If we're going to offer one piece of advice (which, let's face it, we're not, we're going to offer several) it's that a good pair of shoes is essential if you want to look stylish. Never mind musing on whether or not you can get away with a bow tie, or if braces are back in fashion. A good pair of shoes is something every guy needs.
You may see the brogue and envisage them suiting a lanky gimp who wears ironic spectacles and pretends he earns £35k a year, but traditionally brogues were worn in the countryside, with the perforations in the shoe letting water out when rural folk crossed bogs and marshes.
Buy one brogue, get one free
Since then, they've become a sort of middle territory - not smart-smart, but not casual. You could get away with brogues at a wedding, and they wouldn't look out of place with chinos and a sweater, either.
They'll work with most your wardrobe - swap your converse for a pair of brogues and you'll be surprised at how much smarter you look. People might even say 'wow, thanks for putting so much effort in coming to my party/Bar Mitzfah/court case' and you can take all the credit.
And, you know, you can get them in black as well
Classic Suede Brogues £100, Available from J Shoes.