Europe Part II: 18th Century Ball at the Palace of Versailles

You people. You PEOPLE! I know that this happened months ago, but I am only now getting around to writing about it. I wish I could say that the delay was because it was so absolutely magnificent (which it was), but in truth, I simply haven’t had a moment to dedicate to writing about this most excellent of events. As fortune turns out, the lovely and sublime Sarah Lorraine, featured in the picture below (and a total heartbreaker, as you can see) has written up an excellent post on the topic, and I highly recommend you visit her site, as well as watch the video of Jason Schwartzman hosting Cribs at Versailles.

This has been a fantasy of ours for quite some time, though the Palace of Versailles does not normally allow costumed guests on their premises. Here, everyone was required to dress the part, and what a spectacle we made of it.
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14th C. Hinged Pattens

Pattens often had some kind of decoration or slashing on the straps and vamp closure. I’m delighted with the texture and flair that they give to otherwise utilitarian piece of footwear. The decorative oxide nails also are a nice touch, and contrast well with the light colored maple and vegetable tanned leather. I hope that Lisa will enjoy!

1580s – 90s Pumpes

A birthday present for the wonderful Haley Z. Typical welted construction, though on this pair, I tucked in the insole almost a quarter of an inch all the way around. This has the benefit of tucking the outsole closer under the shoe, almost in line with the shoe edge, like in many of the portraits. You’ll also notice some unfortunate grinning along the welt seam – this is due to an experimental set of new threads that will be relegated to outsole stitching from this point on. Apologies for the poor picture!