it's great to learn, cause knowledge is power! (menswear inspired shoes)

I have always been a lover of menswear inspired shoes and clothing. There's just something incredibly empowering about perfectly tailored pieces and the casual elegance of a man's dress shoe.
While always drawn to the style, I've never really bothered to research the lingo, and when people started mentioning brogues, oxfords and spectators, I wondered what the official difference was.
So for anyone else who didn't know, here are my findings:

Brogueing refers to the punched out hole detailing you find on menswear shoes, often in the "w" wingtip design. Brogues are then shoes that embody this detailing, and are laced.

brogues- Spring (2010)

Oxfords are a menswear shoe that are both laced, have stitched detailing, and usually a toe cap. If they have the punched out detailing, they're brogued oxfords. crazy.

oxfords - Steve Madden (2008)

And lastly, spectators can refer to any style of brogue OR oxford, as long as its patterned in two contrasting colors.

spectators - Fahrenheit (2007)

Hope you all enjoyed my mini-lesson (and i wasn't the only one this was all new to!) and the small peek into my shoe closet!

post title courtesy of school house rock.