I am taking a moment before delving into 1870 footwear to squeal. Guys! Guess what I found at a used bookstore?!?! I found an antique book on historical fashion!! That’s right! This book was published in 1910 and talks about fashion from 1800 – 1870!! I think I legitimately squealed in the bookstore when I found it. Or at least exclaimed loudly. I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy. But look!! I took a few pictures. It has such great detail, along with illustrations, and you KNOW it is going to be accurate because it is so close to the time period it covers!!
Okay, now that you have given me a chance to rave over it, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
1871-1880ish
Men’s Footwear
- Thick leather soles
- Low stacked heels
- Dark or contrasting toe caps
- Leather ankle boots
- Some with pale-colored canvas uppers and/or two toned
Women’s Footwear
- Leather soles
- Pointed, square, or round toes
- Medium-high heels
- Silk or leather-covered Louis heels
- Boots of black satin or colored kid
- Evening shoes of white satin or color of dress with low vamp
- Sometimes laced center front
- Bows, rosettes, buckle trim, decorative straps
Resources
- Peacock, John. Shoes: The Complete Sourcebook, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780500512128.
- Peacock, John. Costume 1066 to the Present 3e: A Complete Guide to English Costume Design and History, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1604/9780500286029.
- Cunnington, C. Willett. English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century. Mineola, New York, United States: Dover, 1990.
- Museum, Victoria And Albert. “Fashion Plate | V&A Explore The Collections.” Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections, n.d. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O607086/fashion-plate/?carousel-image=2006AV8492.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Shoes | American or European | The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” n.d. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/90384.
Forest Idylls 