For the past few years I’ve been running a historical footwear company called American Duchess. We make a lot of really old fashioned shoes, all the way back to the 16th century, and I’ve poured my heart, soul, and savings into that passion.
I love designing, and I’ve learned a bit about manufacturing, so now it’s time to expand. I’d like to introduce…
Don’t be afraid! We’re not closing or changing American Duchess! Royal Vintage is our sister company, an offshoot with a slightly different model and focus, that will hopefully become a go-to source for ladies needing shoes for the early decades of the 20th century.
I’m constantly getting requests for 1920s, 30s, and 40s footwear, but American Duchess’ focus is really Edwardian and older. There are quite a lot of options out there for shoes from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, whether they’re original vintage, reproductions, or fashion shoes with a strong retro vibe. However, they’re spread all over the place… and how do you know just what to look for?… and what if the heels are too high or the materials are crappy?… and holy cow shipping is expensive!
Not anymore.
Royal Vintage is a curated collection of shoes specifically chosen for their vintage styling and retro qualities. I’ve applied all my knowledge of historic footwear to selecting shoes that have certain style hallmarks – for example, t-straps for the 1920s, snappy oxfords for the 1930s, and platform slingbacks for the 1940s. I’ve sourced from several great companies (and I’m constantly seeking more, so if you have a suggestion, please let me know!), with a variety of styles for each decade, and price points to fit every budget.
Royal Vintage’s selection will always be changing, but one thing will remain constant – great shoes carefully picked to complement your vintage outfits.
Ultimately my goal is to manufacture our own in-house line of reproductions: perfectly styled, well-made, comfortable shoes developed from originals, according to what you, our customers, need and want. We’ve a little ways to go before we can start on that, but I wanted you all to know it’s coming. 🙂
So please take a moment to check out the new website Chris and I put together, and share with your friends who may be looking for shoes to wear with their vintage makes. Feel free to drop us an email, Instagram comment, or Facebook message, and let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to see.
Thank you!
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16 Comments
Bianca Esposito
July 8, 2015 at 6:49 PMAs a fellow vintage shoe lover, I could not be more excited for this shop! I can't wait to snatch up a new pair of shoes for next fall from your great vintage style selections!
Lauren Stowell
July 8, 2015 at 8:51 PMThank you for your support!
Unknown
July 8, 2015 at 9:23 PMThis is not good news for my wallet!! I have a wish list on American Duchess and now I have more shoes to look at! I'm excited for you guys.
Lauren Stowell
July 8, 2015 at 9:35 PMHahaha, well but at least there are a LOT of options on Royal that are under $100. 🙂
Unknown
July 8, 2015 at 10:11 PMI love all the shoes, and this website is great for people who wear vintage daily because shoes are so important to finish a look! Unfortunately I live in Europe so customs always make everything expensive 🙁
Lauren Stowell
July 9, 2015 at 12:47 AMTrue, customs can be terrible depending on what country you're in. I really hope that changes (or we can find a way to make it easier) in the future.
Anonymous
July 9, 2015 at 12:11 AMCan I ask what "curated collection" means? I've seen that term before but have no idea what it means outside of a museum.
The shoes look great! My mother-in-law will love them!
Lauren Stowell
July 9, 2015 at 12:46 AM"Curated collection" means that all of the shoes have been selected for specific qualities, such as 1920s styling or 1930s color palette, etc.. The shoes in Royal's shop go through a vetting process where they are compared to original examples, advertisements, and photographs from the period, rather than just stocking willy-nilly
Anonymous
July 9, 2015 at 1:01 AMThank you so much for this – truly remarkable and needed!
DLM
July 9, 2015 at 1:40 AMMmmmm lovely. I'm still probably going to get a pair of Pompadours with a pair of gift certificates I have for y'all, but out of curiosity will AD gift certificate codes work at Royal Vintage? 🙂
Lauren Stowell
July 9, 2015 at 5:42 AMHi DLM – Royal and American Duchess are on two different systems, so I'm afraid the gift certificates do not transfer. Sorry!
jninecostumes
July 9, 2015 at 4:40 PMI adore the new Royal Vintage shoes. Congratulations on the new shop and designs.
Noemi
July 9, 2015 at 11:44 PMWill you also be doing exclusives through Royal Vintage as you did at A.D. with Harlow, Cicero, and Noire? I noticed many of the commenters want more pre-Edwardian styles.for the cycles. I voted for the 1930s style in Cycle 5, but it lost =(
Lauren Stowell
July 10, 2015 at 12:40 AMHi Noemi – We'll keep doing AD exclusives and if the style fits the Royal Vintage time period range, we'll offer it there too, as a pre-order. Right now we're just getting up and running and hoping/planning to manufacture our own line for Royal in about a year's time. No plans for Royal Exclusives yet, but I never say never 🙂
bauhausfrau
July 10, 2015 at 4:54 PMWonderful! I was literally JUST looking around for 40s style shoes.
Anonymous
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