Visual weight: how to achieve it
Vision is spatial and, other than using it to judge distance, depth, size and shape, it is also how we get a sense of weight and balance.
Weight in this case meaning the balance of an outfit or ensemble.
This is an important consideration for any businessman or corporate employee as the balance of an outfit can have an effect on how you are perceived as a man and as an employee.
Wearing an oversized sports jacket with skinny jeans or trousers, coupled with long-toed loafers will certainly not do you any favours in the eyes of your superiors or the general public – as your visual weight or balance will be perceived as being imbalanced and “off”.
How do I achieve visual balance with my shoes?
It may sound like a difficult, fashion-designer’s area of expertise, but achieving visual balance is all about making the right choice of suit cut, suit fabric and — of course — the correct mens shoes for the occasion.
A double breasted suit jacket has a good amount of visual weight, due to the extra fabric, so to create balance, your trousers should be cuffed. This will create balance for the suit from top to bottom.
A man’s shoes can say a lot about him as a person, but your shoes are also vital for creating the perfect balance for an outfit. They may be the last thing you put on, but they should not be the last thing you consider.
Below are the main shoe elements you need to consider in order to achieve the ultimate visual weight.
The welt and sole
The welt and sole of your shoe should be considered together as the thickness of the sole is defined by the method of the welt used. What is the welt? Simply put, the welt of a shoe is the leather rim sewn round the edge of the upper, to which the sole is attached.
The different types of welts create different sole thickness — for example — the Norwegian welt has the highest visual weight, followed by the Goodyear welt. The Norwegian welt is visible from the outside of the shoe, whereas the Goodyear welt is not, making the Norwegian welt an extra element to consider for visual balance.
The shape of the last
Different shoe manufacturers use different Last Shapes, varying from rounded and bulbous to thin and tapered. A Last Shape is the model of the foot used by the shoe manufacturer in order to shape and stretch the shoe during the construction period. The more slender and tapered the last, the less visual impact and weight the shoe carries.
The leather type
It may not seem like an important factor, but the type of leather used to construct the shoe plays a role in the visual weight it contributes to an outfit. Suede has the heaviest visual impact, leather with wrinkles is second in the list, while embossed grain is third.
Exotic leathers (such as crocodile or ostrich) rank as fourth heaviest, with waxed leather coming in at fifth. The materials with the lightest visual weight are calf skin, cowhide and patent leather. Consider each of these materials when putting together an outfit because you will find that having a heavy suit with patent leather shoes will be highly imbalanced.
The shoe style
The final aspect to consider is the style of the shoe, meaning the amount of decoration that the shoe has on it. The visual weight of a given style is directly proportional to the intricacy of decorative elements on the shoe.
The best way to create balance is to keep things simple, and not wear a highly decorated shoe with a patterned suit as, not only will this impact your visual weight, it is also a notable fashion faux-paus.
Final verdict?
Now that you have an in-depth understanding of how to choose the perfect men’s shoes for any suit or ensemble, you are ready to put this to use. Following the tips above will ensure that you never walk into a men’s shoe store uninformed again, and instead of simply going for the most basic of shoes, you can consider every element that will create the ultimate visual balance.
The next time you have to put together an outfit for a meeting, interview or even for a business dinner, you will be able to create the right amount of visual weight with the different elements, bringing the look together with the perfect pair of shoes.