This is a new course being offered through SFU downtown campus and taught by Ivan Sayers, a fashion history expert and former Vancouver Museum Curator. As it turns out, it is much more than its description. So far, we've looked at shoes from as far back as 1750 and he has some of the shoes, the dresses, the magazines and other text resources, examples of which he brings to class each time. There are 40 or more of us in a circular theatre room and there is lots of time to network and actually touch the artifacts and marvel over the designs and materials. (And oh how tiny shoes and dresses were, back then. Or was it a trick?)
In the late 1750's - early 1800's, the shoe is a mule with a long, pointed toe. It just covers the front of the foot and has a high heel. This makes the foot take up less space on the floor and appear to be very 'refined' and tiny. So be small and don't take up much space, except, of course with your dress. Remember, Cinderella gets the prince because she has the smallest foot in the kingdom! (in Ivan's words)
The shoe is a fine example of beauty by impairment (beauty is pain) and the role of the dependent woman. The woman was 'precious' and vulnerable and often had to use a cane for balance and of course, the arm of her companion was also necessary. This would be the upper class city woman more than the working, country woman, though. You can see photographs of women being helped by their servants and the contrast between the slender, narrow, small feet of the wealthier women and the wide, flat feet of their helpers is very evident.
The higher the heel, the more visible (prominent) the wearer. Often, the heels were coloured, often red. Louis XIV wore heels to court. Taller and more prominent, of course, being king.
Over the heels, were the three piece outfits: the robe, the stomacher and the petticoats, these being long and giving the appearance of floating - ' lighter than air'. While French and Italian heels were thin, English and German heels tended to be thicker. French and Italians spent more time at court whereas others spent more time in the towns and countryside. Shoes did not originally have shanks and were all hand made, beautiful, but uncomfortable and expensive. Embroidery and shiny buckles came after painted and laced shoes. Boots were worn for horseback riding and there were low boots worn just to get to the location and until exchanged for heels. Shoes were primarily for ornament rather than function. Women were the ornaments in men's houses.
Mules were popular as they could be taken off in a hurry. (Convenience - just like wrap around dresses) Women wore the high heels for court and more substantial lower heels for 'country estate' visits.
1740 - a pair of English shoes with tulips embroidered
silk damask with fancy buckles
1750 - shoes covered with the same fabric as the dress - before that they were in contrasting colours
After the French Revolution, heels were gone and replaced by lighter, flat shoes, with no support. The pointed toes got blunter and the fabric was chosen to resemble the oriental or Chinese look - same with furniture
The bigger the buckle, the later the shoe tends to be
There was no elastic until 1830 -40 - shoes were tied on with criss-crossed ribbons that were also used to hold up the stockings. The ribbons often had romantic slogans or sayings embroidered on them
Stockings were white silk and hand knit and it wasn't until 1750 that they were machine made. All had seams.
1770-80 - a reaction against formality and pretension of court life. People wanted more simplicity and a more natural look. Silk was replaced by cotton and verticality and slenderness were emphasized in the figure and profile.
All shoes were the same - so no left and right foot until later. Gowns and shoes were mainly custom made to fit.
Shoes were made in multiples - you chose any two that fit so if your right foot was slightly bigger then you chose two different sizes. Don't you wish that could happen today?
Ballet shoes were the 'natural' reaction to the chunky heels of the past. Democracy was more appealing than aristocracy. French and American Revolutions were fought over this.
Leather shoes (dog leather) were stenciled or painted and dresses were copied from the Greek Classical look.
Birth of Ballet - 1830-40's
1814 - small heels appear again
1830 - hems are above ground
1838 - touch the ground again
Marie Antoinette was famous for her hands and arms (and small feet) - appearance of grace and refinement more than actual beauty.
Common themes: What was old is new again (red heels, red soles)
Action-reaction
Exaggeration vrs. simple, natural
Rich and refined and Poor and functional (practical)
Beauty as pain and hard, hard work
Women as ornament
but always: FASHION AS ART
White relaces colour.
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