New ways to wear your Thomas Birds

Adding versatilty to your outfits

Customers often buy a new pair of shoes or boots from us for a special occasion or particular reason - a holiday, wedding, work etc.

They might have a particular look and outfit in mind.

But there may be more ways to style, and enjoy, them.

There are many so called ‘rules’ or traditional views, for example:

• Formal dress shoes work best with a suit
• Boots are best worn casual/relaxed
• Loafers=smart/casual
• Stick to tried and tested colour combinations
• Don't wear brown in town (yes - this is still a thing)

Mix and match

What we love is to see is the wide variety of ways customers style their Thomas Birds. And how breaking these rules can produce impressive results.

And it means you can wear your Thomas Birds more often, and enjoy them more often.

Here are a few examples we like. 

Boots with suits?

Boots are often worn with a more casual look - jeans, chinos etc. But Cillian Murphy wore a suit with our Memphis boots for the Oppenheimer worldwide premiere. The look was grey and black, very sharp and elegant. Here’s a photo from the related Guardian photoshoot.

Our grey/black version of Memphis in close up, inspired by the Cillian look.

Here’s another suits and boots example, in New York. Oxblood Eastwood chelsea boots together with a matching maroon window-pane suit worn by @ayoubhamoni. The open neck adds to the attitude and look. Very smart and individual.

Dress shoes with jeans?

Dress shoes are mostly worn smart and formal. No secret there. 

But we like this example of @dapperandwitt wearing Thomas Bird tan dress shoes with blue jeans in a more relaxed, informal style.

Matching colours

Some colours just seem to go together, like oxblood shoes and a navy blue suit. Here @meeeotch, is wearing Bourne oxblood monk strap shoes and navy suit.

But also look at how @thesuitedtraveller combines a blue suit with Benson custom blue wholecuts to accentuate the single colour blue look. Very striking.

Contrasting or highlighting colours

Combining any colour shoe or boot with a neutral or light suit will really help the colour stand out.

We like this example from @edruizmx wearing blue Henley tassel loafers with contrasting light/neutral trousers and blue jacket. The blue shoes really pop.

Loafers can be very formal

Actually, this has long been a look in Wall St, New York, less so in the London financial district  where oxfords are seen more often. Here are black Hampton penny loafers with a classic navy blue suit and socks. Very formal in the boardroom.

Loafers - the kings of smart casual

Loafers are so versatile. Here's an example of @dapper_rav wearing Hampton suede loafers at Pitti Uomo. He's mixing up colours, patterns and textures in a less formal but still very sharp jacket/trousers combination.

And here's the hot weather relaxed shorts and sockless loafers look. @dailytouchofclass is wearing Hampton suede penny loafers sockless with white shorts.

So the rule is...

There is no rule.  Mix and match. Be inspired.  Find your own combinations.

We hope you also like some of the outfits featured here.

There may be more ways to wear your Thomas Bird shoes or boots than you thought.