more than one person states strongly that men shouldn't wear black shoes (or belt) with blue jeans. I had never even heard of that. Is that supposed to extend to extremely rule-following women as well?

When I'm wearing blue jeans, I try to make my shoes and top coordinate. As in, a predominantly black or grey top gets black shoes, not brown.

Brown shoes can go with virtually any non-black, non-grey top.

Now I'm thinking this is wrong. But I just can't see black sweater, blue jeans...brown shoes. No. Just no.

If that guy had meant suit jackets, I'd have agreed with him in many (male) contexts. Totally not sport coats.

I think I posted here when my great-grand-boss asked for information about what the person he was meeting with was likely to be wearing? I googled some pictures and told my boss "suit but no tie," and she was about to pass along "sport coat," and I was like [slo mo] "NNOOooooooooooooo!!!!" Those are not the same kind of jacket!

I think sports coats are perfectly cromulent with jeans. If that guy had meant suit jackets, I'd have agreed with him in many (male) contexts. Totally not sport coats.

very much agree. I have only one suit jacket. I have multiple other jackets that are clearly not as formal. Men have similar things, they're just a tiny bit harder to tell apart.

And no black shoes with jeans? Wtf?? Why not? That doesn't make any sense.

Today I am stealing my favourite boy fashion rule: "It's all okay if your belt matches your shoes." I had been aiming for black jeans and top (breaking Franken's rule (I hope your emergency unemerged)) with black belt with pink flowers and pink shoes, but unfortunately the black jeans failed me.

Definitely not as happy with blue jeans, but then I remember how much I love the little pink flowers on the slightly kimonoesque belt, and I can get pleasure out of that.

I don't have many brown shoes (this is as close as I get, casually) and I have to grit my teeth and repeat "neutral, neutral, neutral" but it barely works.

I'm with Steph on how to coordinate around jeans. Brown with black is tricky and must be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Brown with black is tricky and must be evaluated on a case by case basis.

I deal with this by never wearing brown at all.

I'm with Tom, at least for shoes.

In the next five or six minutes gay marriage will be legal in Illinois.

Yay, Brenda!

OK, I have to tear myself off the couch and go order the turkey for Thanksgiving.

Things I want to say but don't--"Yes, dude, you did pay $20 for me to help you fix that exceedingly simple problem on your computer--but you didn't know how to fix it yourself, now, did you!"

And stop clicking on things before I tell you to! You keep picking the wrong thing, and we have to start over!

I don't care if people don't know how to work computers, but can't they at least learn logical progression of actions? When I tell you to perform an action, and the screen to do it has an OK button, you don't have to ask to click on the OK! But I do understand people are unsure and need reassurance. But gosh.