Regency from the Knees-Down on the Cheap

While I like the American Duchess Regency repro shoes, they are a bit pricy. Priorities meant that I didn’t purchase them as I’d originally planned. So, this week, I found out another option on the cheap: less than $20 for shoes and stockings at my local Target. Historically accurate? No, not really (I mean, patent leather, snake-skin, general 2011 styling do not historical shoes make), but they are affordable, and just need a bit of DIY to look a little more accurate.

So first, a few hallmarks of Regency shoes (looking as close to 1810/12 as possible):

• Almost-flat heel, generally a wedge
• Pointy is common, but there are rounded toes too
• Side seams from sole to top
• Usually have decoration on the top
• Generally have a back seam

Here’s an example:

Source: manchestergalleries.org via Rachael on Pinterest

And here’s another with rounder toes and laces to go up the leg, with more obvious seams:

Source: manchestergalleries.org via Rachael on Pinterest

Honestly, those are awfully similar to the row of ballet flats at Target (or probably any other shoe store). The most noticeable difference is the size of the vamp (or upper—the part that covers the top of your foot). Historic shoes had vamps that extended back to at least the middle of the foot, where as modern shoes often barely cover the toes. Side seams can be faked with trim, but vamps will be obvious. If you really want to be authentic or authentic-looking, this is where modern shoes will fail you.

Here’s a modern pair from Target:

Source: target.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Add a bit of ribbon to the side to fake seams, and stick more around the flower, and you can have something similar to this historic pair:

Source: manchestergalleries.org via Rachael on Pinterest

(See how the modern vamp barely comes up to where the decorations start on the historic pair?)

There are other modern pairs with even less obvious soles than those yellow ones (which come in other colors, by the way). Some might have higher vamps, some might have different or no decorations. Basically, grab some ribbon, tassels, and a hot glue gun, and you can turn basic ballet flats into something Regency-esque.

So, here is my favorite pair of historic shoes. I used to despise pink, but well, I just love these:

Source: manchestergalleries.org via Rachael on Pinterest

And here is what I bought for $10 at Target last night:

Source: target.com via Rachael on Pinterest

A bit of diluted white paint to pull the intensity of the pink down a bit, some black paint, stencils, and ribbon, and I think I can have a pretty decent set of Regency-ish shoes, don’t you? These even have a side seam (although again, it’s too far forward)!

Stay tuned, I hope to show you the painted shoes later this week!

Don’t forget stockings!

Ladies always wore stockings. During the Regency, they were usually light-colored. I’ve seen conflicting information about whether they came to the knee or higher, but since no one should ever see the top, it probably won’t hurt to stick with knee highs.

So, I picked up knee-high white socks while I was shopping. The ones I grabbed where Xhilaration®—on sale for $1.50— but there might be others that are more sheer or stocking-like available as well (I’m kind of a sock whore, so these will be used whether I find a better pair or not).

Of course, modern socks will stay up due to the magic of elastic, but for that slightly more authentic look, you can always tie a ribbon right below the knee to look like you need that support!

Have you thought about your shoes yet? Have any tips for making modern shoes look more historical?

A note about the prices: my Target is currently undergoing a bunch of renovations (yay, fresh food is coming!), so many, many things are on clearance that might not be elsewhere (like the new dishes we bought, a bathroom shelf… really, the timing has been perfect). Looking at Target’s site, the shoes don’t seem to be on clearance, but do check at your local store. Target isn’t sponsoring this post or anything, by the way, I just shop there. A lot. Like more-than-once-a-week lot.