Every new year brings with it a slew of trends that slowly permeate the menswear scene; they are an unavoidable phenomenon and definitely affect the landscape of the menswear market. Many of these trends can be fun to experiment with, but in the end-of-the year spirit I’ll highlight some that I believe have overstayed their welcome.
There. I said it. I’m sorry, but I had to put it out there.
I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with double monks. I like them. Years ago I created a saved ebay search that picks out all the best double monks out there, and I am often tempted to buy a pair.
To me, this trend needs to pass not because double monks are unattractive or aesthetically off, but because they have permeated so deeply into the menswear id that they have somehow become regarded as a “staple.” I’m sorry to say it, but I don’t think that men’s shoes with little brass buckles are a staple of a classic wardrobe and it seems unlikely that they ever will be. I’m always a bit wary when I see bloggers suggesting double monks to impressionable anons asking for basic shoe choices, and I feel a bit bad when I see that a blogger’s wardrobe of high end footwear consists of only three double monks and two tassel loafers. What about oxfords? Derbys? Penny loafers? Double monks are like dessert – fun in small doses, but unhealthy when consumed as a main course.
Moreover, the incredible force with which double monks burst into the menswear world almost guarantees their inevitable demise. They arrived with such strength and conviction that it seemed impossible for them to ever fade away, and that in itself almost assures that they will fall out of favor as rapidly as they rose into it.
Keep in mind that outside of the menswear circle(jerk), double monks are not a normal shoe. Only once have I seen a non-menswear gentleman comment on nice double monks, and all he had to say was “What are those…leprechaun shoes?”
Are double monks fun? Yes. iGent? Perhaps. Staple? No.
Remember, you heard it here first – next year is the year that double monks die.
(previously – Part I)
(photo via Unabashedly Prep)
