Pretty Picture Post: Stockings and Shoes

Hi Everyone,

It's been a little while since I posted some pretty pictures and I thought this time I would do something different and post some vintage shoe and stocking ads. I've never been a big shoe lover. I like them, I'm just not as shoe obsessed as some people might expect me to be. I've got about ten or so pairs of ballet flats and a few pairs of heels/wedges that spend a lot of time collecting dust in the bottom of my cupboard. Not a small collection by any means, but I definitely don't need to buy a new bookcase to store them.

I think the reason that I've never been a real big shoe lover is because my long skinny feet which are not the same size as each other, aren't always easy to fit into shoes (I tend to find that I'm between sizes). I'm also not a huge fan of anything with a thin heel or a heel over 3 inches high. I may have taken a lot of dance classes, but my balance is not THAT good. I also can be really fussy about the design of the back of the shoe and I like my shoes to be mostly closed in because I don't like my feet a great deal and I don't really do the whole pedicure thing (which is also probably a surprise because I'm almost always sporting a manicure with some kind of nail art).

One of my favourite things about wearing vintage style is that you aren't required to wear heels to suit the look. Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were often spotted wearing cute ballet flats, penny loafers or sandals with their daytime outfits on or off screen. When ladies wore heels they didn't look like they had bricks or spaceships on their feet. In the earlier eras heels were quite small which made them perfect for dancing. Whether you have a room full of shoes or just a few pairs, I hope you enjoy this post of pretty advertisements and catalog pages.

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The shoes shown in the pictures above are from a few different eras. I love the maryjane style shoes of the 20's and 30's, the wedges of the 1940's, the 1950's details and the funky designs of the 60's. I probably wouldn't wear all of the shoes pictured as some are just a little too out-there for me and some look just a little too wobbly or high for my taste. I think some of those bejeweled 1950's evening heels are so fun to look at. They are the things of fairytales. I'm also saying that because the only way I could probably walk in them them or have a place to wear them would also be in a fantasy realm.

There are definitely some taller designs out there in the wide web, but this is my Musings post so I wanted to share the designs that I like the best. I think its really interesting to look at how shoe designs have changed over the years and see which aspects of the design stay in fashion or make comebacks. For Example I know a lot of people find it surprising that wedge shoes were a 1940's thing and I like that a good pair of black maryjane shoes or T-bar shoes can be worn with a huge variety of outfits regardless of which era your outfit is inspired by.

As far as stockings go, I think they can really add to the vintage aesthetic and I adore the advertisements. I don't wear thigh-highs in real life though because of the hassle of getting them to stay up. They look great in pictures etc though. I think seamed stockings, patterned tights and hosiery with other details are cute but not if there is too much fidgeting involved. Getting seams to sit straight on these bowed legs? I've got better things to waste my time on. Also because of availability reasons and needing a pair of stockings in a longer length I find that plain old beige/tan is the best way to go for most occasions.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures I found and if you want to go to the image source click on the little star underneath the picture. 

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie