Have you taken a look at our New Neutrals collection yet? With our pre-order sale in full swing, every pair of Cordelia Oxfords, Vera Bar Shoes, and Annette Oxfords is 15% off full price! We intentionally designed each style to come in the same variety of beautiful neutral shades. That means whether you’re looking for Edwardian, 1920s, or Vintage shoes, you can get a pair in Almond, Honey, Caramel, Chestnut, or Black. Plus, Cordelia, Vera, and Annette are all available in B and D width!
The same neutral color palette across all three styles makes the New Neutrals collection quite unique, so we’re excited to share some details of the design process, and how Cordelia, Vera, and Annette came to be!
This collection began as a concept. What if we could make a shoe that was modeled after a typical style from a certain time period, and it came in a series of neutral colors that not only created a seamless leg line, but could be paired with a wide variety of outfits? Much like a contemporary neutral shoe that one could pair with both skirts, dresses, and jeans, a historic reproduction neutral shoe could serve as your main pair to go with all your Edwardian day-wear, or your vintage suit collection. It would be a reliable, sophisticated, and efficient shoe that you could count on.
Once we had decided on this concept, we had to choose which time periods to explore for our three pairs of neutral shoes. In the end, we decided that an Edwardian shoe, a 1920s bar shoe, and a classic vintage shoe would offer a solid time spread and good versatility.
For our Edwardian shoe, a variation of an oxford was an easy choice to make. Oxfords were utterly ubiquitous in late 19th century- early 20th century fashion (more on that in our post about oxfords). These menswear-inspired shoes came in varieties that were meant for both daywear and eveningwear, and in fancy and basic versions. One could get them in different shades of ivory, taupe, brown, and of course, black.
Edwardian oxfords in brown and black from the collection at the Shoe Icons museum.
We wanted to make an oxford that was beautiful in its simplicity when it came to the last and heel, with a special and subtle detail to make it special. We referenced several pairs of extant oxfords from our own collection and from archival collections to create a brand-new Edwardian last, with a sleek and sophisticated shape. After tweaking and perfecting the last to match our vision, Cordelia began to take shape. We also developed a new 2″/5 cm Edwardian spool heel, with balance in shape and aesthetics, that would be suitable for long-term wear. For Cordelia’s special decorative detail, we decided on some removable tassels. These adorable tassels add a bit of pizzazz, and are a nod to the menswear influence on Edwardian women’s fashion. The tassels look equally great in smooth leather and suede, so we decided to include a set of both with every pair of Cordelias. That means that with one shoe, you get three distinctive looks!
A pair of white leather bar shoes and a pair of black silk T-straps from the collection at the Met Museum.
For our 1920s shoe, a bar shoe was a bit of a no-brainer. Like T-straps, bar shoes are a totally iconic and ubiquitous style from the period (total blog post count of the word ‘ubiquitous’: 2). In the early 1920s, the longer, pointed lasts of the 1900s and 1910s began to be replaced by shoes with lower vamps and shorter, broader toe shapes: think rounded and almond toes. Lower vamps meant that there was lots of room to play with strappy details over the instep (more on that in another post to come about bar shoes). While all manner of super-creative, intricate strappy shoes were made in the 1920s, the classic choices were simplified versions with one strap across the instep or a T-strap, closing with either a button or a single buckle.
Some variations on bar shoes from period advertisements from the 1920s, from the collection at the Shoe Icons museum.
With legs being significantly more visible in 1920s fashion, shoes that showed off the legs by blending in for a seamless silhouette were a popular option. This was our inspiration for Vera. Like with Cordelia, we wanted to create a classic bar shoe with one beautiful detail. For our new 1920s last, we worked on getting that quintessential 1920s rounded toe and rounded vamp just right. Paired with a 2.5″/6.35 cm Spanish heel, the silhouette came together beautifully.
We had an antique original shoe in our collection with thin strips of leather that curved over the vamp and toe. We reproduced this detail with thin strips of suede in coordinating colors. The final effect is so subtle and lovely!
Finally, for our vintage shoe, we wanted to create something of a cousin to Rita and Jean (from the Classics Collection), in neutral shades, with an uncomplicated but visually interesting design. In the 1930s, shoes were often more full-coverage than the previous decade, especially for daywear. Oxfords were very popular once again, as were rounded toes and Cuban heels.
We started our new design with the wonderful 1930s last and 2.5″/6.35 cm Cuban heel that we used for Rita and Jean. Rather than an oxford with a tongue, we decided to give the shoe that would become Annette a lovely vintage open throat. The vamp is accentuated with our decorative detail, inspired by a pair in our collection- a suede saddle in a gorgeously Art Deco design, in coordinating colors with the smooth leather that makes up the rest of the shoe.
The end result with Vera is strikingly 1930s, and effortlessly versatile.
In the end, we think that Cordelia, Vera, and Annette all go together so cohesively. Each shoe is simple, but unique, with special decorative details. All three styles come in the same five colorways: Almond, Honey, Caramel, Chestnut, and Black. To add even more versatility, all three shoes come in both standard and wide widths.
The New Neutrals collection is 15% off each pair in our U.S. and E.U./U.K. stores through March 15. We can’t wait to see how you style them!
Pre-Order is Open
March 6-15
15% Discount Per Pair
AmericanDuchess.com
