Starting from the Bottom with Classic Loafers 

With the overall work culture constantly making small shifts toward a more casual style, the classic loafer is a staple wardrobe item that easily allows you to transition from professional to business casual attire. With proper care and storage, a good pair of loafers can last for decades. 

My Loafer Love Story

Like many undergraduate finance majors, I was laser-focused on one major goal: getting an investment banking internship that would lead to a full-time job opportunity when I graduated. I was lucky to get an internship during my sophomore year and then another one during my junior year, which was followed by a full-time offer.For committing to the full-time position early, I was awarded a sign-on bonus. Through the grapevine of typical internship gossip, I found out that some of my colleagues had decided to spend their bonus on loafers—Gucci loafers to be exact. If you are familiar with any of finance memes, you may recall the hold that the Gucci loafers had on millennials working in the corporate world. At that time, I knew I would need to “upgrade” my work wardrobe for the corporate world. However, my finance knowledge kicked in and I could not justify spending hundreds of dollars on shoes—yet. Through online shopping, I discovered Cole Haan, found a discount code, and purchased my first pair of loafers. 
I instantly fell in love with loafers! They are comfortable, casual, and professional, all at the same time. I was obsessed! I wore these shoes every day for about a year. I had worn down the material at the front of the shoes to a point that was beyond repair. When the pandemic turned everything remote, I was able to put the search for a replacement on hold until I had to return to the office. When that time came, I inherently knew that this was the best time to invest in a good pair of loafers. After spending a lot of time in the corporate world I noticed that when women weren’t wearing heels, they were wearing loafers. Also, loafers were a great option to dress up a casual outfit while I wasn’t at work. Loafers were an item that I could wear in my personal and professional life that made me look put together while being comfortable. I spent weeks researching and thinking through what kind of brand I wanted to support by wearing their shoes. I finally decided to go with a classic brand and shoe: the Ferragamo Gancini Moccasin with interchangeable gold and silver hardware. 

The History of the Loafer

Fun Fact: Loafers date back to the mid-nineteenth century and originated in farming and fishing villages in Norway.
Now for a little history of the loafer. The history of the loafer is discussed in detail in Grailed. The shoe first was spotted in Norway in the mid-nineteenth century in some fishing villages and was described as leather slip-ons called Tesers. One Norweigan, Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger, sought to improve the shoe and moved to the US to study cobbling. A couple years later, Tveranger unveiled a shoe that combined the traditional characteristics of the teser and the moccasin, a Native American shoe, and it quickly began to gain traction in the decades to follow. 

The History of Ferragamo

Why did I choose Ferragamo? Ferragamo is almost a one-hundred-year-old company with strong roots in women’s footwear. The company was first incorporated in Florence in 1927 by Salvatore Ferragamo, focusing on the study, creation, manufacturing, and sale of ladies' footwear. The company found quick success and subsequently opened its first US location in New York in 1948. Ferragamo has been extremely successful and was listed on Milan Stock Exchange in 2011. It is a timeless brand in fashion and has dressed the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana. The brand has always prioritized comfort at the core of its designs. This was an important factor in my attraction to the brand. I believe comfortable footwear allows one to focus on other aspects of their professional brand instead of being distracted. I also liked the craftsmanship and high quality of the materials. I knew I wanted to invest my money in shoes I could keep forever. 

The Gancini Moccasin 

There are several reasons why I highly recommend this shoe: 
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The Quick Stats:
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Budget Conscious Options 

As part of this series, I want to provide budget-conscious alternatives for the higher-ticket items that I recommend. Some budget conscious options that I would recommend as good alternatives include: 
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Stay on the lookout for the next article which will discuss the best heels for the workplace!  

WRITTEN BY

Bryanna Samuels