The weather is warming up and it would only be delightfully erroneous that I start covering up my ankles in shoe leather now, when in the winter I’d only wear monkstraps and oxfords with pants rolled up, still freezing with hiking-thick wool socks. It’s been quite the wait, but I think I’ve found the perfect black boots: round-toed black suede Caminandos laced all the way up with leather laces. The gracefully aging black suede is both blacker much more wearable than leather, and the slightly elongated, Ronald McDonaldsy round toes keep them intriguingly odd.black suede lace-up boots by Caminando, a Tokyo-based shoe label that has its shoes manufactured by skilled artisans in Mexico. The result is perfectly designed, beautifully shaped footwear with a certain organic, earthy charm that comes with the being handmade in those local factories.
The boots have brought out in me a sudden penchant for ruggedness: I’m laying off the sparkle and drapery for a fleeting second and dabbling in a more masculine, weathered aesthetic.standing collar linen shirt with fabric-covered buttons by Assembly New York, vintage cuff from Amsterdam, H&M jeans, Caminando bootsI know I said I’m temporarily abstaining from sparkle, but that doesn’t mean I’d forgo hardware altogether. This vintage elephant-embossed silver cuff from Amsterdam is almost armor-like with its heft, and I like seeing it almost as another piece of clothing peeking out of long sleeves.Cuffs with extra long openings studded with fabric-covered buttons make for a subtly dramatic and very dark shirt.