By Gretchen Ditto, Image and Personal Branding Advisor

(Photo: J Murphy Melton Leather Cap Toe Oxford, www.dsw.com)

Ever wonder how often you’re supposed to wear your dress shoes? Interested in saving a little confusion and time when it comes to getting ready for work in the morning? How about looking more put together and professional? Read below for a no-fuss and timeless guideline for wearing footwear that sends the right message and ensures that you look good.

Ditto and Co’s Top Ten Tips for Men’s Footwear

1. If you wear dress shoes for work, you should own at least three pairs and wear each pair no more than twice a week (this will add to their longevity).
2. If you only own one pair of dress shoes, they should be black. If you own two, one pair should be black and one pair should be dark brown.
3. Own a shining kit—and use it! You wouldn’t believe the difference that this makes.
4. Pay attention to your socks. Despite what you think, people notice! Dress shoes always require dress socks, which should match the color of your trousers or your shoes.
5. When wearing suits or dress pants, a thin-soled lace-up dress shoe looks best.
6. Always match your shoes with your belt.
7. The heels of your dress shoes should never be noticeably worn down. If they are, and the pair of shoes is of good quality, drop them off at the local cobbler.
8. Tennis shoes are for workouts and weekends. In addition, white tennis shoes should never be worn with jeans.
9. A nice pair of leather shoes looks great with jeans.
10. Any thick-soled, clunk shoes should be immediately retired.

Remember these basic tips and you’ll soon be in a shoe routine that allows you to get ready faster and look better for work!

Don’t know where to shop for shoes?

Shopping on your own: DSW Shoe Warehouse

Shopping with a little help from the professionals: Nordstrom

Now it’s your turn to share: What’s your personal dress shoe ‘do’?

About the Author: Gretchen Ditto is a style advisor and business image consultant with more than 15 years of experience helping clients to project impressions of integrity, confidence and competency. To learn more, visit: www.dittoandco.com

Tags: Ditto & Co, Dress Shoes, Gretchen Ditto, image consulting, Image Management, Style for Men

This entry was posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 at 12:09 pm and is filed under All Articles, How to Dress, Image Management, Mens Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.