White Bucks are back

June 8, 2:20 PMMen's Style ExaminerStile E. Coyote

IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN we're ready to don the searsucker (maybe), grab a gin and tonic, and ask a nice lady out on a date. That's why we need to look our best, and summertime is the best time to look nice — and no, not in cargo shorts and retro/ironic tees, either. Stile means your best, and by your best, you should start with doing something that's (seemingly) crazy, and we don't mean streak a polo field in England, either. Well, not this time. 

Enter the suede buck. A staple of Southern gentlemen for years, the suede buck is so elegant and classy it begs to be warn in the summer heat. But here's the thing: we suggest wearing it with a bunch of clothes, not just traditional searsucker. Try them with jeans or chinos, or wear them like President Woodrow Wilson did in 1913 when he commissioned Johnston & Murphy to design some for his favorite linen suits: with linen light-colored pants. 
 

Try them with jeans or chinos or like President Wilson did in 1913:
with linen pants.

Just make sure you wear them with confidence, like any great man of style. When to wear these? Consider them a nice alternative on semi-dress occasions. Summer outdoor weddings, weekend BBQs, heck, even the office. I mean, why not? Just avoid looking like Tom Wolfe — perhaps leave the searsucker at home. Purchase: From Johnston & Murphy ($130) or J.Crew in canvas color ($115) 

Keep 'em white
1. Take a clean, dry towel and gently rub your suede shoes. This helps to bring up the nap and restore the suede's surface.

2. Grab your pencil or suede eraser and rub your shoes to remove dry deeply embedded stains.

3. Brush the surface of your shoes with a metal suede brush using a controlled circular motions. This helps to smooth out the areas of your shoes that have been roughed up by the eraser. It also effectively gets rid of stubborn scuff marks.

4. Spray your shoes with a coat of suede protector.