Matching socks to spectators...

[Canadave]

Black and white specs...black socks?

(...and where does pant colour come in?)

Thanks,

David

 

[pistolpete]

Have fun!

I wear and have several pairs of corespondent shoes. I like to wear bright Sea Island over the calf hose with my "specs."

 

[Canadave]

This response leaves me with more questions than answers. lol

I like to wear bright Sea Island over the calf hose...

Sea Island?

Are "correspondent shoes" another name for spectators?

Thanks,

David

 

[scotrace]

Tis is a great question I've wondered about also. Though the Spectator Shoe Angel has not smiled on me yet.

Let me look at old Esquires and see what they are showing.

 

[Staredge]

I would think you would stay with the old rule of matching the sock to the pant.

yes, co-respondent is the British term for spectators.

 

[univibe88]

I would think you would stay with the old rule of matching the sock to the pant.

Exactly.

 

[Dashing1]

Typically, I wear brown & white spectators, as I've never been a big fan of black shoes (the variant shades of brown available leave more room for creativity in footwear). I like to wear a richly-colored sock that stands out from the color of my pants, as it provides a nice spotlight on my specs. When I wear specs, I want a little "pop" in my stride (I sort of aspire to Fred Astaire's attitude whilst hopelessly resigning myself to lack his fluidity of movement)

If you are going to wear specs, make 'em sing!

 

[Joan]

Co-respondent shoes

Are "correspondent shoes" another name for spectators?

Yes. A corespondent is the other party in a divorce suit. If the husband files for divorce, the wife is the respondent, and the other man is the corespondent. In the olden days, the wife could hire a corespondent (as Ginger Rodgers does in The Gay Divorcee) as a way of giving her husband grounds to divorce her.

The spectator shoes are (perhaps anecdotally) the shoes typically worn by hired corespondents.

 

[cookie]

Yes. A corespondent is the other party in a divorce suit. If the husband files for divorce, the wife is the respondent, and the other man is the corespondent. In the olden days, the wife could hire a corespondent (as Ginger Rodgers does in The Gay Divorcee) as a way of giving her husband grounds to divorce her.

The spectator shoes are (perhaps anecdotally) the shoes typically worn by hired corespondents.

One of the best descriptions ever but you forget to mention that such types (aka Fed Loungers and other louche types) typically wore these type of shoes and hence their name (pug dog is a non-compulsory accessory).

 

[thunderw21]

Typically, I wear brown & white spectators, as I've never been a big fan of black shoes (the variant shades of brown available leave more room for creativity in footwear). I like to wear a richly-colored sock that stands out from the color of my pants, as it provides a nice spotlight on my specs. When I wear specs, I want a little "pop" in my stride (I sort of aspire to Fred Astaire's attitude whilst hopelessly resigning myself to lack his fluidity of movement)

If you are going to wear specs, make 'em sing!

That's how I like to do 'em too.

And for black and white spectators, since I usually wear trousers that are similar in color with the shoes I will choose socks of a similiar color scheme (such as black/gray/white argyle). But, as Dashing said, I believe brown and white spectators allow for much more variety than do black and white ones.

 

[Staredge]

Yes. A corespondent is the other party in a divorce suit. If the husband files for divorce, the wife is the respondent, and the other man is the corespondent. In the olden days, the wife could hire a corespondent (as Ginger Rodgers does in The Gay Divorcee) as a way of giving her husband grounds to divorce her.

The spectator shoes are (perhaps anecdotally) the shoes typically worn by hired corespondents.

As I understand it, the reason they got that (deserved or not) reputation was that the maids or shoeshine people at hotels would recognize them and be able to remember them under oath in court. That way, they could testify that someone else's shoes were outside the....lady's door.

Will

 

[Anthony Jordan]

This response leaves me with more questions than answers. lol

I like to wear bright Sea Island over the calf hose...

Sea Island?

A fine quality cotton - a trademark I believe. You quite often see shirtmakers offering shirts in this grade.

 

[Joan]

As I understand it, the reason they got that (deserved or not) reputation was that the maids or shoeshine people at hotels would recognize them and be able to remember them under oath in court. That way, they could testify that someone else's shoes were outside the....lady's door.

Aha! I didn't know this part, and it makes the whole thing perfectly clear. I mean, why would hired corespondents wear shoes of a certain type?

I'm still too new here to know the typical footwear tastes of the FL gentlemen, but I'm impressed so far.