Men-Inspired Looks For Ladies: OXFORDS! YES Or NO?

Aside from all the sartorial implications that come with 2013 (and the year prior and after it most likely) as being a borrowed-from-the-boys-looks phase in fashion, this post makes me think of 2 things. (a question and a personal statement).

note: scroll down if not in the mood for blogger-ramblings 🙂 

(1). I can’t help but wonder – as I jump to a more philosophical approach and question triggered by all the men’s fashion talk I’ve recently had – In 2013, is it still a man’s world? This once-so-true-phrase seems to have a tangent with today’s topic, only in regards to the word use, cause any associations and acquiescence to fashion is kinda irrelevant and actually quite inappropriate. Let’s face it: the world of fashion is dominated by women. Yet I can’t shake this question off. Do we, as women always feel the need to borrow from men, while bettering our craft at whatever it is we’re trying to top? 

(2). Since my post on men’s hairstyle has brought so much traffic (btw thank you all. truly appreciate it), and with it the inherent good and bad comments, it made me actually wonder for a second over a few details. Men actually do care about fashion but unlike women tend to fear labeling a bit too much. They’re certainly quite vocal & outspoken in their opinions yet not that kind on other people’s. Here I was thinking there was this thing called freedom of speech & blogs are personal insights,opinions, ideas free of the mandatory like or dislike. Hmmm. Silly me.

When a blogger says (as a form of speech perhaps. just sayin’) ‘all men should wear this & that’… hold on boys. Why the fucking drama? How come it’s OK for you to call me a retard and not for me to say ‘all men should get this cut’? Oh… wait. Perhaps the mind limitations have stopped a few from extrapolating this to ‘I think (as in my opinion) all men bla bla bla’. Or perhaps you feel objectified? Aww.

So much drama & controversy over this tiny 3 letter word ‘ALL’. We profess our love for all sorts of things these days, and I certainly do so on my blog, that’s the whole point of it: it’s real and personal, regardless if it has 0 or 1 mil hits. I’m no expert nor have I claimed to be, not in women’s fashion (this blog’s focus) much less in men’s, the reason for men posts being none other than my interest in a certain trend, social movement or my male friends asking me to write something for them. So, yes I can be wrong. Hell I am wrong probably more often than not, but as you hold the right to call a stranger by all sorts of names, I too hold the right to voice my ideas. Bloody hell!

For a Friday afternoon this has gotten way too serious, and while the sartorial/philosophical rambling from (1) could actually mean something if lingered upon more than a few lines and a few minutes, and I already killed (2) I say let’s fucking move on.  Be it a man’s or a woman’s world, or both in equal, when it comes to fashion, it doesn’t really matter. Dipping a bit into menswear can certainly have fantastic style outcomes for us ladies. From boyfriend blazers or jeans to oversized tops it was only a matter of time until we started walking in their shoes. Actually men-inspired shoes, to be more precise.

Today we talk OXFORDS. You know those professional laid back chic intellectual looking shoes original from Scotland & Ireland? Those too we borrowed from our lads if not for the chicness and bohemian sophistication in that very nonchalant basic way they exude, than for their comfort. Though it’s been said long long time ago, they were anything but comfortable.  Today they come in infinite styles & textures (leather, fabric, plastic) with 2013 fall’s biggest hit being the 2 toned oxford shoes. I know they’re anything but fresh when it comes to trends, but they’re always in a time loop it seems. Besides, they’re a great season transition shoe and why not possible to pull off even in the cold season with thick over-the-knee-socks or tights. However you look at this style, truth is, it’s the best cluster of masculine, feminine, chic, laid back, basic, put together & casual and does really work with everything: skirts, dresses, trousers, jeans for either work or not. A massive hit in 2013 Spring & Summer, Oxford Shoes still hold the shoe spotlight for this fall. And though we might be heading fast into winter, we’ll probably be wearing these next Summer as well, and I think throughout winter too. They may not be as hot as pumps, but they do look as smart & office-appropriate, only easier to walk into.

Let’s get more street style inspo. OXFORDS! Coco Chanel did it (the men-inspired looks that is) and ever since then, this craze/trend comes and goes, much like all trends for that matter, so why not make the best of it and walk the crap out of these oxfords. Because we can walk in men’s shoes, and sometimes, just sometimes with a little more chicness and style than our male piers. 😉

and now let the drama begin. come on boys, I dare you.