Slippers

Unknown

1795–1810 · leather · Costume Institute

This attractive pair of pink kid slippers is typical of the bright colored shoes worn with the plain white dresses of the early 19th century. The cut-out design, here surrounding simple chain-stitched motifs on fabric but often found over plain leather in a contrasting color, was widely seen at this time and was meant to emulate the slashed ornamentation of Tudor dress. Also of note is the evolution to the heelless shoes of the 1810s by the use of a simple, low wedge heel. This style of upper is also frequently found with a small "Italian" heel, showing a certain degree of latitude in the fashionably acceptable choices.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1795–1810

Medium

leather

Culture

European

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Herman Delman, 1954