STYLE GUIDE: LOAFERS

Summer dressing usually means stripping things back: bare ankles, easy-breezy layers, throw-on dresses and anything that gets you out the door fast. But what goes on your feet as you head into the sun, towards the pub or onto festival grounds? Enter the Dr. Martens loafers: the classic cherry Adrian, the reworked and rugged Delapre, the stripped-back Mayfare and the effortless Penton. Forget uniform dressing and forge your summer personas, embracing the loafer as a slip-on-and-go staple.

Whether it’s a pumped-up penny style or a classic heritage silhouette, loafers look just as good with linen tailoring as they do with loose denim, sporty shorts or, yes, even joggers. There’s a reason Dr. Martens loafers have stood the test of time, season after season and decade after decade.

To prove it, stylist Phoebe Butterworth helps us dream up a style guide: an anti-styling guide, if you will. Her approach? Forget the expected formula and reach for the shoe that adds a little tension. Pair them with a diaphanous summer dress instead of sandals, wear them sockless like sliders or add crisp white socks when the mood strikes.

The best loafer looks rarely come from following the old rules. Key up the contrasts, lived-in layers and combinations that feel a little bit wrong…in exactly the right way. Throw out the rulebook. Yes, you can loafer all season long.

The uniform takes a well-deserved break. Start with a boxy, racing green overshirt, then add loose but structured, long denim shorts and an oat ribbed sock for a fashion-forward take on contemporary workwear. 

The cherry-toned Adrian takes the familiar loafer shape and adds personality through its fringe and tassel details and rich, lived-in colour. Expressive yet versatile enough for everyday wear, it combines classic details with just enough intrigue to keep things interesting. Let the Adrian loafer’s buffed oxblood leather guide the palette without matching it too precisely. Burgundy, purple, washed-out green, denim and black all echo its depth, allowing you to clock in while the loafer stands out. Workwear doesn’t have to mean heavy-duty.

When it’s hot out, mixing breathable fabrics is your friend. Soften a sharp-shouldered, v-neck cotton t-shirt with three-quarter-length silk shorts—almost a bloomer, lined with romantic lace—for a combination that feels easy but not accidental. Fluid textures play against the Adrian’s structured, modish shape, keeping the loafer firmly in focus. 

Use colour to make the outfit feel both effortless and intentional. A lilac and plum raglan quietly echoes the dimension of the cherry leather without turning the look autumnal. Finish with sandy ribbed socks or a cream pair flecked with spring pastels for playful contrast. 

The result is throw-on dressing, with somewhere to go: relaxed, pulled together, and proof that a loafer belongs with the summery and sensual just as much as it does with strong tailoring.

The pumped-up penny loafer, the Dr. Martens Delapre, brings extra texture and tactility to your footwear line-up. Lean into old-money styling with earthy shades and clean lines that complement the rugged brown suede, or resist it completely. Think less country club, more primed for a raucous weekend at a manor house party. 

A brown linen suit creates an easy tonal link, but what goes underneath is where things get fun. Layer a collegiate, cobalt blue knit over a shirt and add a chain to pull the look away from anything too formal. Cuffs out, hem untucked, collar loose. The loafer grounds the outfit and keeps it sleek without feeling overly polished.

Pedal pushers, three-quarter lengths, capri trousers—whatever you call them, cropped hems are so back. Unleash your inner prep and let the Delapre take centre stage by raising the hemline to your knees. Checked capris make a statement and add a sense of summery whimsy, while a crisp, loose blue shirt provides a clean counterpoint. The Delapre keeps the look focused. 

Keep the finishing touches light: simple frilled white socks and delicate jewellery allow the Delapre’s texture and shape to do the heavy lifting. It’s an easy way to play with heritage references without looking like you’re in costume.

Summer is a time to loosen up, with permission to play with texture, colour, and shape. Stripped back and ready for anything, the clean, monochromatic Mayfare loafer is quiet enough to anchor an outfit but sharp enough not to disappear beneath it. Which means the rest of the look can get as experimental as you like. 

Wide pinstripe trousers become less predictable with lace and ruffled skirts layered over the top; a cardigan keeps the whole thing wearable. The low-profile Mayfare gives all those competing textures and tones a solid endpoint.

Showing more leg puts the loafers firmly in focus, while a mix of tailoring, vintage textures, and casual layers dials up the tension against the shoe’s minimalist shape and sturdy profile. 

Try smart, suit-style black shorts with an archival workwear jacket and gauzy white longsleeve, plus a flannel tied around the waist. Add, subtract, and rearrange until it feels like your own version of organised chaos—with the Mayfare as the anchor.

Sometimes it’s simply too hot to think, and everyone needs a leisurewear formula that still feels luxe. 

This one comes with a little twinkle of indie—with less of the sleaze. Take red tracksuit bottoms and add a white shirt with a sinewy knitted vest. The joggers keep things comfortable while the layers suggest you made an effort. Finish with the pared-back Penton loafer and the unapologetically casual combination just clicks. Instead of matching the mood beat-for-beat, the loafer gives it a smart little plot twist.

Cargo pants are a summer staple: a cool alternative to jeans or tailoring. Try cargo-style jorts or a barrel-leg pair that creates a purposeful silhouette, styled with soft, languid layers on top. Beneath, the compact shape of the Penton peeks out. 

Come high summer, lose the socks and wear them with the ease of a sandal. Pair them with a floaty dress or pooling trousers: the less obvious the outfit algebra, the more true personal style reigns supreme.