User:Widecalfboots

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History[edit]

Pre-1960s[edit]

In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, ankle and calf-length boots were common footwear for women. Rising hemlines made longer styles of boots popular. In 1913, Denise Poiret, the wife of celebrated French couturier Paul Poiret, caused a sensation in Paris and New York by wearing knee-length boots in wrinkled Morocco leather. Designed by her husband, made by the bottier Favereau, and styled with a low heel and a square toe, she had versions in red, white, green, and yellow.[1][2] By 1915 the New York Times was reporting that, inspired by Mme Poiret, women had adopted these "Russian boots" as an acceptable alternative to baring ankles and calves.[3] By the 1920s Russian boots were available in a variety of styles, calf- or knee-length, with a Cuban or Louis heel,[4][5] which could be pull-on, or zip-fastened for a closer fit.[6] Worn with knee-length skirts, they often featured decorative features such as elaborate stitching or fur trims.[7] Russian boots were sporadically popular during the 1920s, as a more fashionable alternative to galoshes, but fell out of favor by the 1930s.

One reason for the decline in popularity of boots during the first half of the 20th century may be because streets became cleaner as roads were surfaced and horse-drawn transport gave way to the motor engine. The additional protection provided by boots was no longer needed. Boots were seen as restrictive and uncomfortable when compared with the new styles of fashionable shoe that compimented a more streamlined and simplified look for women's clothing.[8]

1960s[edit]

Pair of 1970s platform-soled women's fashion boots in black leather. Northampton Museum #1979.123.1

American designer Beth Levine is widely credited as the first person to introduce boots into Haute Couture.[9][10] As early as 1953, Beth Levine introduced under the Herbert Levine label a calf-length boot in white kidskin,[11] which sold poorly. Most retailers saw boots as a separate category of footwear from shoes, to be worn for protection from bad weather or for work. By contrast, Levine argued that boots were shoes and could be an integral part of a woman's outfit. In 1957, Herbert Levine produced an entire collection of based around fashion boots,[12] and despite widspread skepticism on the part of other designers and manufactuers,[13] calf-high, kitten-heeled fashion boots for women[14] began to grow in popularity in the late 1950s and early 1960s. By 1963 Yves Saint Laurent's couture collection included thigh-length alligator skin boots by designer Roger Vivier[15][16] and Vogue was able to announce that boots of all lengths were the look of the moment.[17] The re-emergence of boots as a fashion item in the 1960s has been interpreted as an antidote to the femininity of Dior's post war "New Look".[18]

Rising hemlines and the availability of new, brightly colored artificial materials such as PVC, combined to make boots an attractive fashion option for younger women. In 1965 André Courrèges released the first of his iconic white leather calf-length boots[19] and designers such as Mary Quant, who launched her own 'Quant Afoot' line of footwear in 1967,[20] produced inexpensive, machine-molded plastic boots in a variety of different colors to be worn in tandem with mini-skirts. The rising price of leather during the 1960s made these plastic and vinyl boots[21][22] a popular alternative to more traditional footwear.[23] As skirts became even shorter in the late 1960s, there was a resurgence of interest in thigh-length boots or cuissardes.[24][25] Pierre Cardin featured shiny black PVC thighboots as part of his futuristic 1968 couture collection[26] and Beth Levine designed seamless, stretch vinyl and nylon stocking boots tall enough to do double duty as hosiery.[27][28] The tallest boots from this period were so high that they were equipped with suspenders to hold them up. High laced boots, similar to those worn in Edwardian times, were also popular.[29]

1970s and 1980s[edit]

TV presenter Rachel Ray in knee-length, black leather fashion boots, January 2009

Although fashion boots and particularly 'go-go boots' are often described as 'typical' of 1960s fashion, it wasn't until the 1970s that boots became a mainstream fashion staple for women;[30] for many women in the 1960s, boots were seen as 'a superfluous accessory' more suitable for teenagers and college girls than a grown woman.[31] By contrast, the end of the following decade saw fashion boots occupying multiple pages of mainstream mail-order catalogs by companies such as Sears,[32] Wards,[33] and Kays.[34]

The early 70s were typified by tight-fitting, vinyl boots rising to the knee or higher.[35][36][37] These sometimes had mock lacing on the front and zipped up at the rear; they could be worn under the new maxi dresses, which had slits in them to show the leg.[38] In summer, pale, high-legged boots in printed or open weave fabric were teamed with summery dresses;[39] these often had extensive cut-outs, so that they were more like high-legged sandals than conventional boots.[40][41] Platform-soled styles[42] were also popular. The multi-colored suede and canvas over-the-knee boots produced by the London store Biba[43] were so sought-after that queues would form outside the store when a delivery was due.[44] By the late 1970s, form-fitting, shaped-leg boots were being replaced with straight-legged designs,[45] frequently worn over jeans or other pants, which were often pulled-on rather than zip-fastened.[46] As well as high-heeled dress boots, more rugged designs, by companies such as Frye, were widely worn. The end of the decade saw a growth in popularity of shorter, calf-length boots, often worn layered with socks and tights,[47] and a revival of interest in over-the-knee and thigh-length boots, which were popularized by punk and new wave performers such as Blondie’s Debbie Harry.

In contrast to the preceding decade, the 1980s saw a sharp decline in the popularity of high-legged boots. Instead, ankle boots in a variety of styles were particularly popular, as were low-heeled, calf-length, pull-on styles. Knee length boots, if worn at all, tended to be low-heeled, faux riding boots that were combined with long skirts. It wasn't until the end of the decade that the inherent elegance of classic dress boot styles was rediscovered.[48]

1990s and 2000s[edit]

The early 1990s saw an explosion in dance club culture and its associated fashions, many of which looked back to the 1960s for inspiration, as well as drawing on fetish-themed elements. Knee-length go-go boots, platform-soled boots, and even thigh-length PVC boots were worn by clubbers, but although some designers flirted with these styles of footwear (e.g. Gianni Versace) mainstream take-up was limited. Nonetheless, by 1993 boots were popular enough for the U.S. edition of Vogue to declare that it was “The Year of the Boot”.[49] Knee-length boots became commonplace again, initially as lace-up styles[50] which were subsequently replaced by zip-fastened boots in the second half of the decade.

By the turn of the 21st Century, fashion boots in a variety of styles were back to the same level of ubiquity that they had enjoyed in the 1970s. A pair of knee-length boots, often with metal accents, was widely regarded as a must-have wardrobe item for the clothes-conscious woman,[51][52] paired with knee length skirts and dresses for business and casual wear.[48][53][54] Ankle boots also remained very popular and in the latter part of the first decade knee-length styles worn over pants,[55] especially jeans,[56] were common. In 2009 thigh-length boots were a subject of major attention by the fashion press,[57][58][59][60][61][62] receiving guarded approval and a level of mainstream acceptance that they had never previously achieved; this trend continued in 2010.[63][64][65] In 2011, ankle boots were being promoted as a popular summer alternative to sandals[66].

  1. ^ "Poiret: king of fashion". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  2. ^ "inventory #2005.45.1: boots by Paul Poiret, c.1916". Museum at FIT. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  3. ^ "Short skirts, higher boots", New York Times, 11 April 1915, retrieved 17 July 2010
  4. ^ Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 45. ISBN 978-0061665769.
  5. ^ "black leather Russian boot, 1925". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  6. ^ Steele, Valerie (2005). Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 175. ISBN 978-0684313948.
  7. ^ "Boots, boots, boots; latest Russian boot styles for Eve". British Pathe News. 1920s. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  8. ^ Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.
  9. ^ Verin, Helene (2009). Beth Levine Shoes. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. p. 43. ISBN 978-1584797593.
  10. ^ "Beth Levine, First Lady of Shoes". Dexigner Network. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Accession # 1977.287.14a, b: Beth Levine white boots, 1952". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  12. ^ "Accession # 1976.166.12a, b: Beth Levine fashion boots, 1958–60". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  13. ^ Sheppard, Eugenia (22 August 1967), "Shoes, Like Sundials, Tell Time", Hartford Courant
  14. ^ "brown mock-croc calf-length boot, 1963". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  15. ^ Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 139. ISBN 978-0061665769.
  16. ^ "Accession # 1976.360.440a, b: Roger Vivier black alligator leather thighboots, 1963". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  17. ^ Howell, Georgina (1978). In Vogue. London: Penguin. p. 280. ISBN 014004955X.
  18. ^ Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.
  19. ^ "Accession # 2009.300.3380a, b: André Courrèges white leather boots, 1967". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  20. ^ Mendes, Valerie; de la Haye, Amy (2010). Fashion Since 1900 (World of Art). London: Thames & Hudson. Fig.187 . ISBN 978-0500204023. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ "black plastic knee-length boot by Rayne, 1968". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  22. ^ "brown plastic knee-length boot by Bata, 1968". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  23. ^ "plastic knee-high boots by Mary Quant, 1965". Buckinghamshire County Museum. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  24. ^ Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 138. ISBN 978-0061665769.
  25. ^ Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 2. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0313358555.
  26. ^ "Accession # T.667:1&2-1997: Pierre Cardin black pvc thigh-length boots, 1968". Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  27. ^ Verin, Helene (2009). Beth Levine Shoes. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-1584797593.
  28. ^ "Accession # 2009.300.3381a, b: Beth Levine thighboots, 1968". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  29. ^ Nunn, Joan (1984). Fashion in Costume, 1200–1980. London: The Herbert Press Ltd. p. 239. ISBN 978-0805239058.
  30. ^ Milinaire, Catherine; Troy, Carol (1978). Cheap Chic. New York: Harmony Books. pp. 40–41. ISBN 0517524538.
  31. ^ Dariaux, Genevive Antoine (1964). Elegance. New York: Doubleday & Company. p. 21. ISBN 0385039107.
  32. ^ Smith, Desire (1998). Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: The Early 1970s. Atglen PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. pp. 138, 143–144, 147–148, 150, 158–159. ISBN 0764305204.
  33. ^ Ward, Glynis. "Go-Go Boots: A Foot-First Jump into the Wacky World of Mod Footwear". CoolOldStuff. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  34. ^ 'Step into Autumn – In Boots!' Kays Catalogue, Autumn Winter 1975
  35. ^ Peacock, John (2000). Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 114, 125. ISBN 978-0500019979.
  36. ^ Smith, Desire (1998). Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: The Early 1970s. Atglen PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 148. ISBN 0764305204.
  37. ^ "beige thigh-length boot, 1970". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  38. ^ Florence Ledger, 1982. Put Your Foot Down, p.178. Melksham, The Uffington Press, 214pp
  39. ^ "Accession # 2009.300.1610a, b: Jerry Edouard leather and cotton knee-length boots, 1975". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  40. ^ Ledger, Florence (1982). Put Your Foot Down. Melksham: The Uffington Press. p. 178. ISBN 0854751114.
  41. ^ "Accession # 2009.300.3897a-d: Kurt Geiger black silk sandal boots, 1968". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  42. ^ "white leather platform over-the-knee boot, 1974". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  43. ^ "Accession # T.67&A-1985: canvas boots by Biba, 1969". Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  44. ^ Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 152. ISBN 978-0061665769.
  45. ^ "Shoe Signals", Vogue: 98, July 1977
  46. ^ Peacock, John (2000). Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 192. ISBN 978-0500019979.
  47. ^ "Fall report on shoes/boots: all the news and more...", Vogue: 154–161, August 1978
  48. ^ a b Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.
  49. ^ Vogue (U.S. Edition), August 1993
  50. ^ Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 2. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 234. ISBN 978-0313358555.
  51. ^ Baker, Sarah (21 September 2005). "The ten best... boots". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  52. ^ Coulson, Clare (30 September 2003). "Fabulous looks to fall for this autumn". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  53. ^ Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 2. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0313358555.
  54. ^ Mead, Rebecca (10 January 2011), "Strategy Session: The Pipeline", The New Yorker {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |magazine= (help)
  55. ^ Picardie, Justine (29 January 2006). "Boots advantage points". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  56. ^ Coulson, Clare (16 November 2005). "How to do skinny". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  57. ^ "Fall 2009 Trend Report: Over-the-knee please". Coutorture.com. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  58. ^ "Trend Report: Over-the-knee boots". WhoWhatWear.com. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  59. ^ Haver, Sharon (19 December 2008). "How to wear over-the-knee boots". Focus On Style.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  60. ^ Reach for the Thighs. Marie Claire, October 2009, p.26
  61. ^ Datu, Danielle (7 January 2008). "These boots were made for strutting". MyStyle.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  62. ^ Bergin, Olivia (10 July 2009). "Trend Alert: over-the-knee boots". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  63. ^ "Winter 2010's Recurring Trend: Over The Knee Boots". Times of the Internet. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  64. ^ "Fall's hot foot fashions from high to low". The Charleston Gazette. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  65. ^ "Over-the-knee boots have sky-high style". The Detroit Free Press. 19 December 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  66. ^ Bergin, Olivia (26 April 2011). "Step into this summer's must-have: ankle boots". Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 26 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
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