White bucks and Blue Suede Shoes

           "It's an exercise in nostalgia" my friend Jay and I decided this morning. He was wearing lookalikes for Blue Suede Shoes (think Carl Perkins and  Elvis) and I had my White Bucks (think Pat Boone--- if you  are old enough). While  some distance from my age, Jay did remember Pat Boone. For me, their origins lie deeply embedded in the 1950's.  It was during that time that  a new Easter clothing outfit likely included new 'white bucks'.  

   Revived by the 'Ivy League look' of that era, the style continues to  provide a versatile footwear option. Many of my contemporaries considered them an integral part of the late-Spring and Summer male wardrobe.  They still blend well  with  casual and semi-'dress-up' attire.

  Pat Boone and white bucks almost became synonymous in the "50's", so much so that he was sometimes referred to as "The Kid in the White Bucks".  My friend Larry told of being at a wedding reception in the  early 1980's when an elderly, slightly inebriated lady, whom he did not know approached him and asked "Have you seen my husband? He's wearing white buck shoes".  To which Larry, himself slightly into the sauce, replied, "Lady, I haven't seen anyone in white bucks since Pat Boone."

 

   For anyone ultra fashion conscious, I found an article on the internet with 'do's and don'ts' of wearing your bucks, such as  'don't wear with shorts; wear with socks ; do not wear them to evening formal occasions, etc.'.  I think that they are simply a 'fun shoe' with a nod to nostalgia.

   In the recesses of memory , I recall having a pair of Blue Suedes shoes and I think that I wore those with my drastically 'pegged' slacks.  (What are 'pegged' pants ? The cuff is so severely reduced in size that one reputedly had to remove the foot prior to getting them on,)

   And, by the way, if care is not taken to maintain the white luster,  bucks can  almost be mistaken for blue suede  shoes.

     Satchel