I'm really excited to finally be taking delivery of the
Pompadour heels tomorrow. They've cleared customs and are truckin' their way over the Sierras this evening. To celebrate, here are some extant shoes to salivate over...
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| Meg Andrews, early 1730s |
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| V&A, early 18th c. This image rocked my silk stockings when I saw it - Pomps in black damask are SO similar! |
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| VADS, London College of Fashion, 1730. The applique down the vamp and toe of the shoe was a common decoration for this period, and is possibly a metallic trim. This was known as "lacing" your shoes. You could easily do this with Pompadours, with a piece of silver or gold metallic ribbon or lace. |
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| Colonial Williamsburg, 1730-40. The tabbed closure, with the tie, is very typical of early 18th c. and late 17th c. footwear. No need for buckles! |
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| Shoe-Icons, 1690-1720. Beautiful green brocade with green binding. You can easily dye white Pompadours this color, and either paint the leather heels green to match, or leave them white, also period correct |
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| Manchester, 1715-20. An English shoe of brocaded silk, with a white leather heel |
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| The Met, early 18th c. The red heel is leather, but has an applique on the back. |
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| The Met, 1700-1720. These are the shoes that Pompadour was most closely based upon. |
I hope you've enjoyed this look at early 18th century tabbed shoes. They're so splendid and special! If you'd like your own pair of these, you can get them in
black or
white brocade with matching heels in leather. The
white is dyeable with RIT, iDye, or even leather dye, as is the white leather on its heel (use leather dye or leather paints). You don't need buckles, just a pretty ribbon to lace through the tabs, and you can wear
Pompadours for any costume from the mid-17th century through to about the 1760s:
