Silk shoes, 1830-1860
Paris, France.
Regent Street, London.
Pair of cream flat shoes in cream silk and leather soles. Tiny bows on the front, tie ribbons attached at the arch of the foot. Machine and hand made. Maker’s sizing inside appears to read “6 and 48”. Designed and made by Melnotte of Paris, sold by J. Petit, Regent Street, London.
Length 250mm, width 60mm.
Simple satin slippers were the favoured dress shoe between 1830 and 1860, though also worn beyond this period. They had squared toes, particularly in the 1840s. White was preferred for the evenings, while black was usually worn with day dresses. Heels returned to feminine fashion in the 1840s. The design of the shoe had heavy influence from ancient Greece and Rome- they were made very plain so they could be easily customisable, with rosettes, bows and ankle ties. They first became popular in the last decade of the 1700s.
Materials
Associations
Silk, leather, cotton
J. Petit was a department store on Regent Street, London. The shoe label reads, “J. Petit, de Paris, Ex-agent de Melnotte. Chaussures pour Dames, 124 Regent Street, Private door, London.” J. Petit’s store was the exclusive agent of Melnotte shoes in England. French styles were very popular at the time, and the distinction as an agent for the designer was likely a point of pride for the store.
Owner unknown.