The Evolution of the Shoe

In a recent issue of The New Yorker, there is a 9 page spread on the fabulous fashion mind Christian Louboutin, titled “Christian Louboutin and the Psychology of Shoes.”

I actually didn’t make it through all 9 pages because frankly, I was perturbed that there were NINE pages of teeny tiny New Yorker font and only ONE (yes, ONE) photograph of Louboutin’s work. Hello, New Yorker – people who are actually going to sit down and read about a shoe designer want to see some dang shoes. Really.

Anyway, the article got me thinking about my own shoe obsession. I dislike talking about it because it makes me seem so stereotypically female, but what the heck, I like shoes, and I’ve always liked shoes. I’ve recently embraced my proclivity toward shoes, because frankly, fashion is art, and art is an acceptable way to spend money; plus, I’m not being imprudent, I’m helping to stimulate the economy!

Here’s a brief look at my personal evolution in shoe shopping

Elementary school: Keds. With bows. That is all. Use Etsy to find customized Keds for your little fashionista.

Etsy seller AsaGleek provides a hip take on traditional Keds that will make your kid a rockstar.

Middle school: I would have died and gone to heaven if I could have rocked these cutesy-yet-punk-rock flats while jamming out to Bikini Kill and Hole on my purple glitter CD player with matching headphones.

Adorable zombie kitty flats by Etsy seller emandsprout

College: defined by THE COWBOY BOOT. At one point, I had 16 pairs of cowboy boots. I maintain that I was wearing them before the hipsters were (at least before the local hipsters). I got my first pair from a thrift store for $14; I’m fairly certain that was the most I ever paid. Last winter I gave away almost all of my cowboy boots. Even though I purchased them all used, I began to feel more and more uncomfortable with wearing leather, so I kept the two pairs made from manmade materials and gave the others away. Who knows - maybe someone will find a pair of my boots at Goodwill and purchase those instead of a new pair!

Reduce and reuse with these cherry red and gray vintage boots from etsy seller PacificWonderland

Post-college: the teacher shoe. At first I was scornful and claimed to only wear them for comfort, and then the unthinkable happened: I started to like them. I soon learned that you can be chic and comfortable.

Etsy seller HydraHeart has tons of hip, stylish, and comfy handmade flats. I like the red Mary Janes. They're vegan!

Wearing flats all day led me to a personal backlash at night; the more glamourous the shoe, the better! I would die and go to heaven if these lovelies found a spot in my closet.

The Ebony Glitter heels are just one pair out of many beyond-amazing painted pumps by TaylorSays.

Now: I still wear teacher shoes; off duty, my heels keep getting higher and higher. I recently signed up for a really affordable shoe club with a fantastically trendy selection in the hopes of keeping my shoe wardrobe fresh. The shoes are $49.95, but there's almost always a $10 off coupon code, plus there's free shipping. You can use the code Spring10 until April 30th for $10 off. I also love that most of the shoes use manmade materials, including the Yvettes.

The Yvette from Sole Society.

What’s your favorite pair of shoes, and how has your style changed over time?

<3 Rachel

craft in history--subversive embroidery

Subversive craft is all the rage right now. In order to keep a safe distance from our grandparent's generation new trendy crafters use irony to differentiate themselves. I would argue that to a large degree this is because we craft in a different context and for different reasons. Today's crafters have a diy attitude not out of necessity but instead to claim something we feel has been lost and also to provide an alternative to what the mainstream commercial world has to offer.

 not necessarily "subversive," but these are certainly not your grandmother's embroideries!

Click here to take a closer look

Although it may not look as subversive as the embroidery of today, the embroidery by Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th was far more subversive than any embroidery that I have seen.  Mary Stuart was queen of the Scots while her cousin, the infamous Elizabeth the great was queen of the English.  As in all the stories of royalty there were a number of power grabs going on between the two monarchs.  The "stuff you missed in history class" podcast mentioned that had Mary and Elizabeth not both been women they would have been married to one another in order to consolidate power, and prevent the continuous grabs for power.  The subversive embroidery comes into play when Mary's husband, an Englishman named Lord Darnley mysteriously dies in an explosion.  Mary is suspected of being involved in the assassination, and after marrying one of the murderers (under duress) looks even more guilty to the Scottish people.  The couple is imprisoned in Scotland.  Mary escapes to England, where she hopes her cousin Elizabeth with protect her.  Elizabeth instead imprisons her for her supposed crime.  Elizabeth fears Mary's claims to the English throne.  Elizabeth is the offspring of Henry VII's second marriage which many, especially Catholics claim to be illegitimate.

During her time in prison Mary had little to do but work on her embroidery.  The pieces look to be innocent enough often featuring animals.  However, there is said to be hidden symbolism in the embroideries, representing the life and times of Mary.  The symbolic embroidery that I heard about was was the one named "A Catte," but there are a number of other interesting pieces detailed here.

photo from http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/embroidery.htm

I love how in this age you could pretty much spell things however you wanted.  I think it gives writing a little personality (darn you Webster).  Mary's embroidered tapestry shoes a cat playing with a mouse.  The ginger colored cat is meant to represent Elizabeth, who still, as in her day is recognized for her ginger colored hair, while poor trapped Mary is meant to be represented by the mouse.  She is implying that Elizabeth is simply playing with her by allowing her to stay alive.

What strikes me about this piece of embroidery is that it was done at the time.  It was not done after the fact to be an historical reference, instead Mary was putting her feelings down on cloth.  Whether Mary was conveying what she really felt or trying to get a message to the outside world, Mary's embroidery certainly made a statement.

After a number of plots to get Mary on the throne were uncovered, Mary was sentenced for treason.  Elizabeth signed an edict for Mary's death, and she was executed in 1587.

Here's where I got my info.  Check them out for more on these royals:

http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/marystuart.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots
http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/embroidery.htm
http://history.howstuffworks.com/european-history/mary-queen-of-scots.htm