A pair of Black Gucci Horsebit slip-on loafers had been on my wish list forever. I just think they are pretty blasted cool! The exude elegance, luxury and confidence. They tell the world that I care about my footwear. They immediately convey status...even if status has not been earned, as is the case with me. Yes, they are a little flashy. Yes they're a bit on the dandy side. And yes, they by no means can be labeled as a necessity. But, necessary is a mindset within the individual. And I've needed a pair of these bad boys for quite some time. In fact, in about 1999 I was given a pair for Christmas. Unfortunately, the rent needed to be paid and the $600 loafers were returned to the store unworn.
So, I have trudged through life Gucciless for many adult years. First it was the rent that had to be paid, then along came mortgages, kids, expensive SUV's, debt consolidation projects, college savings plans and every other expense that relegated my slip-on acquisition to the bottom of the pile. But then along came eBay! That wonderful acquisition vehicle that allows the "unearned" types to pick up items at much less than their new store equivalent. So I started watching...and watching...and watching...and bidding...and losing...and watching. You get the point.
Then one wonderful day some buck decided to part with his pair and the bidding amount was within reach. And low and behold, with a last second bid, they were mine. They were coming to Houston for the trivial amount of $48. Upon arrival, I inspected them and they were indeed the "real" deal, in very nice condition with a perfect fit. I had them...finally!
OK, so this was story was a bit dramatic for a pair of shoes. But sometimes, in the words of Joel Goodson, you just gotta say "What the f#%$...make your move!"
Now for some background:
The horsebit was first written into Gucci’s vocabulary in the Fifties, when it was used on heavy tan leather saddle-stitched handbags. Since then, the horsebit has been both miniaturized and maximized as hardware; luxuriously schemed into embossed or burned-out surfaces on leather suede and velvet; turned into repeat patterns printed on silk and sculpted into the components of precious jewelry.
The horsebit played a crucial role in marking out the Gucci loafer as a time-traversing design classic. The snaffle was introduced as a decoration on the soft and comfortable brown or black leather Gucci men’s moccasins in 1953. They graced the feet of Hollywood’s leading men including Clark Gable, John Wayne and Fred Astaire, and when women's versions appeared in 1968, they became the choice of sophisticated women looking for a luxurious kind of comfort.
In 1980, the men’s horsebit loafer was added to the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sealing its fate as a fashion classic.
Black Leather
Black Suede
Black Crocodile
Brown Ostrich
Then one wonderful day some buck decided to part with his pair and the bidding amount was within reach. And low and behold, with a last second bid, they were mine. They were coming to Houston for the trivial amount of $48. Upon arrival, I inspected them and they were indeed the "real" deal, in very nice condition with a perfect fit. I had them...finally!
My Slip-Ons
OK, so this was story was a bit dramatic for a pair of shoes. But sometimes, in the words of Joel Goodson, you just gotta say "What the f#%$...make your move!"
Now for some background:
The horsebit was first written into Gucci’s vocabulary in the Fifties, when it was used on heavy tan leather saddle-stitched handbags. Since then, the horsebit has been both miniaturized and maximized as hardware; luxuriously schemed into embossed or burned-out surfaces on leather suede and velvet; turned into repeat patterns printed on silk and sculpted into the components of precious jewelry.
The horsebit played a crucial role in marking out the Gucci loafer as a time-traversing design classic. The snaffle was introduced as a decoration on the soft and comfortable brown or black leather Gucci men’s moccasins in 1953. They graced the feet of Hollywood’s leading men including Clark Gable, John Wayne and Fred Astaire, and when women's versions appeared in 1968, they became the choice of sophisticated women looking for a luxurious kind of comfort.
In 1980, the men’s horsebit loafer was added to the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sealing its fate as a fashion classic.
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