A. It is always good to hear from readers, and especially from readers with strong how-to-dress opinions.

Yes, you are right that there are many long-established dress guidelines for men to follow. Some of them are iron-clad and allow for practically no deviations, such as black shoes are essential with a blue suit. Some are slightly more flexible; and this is my only minor disagreement: occasionally, fine brown dress shoes can work with a gray suit. There isn’t any real explanation for bending the rules this way; it just sometimes can work when the gray suit is more casual than a pinstripe and the man has the confidence to pull it off.

Color guidelines about men’s dress shoes are simple: “Wear black with a blue or gray suit, dark brown with tan suits, easy and obvious and correct.” A connected guideline in answer to what color belt to wear is: “Repeat the shoe color – black or brown.”

Well-dressed men feel comfortable following these basic “rules” which allow them to dress correctly without having to give each day’s decision a lot of thought. On the other hand, some men, who are exceptionally – and unusually – well-dressed often like to play a bit with bending, or breaking, the rules. When I was writing my book, “Dress for Excellence,” I interviewed a thoughtful and articulate men’s clothing designer, Roger Baugh, who was twice named to the International Best-Dressed List. He had some interesting opinions about the shoes men wear and how they seem to express a lot about the wearer’s personality. Here is some of what he had to say on the subject.

• You can tell a person’s economic status; you can tell if the shoes are expensive or not.
• You can tell if a person is meticulous or not by observing whether the shoes are well cared for, polished, or in need of new heels. If they are shabby, then the person is obviously not one who is attuned to details. He is often the same person who overlooks important details in business.
• Color is another strong indication of how a person feels about himself. A black shoe is a more sober indication with a gray suit. However, a person who knowingly wears a brown shoe with a gray flannel can show that he really knows how to dress. It’s a wonderful look that displays he has a good sense of color and knows how to use it with sophistication.

It was apparent to me that he was giving a man permission to be slightly flexible as long as he does so knowledgeably and within bounds. When I explain this concept in my men’s dress lectures, I make it clear that a man can break a how-to-dress rule as long as he is an impeccable dresser . . . and he’s not the only one who thinks so!

Please send your men’s dress and grooming questions and comments to MALE CALL: Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net