Slip-ons
Penny vs tassel loafers
Penny and tassel loafers compared: dress level, fit, colour, season, and which one to buy first if you wear a suit most days.
The short answer
A tassel loafer is a little dressier than a penny loafer. In dark calf on a leather sole, it sits more easily beside a suit. A penny is the more versatile of the two, and it works with a wider range of odd trousers and knitwear.
If you wear a suit most days, start with the tassel in black or dark brown. If you wear odd trousers, flannel, and jackets, start with the penny. Either can do the other’s job in dark leather. Neither belongs with a very formal suit.
This page compares the two. The loafer guide covers all three classical slip-ons, including the Belgian bow.
Penny and tassel side by side
The table sets out the main differences. The rest of the page explains each row.
| Penny loafer | Tassel loafer | |
|---|---|---|
| Decoration | A strap across the vamp with a slot cut into it | Two leather tassels at the front of the vamp |
| Dress level | Smart casual, with dark calf at the dressier end | A shade dressier, closer to a dress shoe |
| With a suit | Only in dark calf, and only in settings where a slip-on is ordinary | Easier, in black or dark brown calf |
| With odd trousers | The most useful pairing: flannel, chinos, knitwear | Works, but reads a little smarter |
| Suede | A warm-weather shoe, kept away from a city suit | Pushes the shoe toward leisure |
| Fit points | Heel and throat; the strap should lie flat | Heel and throat; the tassels move as you walk |
| First pair | If you live in odd jackets and trousers | If you live in suits |
Dress level and what to wear with each
The tassel gets its smart reputation from the extra detail and the way it is usually made. On a rounded last, in black or dark brown calf, with a leather sole, it comes close to a dress shoe. The penny is plainer. It is the shoe that moved from the weekend into the office.
With a suit, the cloth sets the limit. A navy or grey worsted and a dark tassel work where a slip-on with a suit is already ordinary. A plain penny in dark calf can do it as well. Heavy flannel suits take either. A very formal day, such as a wedding or an evening event, calls for laces. The oxford guide covers the shoes for that.
With odd trousers, the penny is easier. Grey flannel, chinos, cord, and fine knits all sit well with it. A tassel works with the same clothes, but it adds a note of dressing up. Keep the tassels short and the leather dark, and the shoe stays near a dress shoe.
Fit, break-in, and wear
Neither loafer has laces, so the fit has to be right from the start. A loose heel slips. A tight throat burns. Try the shoe with the socks you will wear, and do it in the afternoon, when the foot is slightly larger.
On a penny, the strap should lie flat across the instep. If it stands up or gapes at the sides, the last does not suit your foot. On a tassel, the tassels move when you walk, and that is part of the style. If the motion annoys you, choose the penny.
Do not count on stretching a loafer. Without laces there is little to adjust once the leather has set. Check the size guide for the maker, and read how the house describes its last before you buy.
Colour, leather, and sole
Dark calf is the most flexible choice for both shapes. Black reads as the dressier, dark brown is the more forgiving, and mid-brown drifts toward odd jackets. Suede softens either loafer and moves it toward the weekend.
The sole matters as much as the leather. A leather sole keeps the shoe near a dress shoe. A rubber or crepe sole sends it outdoors and suits wet streets and travel. For an office, a thin leather sole is the standard. A lined loafer is the one that goes near a jacket. An unlined loafer is for heat.
Socks change the formality. A dark over-the-calf sock keeps the line with a tassel and a suit. A bare ankle belongs with suede and summer. Mixing the signals tends to look unfinished.
Common mistakes
The usual errors are small. Oversized or brightly dyed tassels push the shoe toward leisure. Short socks with a suit break the line at the ankle. Suede pennies with a charcoal worsted suit look unfinished.
The bigger error is buying a size too large and hoping the leather will give. A loafer that slips at the heel will rub, and no insert fixes a wrong last. Buy the size that holds the heel, and check the throat while you walk.
Looking after loafers
Loafers are worn often, so they need care. Use cedar shoe trees as soon as you take them off, because a slip-on loses its shape faster than a laced shoe. Rest each pair for a day between wears, and brush off dirt before you polish.
On a tassel, brush the tassels with the rest of the shoe and keep them dry. On a penny, polish under the strap with a soft cloth. A leather sole that wears at the ball can be fitted with a thin rubber half-sole before it wears through, which also adds grip on a wet pavement.
Which to buy first
Buy the tassel first if your week is mostly suits and a slip-on is acceptable at your office. Buy the penny first if your week is mostly odd trousers and jackets. In both cases, choose dark calf, a leather sole, and a last you have tried.
Own one dark pair before a second colour. A second pair in a different leather, or the other shape, is a better use of money than a second pair in the same style.
If you are unsure, the penny is the safer buy. It is harder to get wrong, and it has more days of use.
Makers to start with
Santoni cuts a penny alongside a sleeker oxford. Velasca makes a softer everyday version. For the tassel, Crockett & Jones uses a rounded English last, and Carmina makes it on both a Spanish last and an English-influenced one, so the same style can come narrower or a little fuller.
Browse the shoes once you know which throat you want, and see the brogue guide if you want punching as well.