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- Description:
- Slippers first acquired ribbons in the 1790s in imitation of the classical sandal; pictures of them around 1800 show elaborate methods for tying them around the leg. Acknowledging their origin as a blend of slipper and sandal, the Lady's Magazine of January 1802 called them "sandal slippers" and reported that they were worn "in the morning by the pedestrian fashionables." At this early date, neither the pattern of lacing nor the presence of ribbon ties was the standard. Some surviving examples, such as this pair, have small tape loops sewn at intervals along both sides just inside the top edge through which the ribbon tie was threaded, allowing it to criss-cross several times over the instep before passing around the ankle. What was to become the standard arrangement, a pair of ribbon ties attached near the side seams, then crossed and tied around the ankles, only took firm hold in the mid-1800s. These ribbon ties must very often have come untied from the brushing of the petticoats widely worn at the time. Source: Women's Shoes in America, 1795-1930. Nancy E. Rexford. Kent State University Press. Kent, Ohio, 2000.
- Date Issued:
- [1795 TO 1810]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- This is one of the few pairs of high heeled shoes in our collection that date from the later 1930s. Mrs. Firestone likely had them custom made to match a specific outfit, now gone. Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.
- Date Issued:
- [1935 TO 1940]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These shoes, used in the summer in the late 1930's and 1940's, are one of the rare pair of casual shoes in our collection of Mrs. Firestone's clothing and accessories. She usually favored European designer; the American label may indicate that these were used during the war when many European couture houses were closed.Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.
- Date Issued:
- [1935 TO 1950]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These are the style of shoes Mrs. Firestone wore during the 1940s. It is unclear how well the ankle ties would have stayed tied very long. They were likely usedin the summer for evening and social occasions.Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.
- Date Issued:
- [1940 TO 1950]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These shoes have no marking or indication of maker. However, we have an identical pair in the collection that also belonged to Mrs. Firestone made by George Pigeon of Brooklyn. Likely these are from the same maker. Mrs. Firestone surely had these custom made to match a specific outfit, now gone. Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.
- Date Issued:
- [1928 TO 1932]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- Mrs. Firestone liked pinks of all kinds. She purchased many shoes and clothes in pink and fuschia- such as these shoes- mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.
- Date Issued:
- [1940 TO 1950]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection