thegentlemanscloset:When men wore heels. A pair of men’s high-heeled shoes from the late 17th centur
thegentlemanscloset:When men wore heels. A pair of men’s high-heeled shoes from the late 17th century (1690-1700). Silk & leather. The red heel indicates the socio-political privilege and status of the wearer. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:The French Court championed excessively ornamented clothing and accessories, perhaps as a manifestation of the romantically exuberant decorative arts, or as a reflection of the gross superficiality of social custom. In the same fashion that the formal women’s robe à la francaise was designed to showcase the luxurious embroideries and silk damask fabrics of the century, so too did the impossibly tight breeches, skirted waistcoats, and shapely shoes of menswear provide an adequate canvas for the period’s woven artistry. Men’s adornment was every bit imbued with the elegance, tactile variance, and ostentation that marked women’s clothing of the era. The fashionable eighteenth–century man was expected to convey a certain grace, and was required to enjoy the fine arts, music, and dancing. The romantic curviture of these shoes encourages the voyeuristic eye, each arc paralleled by the sensuality of the male arch and calf -- source link
#shoes#extant garments#17th century#1690's#france#fashion#history