There are few items of clothing which state "discerning gentleman" in the same, confident manner as formal slippers. This is an inalienable truth.

   However, there are few of us who would believe so strongly in formal slippers that we would surrender a position of higher learning to put our money where our mouth is and commit ourselves to starting a new business based entirely around the product. Yet, this is exactly what Archie Hewlett, founder of the brand Duke & Dexter , did as an 18 year old.

   This combination of the confidence of youth, and a winning eye for design, has ensured that Duke & Dexter has grown quickly and immensely as a brand. Indeed, for the eagle-eyed among us, it was even possible to see one of the brand's ranges upon the feet of a high profile actor as he walked on stage to collect an Oscar last year - with his 2016 nomination for The Danish Girl, might Eddie Redmayne receive his aware in Duke & Dexter for the second successive year?

From Duke & Dexter's Men's collection

   The footwear brand, which now sell to over 100 countries across 5 continents, started on (excuse the pun) a shoe-string budget before quickly carving out a unique position on the market - their high quality and affordable pricing has meant that, aside from Oscar winning actors, the likes of Tine Tempah, Justin Timberlake, Jeremy Piven, Poppy Delevingne and the Ferrari racing team have all been seen sporting a pair.

   Perhaps most remarkably, Duke & Dexter have managed to successfully walk a fine line between appearing overly pretentious and remaining winningly dapper.

   Their formal slippers encompass a variety of material types, including linen, velvet, canvas, suede, pony hair and needlepoint and span a wide variety of styles (as illustrated in this post).

   Most recently, Hewlett's company have launched the“Ultimate 10” collection at Liberty London; the aim is to reflect traditional British heritage, with designs inspired by the honorary British Crown and nation’s servicemen.

   You can follow Duke & Dexter on Twitter here and Facebook here .