Loafers for Every Purpose
Are you looking to buy a pair of minimalistic shoe which can be worn with almost any outfit? Then, you have come to the right place, the haven that are loafers. Most people mix up loafers with moccasins. Let's at first get this out of the way; two very visible characteristics are the fact that a loafer has a heel and has a line of stitching on top of the vamp. On the other hand, moccasins have no such heel and are decorated with embellishments on top. There you go, now that you know the grammar of loafers, you can pick which ones to wear with what.
Loafers were first invented by a Norwegian who on his visit to America, came across moccasins (no wonder most of us mix these two shoes up). He was so fascinated by it that he wanted to give it a Norwegian touch and come up with a slightly more formal style. Voila! Loafers were, all of a sudden, breaking through all trends and styles and becoming an essential part of every man's wardrobe.
Yes, I have mentioned earlier that loafers tend to be slightly formal, but not as formal that they can be worn with tuxedoes or three-piece suits. Having laid the basics out, we are completely prepared to go off to buy the most versatile loafers.
Penny Loafers
These have a distinctive style with a diamond-shape cut on the saddle (strap of leather stretching across the stitching). Its shape gives it an orthodox touch, encouraging it to be the first of the loafers to buy. These will go well with chinos, flannel slacks, seersuckers, linen trousers and even jeans. When it comes to suits, if you want to stick to the traditional rules of suiting up, then it is discouraged to wear them with suits. For a slightly formal look, you could wear it with blazers and a tie or a bow tie. For example, suppose you are going to a fashion show in the afternoon and you want to dress somewhere in the middle of casual and formal. Wear a nicely fitted navy blue blazer along with an oxford shirt and grey slacks topped up with your newly bought black penny loafers. However, there's a catch. The Duke of Windsor broke this norm and used to wear two toned loafers with double breasted pin striped suit. Surprised, right? How could he wear loafers with almost the highest degree of formals? This is the beauty of fashion; you can break the rules in whatever way you like, keeping in mind to simply carry the outfit confidently.
We have spoken so much about western outfits, but what about our traditional wears, panjabi? You can wear them with the aforementioned alone or can top them off with Mujib coats or if you are very confident about your style, wear them with a Sherwani.
Tassel Loafers
If someone had told me 5 years ago that Tassel Loafers are more formal than Penny Loafers, I would've erupted into laughter thinking that the person had gone mad. But now, after thorough research, I can confidently say that I was wrong. The tassel on the vamp makes one drool over their elegance and panache. Leather Tassel Loafers can be worn in the same manner as the Penny Loafers, so talking about it would be repetitive. What needs to be mentioned are suede Tassel Loafers. The suede gives it a regal touch. Wear these suede loafers comfortably with your favourite panjabi or with polos tucked into khakis. It is recommended to wear burgundy or brown ones with evening wears because these colours go best with the night theme. On the other hand, black can be worn during any time of the day.
The suede gives off warm weather vibes and with summer arriving soon, investing in such shoes would be a smart decision. You'll be able to stylishly don them with linen or seersucker suits.
Gucci Loafers
One may not be a fan of this loafer because the metal saddle might make it seem heavy and gaudy; however, its versatility cannot be denied. The name came into existence because of the fact that Gucci wanted to design a loafer unique to them and came up with that design and hence the name became so.
These loafers are the most formal of all loafers, encouraging them to be worn with suits. So, style them with suits taking liberty in experimenting with your style.
Did You Know?
Gucci was the first brand to make loafers in black because most loafers were previously brown. Since loafers were for casual wear it was made in the colour that is considered casual too.
You must all be wondering why other loafers such as the Belgian Loafers or the ones with the crocodile print weren't mentioned earlier. That's because the Belgian Loafers can be treated in the same manner as a Tassel Loafers, however they have smaller tassel making them more extravagant and hence not suited for formal wears as you could with the other ones. The crocodile print is simply too casual to be categorised as versatile.
Now you know which loafers serve which purpose and hence can easily single out which one of these would best suit your preference. So go out there and buy any one of these essential and versatile shoe pieces, keeping in mind that you can rock them with any style if only you are confident.
Stay confident, stay stylish.
By Ali Sakhi Khan
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad
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