If the Shoe Fits…
Confessions of a Closet Shoe Fetishist
I am 45-years old and since about a year I have a personal stylist. That was definitely a sentence I never thought I’d ever write! It’s almost like introducing yourself at an AA-meeting: “Hello, my name is…”
My stylist is Dîan Dharmawijaya here at the Wu-Wei XP. She’s actually my travel-planner, but as she watched me struggle with ‘business fashion’ she came to my rescue and became my stylist. I never felt the need for one before, clothes have never been important to me. However, as Dîan rightfully pointed out that, for the face of an organization, dress sense does matter. She further mentioned that I’m Dutch and that Dutch men don’t dress well. I’m afraid she’s right.
Now that Dîan guides me along the treacherous path of what is the appropriate attire when, I honestly don’t know how I ever managed without her. Together we chose my basic wardrobe of two jackets, five shirts and two trousers, all tailor-made and very comfortable. I then gave her free reign when it came to ties, socks pocket-squares and other accessories. The one set of items I wanted to keep total control of was my shoes. I have to admit I’m a bit of a shoe fetishist — let’s just call it getting in touch with my feminine side.
The basic ‘interchangeable wardrobe’ requires only two pairs of shoes but I have four pairs in mine. One pair of black leather Oxfords, a pair of oxblood Bluchers, a pair or emerald green deck shoes and a pair of brown leather cowboy boots. Besides these, I also own a pair of hiking boots, trainers and various other shoes but they fall outside my professional wardrobe.
My Shoes
Black Oxfords
Sleek and simple, these shoes are perfect for more formal occasions. Whether a black-tie event or a one-on-one with powerful C-suite executives, the Oxfords always add the right amount of formality to whatever else I might be wearing.
Oxblood Bluchers
I’m fascinated by the oxblood colour. A deep red wine, somewhere between Bordeaux and Burgundy, my bluchers are slightly less dressy than the oxfords but they go well with almost any suit and also match nicely to a pair of jeans. As I often switch between formal and informal events, my bluchers tend to me my go-to pair of shoes.
Emerald Green Docksides
My Sebago Docksides are my absolute favourite shoes. Another fascinating colour, the emerald green stands out in a crowd. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but with less formal events or those where I’m the main keynote these deck shoes exhume my personality. I’ve worn deck shoes since I was a teen. They are comfortable, easy to slip on and of, and reek of adventure.
Rugged Brown Cowboy Boots
Like my Docksides, I love my boots. They are my confidence boosters. When wearing boots you tend to stand tall and strong, ready to conquer the world. Of course they aren’t suitable for most occasions, but especially with interviews and informal smaller presentations, I tend to reach for my boots.
I often give my wife a hard time because of her shoe and handbag shopping obsession. And it’s true, I hate shopping for shoes, but I love owning them. I’m afraid I’m just as bad.
[T]here you are.
