What do you wear with loafers?

fathenry

I like the white loafers, what would you pair with them to wear to a business casual office? I have a pair of black loafers that I love but I rarely wear them because I don't know what to pair with them. For some reason, they feel frumpy when I pair them with my classic dress pants. What would you wear with the black loafers? I commute on foot and by bus so stylish walkable shoes are a must
Thanks very much!

10 years ago

Dressing

11 replies

Latest reply was from unfrumped

Neel

Veteran

Everything!! I love loafers and I pair them with everything! Here are some of my wiws with loafers. But I have a very casual lifestyle. So take it FWIW

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-bumblebee

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-purchases

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nd-loafers

I am sure you can work along your loafers in similar lines.

ETA: Ms. Mary has fab white loafers which she wears with panache.

10 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I hear you on classic trousers. I tend to try to juxtapose loafers with pants that are tapered and long( scrunched over ankle- foot), tapered and cropped( see many discussions on length), track pants( " dressy" for work) and some skirts- these are tricky for me & I have some combos that work & some that don't. Then I'm trying to pair my trousers with pointy toe flat or chunky heel or more of a bootie. This can be more challenging in summer. For white loafer I'd think about skirts, since then shoe is lower contrast with leg,, or lighter colored tapered pants- I don't wear white but would wear light gray or some other light neutrals. A slightly darker neutral( gray or camel or nude or pewter) is easier for me to use with darker pants.

10 years ago

kkards

Veteran

this might be a good starting point. if your office, like mine, does not allow jeans, try substituting skinny or straight leg trousers, like the gap straight leg khakis. also look at MsMary's posts, she has a pair of white loafers, and i'm sure she must have posted a work outfit featuring them.

Gap

Broken-in straight khakis

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10 years ago

MRL

Veteran

I wear loafers with skinny jeans and pants as well as ankle pants and crops. I have also found that they look too "blah" when paired with classic trousers.

10 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You need to show ankle skin with loafers. Treat them like ballet flats.

10 years ago

always trying

Veteran

I bought white loafers thinking I would wear them a lot. I have had them since mid March and have not been wearing them as much as I thought. Only wore them with white jeans, lite wash denim, and one pair of lite blue crops. Somehow they do not look good , to me, with dark bottoms. Have new navy loafers and wore them 3 times in a week., with jeans, crop khakis, and dressier cobalt pants.

I think loafers are not as big a trend as predicted because, for one thing, as

you stated they can look frumpy with dress pants. I think they can unless they are tighter leg crops, or narrow leg ankle pants. With the wider leg or even with skirts (unless very short ones) they look dated-so thus give a frumpy feel.

10 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

What Angie said and Always trying.

I made an effort to style some things around loafers, meaning I added or re-purposed pants I thought would work with them, along the lines suggested, and created a loafer-skirt capsule that I think is acceptable, because of the potential for high foot comfort--loafers have more support than a ballet flat and a roomier toe box than pointy and are more summery than booties and so on. Bought 6 pairs of nude knee-highs! So I was motivated to use the trend even short-term to get more options for long-day on your feet shoes.

10 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

I don't wear mine to work, but I wear them constantly on the weekend with my boyfriend jeans.

10 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I must be learning because I thought what Angie said (!) Hehe.

I wouldn't wear classic loafers, esp. with classic trousers, to the office. Too... casual.

10 years ago

fathenry

Veteran

Thank you so much everyone for your words of wisdom!
Kkards,I will definitely be looking at this pants. Neel I could only link to one of your outfits but your loafers styled casually looked great!

Unfrumped, I love what you suggested about tapered pants and your idea of creating a capsule that you know looks good with those shoes. I also discovered that my ballet flats were tough to run to the bus in because they don't stay on my feet quite as well as the loafers!

Angi e your guideline is also helpful about the ankle skin. That makes perfect sense.

MsMary, I like your idea of pairing with jeans on the weekend. I bought the loafers for work, doesn't mean I can't wear them on the weekend!

Always trying, i also haven't worn mine much, despite their comfort and mine are actually black. It's interesting that navy worked better for you. I wonder if my eye is still adjustjng to the look of a slightly chunked shoe for spring. On me they are high contrast because I have skinny white legs!

10 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

fathenry, I found my black loafers hard to style with skirts also--hard to get past my "poison eye" for black shoes on my pale legs (and this is with nude hose, no less) but I found it easier with tapered pants just showing the top of the foot.
Or see my post on my RL black and ivory loafers which lightens the contrast at the shoe vamp.

10 years ago

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