Trend Report: The men's slipper exits the bedroom to rule the sidewalk

MANILA, Philippines - From labels like Stubbs & Wootton to Del Toro, and now available locally at Schu and Anthology Shoes, slippers have stepped out of the home into the streets.

Aristocrats have this uncanny ability to spark trends, even if it takes centuries for us common folks to catch on. Take for instance the hottest thing to catch on among fashion-forward men and women these days — smoking slippers. No pun intended.

Also called Prince Alberts, after the German nobleman Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who designed his house slippers in crested velvet with silk lining, it was originally meant to be worn indoors, while hosting formal gatherings at home. In the ’70s and ’80s however, the once elegant smoking slippers earned a DOM-ish reputation, no big thanks to Hugh Hefner who famously wore these slippers during nights of debauchery at the Playboy Mansion. Never mind if America’s version of royalty, who also happened to be playboys, The Kennedys, often wore them for lounging around their own homes too.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal picked up on the resurgence of the once stodgy house slippers. Kanye West, the Man Repeller aka Leandra Medine, plus a host of trendsetters about town, were spotted wearing variations of these out on the streets, or in the case of Ryan Gosling, to movie premieres and a late night with Jimmy Fallon.

Blame it on brands like Stubbs & Wootton and Del Toro for making smoking slippers accessible, subversive, and, yes, cool. Percy Steinhart started Stubbs & Wootton in 1993, after noticing his Palm Beach friends wearing velvet slippers. He told NBC New York, he thought he could do something more diverse and whimsical with it, designing pairs with skulls and sabers, screws and “U”s. Del Toro is a much younger label, started by three boarding school friends — Matthew Chevallard, Nathanial Wish and James Bohannon who came out not only with classic slippers with emblems but also slippers in camouflage or plaid, some with rubber soles. These two, along with the likes of Christian Louboutin, Brooks Brothers and Tom Ford have since been spotted on A-listers and editors and have inspired a host of mainstream shoe brands to jump into the trend.

Luckily, for those of us here in Manila, there’s a host of smoking slippers to choose from, and at much more affordable price points too. Schu’s spring/summer 2012 collection features slippers in classic black, nude or gray, in ethnic and leopard prints, as well as in raffia material. Meanwhile, homegrown label Anthology Shoes has the Vienna, a suede version with a bouncy sole. Karrots Nazareno, creative director of the brand shares, “As a fun break from the usual ballerina flat, we decided to play with the concept of Hugh Hefner slippers. We added a gum sole and a small heel to slightly veer away from the gentlemanliness of the design.” The Vienna comes in black, caramel and leopard print pony hair in gray.

If you find yourself slipping into the trend, but stumped on how to wear it, Chevallard points out, “Slippers are incredibly versatile and we fashion this to the fullest. They can be worn for black tie or also with jeans and a T-shirt. The important thing is that they are worn to compliment one's style.”

Women of course, have more to play with. Dennise Garcia of Schu recommends pairing slippers with pajama pants, shorts or girly dresses with Peter Pan collars, while Nazareno has a no- holds barred approach, “Think of them as a sharper alternative to ballet flats. Wear them with practically anything!”

Naysayers might see the slipper fever cooling in time, especially with Del Toro expanding its repertoire today to wingtips, driving shoes, chukkas and espadrilles. But this doesn’t mean Chevallard sees the trend fading anytime soon. “It’s a classic shoe and really is unique and one of a kind. I think men have gotten more comfortable expressing themselves through fashion and that is a large attribute to the shoes recent popularity.”