Personally, I Think Any Dress, Skirt or Trouser Goes With This Non-Nude Shoe Colour

As far as style muses go, in my opinion, Emma Watson stands above the rest. There's something about the actor's refined, preppy aesthetic that always feels fresh and just ahead of the trend curve.

That said, these days, an Emma Watson sighting is sadly a rarity. Between being incredibly private and undertaking further study, she seldom attends entertainment industry events. Because of this, when she resurfaced at the Venice Film Festival this weekend, I was quick to take note. For a series of appearances, Watson opted for a series of '60s-inspired swing dresses (more on those in a moment). Similar though they may have been, they weren't the thing that piqued my interest—instead, my eyes went straight to her shoes: tan slingback heels.

Now, whilst I'm sure she didn't restrict herself to a cabin bag, it's safe to say that Emma was working with limited luggage space when it came to packing for her trip. Shoes are notorious for taking up room in any suitcase, so she clearly thought hard about which style would work with the majority of the outfits she was planning to wear. Swerving a more traditional beige nude, she favoured a richer, caramel-y hue, which proved to be just as versatile (and I'd argue, more stylish).

Choosing Gucci’s Signoria Slingback Pump(£840), the shoes feature an elegant pointed-toe with an incredibly chic gold chain sling. Clearly, Emma is into them in a big way, as she wore them as part of two different looks in a matter of hours, which also confirms just how versatile they are.

For her first look, she chose a powerful trio: a dill-green crepe minidress by Emilia Wickstead, which she accessorised with Prada’s Arqué leather shoulder bag in white, and the Gucci slingbacks. Now, I don't know about you, but even though I'm a fashion writer, I'd struggle to work out which shoe colour would work with such a statement shade. Emma, however, nailed it in one with her tan pair.

For her second ensemble, Watson wore the same shoes again, this time pairing them with a Gucci monogrammed shift dress. With the print taking centre stage, she handled this tricky styling moment with ease by grounding the bold pattern with those elegant tan slingbacks.

These expertly styled looks got me thinking about just how handy this shoe style is—if it works with both busy prints and vivid colours, there's barely a skirt, trouser or dress I can't see it styling well with.

A chic alternative to beige or cream, tan makes for a stylish change, especially in a luxurious patent finish, as with Emma's Gucci pair. The key lies in finding a true caramel tone, reminiscent of the rich, toffee-brown shades seen across the autumn/winter 2025 runways.

If you're looking for a shoe for any outfit, tan might be the way to go. With that in mind, scroll on to shop my edit of tan shoes.

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