How to Match Your Belts and Shoes
To match or not to match
By Janine Giorgenti
Quite often I am asked about whether one’s belt should match – in any particular manner – with their shoes. It seems as if there is a growing sentiment that suggests that “anything goes” when it comes to belt and shoe color combinations. I happen to disagree with with this stance.
For starters, if you’re wearing a dress belt with sneakers, that’s not “okay”. If you choose to wear sneakers with jeans, you should choose a casual belt (ex: fabric). Similarly, if you’re wearing dress pants or slacks, you should be wearing a dress belt.
As far as colors are concerned, yes, it is very difficult to achieve a “perfect match” when trying to match belts and shoe colors. Be it brown or black, you will be hard pressed to find a belt and shoes that exhibit the exact shade – of color – or texture. Instead, you want to aim for wearing belt and shoe combinations that fall within the same “family” of color. For instance, if you’re wearing a pair of dark brown oxfords, it is okay to wear a belt with a slightly lighter shade of brown.
Stay away from mixing brown and black shoe/belt combinations. While many are starting to soften their stance on black/brown combinations as a major fashion faux pas; it’s not an approach I feel comfortable recommending to my clients and readers.
Need a winning shoes/belt combination?
Giorgenti proudly carries Johnston & Murphy.
Book your fitting with Janine Giorgenti at Giorgenti New York’s new Garden City location!
Call (516) 200-4088 (office) or (646) 957-6916 (cell).
The Garden City showroom is located at:
1325 Franklin Avenue
Suite 255
Garden City, NY 11530
About the Author
Janine Giorgenti For over 25 years, Janine Giorgenti, renowned fashion designer and image consultant – has provided a long line of satisfied clients with unparalleled service and first class made-to-measure custom suits. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, Vogue Magazine, The New York Times, CNN, Fox News, CBS, and other top media outlets – Janine has established a clientele of some of New York’s most successful and discerning professionals – including such New York dignitaries as former New York Islanders legend Bobby Nystrom and chief economist Dr. Irwin Kellner.
