The kids make it look so cool
Ever since they became voguish a few years ago, I found lace-up oxfords to be one of those fun trends I knew better than attempt: ideally suited to the young and long-of-leg, and probably too masculine and clunky for me to pull off with any degree of grace. Quite recently, however, I’m seeing that they might solve a particular wardrobe issue: it’s spring but not quite sandal weather, and when I want to pop out in my jeans or khakis I have but two options: boots, which feel too heavy; and sneakers, which pretty much invented unflattering.
There are still oxfords to be found, but since they’re no longer especially of-the-moment, not a bumper crop. So I followed a hunch and went to the commerce site for Totokaelo, a boutique that favors a certain soft-focus androgynous look and is located in Seattle, a city where even the most stylish women still value dressing for comfort. The hunch paid off, and I found much to love should I decide to take the plunge—a question that is still very much up in the air.
This off-white pair from Common Projects appears at first to be a bit too nurse-like. But check out how cute they look with the jeans. That they’re cream-colored instead of black or brown goes a long way toward mitigating the I-look-like-a-man factor, don’t you think?
Of course Rachel Comey’s are great, though possibly a bit too flat flat.
Robert Clergerie’s add height, but one must accept clunk as part of the bargain.
Were I to go for a dark pair it’d probably be these by Dieppa Restrepo, either in the black you see here or in a kind of saddle-brown they call Whiskey. They’re classic, really well-made, and possibly a little little Euro-girl.
Hmm, this is an option that’s never occurred to me. But I think the real question–albeit a less poetic one–is not dare I wear oxfords but how exactly do I to wear them so they will be both age-appropriate and not completely unflattering?
Better you than me, I wear a size 10 and don’t have the giraffe legs to go with such large feet, I’d look like I was wearing clown shoes.
You could go with a nice pair of loafers.
So glad I found your site! I’ve been curious about Dieppa Restrepo for years but have never found them locally. Have you tried the Repetto Zizi? It has a classic design and slight heel so it ends up being just right.
Want to talk about cool oxfords? I got a pair of Ellens in tan from Vintage Shoe Company. They are some of the best shoes I’ve ever owned and they go with everything. And the best thing – made in USA!!
http://www.vintageshoecompany.com/Product.aspx?Productid=262
I have a pair of pink suede oxfords that I bought back in 1972 for my first trip to Europe. They are hanging in my closet and, over the years, I’ve taken them out and worn them with jeans/pants and received raves from people. Haven’t worn them for a few years but I think I’ll take them out and wear them tomorrow with a pair of brown jeans. They are soft and feminine-looking and thus still look modern (more like the second photo).
I just bought a pair on huge sale at J Crew. I hope I like them, and that they fit, and that I don’t look like Elaine Benes in them, given that they are non-returnable final sale…
It feels as though you’re working too hard to make them work! That is usually a clue that it won’t work!Oxfords have their place but I believe that not every style and fashion trend deserves to be back in force. There are just SO many other options. What about a great pair of slip on loafers? Anthropologie has a darling pair of distressed gold that are the “lighter feel” you are looking for, very feminine and ohhhhhh, so comfortable. Tada!
Late to the party, but not to the Oxford dilemma. I had the same quandry about warm-ish weather, jeans, and footwear and became convinced that what this late 50′s, size eleven, 36-inch inseamed woman needed was Oxfords!
The search took a few weeks, and I was beginning to despair, until I found these: http://www.planetshoes.com/item/born-crown-dacy/15023/S97?source=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping
So pretty, I just leave them out to look at.
I have a weird thing about wearing sandals that show too much of my toes, so needed to find an alternative warm weather shoe last year. I found a great pair of tan oxfords with a perforated design–they were slim enough that I could wear them with skirts and they didn’t look clunky, and the color and perforations made them summery.
Last year I found a sort of vintage pair from Ralph Lauren. I wear them all the time, and people follow me down the street asking where I got them. Perfect with jeans, and now I’m thinking about pairing them with Bermudas!
I am a fan of these, from London Sole:
http://www.londonsole.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=32&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26
Super cute, Ms Myers.
what’d you decide?
Haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I’m still really leaning toward that white pair, golf-shoe-ish though it may be.