Matching shoes and belt

[FSUSem1noles]

I know your supposed to match belt with shoes, but does the shade have to exactly match?

I have a pair of suade (sp?) brown alfanis, but the belt is a little darker, is it fashionably ok, to wear the two??

 

[j]

No, the shade needs not exactly match. It's not always possible to do that, especially with different colours of browns. I have a pair of chestnut Bally loafers and a pair of very slightly darker chestnut Allen Edmonds cap toes and I have yet to find a belt that matches them. I wear a belt that is the same hue but darker, and it looks fine.

With suede shoes you might try to find a suede belt to match, in a similar colour, for extra points.

 

[FSUSem1noles]

Thanks J. once again you've come through in the clutch...

 

[Mike C.]

What do you guys think about someone who wears black shoes with a brown leather jacket. My roomate and I snicker at anyone we see doing this (and its alot of people). Is this a fashion rule set in stone or can it be pulled off.

 

[j]

That's kind of a hard one, but I'll give it a go.

One theory is that all your leather should match, and that would be the one you snickerers hold.

The other is that all your accessories should match. I tend to go with this one because of two main reasons: First, it's often hard enough to match a style and type of shoe to a jacket, let alone colour, when good shoes are so expensive; second, I think it often looks too "matchy-matchy" to wear absolutely all the same colour and type of leather between shoes, accssories and clothes. I think of a leather jacket as a part of my clothing, and just as I don't try to find a white pair of shoes when I wear my white jacket, or a blue pair when I wear a blazer, I haven't been keeping my eye out for a burgundy pair for wear with my burgundy car coat (although if I could find a good pair of navy leather shoes, I'd probably snatch them right up).

Another applicable rule here is that black shoes are okay with brown clothing and (in my opinion) brown shoes can look good with black clothing as well, when properly done.