Brogue shoes can be used with formal clothes if they don’t appear too casual. The most delicate brogue is the quarter brogue, usually the most acceptable. Avoiding suede and sticking to black or brown brogue Oxfords or Derbys should also help them look more official.
The perforated design around the lacing panel, heel, and toe box is a significant identification of a brogue shoe. A derby-style shoe with open lacing or an Oxford-style shoe with closed lacing is most frequent. Brogue detailing can also be found on other types of footwear, such as boots.
You can have a lot of brogueing or very little brogueing, but it will always be a casual element of dress shoes at the end of the day. This could be the source of the issue. Suits are a type of formal attire. From the same roll of cloth, you have a matching jacket and pants.
Combining casual and formal attire can work, as long as it’s acceptable for the occasion and done correctly. However, brogue shoes should not be worn with a suit in some situations or dress requirements, simply because they will look too casual.
If you’re wearing a suit, quarter brogues are the most formal-looking option. If the shoes are black leather and the suit is on the more casual end of the range, semi-brogue shoes may be appropriate. Avoid wearing full brogue (wingtip) shoes since they look too casual.
Let’s look at each of the three types of brogue shoes: quarter-brogue, semi-brogue, and full brogue. Choose single-toned leather brogues over suede, scotch grain, or other more casual leathers when wearing brogues with a business suit. The broguing will sparkle, and the stylish cut of your suit will be accentuated with smooth, single-toned leather.
Full brogues are the perfect footwear to combine with informal outfits like tweed and country textiles. These complete brogues, also known as ‘wingtips,’ have a pointed toe cap with extension wings that run the length of both sides of the toe, producing the characteristic ‘W’ design.
If you’re going to a formal occasion, skip brightly coloured brogues in favour of classic colours like brown and black, or even navy and dark green. If you’re wearing your brogues with casual clothing, you can choose from a wide range of colours and materials. Stick to full-grain leather, just like any other leather dress shoe. “This indicates that the entire thickness of the leather was used, and the top surface was left intact,” Shaerf explains. “On the surface, you should be able to identify the tiny texture of pores.”
The shoe liner and sole/heel are two other construction must-haves. “You want the shoes to have a leather lining and either a leather sole with a stacked leather heel or a high-quality rubber sole like a Dainite or Ridgeway sole,” Shaerf adds.
Lighter tones of brown, especially when paired with brogueing, look too informal to be worn with a formal suit. It might be fine if you’re wearing a more casual suit (for example, to a casual wedding).
While this may appear to be a restriction, you should always be careful with colour when wearing a formal, business-professional suit. When wearing a formal suit, with or without brogueing, black or dark brown is usually the finest choice. When you have brogueing, it’s much more crucial.
