Lovely County Citizen: Op/Ed Column: Populuxe stylist: The Oxford Eurekan (02/24/11)

The oxford is a classic leather shoe with a body that comes up no higher than the ankle and laces over the instep. Southern literature lovers are reminded of Tennessee Williams' seersucker suit-wearing character, Big Daddy from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Thomas Wolfe's characters from Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil. Sometimes called brogues, derby shoes, or bluchers, endless versions of the oxford are available.

Vocabulary: Balmorals = classic, seamless-style oxford. Wingtips = oxford with toe caps in the shape of a bird's wing. Saddle oxford = oxford with saddle shaped piece of leather sewn over the instep. Kiltie = oxford with fringed leather tongue that folds down over the tied laces. White bucks = made of unlined buckskin or reversed calf. Spectators = two toned shoes, black and white, oxblood and tan, etc.

The unisex shoe looks equally great in pristine condition or beat to hell, (as long as the rest of the outfit is pristine, that is). They liven up jeans and a T-shirt for guys and replace the ballet slipper for gals. They showcase the ankle, one of the slimmer body parts, thus, even gawky, bird legs on gals and hairy ankles showing on guys somehow look cute in these.

Replace your top-siders and pair them with shorts or rolled up khakis for a just-got-off-my-boat-at-Beaver-Lake sexiness.

If the preppy yachting set is not your style, replace your bikers boots with a black patent pair and rock them with skinny jeans and a biker jacket. Or do the spectator version with a tuxedo like Janelle Monįe in her video, Tightrope. Sienna Miller does a bright yellow pair with a flouncy skirt, and one could easily go new wave with a metallic version by Joe's Jeans.

Check out Pixiemarket.com's lace oxford and get with the '80s as they are back for Spring. Post your Oxford Eurekan photos on my populuxe stylist facebook page.