Embroidery belongs on the vamp, in miniature, where it reads as a signature rather than a shout. A jacket covered in flowers shouts across a room, a monogram on velvet waits to be noticed up close.
I watched the Daytime Emmys best dressed list land on November 2 with the usual mix of admiration and alarm. Jibre Hordges took the top spot in a black double-breasted suit with intricate floral lace embroidery across the jacket, finished with a black bow tie, from Fitzroy Constaintine of House Constaintine in Atlanta. It was daring, and it was memorable, and I would not wear the flowers. This piece does not claim he wore Smythe and Digby, and the report I read gives no detail about his shoes.
Embroidery on a jacket has to carry the whole evening. It competes with the room, the cameras, and every other man trying to be remembered. Embroidery on a shoe carries nothing except the wearer. That is the difference, and it is why I keep mine low, small, and close to the floor.
How do you wear embroidered velvet slippers
Wear them with a dinner jacket and dark trousers, and keep everything else quiet. A plain shirt and a plain tie do the heavy lifting here, because the vamp is doing the talking. One decorated surface per outfit is my rule, and I break it only for company I trust with a second.
When do you wear embroidered velvet slippers
I wear mine where the evening stays indoors, at dinner, at a wedding, and at a party that ends with dancing rather than a long walk home. Velvet is an evening material in my wardrobe, and it earns its keep after dark. A monogram stitched in gold thread on black velvet does the work of an introduction without ever raising its voice, because the people who notice it are already close enough to matter. Up close only.
Which embroidered velvet slippers should you buy first
Start with the pair that matches your evenings, then add the one that matches your nerve. Both pairs below were built in the Design Studio, and both are made to order.
The navy Belgian with a bow is the quieter of the two. It reads as evening dress without asking for attention, and it sits happily under a navy suit or a black dinner jacket.
The black Wellington carries a gold monogram on the vamp. It is the pair for a man who wants his initials in the room before his name is announced, and it is the closest thing I own to a signature I can walk in.
Both pairs shown here were configured in the Design Studio at $325, with standard production of 4 to 6 weeks.
Keep the flowers on the vamp.
Questions I get asked
How do you wear embroidered velvet slippers
Pair embroidered velvet slippers with a dinner jacket or a dark suit, and keep the shirt and tie plain so the vamp is the only decorated surface in the outfit.
Can you wear velvet slippers outside
Yes, for an evening out. Velvet slippers suit dinners, weddings, and parties, and they look best with dark tailoring rather than daytime clothes.
