Quote Originally Posted by ThistleDown View Post
My father wore patent ghillies (although he called them 'evening shoes') with silver buckles and long, long tassels from the lace ends (which he tied strictly centred on his shin six inches up). In the thirties. I still have his buckles, but the evening shoes are, I regret, long gone. In the mid-forties -- or perhaps earlier -- he had 'strappies', as he called them. Patent leather, but with an arch strap and interchangeable buckles: the deco ones he wore in the thirties and a much more ornate silver pair he inherited and which my brother now has. My father was a well-dressed, precise man.

I've thought several times of having dress ghillies made in fine leather, and using his deco buckles once more. Bling.

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I think it would be wonderful if you could put your father's decorative buckles back into service. IMHO, dress ghillie brogues, in fine leather, look extra smart with buckles They are rather a different beast than the thick rubber soled, workhorse, piper's ghillie brogues, eh?

Here are mine. I have long, tasselled laces for them, but prefer the look of short laces...