How To Wear Bass Weejuns (...in the Winter)
Photo: Bass Weejuns / GH Bass & Co
Bass Weejuns: The Original Penny Loafer
Bass Weejun is a name which should be familiar to all Mods. GH Bass, the makers of the original Penny Loafer coined the name Bass Weejun in 1936 when they put a stylish spin on a traditional Norwegian farm shoe. Designed for 'loafing in the field', they nicknamed the new shoes 'Weejuns', and introduced the first ever Penny Loafer to the world.
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| Bass Weejun Penny Loafer Larson Easy in Brown £99.99 |
Bass Weejun Penny Loafer Larson Easy in Black £99.99 |
What is a Penny Loafer?
The Bass Weejun Penny Loafer came to the fashion forefront in the USA in the 1950s, utilised as part of the preppy and mod Ivy League look. This is most likely when the name 'penny loafer' was coined, with one explanation for the name given as American prep school students, wanting to make a fashion statement, took to inserting a penny coin into the diamond-shaped front slit on their Weejuns. Another story is that two pennies could be inserted into the Loafer's apron, and this was enough money to make an emergency phone call. Either way, this is origin of the 'Penny' loafer and the name has stuck ever since.
 Photo: Bass Weejuns / GH Bass & Co |
Why do Mods wear Loafers?
"Wanna know if a guy's well dressed? Look down."
- George Frazier, The Boston Globe
As it states in The Ivy Look by Graham Marsh and JP Gaul, "The first thing a member of the Ivy fraternity will look at are your shoes, from there they check out the rest of your wardrobe. If you are not wearing what are considered to be acceptable shoes you will be met with frosty indifference, at best a dismissive "nice shoes" which you really do not want to hear."
By the mid 1950s, the Bass Weejun had become a symbol of American casual style and very much an integral part of the American Ivy League look. Desert boots aside, it was the Bass Weejun loafer which was the shoe of choice in the Ivy look, and so it was natural for 1960s Mods and Modernist to adopt the loafer as part of thier look too, when they adopted American Ivy League style as the basis of the Mod look.
How to wear Bass Weejun Loafers (in the Winter):
Although perhaps more of a summer style of footwear, Mods won't want to abandon their Penny Loafers as soon as the weather takes a turn. The Weejun has to be one of the most versatile styles of shoes available for men. They're casual enough for a stroll in the park and smart enough for an evening out at a fancy restaurant. Winter weather elements are not usually a friend of the leather soled shoe, so this season Bass Weejuns have launched the Easy Weejun, a new take on the classic Bass Weejun loafer with a flexible rubber sole much more suited to winter weather.
The controversial question over the loafer seems to be - socks or no socks? The contemporary fashion revival of the loafer look appears to be very much in the no socks camp, but for winter, you might want to rethink that (or risk catching cold!) Plus the original Penny Loafer wearers in the 50s, 60s and earlier, would have been very unlikely to go sans-socks when out and about in their Bass Weejuns (and for that, it's more hygienic to wear socks with your shoes). So for winter, we have two options:
1. The Extrovert Mod Socks Look
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| Allen Retro Pattern Pantherella Socks £12.99 |
Piper Mod Stripe Pantherella Socks £12.99 |
If we're going to wear socks, then we're going to be bold and confident while we do it. Pantherella make fine English socks which have long appealed to the mod aesthetic. Statement socks like these look fabulous worn with Bass Weejuns, and a bright colour adds a retro mod twist to an otherwise dark and sometimes dull work suit. And of course the main advantage is it will keep your feet warm! Choose thin to medium knit designs to go with your loafers and avoid the chunky, thick knit socks.
2. The Subtle Invisible Socks Look
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| Pantherella Invisible Loafer Socks in Grey Stripe £9.99 |
Pantherella Invisible Loafer Socks in Navy Stripe £9.99 |
On the other side of the coin, you can still go for the cool and stylish socks look without freezing your toes off by wearing Pantherella's invisable socks. These cleverly designed socks sit below the line of the loafer giving the impression you're not wearing any socks while also keeping your toes warm and your feet hygienic(!) with their antibacterial finish. Unlike other types of 'invisible' sock, the Pantherella Invisible loafer socks come with a Non-slip heel grip to ensure the sock stays where it should and doesn't become irritating by slipping down into your shoe.
A Word to the Wise:
Although Bass Weejuns still look stylish when worn in winter, heed the care advice and avoid wearing them in wet or snowy weather, as this can damage the shoes, particularly the leather soled styles. If you do get caught out in bad weather, ensure you dry and care for your leather loafers properly afterwards to minimalise any damage to the shoes.
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Top Picks for Autumn & Winter 2018:
For this Autumn and Winter, Bass Weejuns have introduced the 'Easy Weejun', a forward thinking take on the classic Weejun style. Crafted with tradition techniques used on Bass shoes and boots since 1936, Easy Weejuns feature a flexible rubber sole, better for winter weather and more durable against the elements. An innovative internal polyurethane footbed also provides better comfort and a light, cushioned step. The Bass Easy Weejuns are available in classic Weejun loafer styles - The Larson Penny Loafer and The Larkin Tassel Loafer and in classic colour ways - Wine, Mid Brown (aka Tan) and Black, and UK sizes 7 - 12.
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| The Layton Kilted Loafer £149.99 |
The Easy Larkin Tassel Loafer £99.99 |
The Easy Larson Penny Loafer £99.99 |
