G.J. Cleverley: Bespoke Black Brogues

Black brogues, black heart

I have a thing for fine shoes, if you haven't noticed. The photographic image (at left) shows a pair of bespoke black full brogues from G.J. Cleverley in London. I received them last year. Note the aggressive broguing and fine chisel toe. They sit next to a Brooks Brothers lightweight sack suit in grey pinstripe with a 3/2 roll. The shoes are in pre-polish mode; I let them out of their cage so the Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur cleaner and conditioner could soak in. In my own personal Shoe Pyramid, on which I shall expound at a later date, black and burgundy shoes are at the top. Chestnut shoes are nice--don't get me wrong--but in my view they have become a sign of the sartorial amateur, particularly in business settings. Black shoes are ideal for City wear and mark the owner as a man of serious intentions and a 'no-nonsense' approach to things. Which make them perfect camouflage for superfluous chaps like moi.