How to wear luxury slippers

This article titled “How to wear luxury slippers” was written by Priya Elan, for The Guardian on Friday 28th August 2020 12.00 UTC

I’m pretty sure that a percentage of us are now refuseniks when it comes to dressing the way we once did, pre-lockdown. This includes trouser deniers (“Jeans? I don’t know her…”), belt haters (#saveourelasticatedwaists!) and those who would rather not subject their precious tootsies to a hard sole ever again. For some of us, shoes, as we knew them, died mid-March.

So how have we been getting by? Mainly, it has to be said, in ugly shoes. In my case, flip-flops that, despite being 20 years old, still manage to hang together by means of a between-toe strip that resembles prehistoric man’s first thong, or Uggs, which look like an old toy dachshund whose entire face has fallen off. Going barefoot has, however, felt a step too far. An admission that, as you pace your kitchen for the nth time trying to avoid the wi-fi blackspot, you’ve totally given up on real life.

So the time has come to brush the bits of Lego from your ugly shoe of choice and embrace autumn’s latest trend: the luxury slipper. I know what you’re thinking: is it possible to do this without succumbing to codgerdom? Fashion brands such as Gucci and Versace have provided an answer and it’s a gold-plated ‘yes’. In these shoes, your feet will look as if they have been gift wrapped by the Christmas department at Fortnum & Mason. You will feel you are sliding about in yards of very soft kitten fur. The luxe slipper is a great option for anyone who doesn’t mind parting with a fistful of cash (and channelling Hugh Hefner).

Pre-covid, the pyjama dressing and loungewear trend looked sexy and subversive, a return to a more old-fashioned kind of glamour. Even now, despite having somewhat lost that sheen, you can make this sort of day-night dressing feel a bit special. In today’s shoot, I’ve attempted to bridge two worlds: a bar-ready look on the top half and an I’m-having-a-very-fancy-Zoom catchup on the bottom half. In a shiny disco shirt (last outing: New Year’s Eve) and some skinny jeans, I’m one half André Leon Talley, one half DJ Khaled.

Wearing slippers this fancy – faux velvet with faux embroidery; think “Henry VIII on a yacht with Jay and Bey” – means you’re always dressing up rather than down. When I slip them on, I feel ready for anything. But also … not. I might even just stay home, you know. Which is the luxe slipper all over.