Trend alert: The smoking slipper

This year the masculine footwear trend has taken a step in the metrosexual direction.

The dandyish slipper, once left to the likes of Noel Coward characters and David Niven, suddenly seems so right that we need them in a panoply of different tones and textures. Which is lucky because right now they can be found in everything from velvet to studded, skulls to a tropical island print depending on how geek chic or opulent you want to play it. 

Fashion is a powerful thing, this shoe style, once rather poncey and retro now seems to have become the Marianne Faithful of the shoe world, acquiring serious fashion credibility and pushing the once trusty ballet pump into Jane Asher territory. Our favourite is the velvet version (Penelope Chilvers is the ultimate, picture above), which may require you to pair them up with your on-trend spring summer pyjamas, use words like “divine” and talk about how bored you are in the manner of 1920s socialites. Watch the upcoming remake of The Great Gatsby for ideas on how to correctly strike that pose. Obviously the slipper may not take over your personality to such an extent, and will work just as well with leather leggings, dandies are tough don’t you know. The third option for velvet slippers is to dust off your ceremonial be-jewelled headdress and robes and go the full Tsarina. No, seriously. That decadent Russian influence has been all over the runways this autumn.

Moving on to other versions of this look we have the embroidered tapestry look at Alexander McQueen, not to mention the eponymous skull. The studded, beginning at Louboutin and finding its way to the accessibility of Topshop best seller. There will be ponyskin, patent leather, and there will be print. Finally, for those last few days of summer, there are these, so affordable in the sale at ASOS, tropical palm tree printed. Ridiculously cool, or maybe just ridiculous. It doesn’t matter; this trend was born from frivolity.

Sarah Cleaver