As a slip-on type of leather shoe that can be easily slipped on and off, the ” loafer ” boasts a wide range of versatility that can be worn for both dress and casual wear. In Japan, loafers have a strong image of being worn by junior and senior high school students with their school uniforms, but they are also versatile shoes that are perfect for elevating the off-duty style of adults. In this issue, we focus on the “loafer,” and introduce the most notable items for men’s outfits with loafers!
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What are Loafers?
Loafers are derived from the English word “loafer,” meaning “lazy,” and are a general term for leather shoes without laces that can be easily put on and taken off. Loafers are often referred to in the same context as slip-on moccasins, which use a single piece of leather to wrap around the foot, but moccasins with laces also exist. Originally designed as indoor shoes, they have since been modified to be worn in a variety of situations, both indoors and outdoors, leading to today’s style. The word loafer, however, has a wide range of variations, including penny loafers (coin loafers), bit loafers, and tassel loafers, with different impressions depending on whether they are made of leather or suede.
In the 1950s, they became very popular in the American casual fashion scene, especially among Ivy League students, and became an indispensable shoe for the Ivy look. The trend spread to Japan in the 1960s, and loafers are still strongly associated with “student shoes.
Loafers are of course a thing for private (off-duty) wear for both students and professionals!
As mentioned above, loafers have a strong impression of being student shoes in Japan, but it is also very possible for adults to match them with their off-duty style. Of course, it is also possible for students to wear them with their casual clothes on weekends and holidays. They are leather shoes that can be easily matched to a wide range of styles, from adult on-duty styles such as suits and jackets, student on-duty styles such as blazer styles and school run outfits, to casual coordinates on weekends. In particular, since they have the neatness of being leather shoes, they are the perfect shoes to wear when you want to be a little more elegant in your off-duty style.
What are the points when wearing loafers with casual wear?
Point 1: “The usual technique is to combine a loafer of just the right size with ankle-length bottoms to create a loose look around the feet.
Slip-on style loafers cannot be fine-tuned with laces, so choosing the right size is a prerequisite. If they are too tight, they are too tight for your feet, and if they are too loose, they are too tight for your feet. In business situations, the emphasis should be placed on a well-balanced length, but there is no need to be so nervous when wearing them with casual clothes. For example, wearing wide pants with a cushion at the feet for a loose look is also very fashionable.
Loafer with casual wear (2) “Pairing loafers with socks in the fall and winter creates a sense of the season.
Loafers are the first type of leather shoes that look smart when worn barefoot, and it is important to either wear a foot cover or bare feet to create a loose look, or pair them with socks. First of all, the footwear must match the image of the styling, but if you want to be more seasonally conscious, it is effective to wear bare feet for the spring and summer seasons and pair them with socks for the fall and winter seasons. The difference between the seasons can be expressed in the loafer’s footwear, which can also raise the fashionable level of off-duty style and complete a smart, sophisticated, adult look.
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Loafers with casual wear (3) “It is dangerous to match loafers with clothes that are too far apart in taste just because they are casual wear!
Of course you are free to choose what to match because it is your personal clothing, but you should at least pay attention to whether it is in style. For example, slacks and jeans are the most common bottoms that match loafers, but it is not difficult to imagine that track pants made of shiny nylon material would be very difficult to match. The prerequisite for enjoying off-duty style is to consider the compatibility of the items and coordinate them in a way that makes sense. Of course, there must be items that can be matched with the track pants mentioned in the example, so those who want to enjoy mode dressing may find it interesting to pursue that path.
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