A reader asked for some information on slippers, which of course are bedroom footwear that may be worn in other parts of the house. Now if a man has a lot of time on his hands, he can think of foot coverings as a series of concentric rings that extend out from the bedroom, with slippers at the center. Slip-on casuals, which were once considered house shoes by men who lived in castles, are the next ring, and laced shoes worn outside are furthest from the center. But we're here to talk about slippers though we're not going to be comprehensive because a man need only care about a couple types.
Extending across several rings is the Albert slipper, named after Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Queen Victoria's consort. A velvet slipper with a leather sole and quilted silk lining, it is worn about the house, particularly with black tie, as well as anywhere that smoking jackets are appropriate. Alberts are offered by all the major English shoemakers as well as a couple companies that specialize in them exclusively.
Lesser slippers tend to be of moccasin construction, where a single piece of the slipper's material simply extends under the foot. The pictured version is one half a dozen versions that were originally designed by Henri Bendell in the 1940's and are sold to this day as Belgian Shoes (no, they don't give me shoes to write this but they should) and, according to Alan Flusser in one of his older books that I'm not going to spend the time looking for, the leopard version is the one to get. To which I will add, if they will not be seen in public.
And that's the best way to treat soleless slippers. They'll give many years of service if they're worn on carpeting but a dozen blocks on city sidewalks will be the death of them.
Keep them near the bedroom.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
An Incomplete Amount of Information on Slippers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
11 comments:
I'm sorry, but those slippers are just cheesy. Do we really need an article of clothing for revery occasion? What could be more comfortable than being barefoot in the house or sleeping in the nude?
belgian shoes have a time and place for certain occassions. I went to NYC and tried them on. They are very feminine. best suited with evening wear or if your an artist.
Perhaps the next time you see that bookmark for "A Suitable Wardrobe", you **don't** click on it. That way, you'll never be burdened with excess slipper information . . .
What could be more comfortable? Being warm, for one thing. Some men have wives who insist on the indoor equivalent of sleeping out of doors all winter long.
Will,
I laughed so hard at your "being warm" comment and wives that force you to dress for the arctic inside your own house!
I'd add another occasion to wear a variety of robes, neatly pressed pajamas you actually sleep in, and slippers around the house: wives who insist on having every member of their family at home at all times day and night. Scaring them off with nudity is not a good idea. It just makes them come back for more...
Settle down boys!
I’m glad that Will chose to use the most extreme version of the Belgian Shoe to illustrate this posting. No doubt, the shoes consistently conjure thoughts and debate about how to wear them, where to wear them….are they too feminine? Are they appropriate for anything other than the most casual environment?
I’d say that context and confidence are the two key variables for considering Belgian Shoes. If you remain in an industry that is fairly conservative and requires suits, ties and lace up brogues, then obviously, these are better left for the weekend.
Don’t spend the almost 400 bucks on them if you are going to be walking down the street or standing at a cocktail party, glancing at your own feet, wondering what they look like on you and what people are thinking about your sexual proclivities. You’ll project tentativeness and fear at best.
Man up! Put em on!
I have five pairs of these shoes. They are my standard “loafer” when wearing a corporate casual outfit….which is the uniform of the day for my corporate clients. I have dark brown suede, burgundy leather, brown leather, black leather with brown piping. I send them back to NYC to have rubber soles reapplied when needed. These shoes are GREAT! And no, I don’t own any of the theatrical, dramatic animal print ones.
I have been in the Belgian Shoe Store in NYC many times but just couldn't pull the trigger on them. It's the bow that bothers me the most. That and the fact an old lady at my office wears shoes that are similar (though not Belgian shoes by brand)
Jordan - by "evening wear" I meant with a tux...not actually sleeping yeesh.
Wives who keep the house Arctic? You're joking, right? Most women would have us sweltering year 'round if they had their druthers!
John....Duly noted regarding the trauma associated with Belgian Shoes looking something like what the old lady in your office wears...that would probably do it for me as well. Regarding the little bows comment from another person...I hear you on that as well. They look atrophied compared to an Alden tassel or some other adornment. I suppose I just don't notice them anymore.
I'm currently at my mom's in South Carolina on Thanksgiving vacation....the only shoes I bought with me are a pair of black Belgians with brown piping/brown bow...had to minimize the items in the carry-on bag.
I had to walk with some extra swagger into the small grocery store here yesterday in pursuit of cranberry sauce for my mom. Belgian shoes in the land of gun racks, camo baseball hats and monster trucks can land a rather tentative wearer of Belgians in dire straits.
Happy Holidays.
It's amazing what comes up when searching for information on Prince Albert (my hero :-) )! I have read so much about this great man but never before heard of a slipper named after him!! Thank you for this interesting anecdote! :-)
www.hilliardandcroft.blogspot.com
Post a Comment