# Would you wear a chukka boot with a dress pant?



## lbv2k (Feb 16, 2010)

Hi gents - I am looking for opinions on pairing dress trousers with chukka boots. I almost always wear dress pants with dress shirt (san tie & jacket) to work daily with occassional khaki chinos in-between. My AE malvern boot (which I know is not really a dress boot) has got very little use because I only pair it with the chinos which I wear sparingly.

I tried to wear the chukka boot with a dress trouser one time and I really liked the look. I just wanted to find out if this is actually a good look or one to be frowned at. :frown:

What do you say? In what situations will you wear the chukka boot?

Thank you.


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## PMRuby (Jan 13, 2010)

I suspect many people will say "no" to pairing a chukka with dress trousers, but I think it depends on the shoe itself. The malvern comes in both leather and suede, IIRC. The leather one, I think could be worn with dress trousers - it's the type of leather that takes a shine well and looks dressier than any other chukka I know of. I would be less willing to wear a suede chukka (or any suede shoe, for that matter) with dress pants, though many would have no problem doing so. Cole Haan made one for last fall called the air colton, I think. It, too, was more formal than most chukkas, but the leather was pebbled, so it was certainly less formal than the malvern in leather. If you're talking about a pair of clark's desert boots, then I certainly would not be wearing those with dress trousers. So, in sum, I think it has more to do with appearance of the material than it does with the shoe being a chukka.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

No, but that's because I've never worn "a pant," nor "a dress trouser." My pants and trousers come in pairs only. ;P


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

CuffDaddy said:


> No, but that's because I've never worn "a pant," nor "a dress trouser." My pants and trousers come in pairs only. ;P


Cuff, this is because you are a hide-bound traditionalist. Wearing a single pant would be a fashion statement for sure. While perhaps not recommended for a court room, you might consider it for your next black tie gala. With a four-in-hand tie and a two day beard, folks will think you are a rock star!


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## lbv2k (Feb 16, 2010)

CuffDaddy said:


> No, but that's because I've never worn "a pant," nor "a dress trouser." My pants and trousers come in pairs only. ;P


ahaha. Good call out.:icon_smile: Some of us learnt English along the way. It was never our language. At least you understood what I was asking. Ok. So, since you only wear pants and trousers, will you wear them with chukka boots?


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## lbv2k (Feb 16, 2010)

PMRuby said:


> I suspect many people will say "no" to pairing a chukka with dress trousers, but I think it depends on the shoe itself. The malvern comes in both leather and suede, IIRC. The leather one, I think could be worn with dress trousers - it's the type of leather that takes a shine well and looks dressier than any other chukka I know of. I would be less willing to wear a suede chukka (or any suede shoe, for that matter) with dress pants, though many would have no problem doing so. Cole Haan made one for last fall called the air colton, I think. It, too, was more formal than most chukkas, but the leather was pebbled, so it was certainly less formal than the malvern in leather. If you're talking about a pair of clark's desert boots, then I certainly would not be wearing those with dress trousers. So, in sum, I think it has more to do with appearance of the material than it does with the shoe being a chukka.


Thanks Ruby. I think this statement *"So, in sum, I think it has more to do with appearance of the material than it does with the shoe being a chukka" *sums it up nicely. Mine is the leather version and it takes a shine very well


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

I've never seen the appeal of chukkas, so I don't wear them period. But I would think that, in terms of formality, they ought to cover khakis up to most odd trousers. Keep in mind that many of the odd trouser materials (cavalry twill, whipcord, flannel, tweed) were intended originally for rustic/sporting uses, much like chukkas themselves. So they would be in keeping with those. The more citified trousers, such as the plain worsted weaves (basically indistinguishable from city suit pants), are not from this vein, and therefore may seem more at odds. But you'd have to look at the gestalt of the day's outfit. I see no basis for a flat prohibition on chukkas with the kind of pants that might be worn with an open-collared shirt.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

PMRuby said:


> I would be less willing to wear a suede chukka (or any suede shoe, for that matter) with dress pants, though many would have no problem doing so.


Interesting. As I just noted, I don't wear chukkas, regardless of what kind of material they're made from, but I do wear suede shoes a decent amount. Just last week, I was wearing brown suede wingtips with a grey, striped suit, and a woman commented that brown suede wingtips were, in her view, absolutely the best shoes for men to wear with suits. Now, *I* wouldn't go as far as that, but I think suede shoes go brilliantly with many dress pants and full suits.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Depending on the shoe's finish, I wear both Chukka and Chelsea boot designs with dress or casual trousers. I also wear my Alden Snuff suede chukkas on less frequent occasions, but am hesitant to wear lighter toned suede shoes with anything beyond casual or perhaps, dress casual attire. Please note, where you live can have a significant impact on the propriety of the stated choices/pairings! We seem inclined to play things a little faster and looser out here in Hoosierville.


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## PMRuby (Jan 13, 2010)

CuffDaddy said:


> Interesting. As I just noted, I don't wear chukkas, regardless of what kind of material they're made from, but I do wear suede shoes a decent amount. Just last week, I was wearing brown suede wingtips with a grey, striped suit, and a woman commented that brown suede wingtips were, in her view, absolutely the best shoes for men to wear with suits. Now, *I* wouldn't go as far as that, but I think suede shoes go brilliantly with many dress pants and full suits.


I wouldn't say suede is inappropriate to wear with suits in _all_ cases, but it's not something I do personally, so I've not bought the types of shoes that could make it work. On the continuum of formality, suede is below leather, so I would feel odd pairing it with most of my suits. It would just create a discord between the formality levels of different pieces in the outfit and that would probably drive me crazy. Now, a less formal suit (I have a charcoal brown one that comes to mind) would look good with suede shoes. I think that could work. On the other hand, most more conservative business suits would look odd when paired with a suede shoe, at least to my eye.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

I only have one pair of dark brown suede chukkas at the moment, which I wear during the cooler months of the year. Despite the whole Desert Boot thing, chukkas have more of fall/winter feel to me. I happily enjoy wearing them with any more rustic dress pants such as tweed, twills and cords. And if I had a rustic sport suit, I would also wear them with it.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Simon on Permanent Style called the chukka a shoe for weekends . . . or people who like to live as though they were on weekend. Being retired, that's me! So a pair of suede chuckkas in definitely in my future, probably after the black calf cap toes to wear to the theater this fall and winter. 

Chukkas with an open neck shirt? Heck, yeah!


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Sueded chukkas, no. Dark colored non-sueded leather, potentially.


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## coreysyms (Jun 17, 2012)

I have a pair of grey suede Cole Hanns that I wear with almost everything, jeans, chinos, winter wools, and in the summer I switch out the stock grey laces for bright colored ones, sporting burnt orange right now. Hell in the summer I even wear them with bright colored shorts with hidden socks to flash a little ankle. It's a go to hell look if I've ever seen one. However the one place I don't wear them is with a suit. You mentioned dress pants, so I'm assuming you are separating a suit into its pieces, if this is the case, I would say no to wearing them with "dress" pants.

I looked at your boot online, the leather one. I've seen looks like the one you are trying to pull off in GQ, they did a small article on it back in the winter months, but I think that is the key... winter months only. Your boot looks nice, but screams cold weather to me. But that is my personal opinion.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

PMRuby said:


> I wouldn't say suede is inappropriate to wear with suits in _all_ cases, but it's not something I do personally, so I've not bought the types of shoes that could make it work. On the continuum of formality, suede is below leather, so I would feel odd pairing it with most of my suits. It would just create a discord between the formality levels of different pieces in the outfit and that would probably drive me crazy. Now, a less formal suit (I have a charcoal brown one that comes to mind) would look good with suede shoes. I think that could work. On the other hand, most more conservative business suits would look odd when paired with a suede shoe, at least to my eye.


Here's a picture of the DW pairing suede shoes with a DB suit. He also wore them with chalk stripe suits. Will of ASW talks about that here: https://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2011/04/man-in-style-installment-viii.html 
He uses this photo of the renowned Dr. Churchwell to illustrate the continuing viability of this approach:









Here's Will following his own advice:










For non-DoW historical perspective, here's an AA/Esky illustration:
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wbd-uMYmb_4/Rw_dan98XDI/AAAAAAAABtk/OcciPkeTVQc/s1600-h/father+and+son+in+navy.jpg
And here's one of Cary Grant wearing suede shoes with a suit in the city:










If one has the view that suede is inappropriately casual for wear with suits, that's OK. Just realize that attitude was *old-fashioned 80 years ago*!


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Rather like 'no brown in town' . . .


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## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

I would suggest against it, not because of the suede material but rather the shape of the top of the boot conflicting with the shape of the bottom of dress pants.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

rwaldron said:


> I would suggest against it, not because of the suede material but rather the shape of the top of the boot conflicting with the shape of the bottom of dress pants.


Not sure what you mean? My trouser legs at the cuff are at least twice as large as the top of my chukka boots.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

:biggrin:Another reason skinny leg trousers suck.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Whilst I am not convinced that this is a look that my own tastes (neutrally inclined toward suede) could support it is worth noting that the combination can be observed as practiced vigorously and to stylish effect in the major Italian cities....


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## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

Flanderian said:


> Not sure what you mean? My trouser legs at the cuff are at least twice as large as the top of my chukka boots.


Dress pants have a crease down the front that comes to a point, which is similar to the shape of a dress shoe, and the shape of the shoe lacing. A chukka is a blucher where the lacing pieces grow further away as they move forward.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

rwaldron said:


> *Dress pants have a crease down the front that comes to a point, which is similar to the shape of a dress shoe*, and the shape of the shoe lacing. A chukka is a blucher where the lacing pieces grow further away as they move forward.


I'm happy to say that none of *my* dress shoes bear *any* resemblance to the crease in my pants cuff or, fortunately, any other portion of my trousers. As to the rest, I'm even more puzzled. Yes, a chukka is like a blucher. Unless seated it presents an appearance to the eye quite like a single monk strap. How the lacing figures into that, or what they grow further from, I have no idea.

If what you're suggesting is that bluchers don't look good with dress pants (Meaning tailored wool or other tailored trousers.), you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I find they look very nice together.


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