This weekend marks the end of summer, and therefore the end of white-bucks season Unless you’re Pat Boone, who, like college men in the ’30s, wore his year-round. His above collection is from 1959.
Go here for a CBS News slideshow on the clean cut idol, who in mid-life made a heavy metal album.
The question is: When do you have to stop wearing dirty bucks
The answer is:one doesn’t have to….
You’ve had some great posts recently-great to see. Hope you had a smashing weekend!
The white bucks have been put away now until spring. They got a lot of wear over the summer, and I always received positive comments. The tan or “dirty” bucks I willcontinue to wear late into the fall. Though there is no rule, I do not wear them in the dead of winter.
Though I am not Pat Boone, I will be wearing white after Labor Day—in moderation. Wearing white bucs like you would any other shoe can work if you get your head out of the way.
Nobody with a shred of taste wears white bucks brand-spanking white; so nobody with a shred of style yields to some middle-class notion of seasonal propriety. Period.
Cutting off white bucks at Labor Day in the South is absurd, especially with global warming. For me the season is from either a late Easter or Kentucky Derby party through the end of September. Here in Dallas I think one really could wear them into October given our heat and lack of fall coloring until mid November.
Pat Boone – Columbia University (magna cum laude), 1958
When I was in high school (Fall ’60 to Spring ’64) I was aware of only one local store that sold white bucks. The guy did a land office business, because he had a captive clientele — every high school band member in the county.
Was blessed to have lunch with Pat Boone a few years ago. He told the story, that when he started singing and was trying to make it big, he only had one nice pair of shoes to wear when invited to be on television, and they were white. The rest is history. Super gentleman. Wonderful stories.
What he became;
https://images.app.goo.gl/q8BRFz1c1irPp7PD9
A good case can be made that modern-day “preppy” is a (re)interoperation of the 80s version of style in question. Less concern (if any) about purist Ivy details (collar roll, for instance). I didn’t see many white bucks during the Reagan era, but I remember lots of “dirty” bucks–especially Bass. I still see them from time to time–ditto for penny loafers. Aging Yuppies.
Apropos classic Ivy apropos the 1960s apropos JFK– looks like somebody decided to replicate the American Optical Saratoga, JFK’s shades-of-choice.
Before you look, remember: The good stuff never came cheap.
https://www.cultframes.com/collections/the-brookline
Now that Ivy has become a small retro-driven niche, there’s so much great stuff out there.
More on Pat Boone – in June, he played in the National Senior Games three on three basketball tournament in Albuquerque. He plays with the Virginia Creepers in the 80+ age bracket. I was there competing in a younger age bracket.
Walk Over white bucks and dirty bucks were big in the eighties. They may not be in business now. I still own both. I also have white buck Top Siders and a pair of Cole Haan with buck penny loafers.
https://www.walkover.com/