Bare ankles used to be the only answer. Now the sock is a choice in its own right: which length, which color, when to show it, and the mistake we see every single day.

Eleven questions people actually ask us about wearing loafers, each with a straight answer. What to pair them with, which trousers, which season, and when the answer is no.

A tight loafer can be rescued, but not by much and not by every method. What genuinely buys you a few millimeters, what does nothing, and what wrecks the leather for good.

The tassel is what turns a quiet shoe into one that gets noticed. Five occasions, the material that suits each, and the two pairings we'd tell you to skip.

Six combinations, from the office to a wedding, with the pair that fits each one. Plus the three mistakes we see most and the pair to buy if you're only buying one.

A blazer, a denim jacket, a moto jacket, a wool coat, a puffer: which ones work over loafers, which need a plainer shoe, and the one rule that settles every case.

Five pairs we'd actually point someone to, with the price, the material, and an honest note on who each one isn't for.

Most good pairs aren't worn out, they're dried out. What to do once a month, in what order, what to do the evening they come home wet, and the habits that matter more than any cream.

Office, wedding, interview, dinner, travel, weekend, bad weather, the gym: eight situations, and for each one a straight yes or no plus the pair that actually fits it.