American Duchess Historical Stocking Stuffers

Christmas draws nigh (squee!), and you may be thinking of some last minute gift ideas....or seeding certain folks with last minute gift ideas for *you*.

I have a number of small items that make perfect stocking stuffers, some of them stockings themselves (har har). Check out these easy gift ideas:

18th Century Shoes Buckles

The Georgians loved to display their wealth in clothing and accessories, even if they were not of great means. The standard way to close one's shoes in the 18th century was with shoe buckles, at once functional and decorative.

All of our 18th century latchet (strap) shoes are designed to be worn with historically accurate shoe buckles. Made of plated cast brass, our Georgian shoe buckles are each based on antique examples. "Fleur" exhibits beautiful sparkling paste stones, while "Valois" is tooled silver. "Cavendish" are antiqued brass or pewter finish with understated floral motifs on a simple yet elegant frame.

Shoe Buckles - $35 - $40 (or save $2 when purchased with shoes)
*Sold in pairs; come in a little velvet bag; instructions for fitting buckles can be found here.


Victorian Button Hook

Quite the useful historical item, the Victorian button hook is most notably used to do up the buttons on our button boots and shoes (like Tavistock, Renoir, and Astoria).

This nifty little tool is also splendid for buttoning bodices, sleeves, and gloves.

Victorian Button Hook - $15 (or FREE when purchased with button boots)
*Comes in a little velvet bag.


Silk Stockings

Each historical period had its own style of stockings - for both men and women they were over-the-knee, opaque stockings made of cotton, wool, or silk, often with intricate designs on the sides or front, known as "clocking."

We have lots of styles of lightweight and extremely comfortable silk stockings to choose from. Our reproduction Georgian, Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian clocked stockings are based on original examples. Our single-color clocked, openwork, and plain silk stockings come in ivory or black, are Made in America, and work for multiple centuries.

Silk Stockings - $25 (or save $5 when purchased with shoes)


Little Bits

Useful little things, like Rubber Non-Slip Sole Stick-ons and Make-Your-Own Shoe Clip Hardware solve historical costumer problems easily.

Leather soling, while historically accurate, can be slick. Keep from face-planting on slippery cobblestones just by sticking these unobtrusive rubber pads on the soles of your favorite historic shoes.

Then it's time to decorate! Shoe clips are fantastic for dressing up and changing the look of shoes quickly and inexpensively. Make pom-poms, rosettes, bows, and tassels for Regency, Romantic, and Civil War shoes, to make them one-of-a-kind.

Rubber Non-Slip Sole Pads - $1.00/pair
Make-Your-Own Shoe Clip Hardware - $2.50/pair

Shoe Care Products

To keep your leather shoes in tip-top shape, give them a little TLC. We stock Angelus Shoe Care Products, made in America, because they're the best

Shoe Wax and Lustre Cream hydrate and protect your leather shoes, while Professional Shoe Stretch Spray will help the leather conform to your feet for a perfect fit quickly. Treat leather soles with Mink Oil Conditioner, and protect historic shoes with fabric parts against moisture and staining with Angelus Water and Stain Repellent.

Angelus Shoe Care Products - $3 - $6


I know that's a lot of choice. Not sure what to get? How about a gift certificate?