My boots may have a tarnished past, but they’re ready for a new life playing matchy-matchy with the new gown! I’m leaving for No. 11, so this gown will be finished in the new “Ooh La La” parlor. 🙂
Footwear
And Now To Renovate…
These were special custom boots I had made nearly twenty years ago for an event, they’re an amazing copy of a museum pair by Francois Pinet. Sadly, they were trashed in a horrific riding accident I was in and they’ve been sitting in a closet ever since. I would shudder when I touched them, the muscle memory was so strong. I firmly believe that things retain energy (clothing, houses, jewelry, books, etc. ) so it’s time to taken them to my shoe person to restore them and start over…because they’ll look great with the new day dress we’re making!
New Shoes…
Two things I can’t resist…froufrou and a shoe sale! My new “Tissots” combine both of those. Don’t forget to check out the American Duchess shoe sale going on this month, before they’re all gone. This model is perfect for brides, church, anything that requires a low heel…shoe bows are clip-ons, Mom! 🙂
From The FIDM Museum- Some Shoes
In a previous post, we touched upon boots and how they were pretty ubiquitous as footwear during the 1880s and late 19th Century in general. While researching something else, I came across a couple of examples of formal shoes residing in the permanent collection of the FIDM Museum. First up are a pair of evening shoes from circa 1870:
Evening Shoes, c. 1870; FIDM Museum
In terms of style, the heels on these shoes are fairly low compared to some specimens out there (like today, heel height was often a matter of personal preference). The stockings that these shoes are displayed with are just as interesting with their elaborate design that serves to extend the visual line of the shoes up the leg- very scandalous… 🙂 Finally, the silk magenta fabric and bows really make these shoes a stand-out.
Next, there are this pair of evening shoes from the 1890s:
Evening Shoes, c. 1890; FIDM Museum
Constructed of a dark blue suede leather decorated with gold embroidery, these are reminiscent of 17th and 18th Century styles a la Versailles- can you say “Sun King”? 🙂 The accompanying stockings compliment the shoes with their lighter shade of blue and also decorated in the front with gold metallic embroidery which serves to extend the lines of the shoes up the front of the legs.
The above two pairs of shoes are elegant and their condition is simply amazing- they look as fresh as the day they were made. We have plans in the near future to hopefully delve deeper into the world of Victorian footwear- too often it’s treated as an afterthought.
For A Little More Footwear…
In the world of late 19th and early 20th Century fashion, shoes have been a recent topic of discussion. Yesterday, while touring the FIDM Museum in Downtown Los Angeles, we came across two pairs of boots that were on display in the Museum’s permanent collection. The first pair are from 1903:
Here’s a close-up of the shoe:
The toes on these boots are constructed of gold- colored leather while the uppers are of a blue suede with inset gold gilt leather strips that create a floral pattern. Finally, the laces are of a matching blue ribbon. Although we were unable to get a good look at the heel, it appears that it was between 2 and 3 inches.
The second pair are circa 1910:
Although this pair of boots were made seven years later, they are almost identical to the first pair in terms of style although this time, the uppers are of black suede. Also, it must be noted that the first pair were made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while the second pair were made in Marienbad, Austro-Hungary (today the Czech Republic). The condition of both pair of boots is simply amazing and most likely these were never worn (or perhaps once or twice) and it also underscores how fashions were becoming increasingly international. Stay tuned for more posts on footwear. 🙂