Matching Belt And Shoes

belt shoe combo above the ankles

It’s well known and established to have matching belt and shoes. The fact that you’re even on a fashion blog in the first place means you have some understanding of fashion. Black with black, brown with brown, tan with tan and so on and so forth. I don’t wish to bore you with the basics. With this post I intend on helping you with some tips as to how you go that extra mile and really match your belt and shoes.

2 Essentials – Black/Brown & The Tanned Belt

Black – The black belt is a must. Don’t cheap out here. I have a few black belts but the belt I’ve been wearing for the last year is a beautiful Tommy Hilfiger leather belt. I bought it on sale from House of Fraser for £26.

TOMMY HILFIGER Leather Belt

Black belts go well with everything, mostly because they go unnoticed by many. Having matching belts and shoes in black is the easiest thing to do. People with a keen eye will notice your belt and they will have a new found respect for you when they see the quality of your belt. This is something that has brought about many compliments for me, I recommend grabbing yourself a nice thick, genuine leather belt, preferably with a small designer logo on it.

Brown – There are a hundreds of different shades of brown. Finding one to match your shoes will be difficult. I solved this issue pretty easily. I bought a standard brown belt for £10 from Marks & Spencer. I’ve owned it for ages and it matches loads of stuff. If you put the belt next to the shoes, it would be slightly off but who cares. Not all of us have the money to own fifteen different belts.

John Lewis Reversible Leather Belt, Black/Brown

Tan – If you have a hard time matching brown with brown you will most definitely have a hard time matching tan’s. You can’t really have a tan belt that goes with everything. I wouldn’t advise having a basic tan belt, best thing to do is take your shoes with you when you go to buy a belt and just place them next to each other.

Can You Be Too Matchy?

Matching shoes and belt is a must. It’s never too matchy, don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise. With that being said, matching more than your belt and shoes, like the other types of leather accessories are a bad idea. Wearing leather driving gloves or carrying a leather briefcase that matches your shoes and belt will look far to pretty. If pretty is your thing, go for it.

Extra Tips

Leave The Belt At Home

It’s better to leave the belt at home and go out with your brown brogues by themselves than wear an off belt with it.

Same Store

As with the picture above, many good retailers sell belts that perfectly match their shoes in store. If you’re buying a pair of beautifully blended oxblood/brown shoes and the same store sells a matching belt – buy it! If you let that opportunity slip you may never find a matching belt again.

how to match your shoes and belt

Don’t Buy A Blue Belt

Except if you’re following the previous tip and you are buying that belt specifically to match a pair of bad-ass blue loafers, avoid blue belts. Match tan with tan, brown with brown and black with black or blue.

Always Have Matching Belt And Shoes – You Can’t Afford Not Too.

Matching Belt And Shoes

Driving Gloves from Black.co.uk

Men's Black Leather Driving Gloves cover

Do you drive? If so, do you own leather driving gloves? If you don’t drive, I ask you the same question…

Do you own leather driving gloves?

As a kid we all watched the movies and saw the main actor speeding in his ferrari/aston martin with some suave leather gloves, and then pulled out the automatic gun and started kicking ass. Well leather driving gloves make you feel like that. When I wear them I feel like at any moment a 4×4 truck is going to swing around the corner shooting at me and I’m going to have to pull out my assault rifle and end them.

Is that feeling of badass’ness worth the £45 these leather gloves would cost? Hell yeah.

Men’s Cognac Leather Driving Gloves

The Company

Black.co.uk is among the more unknown companies in the UK probably because they don’t have any retail stores. They look after their customers pretty well and if you sign up to their newsletter you receive 10% off which is £4.50 off these gloves. They also deliver to anywhere in the UK for free, which would normally cost like £3.50.

The Gloves

You could probably get these in fake leather for like £10 on the market. These gloves are made from 100% real hairsheep leather which is strong yet really soft on your skin. The gloves have the standard design you would expect from driving gloves with knuckle vents and perforated fingers which is used both for comfort and ventilation.

Available in two sizes, small & medium and in two colours, black and brown. I personally recommend brown.

Men’s Cognac Leather Driving Gloves

Click the images below.

Men's Black Leather Driving Gloves 1
Men’s Black Leather Driving Gloves – £45.00
Men's Cognac Leather Driving Gloves 2
Men’s Cognac Leather Driving Gloves – £45.00

Racing Green Brown Leather Holdall

racing green holdall bag

Brown leather holdall bags are amazing for so many different reasons. Whether you own for the convenience of being able to throw all your clothes in it in 5 minutes and head off to another city. Or perhaps you are more like me and just enjoy carrying around a big bag with hardly anything in it just because it looks good.

A good leather holdall is only as good as the quality of the leather and this Racing Green leather is made from oil tanned premium buffalo leather. As with all real leather bags, each Racing Green holdall bag is different with it’s own natural leather markings.

As with every other holdall bag the bag comes with a removeable shoulder strap so you can hang it on your side or carry it as you wish.

Priced at £85.00 down from £170.00, I’d say it is pretty much what you would expect to pay for a decent REAL leather holdall bag. So grab yours here…

Racing Green Brown Leather Holdall

racing green holdall bag
racing green holdall bag 4
racing green holdall bag 3
racing green holdall bag 2

The Science Of Shoe Trees

shoe trees set abovetheankles

I say this all the time and I will continue to mention it constantly, look after yourself, your clothes and your shoes. If you don’t care about how you look, how your clothes look and how your shoes look then you should go play on miniclip.com. The shoes you wear are so imperative towards looking dapper that they can actually ruin your whole outfit. Seeing a guy in nice fresh shoes brings a smile to everyones face. You love nice clean shoes and so does everyone else in the world. Look after your shoes and people will notice.

To be fair to some of you, I know you don’t really care what others think which is fair enough. So I’ve got another reason why you need to take care of your shoes…

Looking after your shoes means that they will last longer. Longer lasting shoes means you will buy less shoes over a period of time. Less buying of shoes means more money for you. Sounds good? Definitely.

Quality shoes are no doubt, expensive and as with everything expensive we own, we want to look after them properly. A good pair of quality shoes should ideally last you 5 years or so, some even last and look good for 10-15 years.

This is where shoe trees come into the picture nicely. If you want to look after your shoes and keep them looking fresh, there are a few different tips to do so. The most important tip that outweighs all other tips is the use of shoe trees.

shoe trees set abovetheankles 2

What’s The Logistics Behind It

Most shoes are made from leather and as with leather or leather lining they absorb moisture from the sweat from our feet throughout the day. They also absorb the moisture from the rain and other bad weather. Over a period of months or years you will see the quality and look of your shoe begin to fade rapidly. Generally the lining of the shoe will start to rot, your shoes might start to smell and the leather will crack over time.

The shoe trees aid in drying out the shoe correctly by forcing the shoe into its proper shape and holding it there. It keeps the leather from cracking and get rid of the moisture. 90% of shoe trees are made from wood so that they absorb the moisture from within the inside of the lining to stop them from rotting from inside the shoe.

Price

Are shoe trees expensive? Some are, some aren’t but at the end of the day a pair of shoe trees are always going to a lot cheaper than a new pair of shoes. Not to mention your shoes will just look better for much longer.

You can choose to buy cheap shoe trees or expensive shoe trees, it’s up to you really. You just need to avoid plastic shoe trees at all costs and get yourself some good cedar wood that have not been varnished. If your shoe tree looks ugly and isn’t shiny – perfect!

The better of the shoe trees will have ventilation slots at the toe and they should also have a longer heel and have more wood. Remember, the more wood the better the drying will be. If it has a knob or a handle, great, you can easily polish your shoes as well.

How Many?

You won’t need more than one pair of shoe trees realistically because you only need to put a shoe trees into shoes you just finished wearing. You should leave your pair of shoes for 24 hours after wearing them but if you only have one or two pairs of shoes then try to rotate as much as you can.

Buy These

Grab yourself a bargain by buying one of these.

1. John Lewis Sprung Shoe Tree, Amber2. John lewis Men's Medium Shoe Strether3. House Of Fraser Ecco Cedar Shoe Tree

ASOS Oxford Shoes in Leather

ASOS Oxford Shoes in Leather - Above The Ankles

We all, without exception own a pair of plain black shoes that are absolutely essential to our wardrobes. One thing more important than owning a plain pair of black shoes is keeping them looking fresh and clean. There’s probably nothing worse than having muddy shoes or scuffed tips of your shoes. Keeping them looking brand new and shiny isn’t always as easy as people make out and if you are anything like me then you will probably need to buy a new pair of shoes every 2-3 months. Looking for the right pair can be a little annoying.

Here’s where I come in;

Shoes are just as important for men as they are for women. You want something classy and simple. With black shoes you want them to have that solid black look with a slight shine. The ASOS Oxford Shoes in Leather have that shine and much more. Oxford shoes are a timeless classic with great shape and great colour.

You want a 100% leather shoe and once again the ASOS Oxford Shoes fits the shoe perfectly. Complete with an almond toe finish you are probably thinking this shoe will cost in the region of £60-70. Well you would be wrong on that account. Designed by the ASOS team these bad boys are being sold for £36.00. Bargain? I think so.

ASOS Oxford Shoes in Leather

Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall

Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall

Understated and sophisticated, this premium black leather holdall by Alexandre of England is the ideal choice whether it is for an overnight stay or a long weekend away. It has been crafted using the finest pebbled leather and has a subtle pouch pocket detail to the front so that you can easily access your travel documents. Internally, the holdall has one zip pocket for added security and a double pouch pocket. The holdall has a carry handle as well as a detachable adjustable shoulder strap for ease. Pair this with the matching wash bag to complete the set.

Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall 2
Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall 3
Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall 4
Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall 5
Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall

Priced at £85, down from £170, we can’t really have any complaints. £85 for a real leather travelling bag, deal!

Alexandre Savile Row Alexandre Leather Holdall

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket

When it comes to dressing well, without a doubt, outer garments make all the difference. We live in the UK, we need to wear a coat or jacket in the mornings and afternoons. The jacket we choose to wear is so important for us in UK, it’s the first thing people notice about us. You walk into a room, people see your jacket, then your shoes and then everything else (suit, tie, haircut etc.)

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket 2
Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket 3

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket

The Stapleton Insulated Jacket from Penfield is unlike your usual jacket, it’s one of those vintage style jackets. It’s a tight fitted quilted jacket that’s padded and shaped like a blazer to give it a smart finish. The shiny black shoulder pad is perfect to stand out from all the boring black and navy jackets in your wardrobe.

Ribbed cuffs get a bit annoying with double cuffed shirts, thankfully these aren’t ribbed but the jacket cuffs are still a little tight. The jacket comes with a zip and buttons, your choice. I think this jacket looks amazing left open with your shirt and tie showing so I’d avoid doing it up as much as possible. Obviously, we live in UK and it get’s ridiculously freezing here so when that happens you can obviously zip up and keep warm with the padded filling inside the jacket.

Price

You have to understand that when it comes to Penfield you are paying for quality and brand. The jacket comes with a leather logo badge on the left arm. That badge is a sign that you have taste, both men and women will see that logo and appreciate it.

So considering all of this, this jacket is £600. Well that’s a lie, it’s not £600. As always I’m trying to find the best deal online and I probably wouldn’t post this if it was £600. That’s actually another lie, I probably would still post it but thankfully it isn’t.

The kind and lovely marketing people at Penfield priced this wonderful jacket for £240. Expensive? Hell yeah. Worth it? Well it depends, this jacket isn’t a going to go in and out of fashion. You can wear this everyday for the next 5-10 years. Worth it? Well that’s your call.

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket

Penfield Stapleton Insulated Jacket 4

Ted Baker Bluez Smart Reversible Belt

Ted Baker Bluez Smart Reversible Belt

Now I’m not normally a fan of reversible belts although I think they are great when you are initially building your wardrobe, i mean you are buying two belts for the price of one. Usually reversible belts look cheap and reversible but oh my, we definitely can not say that about the wonderful; Ted Baker Bluez Smart Reversible Belt.

Two Belts

Ted Baker being the brand they are they have created two of the same belts, one black with brown on the other side and the second belt having two shades of brown. Both of these belts are made out of 100% Bovine leather, which smells amazing! You can literally smell the leather when you hold the belt – perfection. Some “leather” belts are only leather coated, these are through and through pure leather.

They both have this beautiful silver buckle with Ted Baker branded on it so you can show off a little at work.

Black/Brown Reversible

uk-Mens-Accessories-Belts-BLUEZ-Smart-reversible-belt-Black-XA4M_BLUEZ_00-BLACK_1.jpg
uk-Mens-Accessories-Belts-BLUEZ-Smart-reversible-belt-Black-XA4M_BLUEZ_00-BLACK_2.jpg

Dark-Brown/Light-Brown Reversible

uk-Mens-Accessories-Belts-BLUEZ-Smart-reversible-belt-Chocolate-XA4M_BLUEZ_22-CHOCOLATE_1.jpg
uk-Mens-Accessories-Belts-BLUEZ-Smart-reversible-belt-Chocolate-XA4M_BLUEZ_22-CHOCOLATE_2.jpg

Price

Ted Baker are known for quality and they very proud of being an international fashion brand that has grown massively over the years without an advertising campaign. To be able to shop with them constantly you are going to need to have quite a decent income, definitely a lot more than I can normally afford.

Thankfully I can comfortably afford both of these beauties as they are only priced at £45 each. When you compare that to the price of a leather LV belt going for £180, you realise these Ted Baker belts are absolutely worth it.

Trust me, buy one at least and from the moment you open the packaging and smell that leather, you will be a happy man.

Black/Brown Reversible

Dark-Brown/Light-Brown Reversible

Charles Smith Brown Leather Woven Belt

Charles Smith Brown Leather Woven Belt

Some people call them woven, others braided, whatever you want to call them they are amazing belts. The Charles Smith Brown Leather Woven Belt is no different. The belt comes with a simple silver buckle connected onto a beautiful brown woven leather braid. These belts are the same as your conventional flat piece of leather belts with holes punched in except they are better.

With the Charles Smith Brown Leather Woven Belt you can slip the tongue of the belt buckle between any two strands of the belt. This means you can make the belt fit you perfectly, no need to ever punch in holes yourself using a knife or anything else you’ve tried in the past.

Colour & Price

The colour of the belt is amazing, it goes amazingly well with my shoes and attracts a great amount of compliments my way. If you own a pair of good brown shoes then this is definitely one to go for. It’s currently on sale by Gentlemans Shop for £27 down from £45.

Grab it here.

Burgundy Brogues & Loafers

office burgundy loafers 7

So I’ve been out quite a bit lately doing some shopping, as I’m sure you’re aware from all my different posts recently. So while in the shopping centre as always I checked OFFICE for shoes, I get probably 75% of my shoes from there so as per usual I figured I would try and buy some brogues from there. I couldn’t find the right pair for me so I decided to leave. Just before leaving I noticed these two beautiful pair of burgundy shoes. I have never owned burgundy shoes although it is probably one of my favourite colours when it comes to clothing, both formal and casual, but I have never really had an outfit that would look great with burgundy shoes.

Unfortunately that is still the case today, I don’t have an outfit to go with these shoes, although I’m very tempted to buy them and store them somewhere. The two shoes are; Arabella Tassel Burgundy Hi Shine Leather Loafers & the Frankie Brogue Burgundy Hi Shine Leather.

Loafers

Arabella Tassel Burgundy Hi Shine Leather Loafers

The Arabella loafer is a smart slip on shoe made with hi shine dark burgundy leather. With wig tip detailing, this style also features two tassels on the front along with a contrasting black sole with a slim block heel.

– Leather Upper
– Leather sock
– Leather lining
– Synthetic sole

was £ 69.99
NOW £ 35.00

Brogues

Frankie Brogue Burgundy Hi Shine Leather

Round toe lace up brogue in high shine dark burgundy leather with punch hole detail and a contrasting natural leather look sole.

– Leather upper
– Leather sock
– Leather lining
– Synthetic sole

was £ 69.99
NOW £ 32.00

Which One?

Well to be honest, my advice is get both if you can afford too, if not then go with what suits your style best. If you don’t own loafers or brogues yet, I’d go and get some black versions first before starting off with burgundy.