A: Just as dark colored clothes are more versatile than their light colored counterparts, shoes are also more versatile when they are dark.  Darker shades of brown, for example, work with many more colors than do lighter shades of brown.  Because of this versatility factor, I’d recommend that your shoe wardrobe include a few good pairs of black and darker brown dress shoes in a variety of styles (captoe, bucks, wingtip, etc.) before expanding to lighter colored shoes.  

Even though light brown shoes aren’t super versatile, you still have a few good options.  As you mentioned, light brown shoes complement navy blue nicely.  And they also work with light sandy colored pants.  Beyond that, you may also want to try dark olive green dress pants with your light brown shoes.  Other than these three options, however, it’s going to be tricky.  I’m not saying light brown shoes and other colors can’t work; I’m just saying I haven’t seen it done that well (at least, not yet).

A: We’ve said this before, but the key to winter style on the East Coast is layers, layers, layers.  The weather can be very unpredictable, especially during the winter, so you’ll need to be prepared for anything.  On top of that, you’ll be going between indoors and outdoors throughout the day, so you need to be able to adapt quickly. January in DC will likely have lows below freezing and highs around the 40s.  Here’s how to get a youthful-yet-sophisticated look for Inauguration:

Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and (in a few short days) Happy New Year. 

Thanks to wonderful readers like you, 2008 was a great year.  Over and over, we heard stories about how you grew more confident with your fashion choices.  How you tried on new styles (and new colors) that you didn’t think would work—but did!  How your evolving sense of style is changing your life for the better. 

Every time we hear one of these stories, it affirms what we’re doing here at Omiru.  So–thank you for sharing, and keep the stories coming!

2008 also welcomed a lot of new faces to the Omiru community, in part thanks to nods from Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.  (On a related note, thanks for your continued support through some of these growing pains.  We’ve had more outages lately, and we just completed a software upgrade this morning to address this–and speed up the load time of our pages.  We’re also looking to make some more back end tweaks to make Omiru even better for 2009 and beyond.)

What’s next?  We’re taking a short vacation, returning bright and early (and full of fresh style inspiration) on Monday, January 5. 

In the meantime, we want to know what’s on your mind for 2009.  As for us, we’re looking to (1) discover new designers and stores to share with you, (2) try on even more new trends, styles, and colors (so we can share what works and what doesn’t), and (3) make it easier for you to find the style information you’re looking for on Omiru.

Have any New Year’s Resolutions to share?

So, it’s official: we’re in a recession.  But the silver lining is that the poor economy is chasing out some of the best deals we’ve seen in years. Here’s seven pieces that will allow you to keep stylish and save money at the same time:

Flannel-lined chino | Was $85, select colors now $49.99 at J. Crew.

Every winter, J. Crew comes out with these flannel-lined chinos, allowing men to stay warm and stay stylish at the same time.  If you live somewhere cold, these are pretty much mandatory, whether or not they’re on sale.

Barbour Putney Jacket | Was $250, now $129 at Barneys.

Simple and understated, a Barbour jacket is a staple of the traditional man’s wardrobe.  Don’t miss the chance to get it at nearly half the price.

Garment Dyed Reverse Seam | Was $178, now $148 at Steven Alan.

Steven Alan has quickly become my default for casual wear.  Their dress shirts are the only ones I’ve seen that look better wrinkled than ironed.  As a result, Steven Alan has that kind of “I don’t care, but I still look good” vibe to all their shirts—the epitome of American style.  Plus, they’re a cinch to pack: literally throw them in your suitcase and then pull them out, wrinkled and ready to wear.

Cotton Shirting Tie | Was $55, now $29 at Steven Alan.

Also from Steven Alan, this plaid tie is more fashionable than stylish.  But fear not, the plaid trend will last past this season.  At 2.5” wide, this plaid tie is fine for the office or a night out on the town.

Want more? Check out these ties (all were $62 each, now $39 apiece), also from Steven Alan.

Biker Jacket | Was $310, now $155 at Oak.

This biker jacket is from Oak, so it’s no surprise that it’s a bit edgier and more urban than most things in your closet.  Traditionally, biker jackets are in leather, but hey, we’re in a recession right now.  Also note the white leopard lining detail.  Eccentric lining is one of those things that drives true Sartorialists crazy; they love it when these kind of details are known only to the wearer.

Plaid Belt | Was $120, now $60 at A.P.C.

For the most part, plaid is best as a layering piece or a detail.  Either way, its best served in moderate doses.  This belt is great, but how long you’re willing to wear plaid when its no longer in style is up to you.

Double Layer Waffle Henley | Was $49.50, now $19.95 at Martin + Osa.

If I had my way, henleys would replace t-shirts as the standard casual guy shirt.  That is, except for the simple white t-shirt.  Nothing beats a simple white T.

UPDATE (12/24):  Ok, now I know what you’re thinking: "148 down from 178 may be 17% off, but it’s still not that cheap."  You’ve got a point.  As Warren Buffet says, "it doesn’t matter if you’re 300 or 325 pounds; you’re still fat!" (it has something to do with investing, I swear).

Enter New York’s Housing Works Thift Shops, a chain of secondhand stores of which profits benefit people with HIV and AIDS. Steven Alan has donated more than 1,000 items from his line and his stock, which is discounted as much as 70%.  The items go on sale on December 27th at 11am, and you can be sure that the store will be packed with thrifty sartorialists, so get there early.

Buffalo Plaid Short Skirt | $17.80 at Forever 21

Dark Plaid Strapless Dress | $24.80 at Forever 21

Utah Plaid Scarf | $28 at Urban Outfitters

Kimchi Blue Plaid Ruffle Neck Blouse | $34.99 at Urban Outfitters

Bow Back Tartan Skirt | $45 (approx) at Topshop

byCORPUS Pocket Work Shirt | $49.99 at Urban Outfitters

A: I’ll address the “his” part of this question.  The “bad weather shoes” problem is much simpler if you’re not a white collar worker.  Without a doubt, the first pair of bad weather boots I’d recommend are by Quoddy, makers of high quality bad weather shoes.  As you can tell, however, they are for people who experience a few feet of snow in the winter.

Desert boots are another viable option if you live in a place with a less harsh winter.  Clark’s desert boots have always been around, but nowadays you can find stylish desert boots everywhere from J. Crew and the GAP (via Pierre Hardy) to high end retailers like Tom Ford.  The beauty of desert boots is that you can wear them while walking around the city as well; it’s a bit harder to “urbanize” those rugged Quoddy boots.

If you’re a working man, you have it a bit harder.  You have to wear dress shoes to the office, unless you work in a creative industry.  Certainly, you can wear galoshes, but that option is more practical than stylish (even though Esquire endorses it).  If you live in the city, where the streets are a bit more groomed (e.g. less snow on the sidewalks), you can try wearing dress boots, but again, at a formal, conservative type office, I’m not sure that would fly.  If you do decide to wear dress shoes or dress boots, do wear ones with rubber soles.  The snow and slush will wreck havoc on your leather soles.  If you absolutely must wear leather soled dress shoes to the office, do not wear them outside; instead, change into them at the office.

Last words?  Please feel free to beat up your shoes; in fact, I encourage you to wear them in.  A lot.  Tom Ford ran a series of ads a year or so ago in which a man in alligator shoes was walking through the mud.  I love this; “beat up the pretty things,” as they say.  Buy high quality things and wear them out.  This kind of nonchalance is the essence of American style, so embrace it.