie wear. Fashion boundaries were broken long ago so why not mix and match within reason. I love to wear a beautiful suit and tie because it makes me feel great. I also love to wear a denim or my travel pants. Getting “dressed up” is fun. More people should give it a try instead of just “giving up”.
100% agreed 😉
I prefer dressing up a bit rather than going for entirely casual attire. I’m a fan of wearing leather shoes to work or on the weekends. It’s a shame to see the decline in dress and style in the US.
I completely agree. Dressing up, so to speak, does not require a ‘need’ but rather can just be because one looks good and feels comfortable. For too long have we associated ‘dressing up’ something we do for work or for an occasion instead of just being well dressed for the sake of being well dressed
This speaks from my heart. It’s no different here in Germany. But I love wearing suits and I wear a suit whenever I can. Even if I’m just picking up bread at the bakery or shopping at the market.
Thank you for sharing!
A button down shirt with slacks and leather dress shoes is my uniform; grocery store, gas station, whatever. But when my wife and I go out to a nice restaurant, I am sporting a suit. I lost everything in a natural disaster over twenty years ago. While looking at the pile of ruined dress clothes and shoes, that I never wore, I swore that if I ever owned that again, I would wear the hell out of them. And that I do.
nice! Great inspiration!