The Cavendish

These Crockett & Jones Cavendish loafers have some age, but they've earned their place in the limelight. The Cavendish is a tassel loafer, which is available in calf leather (as here) or suede or cordovan. The Cavendish is made on Crockett and Jones' 341 last, which they describe as 'long, but not too long, round but not too round'. Exactly right.

I have tended to view loafers as a strictly summer shoe, but I find I'm slipping a pair on through the calendar if I'm visiting friends or I'm out for the evening. Wearing tasselled loafers with Harris tweed trousers and a Alan Paine's Loden Field Coat, and brown ones at that, possibly defies all convention. But I rather like the effect when worn with these over-the-calf striped beige fine gauge merino wool socks from Pantherella.

Man the barricades level of antipathy

After several successful trouser/shoe pairings with the wonderful Corgi turquoise blue Casual Basics socks, I have been toying with the idea of adopting a shade of blue as a signature sock colour. Here I'm trying a lighter, mintier blue sock with the Cavendish. It doesn't induce a man the barricades level of antipathy, but I think we need something a bit darker. However, the colour helps to emphasise the shape and style of the shoe better than a more combined colour would. So it's worthwhile taking the risk. This combination also shows the versatility of the Cavendish. Being on the smartest end of smart casual, it proves to be a very adaptable shoe.