The Right Way to Match Formal Shoes with Suits

I often see people investing in top branded or high-quality bespoke clothing and yet the final outcome is far from being stylish or even acceptable. The most common mistake I have noticed is that people make the wrong pairings with their suits. If you really want that dapper look that you see in fashion magazines, you will have to be meticulous in the way you style up. You have to observe every minute detail such as your posture & gait, the shoulder, and sleeve length of your suit and its overall fitting, the type of shirt and tie you wear with your suit, etc.

I have also noticed that people usually do not have a proper sense of pairing suits with their shoes. For most, it’s like anything goes, which can lead to a major sartorial faux pas. If you don't want people to giggle behind your back, I would suggest that you follow some simple guidelines about pairing the right shoes for your suits. Here are my recommendations for pairing formal shoes with some of the most common suit colors.

Shoes for Blue suits: Being a versatile color, blue can work well with various colors. For your blue suit, you can choose Tan, black, brown or burgundy colored shoes. I would recommend you go with Classic Oxford, Double Monk Strap shoes or Slip-On.

Shoes for Black suits: A pure black suit has only one option and that is black shoes. Anything other than black would surely stand out but in a wrong way. However, you can choose various types of shoes such as Classic Oxford, Double Monk Strap, 4 Eyelet Derby and Formal Brogues.

Shoes for Grey suits: For light to mid-grey colored suits, you can wear light brown, burgundy, and black colored shoes. Lighter shades will convey easy vibes whereas black colored shoes will provide for an enhanced formal look. I would recommend Classic Oxford and Double Monk Strap to go with your grey suit.

Shoes for Dark Grey suits: Similar to black suits, the options are limited to dark grey suits. Black shoes are mostly preferred with dark grey suits, but you can also choose burgundy shoes. Brown shoes need to be avoided, as they create an uneasy contrast.  I would suggest Classic Oxford, Double Monk Strap, 4 Eyelet Derby and Formal Brogues shoes go with your dark grey suit.

Shoes for Olive Green suits: Olive green suits allow you to stand apart from the crowd and make a powerful style statement without appearing to be over-domineering. These are appropriate for both formal and semi-formal occasions. For olive green suits, the best option is Tan shoes. You can choose formal shoes such as Slip-On, Monk, Formal Brogues, or Chelsea Boot.

I would also recommend that you choose the right color of socks so that you can be perfectly dressed in every manner. For example, white, black and dark grey socks will work well with various shoe and suit combinations. As for the belt, it should match the color of your shoes to achieve a cohesive, balanced look.

If you follow my recommendations, I can assure you that you can easily boost your style quotient. You may even be admired and praised by your colleagues for your superior and sophisticated dressing sense.