Chunky Black Derby Versatility
Hi all, I've been wanting some chunky black derbies recently to build a versatile shoe collection but I just want to get MFA's current stance on how much this type of shoe can be dressed up or dressed down. I have a rough idea myself on the limits of the shoe but I just want to hear second opinions and hopefully get a discussion going.
1. How high would you dress up this kind of shoe? Are grey wool trousers or dress pants the most formal possible that can work? Can you go higher by wearing suits? If so, are there guidelines in terms of suit color, shirt, etc that would go well with these?
2. On the other hand, how casual can these shoes get? When pairing them with chinos or jeans, what considerations should be made regarding fit or color? Do shorts work? I have been seeing some streetwear style with shorts and long crew socks but I'm not sure if I like it. And how about the more classic chino shorts and an OCBD, will that work with the shoes?
I have pictures of the shoes that I have in mind from a local shoe store but any type of chunky black derby (think Doc Martens 1461 mono) is included in the discussion. Thank you!
1 Reply
The chunky silhouette makes the shoe more casual looking, but plain derbies are already on the less formal end of the leather shoe spectrum. For that reason you're gonna have an easier time dressing them down than up, but you have a bit of room in either direction.
Grey wool trousers or dress pants work pretty well with chunky black derbies, but the trick is getting the break right. I wouldn't recommend them with a suit unless it's a more casual fabric, cut, or occasion. A light, unstructured black cotton suit goes great with some chunky derbies for a day in the city, but a navy wool suit for a wedding would be a bad way to wear the shoes. There's no real guidelines there, but limited colors work better so stick to grey/black/white if you want to be safe.
You have a lot more options when talking about casual wear, but also less direction. Chinos, jeans, and other semi dressy pants like corduroys, wool trousers, even cargos all work with chunky derbies. A lot of folks here are trending toward fuller cut casual pants with a little crop to complement the wider silhouette of something like a doc derby. Color is super flexible here, there's nothing off the table imo. Shorts do work! I'd just recommend a taller sock to kind of fill in the space between. OCBD, chino short, and casual leather derby all works together pretty well!