The Perfect Gentleman Issue 4 | Page 13

STYLISH GENTLEMAN Sandals Probably the oldest type of footwear in the world dating as far back as 10,000 years ago. There are many different types of sandal, but they all consist of a sole and strap (or straps) that pass over the instep and sometimes the ankle. They are certainly shoes for a summer climate. A sandal can be made from any number of materials, and come in many styles, shapes and colours, but mostly they come in very plain colour palettes. They range in style from sporty to sophisticated. Generally they should be worn with shorts, casual and semi-formal summer clothing and should match style of clothing; don’t wear sporty sandals with linen trousers. They can also be worn in cities as well as on the beach. Some Gentlemanly rules for wearing Sandals Firstly, they are never to be worn with socks (unless you have a medical reason). Secondly, as you are exposing your feet and toes to the world, make sure that you have taken care of them before exposing them - trim your toenails and make sure feet are clean. These are the classic choice for Summer footwear, a comfortable thing to have at hand. No matter what #1PG says about them. The Stylish Gentleman says The Scholastic Gentleman’s Choice Flip-Flop We will not list the thousands of different names that this summer staple is given around the world, but this casual shoe is a flat soled, open toed sandal, held loosely to the foot by a y-shaped strap that passes between the toes. Though an ancient shoe, it was made popular by American soldiers returning from Japan in WWII with native sandals from that country. They were then adopted and transformed into bright beach footwear in the 50s & 60s. Flip-Flops are completely unisex footwear. These shoes can be made from any material and come in the widest range of colours. As with the Sandals above, the rules remain; no socks and take care of your displayed feet. They are also not suitable city/street footwear for the gentleman as they should really only be worn with very casual summer clothing or beach wear, they are certainly not suitable footwear for smart casual encounters. In fact, let's keep them for the beach or the pool shall we? Though they are the archetypal beach footwear and one should always have a pair when walking the sands of Waikiki! The Stylish Gentleman says The Beach Gentleman’s Choice 13