Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

How To Wear It – The Cognac Boot

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Urban Outfitters Hawkings McGill Wingtip Boot – $88.00

Cognac colored shoes and boots can be limiting.  Most guys stay at arms (or legs) length from them because they’re a little tougher to pair up with the stuff you already have in your closet.  True they’ll be easiest to pair with blue, but don’t shy away from grey, black, and cream.  They pack a solid wallop themselves, so keeping the rest of what you have on pretty simple is the way to go.

For more on the boots, see the full in-person review of the Hawkings McGill Wingtip which did pretty well in our wingtip boot search.  These pairings can work just as easily for cognac lace ups with a slight casual feel.
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1. With a dark waxed jacket:  Pants & Sweater by B.R., Waxed Jacket by U.O., Shirt by GAP
Motorcycle or Roadster ready

Brown and black can be hard to mix, but it is possible if they’re different enough in their shades yet their textures work well together.  The waxed cotton jacket is a stupid $40 on sale, and when put together with a black sweater, light blue oxford, then dropped on top of almost white pants, you’re ready to transition from summer to fall.

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2. With wool pants for work:  Pants by L.L. Bean Signature, Shirt by Gap, Tie Bar by Alfani
Impress without a suit.

So you’re stuck in an office but you spend most of your time in your cubicle.  Nobody wears a suit, but you’d still like to dress a notch above what the norm is.  Wear a tie but keep it wool, like the pants.  A striped watch band on a white dial watch makes sure you’re casual enough.  The boots and their color will catch the eyes of your female coworkers.  (Watch by Victorninox, watch band by American Eagle, tie is vintage)

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3. With denim: Jeans by Levis, Blazer by B.R., Shirt by ratio, Watch by Pulsar
Jeans, an easy but still great play.

You can do plenty with a light blue/leaning grey blazer.  It adds just the right amount of contrast without being Miami Vice-ish.  A uniform tattersall underneath gives a little depth, the jeans are your standard dark blue, and the warm brown of the shoes jump out against all of it.

Your take on cognac or lighter tan leather?  Do you even own a pair of shoes in this shade range or is it something you’ll pass on in favor of a standard medium to dark brown?  Leave it all in the comments below…

Comments

  4. I have been looking for a while now, and I just came across the Dr. Scholls “Oren”. Not a super star specialty brand but for $89 normal price its hard to go wrong. The brown seem to have a very rich color to them and they have a black option as well, would love to see an in person with customer picks for good comparason

  5. I picked up a pair of lighter cognac Cole Haan oxfords a few months ago at DSW and I love the color. The lighter brown really pops against raw denim or navy. 

  6. I don’t know about the Oren, but I got a pair of Dr. Scholls sandals 3-4 years ago that are great and still going. 

  7. I have a pair of cognac cole haan cap toes that are great.  I’m wearing them now with khaki colored pants, light purple ginham shirt and navy blazer.  

    besides blues, i think pinks work great with this color as well.

  8. I have a pair of cognac cole haan cap toes that are great.  I’m wearing them now with khaki colored pants, light purple ginham shirt and navy blazer.  

    besides blues, i think pinks work great with this color as well.

  9. Joe – I’ve been looking closely at the L.L.Bean Sig “searsport flannel” suit ever since I realized that they’re now offering their jackets in 36. I see you have the pants here. How do you like the fit and the material quality? I really want to buy the whole suit but I think I’ll have to wait for a sale or discount to come around.

  11. I have the entire suit here in the home offices waiting on a review.  Expect that next week.  Short version:  It’s very much like their new traditional twill suiting in fit, but more dressed up thanks to a lack of patch pockets.  I like it quite a bit.  One of the few affordable “flannel” suiting options out there, but it’s a heavier fabric for sure that’s not 100% wool.

    Most suits, for good reason, can’t be broken up and mixed with other pieces.  L.L. Beans are dressed down just enough that you surprisingly can.  But with some sharp tailoring, shoes, and a good looking shirt and tie, it can work at a dressed up office for sure.

  12. I just can’t bring myself to wear dress boots.  In my mind boots are still for tromping through unmentionables.  If it dispensed Cognac, that would be different.

  13. I have a pair of cognac loafers, but I never wear them — mainly because I can’t find a cognac belt to match, and when paired with my standard dark brown belts, they just looks silly.

  14. I had the same problem at one point, then I found beltmaster.com. Yeah…it looks like a semi-shady website but they actually have great customer service and fully customizable belts (they made one for me in a size 35). The quality is not mind-blowing but pretty decent and they seem like they’ll last a while. 

    Otherwise, get creative with your belt pairings. I wear my cognac wingtips with grosgrain belts, belts that match the sole of the shoe instead of the uppers, or this: http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=361100&cm_mmc=Google_Feed-_-5-_-69-_-MP569 on which the tones of the leather are close enough that it works pretty damn well. 

  16. I have a pair of boots that are similar; they are a shade between this lighter cognac and a medium brown. These tips will come in handy.

  18. I have been looking for a brown dress boots that is also applicable in the winter. Is there any applicable ones? any suggestions? thanks!