Photo Credit: Life
Yes, I know my posts have been random! But trust me, I will soon resume my daily schedule again. I know, promises - promises. When I return, readers will be embellished with personal photos and stories galore. Promise!
Now, for today's subject we look at a Life photo of Princeton in the 1950s. The student in the argyle sweater is our subject, and he is well dressed indeed. He appears to being wearing tweed or camel hair (difficult to tell), and a argyle sweater. However, did you notice that he is wearing white (dirty) bucks. Can the shoe be worn past Labor Day? Let us see what you the readers think (if any are left) before I offer my advice :)
12 comments:
Richard,
I say yes-but he must be confident about it.
White bucks after Labor Day? I live in Atlanta and it is often very warm here in Sept and Oct. I think it is acceptable whilst the weather is warm.
In the deep south - I'd say yes - but definately not past 10/1.
it looks like the gentleman next to him is wearing them as well; and no I dont think white bucks should be worn after labor day.
yes, in more tropical climates like the south
White bucks (and saddle shoes for that matter) were popular campus wear any time during the year--regardless of season--from the 1940s through the early 1960s, when all hell broke loose and the world went to pieces sartorially. Today I believe that wearing white bucks is most appropriately a summer seasonal pleasure, or for warm resort wear off season. That being said, rules such as these are arbitrary and do not need to be rigidly adhered to, regardless of the inevitable flow of stupid comments from smug bystanders. By the way, I will occasionally wear my (only pair of) white bucks off season (after Labor Day, heavens!), which were a 21st birthday gift to me from my older brother more than 3 decades ago as a gentlemanly requirement (in his view) once I reached the age of majority. But now I'm considered to be an old man and wearing them is viewed by many as a quaint eccentricity rather than a statement of style...
Regarding white bucks after labor day - in general, I think not. White bucks are a wonderful summer time shoe and can be paired with everything from seersucker suits to madras trousers.
White bucks should be reserved for wearing with summer time clothing and most certainly never worn with tweed or camel hair.
A more appropriate choice for this young man would have been loafers and possibly even light tan bucks.
In my youth it wasn't just a summer shoe. Seems that new ones were and by the time they got a bit ratty they were available for year round wear.
Listen. Maybe I'm the only one in denial but summer is NOT ending. To hell with Labor Day. We've got six more weeks of fun in the sun...having some color on our cheeks...having drinks-coffee outside in the evenings and mornings.
You and Tintin have gotta back off of this no more summer shit.
just by wearing white bucks, no matter what season, a man would be dressing better than about 60% of American males out there today...
LOOK at James Laughlin's verse memoir "Byways," published by the firm he founded, New Directions. He discusses moving into Harvard Yard as a freshman between WWI and WWII. He goes to his families preferred Boston tailor and is informed by the tailor "with a wry smile" that all the young gentlemen at Harvard were wearing white shoes year round, "generally very dirty."
That said, wearing them after labor day will be misinterpreted in the south by middle and upper-middle types as being ignorant as opposed to devil-may-care.
Rules are for those without a fashion sense.
I wear my white bucks year round--the only requirement is a nice sunny dry day.
And who would wear them without confidence? If you are not confident in the shoe you are wearing--you shouldn't wear them.
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