Woman's Suede Shoes

These white suede wedding shoes were worn at a Rhode Island wedding in 1893. They were donated with the bride’s dress, garter, a photograph from the wedding, and the groom’s gloves and suspenders. Wedding shoes from the 1890s complemented wedding dresses. Such shoes displayed a narrow upper made with white suede or silk material, ornamented with bead embroidery, white ribbon or bows, with a pointed slim toe, and white buttons or pearls to fasten. These features match this pair of shoes which illustrates that there was not much differentiation when it came to selecting the bride’s style of shoe for her wedding. Most wedding shoes had paper-thin soles that seemed to be somewhat unwearable. One scholar stated that it is  “hard to believe such shoes were worn even indoors.”

Each shoe is decorated with one pearl button, trimmed with a large bow made of white faille ribbon, and accented with small steel-cut beads. The measurements are: heel to toe 9 inches, bow 4 ½ inches, length of toe cap 2 ½ inches, and the height of the heel 1 ½ inches. A high heel was not common during the 1890s; the popular look was a slim body with a short heel.

References

CONTENTDM, https://collections.digitalmaryland.org/digital/collection/hbwb/id/40.

An Extensive Study of the Victorian Era: Step Back into an Age of Paradox and Power; the Victorian Age Was Not One, Not Single, or Simple. the Victorian Era, http://www.avictorian.com/weddingattire.html.

“New Victorian Style Boots for Women.” Vintage Dancer, https://vintagedancer.com/victorian/victorian-boots-shoes-history/.

New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. “Wedding Fashions, 1890s to 1950s.” Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga, 6 Dec. 2017, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/30806/wedding-fashions-1890s-to-1950s.

Rexford, Nancy E., et al. “Teensy-Weensy, Itty-Bitty Shoes.” The National Endowment for the Humanities, https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2008/marchapril/feature/teensy-weensy-itty-bitty-shoes.