In recent years, the style of quiet luxury represented by Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli, and Ralph Lauren, is in full swing.
On the one hand, it is a fight back of logo fever/logomania in previous years and a “rebellion” (rebellion is generally used to describe young people, but this time it seems to be the other way around);
On the other hand, many brands have joined the ranks, such as Zegna, which has long been the represent of business, embraced them with all their strength.
What is the old money style?
Many people will talk about colour palette, styles, materials and other elements, but I think that the essence is what the old money choose. Old money is defined as having been rich for at least two generations or more. Why do the old money choose such elements? Because they don’t need to prove his wealth to others (this is just the opposite of logo fever), then the lighter colors are more relaxed and leisurely, showing that he is a “leisure class”, and finally, luxury materials can be considered as the most “practical value”-comfort.
Loafers, in the eyes of many people, can be regarded as the representative of the old money style, because it is casual. It belongs to dress shoes, but it definitely does not belong to work shoes, so there is no attribute of working class. Oxford, a black cap toe certainly has its formal attributes that can match morning suit and dinner suit, but it can’t get rid of the attribute of going to work, even if you are in C suite.
What kinds of loafers do we have?
From here, we will enter the deep water area.
The most widely known, even many people’s default loafer is Penny loafer. It is also considered to be the representative style of Ivy style.
Tassel loafer, a style invented in America, was developed by Alden. Many people will think tassels are particularly girly, but if you wear them, you will know that they are not.
This little decoration has increased its interest and relaxed feeling, and it has a taste of power and cynicism.
Saddle Loafer, which Alden likes to call Full Strap Love, can be considered as a strip of penny love, extending from the upper to the sole. I haven’t found any historical information about the origin of saddle loafer, whether it is Britain or America, but it must be America to carry it forward.
Butterfly Loafer is definitely the original loafer style in Britain, and it is also the “oldest” money.
British dress shoes styles, especially the more special ones, are all invented by bespoke shoemakers. They were to serve the elite, and really to meet the elites’ request. These new styles are all thought up by these top players who have leisure, ideas and taste. The bespoke shoemaker was only the executor. Of course, the bespoke shoemakers also had considerable credit for the aesthetic value of the final completion.
Monk Loafer, as far as I know, came into being after 2000, when classic menswear was restored due to the prosperity of social media. The combination of Monk and Loafer is very chic, like a playboy who just came out of the board meeting, handsome with both ability and strength.
Twist Loafer, this is the original creation of the British brand Gaziano & Girling. The emergence of Antibes has made everyone’s eyes shine, and many brands have imitated it. Gaziano & Girling continues to innovate and upgrades this element again.
After I have counted so many loafer styles, I can say that the king of old money is and can only be butterfly loafer.
So does Butterfly Love have any variants?
This goes directly from the deep water area to the open water area.
Basically, it can be considered that the variation of Butterfly Loafer is basically limited to two elements, one is Brogue and the other is the size of the butterfly.
Brogue can show or combine on aprons and butterflies, from scratch to full, with the following interpretations.
No brogue
Brogue on apron but not butterfly
Brogue on butterfly but not apron
No iconic style yet.
Brogue on apron and butterfly
In my interview with Justin FitzPatrick, Jusitn mentioned that if he hadn’t restored Butterfly Loafer, it might still be a style that only a few people knew and could experience.
In the number of Brogue elements, it is also the expression of old money. The more Brogye, the older the money. Why? Because Brogue is the element of country shoes (to drain water), and the strong integration with indoor shoe butterfly loafer shows that the old moneybags are boring!
Butterflies have the following experiences from tiny to enormous:
Narrow
Medium
Wide
These three not only have obviously different visual experiences, but also have direct differences in comfort and foot shape. The bigger it is, the easier it is to press the instep, and it is a violent pressure, which cannot be ignored.
Finally, J.FitzPatrick was not satisfied. In order to bring this oldest loafer to the modern age, he added extremely rich color contrast and material collision.
How to wear butterfly loafers?
Butterfly loafer may be eye-catching, but when it is on its feet, it will not shout “look at me, look at me” unless the color you choose is very eye-catching.
My suggestion is to embrace the old money style and pair with light-colored shoes, and stick to beige, white and light brown. Your relaxation and exquisiteness will take your place.
