Finding the right piece to go along with your dress shoe is quite a chore. Let’s be honest, unlike men’s sneakers, the strict footwear doesn’t really get along with everything in your manly closet. It’s just too regal, unfit to dally with your casual jeans — hence the internal laughter.
Yet, there is a way to dig this unlikely pairing. One that isn’t awkward and won’t make any gentleman look like a total weirdo.
Chic Regulation
Technically, there are no rules in wearing men’s dress shoes. You can wear it however you like. Then again, if you want to pull off effortlessly cool with these formal creepers, you might want to take note of these practices.
Here are the three Do’s when rocking dress shoes with your everyday jeans.
Find the Right Jeans
Out there in your closet, there are plenty of jeans. While the denim fabric is usually casual, there are some that are dressier than others. You have to spot the smart-looking type, not the jeans with holes, jeans with lighter shades, and especially not the baggy ones.
Look for casual wear pants that are fit in the waist, hips, and bottom but not too tight like skinny jeans. It has to be slim with a regular cut. Be mindful of the length, too, they can’t be too long and dragging.
With the palettes, you can’t go wrong with black, but you can also work with colored denim, provided it’s the right fit, as mentioned.
The Right Type of Dress Shoe
Well, it takes two to tango. It’s not enough to find the right jeans, you have to choose the right dress shoe to go along with them.
It’s very critical for the whole ensemble to work. Since denim is on the casual side, you have to pair them with less formal creepers. For instance, men’s oxford shoes are awesome pairs, yet they’re too regal and not quite fitting for the denim in your closet.
Your best option is to go with loafers (also referred to as summer shoes). Its construction and shape are more laidback and casual in vibe, the perfect balance for jeans.
Other Elements Should Balance Out the Look
The dress shoe is the foundation of the whole look, which implies that you have to build your entire outfit from there. Elevate the outfit by finding pieces that will go along with the dress shoe and the jeans.
Instead of going for the regular t-shirt and sweatshirt, find the middle ground for the casual-formal look by balancing it out. Wear tried and true staples like the dress shirt or the collared button-downs.
Keep it minimalistic by wearing simple accessories. You can also complement your look with a hat.
The key to rocking the dress shoe-jeans combo is to know your business. Is the occasion leaning towards casual or formal? Or is it right in the middle?
While you can always improvise a look by adding layers to it, there are just some pairings that won’t work.
Now, the sleek dress shoes and jeans are quite mismatched on so many levels. Yet, in conclusion, you can wear and rock them —that is, of course, if you follow the bullets.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at BlueFashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2013. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
