Kyle Minor

I am a bad person to ask. PETE is still mad that I wore brown shoes with black pants a couple of months ago. PETE, of all people, who himself wears tapered and/or pleated pants! I thought our favorite fashion maverick would have been into it -- but it seems I crossed a line. My advice is, ask Jessica.

I wear a black belt with brown pants and black shoes. Is that bad?

Kyle, a brown leather belt can be worn with sneakers just fine, but if I were you I'd try to keep it to "dressy" sneakers (i.e., brown leather ones, like a Kenneth Cole or Sketchers); if you're wearing New Balances, throw on a cloth belt. EXCEPTION: there's a cool design on your brown leather belt; if there's a cool design on it, it's automatically casual enough for sneakers of all varieties, and you should be rocking that shit like it's your job.

Jenny, you're fine with black shoes, black belt, and brown pants - the days of "no brown with black" are long gone. EXCEPT...

brown shoes with black pants are a no-go (sorry, ET). Here's why: your shoes should always be darker than your pants. This is akin to the "your tie should always be lighter than your suit but darker than your shirt" rule (fuck you, Steve Harvey, and fuck your five button clown suits and silver-on-black tie/shirt combos).

THUS SPAKE WILL! The Fashion Oracle has spoken. Let all who doubt his rule be buried in polyester and acrylic tombs of shame and despair!

I disagree with Thrill. I've had this same brown leather belt since junior year of college. It looks great with a pair of New Balances (the grey ones, not the black ones). Especially with jeans. I'm sure a cloth belt works great too - I had a great run with my old olive green official boy scout belt until it disappeared in the depths of the jo-tel - but there is nothing wrong with the brown belt and new balances, if it is casual day. I just got a pair of brown leather skateboarding shoes almost exactly the same color as my belt.