Jazzy flat oxford shoes

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Jazzy flat oxford shoes

— by Angie

on November 10, 2008

Flat oxford shoes, or “brogues”, are a fringe trend in ladies footwear this season. These peds remind me of roaring jazz 20’s and the good old 80’s.

Flat oxfords are supposed to be worn with jeans (any hem width), dress pants or slouchy wide legged-slacks as a dressier alternative to the fashion sneaker. I’ve even seen taller gals wear them with walk shorts, skirts and dresses. Both slip-on and lace-up versions are available in various colours, leather treatments and stitch interests.

This trend appealed to me because I like flats and oxford shoe styling. I had a pair of chestnut brogues 18 years ago, so I set out to give the funky jazz shoe another go. But I couldn’t get them to work with my style this time around. I tried them with different outfit options, but felt they made me look masculine, short limbed and flat-footed. Right now, I prefer the look of a ballet flat, bootie or heeled oxford for my style.

It’s a shame because I actually found a sassy pair that was comfortable. Oh well, at least I tried. Do you like the look of boyish flat oxford shoes and have you managed to successfully incorporate the trend into your look?

An assortment of masculine, flat oxford shoes for ladies. I wouldn’t be surprised if the look becomes mainstream next season. If I haven’t figured out how to wear them by then, I’ll be bypassing the trend.

Autumn 2008 · Footwear

27 comments · Add a comment

Joy

Angie, I’m with you on hoping I can incorporate this shoe because of the comfort and warmth of wearing them with socks for cold weather when I don’t want to wear boots or a higher heel. But I also find them too masculine looking for my taste. A few years ago I bought something similar in a taupe color thinking that color would be more feminine and I’d wear them all the time. They are super comfortable but hardly worn. Besides being masculine, I also feel they can make a woman of my age look even older.
I’ll be watching this space for any ideas on how to pull off this style.

November 10, 2008 at 8:20 am

Sal

(website)

I just can’t make these bad boys work! My look is too girly, and I NEVER thought I’d hear myself saying that. I might be able to pair some flat oxfords with my multitudinous pairs of widelegs … but I’d be much more comfortable throwing on a pair of flats.

November 10, 2008 at 8:28 am

Sal

(website)

D’oh! I mean pumps.

November 10, 2008 at 8:28 am

carlene

(website)

Love them! I like wearing them with flowing wideleg pants (in winter, I put tights under there, not socks). I’m currently looking for a pair in ivory for next spring, so if you see any….

November 10, 2008 at 8:34 am

Emily Kate

In highschool (~5 years ago) I had a pair of rockport flat oxfords, black, with a really rounded off toe. They weren’t trendy or anything, but they were cute with jeans or wide-legged khakis and a wool peacoat. Also, they kept my feet comfy and dry in the Vancouver-area rainy winters.

November 10, 2008 at 8:35 am

Kristers

I’m with you on them looking masculine and very 80’s [I’ll be singing ‘Rio’ in my head for the rest of the day now]. Back then girls wore these with the skinny ties and a hair tie or hat…I think we were all trying to look like Boy George…I don’t remember our motivation really.

Unless I see a really quirky pair that have a bit more of a heel, I think I’ll let this trend go this time.

November 10, 2008 at 8:53 am

Patience

I was really wanting the grey pair, bottom left. When I first tried them I was wearing a skirt so I went back and tried them with jeans and they were just too masculine. All the responses here are making me wonder if this is just a wide leg pant look. Well, I’m mostly wearing skinnies. I even returned my heeled oxfords because they sat in my closet for a month. I liked them a lot but I just realized I had other shoes I preferred to wear. I was so into this look at one time in my life so I continue to be surprised at myself. On the other hand I have never really worn pumps in my life until the past few years (I always wore oxfords instead). Could it be that our eyes have not adjusted yet? I’m certainly wondering how to make them work too.

November 10, 2008 at 9:06 am

Laura

I love these! Am tempted to give them a try. Like Patience, I too am very into skinnies right now (I have never liked wide-leg pants on me so that wouldn’t be the look I’d go for). Wonder how they would work, maybe with a ruffly blouse and other girly details?

November 10, 2008 at 9:31 am

Linda

(website)

Just can’t see these for me. Something about them just isn’t ladylike. Maybe it’s my age. XOXO

November 10, 2008 at 9:40 am

Carrie

A little too masculine for me. I think I’ll be passing.

November 10, 2008 at 9:53 am

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Fab reaction ladies.

I am SO with the lasses that love this look; and I am SO with the lasses that feel it’s too masculine. For the moment, I’m probably more in favour of the latter because I don’t have a pair of flat oxfords in my footwear collection. Unless you have uber long legs, it’s not a look I prefer with wide-legged pants. Most of the time, wide-legged pants look better with heels.

Joy, you’re spot on with these looking “old” on an older lady.

As you know, I thoroughly enjoy adding an androgynous edge to a look. Contrasting a masculine item with a feminine one is one of my favourite trends. (That’s why I adore military and biker inspired pieces). Laura, I’ve tried putting my dainty girly items with this look – not so fab. In fact, I think the opposite holds true. These shoes look best with a somewhat masculine outfit – slacks, tucked in button down shirt, belt and cardigan. OR, a printed T-shirt, tailored jacket, boot cut jeans plus youth on your side.

The pair I almost got were light grey. I’ve had them on my feet in black and white too (sort of like a spectator). These looked more girly and I almost came home with them. I, like Carlene, would be interested in finding a cream or solid white pair. The colour might make all the difference, as well as covering up a portion of the shoe (with pants that have a wider hem width).

Kristers, you’re dead right with your Boy George association. We were trying to look like Boy George back then when we wore these shoes. Sort of a mixture of boy and girl in one outfit.

If the above examples had an attractive and chunky two inch heel on them, I’d be swooning over the lot of them.

November 10, 2008 at 10:30 am

Debbie

I really want to learn how to wear these oxfords because of the comfort and warmth.

What about wearing with my dark dark bootcut jeans, a white Express blouse, a cardigan and my white or gray pearls? The cardigan could even be floral?

I LOVE the look of these shoes! I also love the support they give my feet.

Thanks for this post!

November 10, 2008 at 10:35 am

Tanya

I like them, and wish I could pull them off with wide-legged pants, but with my long torso/short legs body it won’t work at all, I would feel very stumpy. So I will admire this on others. In high school I did wear a slightly chunkier version ( kind of Doc martens sole with oxford shoe top) with jeans.

November 10, 2008 at 11:42 am

Nicole

I had a pair of black flat leather oxfords that had a wing tip detail back in the 80’s. I remember my favorite outfit was a pair of straight indigo rinsed jeans, a white mock turtleneck and a red cardi–and my oxfords. If it was cool enough outside, I’d add my dad’s black wool suitcoat with the sleeves rolled up to reveal a satin paisly lining. I have held on to that suit jacket all these years, as my one and only sentimental piece of clothing–it means more to me than my wedding dress. Anyway…I digress.

Would I wear these again? Hmmmm they would have to be super special and probably patent…and not black…. I think I could incorporate them into my existing wardrobe though. I probably would not wear them with jeans–I’d go more for a tuxedo style pant, or a wide leg trouser. I’d keep the pants masculine and loose, and opt for a feminine top. I think I’d need to see gender graduated from the ground up.

Of the ones you posted on your blog, Angie I only care for the last two.

November 10, 2008 at 1:40 pm

Real Style Real People

(website)

Not a fan-but I’ll see them on other people and like them.

November 10, 2008 at 1:44 pm

Maya

I have been seeing these in my dreams but they are just not in my budget right now:

http://www.anthropologie.com/a.....Name=IVORY

I’m all for a pair of cream oxfords right now. I think I prefer the ones that have some feminine detailing. Otherwise, I agree they look too masculine. I think that’s why I am also drawn to cream/white. I don’t see too many men walking around in white shoes.

November 10, 2008 at 7:03 pm

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

ooooo, Maya. Those are fabulous. They look a lot like a golfing shoe, but gorgeous all the same. Flat oxfords look so much prettier in cream. I love, LOVE cream shoes.

Debbie, you’ll have to experiment with the look you’ve suggested. Sounds great on paper. I’m charging you with the challenge. Inspire us!

Tanya, your description made me chuckle. You couldn’t look “stumpy” if you tried!

November 10, 2008 at 8:45 pm

StyleConsciousGuy

(website)

I’ve always loved this look. Particularly the “Beauchamp” shoe you have featured. A nice alternative for those of us who love stylish shoes but can’t wear the whole palette. Only the shoe aficionados at the office need know. I’ll wear them with a nice pair of pinstriped slacks with a slightly flared leg, white or teal buttondown, and a cashmere sweater. Thanks.

November 11, 2008 at 4:00 am

Lissie

I had a pair of shoes similar to the Joan & David’s about a decade ago. I wore them with a short gray flannel skirt, tights and a simple v-neck sweaters on days when I had to walk a lot.

I loved them! I am not sure if I could pull it off now, but I would try them with a short skirt and tights or flannel trousers and a girly top.

November 11, 2008 at 7:36 am

shiny

These are very cute – and look comfy and warm – but I think I prefer the look with a stacked heel instead.

However, i would *love* to find a cold-weater, flat-shoe alternative to boots, that enables wearing of warm socks, which ballet flats don’t. Something nicer than converses, and that doesn’t make my feet look huge if worn with straight leg jeans.

My feet are only size 6, but converses still look too big when worn with straight legs!

November 11, 2008 at 11:12 am

Joelle

Oxfords were one of the very few shoe styles that were allowed in my high school dress code, so these are always going to scream “school!” at me. I had a black pair almost exactly like the ones on the top left and wore them to school almost every day with pants and skirts. My long feet looked even longer with them on and I hated them. So I don’t think I will be adopting this trend. I agree with previous posters that they do look masculine. If I could find one with a higher heel I might consider it.

November 12, 2008 at 8:14 am

budget babe

(website)

i love these, and have been looking for an affordable pair in real leather.

November 12, 2008 at 7:30 pm

I have a black pair that I really like with tights and a skirt that stops just above the knee – its a cute casual look.

November 15, 2008 at 7:40 am

Sara

(website)

In college I had a pair of B&W Doc Marten brogues I wore EVERYWHERE — they made every outfit just pop a little bit. I really like these, but would probably look for a color…the black and white “splashy” ones are pretty cute.

November 17, 2008 at 1:57 am

Tropiqalkiwi

I have a pair of silver-y black oxfords (might be the ones in the lower left of the pic) and I love them. I wear them about 3 days per week and find them very versatile. I wear them with wide leg jeans/pants as well as skinny jeans. To make them look good with the skinnies I fold up the ends about 3 inches or so then either go barefoot with the oxfords or use cute socks. They are also great with black opaque tights and skirts and dresses.

November 18, 2008 at 1:18 am

S.M.P

these shoes look awesome in sahdes of brown and black! it depends on the design as modern designs of flat oxfords that still screams VINTAGE look wonderful! trust me these shoes are unisex but it depends how you wear it! the brown ones look so good with skinnies and highwaisted skirts shorts and so on and suite shades of greys and blues and black! the black ones look good with wintery colours and clothing with black stockings! i would say its a retro/ indie/vintage/ artsy look you are going for with these shoes, otherwise it will be VERY difficult to pull off.

May 23, 2009 at 9:53 pm

Flat Oxfords: yay or nay

(website)

[…] soon as flat oxfords started resurfacing a few years ago, I was over the moon. I thought: Yes! A spunky flat casual closed shoe! Move over ballet flats, […]

August 9, 2010 at 7:44 am

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