Purses have a long and illustrious history in Europe and played a large role in important ceremonies. In the 1300's, a wedding purse was usually given to the bride from the groom and there was even a law drawn up by the magistrates in the city of Zittau stating that "no one but the groom may give the bride a purse."
It is not know if the wedding purses were actually carried; speculation is that they may have been put away and used for storage of valuables.
Another ceremonial purse was called the Saracen purse, which was usually trapezoid in shape with a rounded tip and inspired by oriental products. The making of these purses was rigorously controlled and laws existed that stated that the purse makers "cannot and must not use threaded or twisted silk instead of fine golden thread from Luques, otherwise the work will be counterfeit".
The history of purses is long and some form of handbag has existed throughout the world for centuries. We have more information about the history of purses at Henrietta's Handbags.
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[Source: Handbag News and Information Blog from Henrietta's Handbags]
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Fantastic Man Issue No. 6
The sixth issue of Fantastic Man has a lot of great design in it, but the best piece of design is probably their own table of contents.
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[Source: Jargol Blog]
I heard you missed me
Well, I'm back! For today, at least. The weather is getting temperate enough that I can wear a tie and walk to work (1.6 miles, as it turns out) without feeling miserable by the time I arrive, so I jumped back in today with a Verner Panton-inspired tie from IMM. Panton was what first sprang to my mind; on the other hand, a colleague took one look at me today and said, "Viva Las Vegas!" The tie does indeed have the shapes of poker chips and the colors of playing cards, so I think he called this one better than I did. (Please pardon the quality of the picture, I am still adjusting to a new camera that takes huge pictures, and new photo editing software (GIMP) that is not the same as what I am used to.)Over on the music blog: Zillatron, Flight of the Conchords, Simon Shaheen, and more.
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[Source: Burl Veneer's Tie Blog]
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Boots with bows on the toes - why Anthropologie, why?
I couldn't wear these boots. They're a great colour, the heel's a nice height and the calves look quite roomy (a requirement for me!) But what's with those bows on the toes? They'd drive me mad. I know I'd just be able to see them from the corner of my eye and keep wondering what was stuck to my boot. The bow aside though, I do like these 'Keepsake' cocoa leather boots, US$288, from Anthropologie.
Related: Is it a shoe? Is it a boot? No, it's superman Steve Madden's 'Tie' | Simply Vera Vera Wang Brie Suede Boots | 'Purpurea' knee-high boots by Diesel featuring embossed leather and gold studs |
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Marc by Marc Jacobs - for the woman who needs wellies
If I'm going to have to buy a pair of wellies this year (which I strongly suspect I will) then it's going to be a posh pair. No cheap wellies for this shoe lover! This nice understated pair is from Marc by Marc Jacobs, and though I'm attracted to pink boots with hearts (or similar) I think I'm grown up enough for something plain. The colour is fog and they cost US$190.
Related: Tory Burch's Winnie wellies keep out the rain with a hint of style | My 'Sweetheart' needs some wellies | Not your usual wellie from Chooka Boots
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[Source: Shoewawa]
More wellies! Kate Spade's 'Riley' red daisy rain boots
'm rarely attracted to wellies, but these I'll have to make a special exception for. I'm quite taken by the bursts of red petals on the off-white background, which is somehow kept from being too messy by a neat black and white striping effect at the soles. An extremely practical buckle at the top of the boot allows easy adjustment to calf-size fits, and looks quite smart, too! Waterproof, of course, just in time for some rainy weather dregs, even in sunny California. US$125 for the kate spade 'Riley' red daisy boot.
Related: My 'Sweetheart' needs some wellies | Tory Burch's Winnie wellies keep out the rain with a ... | Tamara Henriques Wellies and Rain Shoes
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Stuart Weitzman's 'Just So' brown slingbacks with platform sole and peep toe
Ok, so admittedly Stuart Weitzman's 'Just So' brown calf platform slingbacks probably aren't the most practical choice of footwear in the world as we head towards winter, but these are so gorgeous that they're worth buying and saving until the weather is more suitable. Priced at US$171 from Bluefly, they're mid brown in colour with slingback detail and calfskin uppers. Go on... you know you want to!
Related:
Stuart Weitzman black sport studded 'Conan' boot | Stuart Weitzman 'Quilty' Flat, in black patent leather | Stuart Weitzman Americas boots
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Nine West's metallic slingback peeptoe 'Regis' sandals on sale
I have no idea how these Nine West 'Regis' slingbacks made it onto the sale rack. Not only are they absolutely gorgeous, with their elegant shape and jewelled front, they're also going to be perfect for the Christmas party season, which will be upon us sooner than I like to think about. Available in black or gold (Nine West say it's gold, anyway - this is one of those cases where it looks more like silver to me), they're down to just $59.99, which I think is a bit of a bargain, working out at roughly GB30. They're still available in everything but a US 5 and 11, too.
Related: Irregular Choice Shimmy Pom Pom slingback | Christian Louboutin slingback espadrilles | Miss Selfridge's bnlue suede slingback
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Dolcis Blade patent and suede flats in this season's 'new black'
I hate the phrase 'the new black' but it seems that it actually applies to navy this season. Yes, black will never go out of fashion, but navy has gone from almost unacessorisable (it's a word!) to being big news this season.
The more I look at these Dolcis flats the more they grow on me. They have a little bit of an '80s edge which usually turns me off, but it's more Dallas than Duran Duran so I shall forgive. The suede and patent work fantastically together on this pair, and they pull off a pointed toe with no heel really well thanks to a subtle shaping. They're a bit of a bargain in true Dolcis style at just 25. Well worth the investment to wear with everything this season.
Related: Lanvin's flat Mary Jane pumps in navy | Gwen Stefani's Fairhaven Tex navy heels | Manolo Blahnik navy Mary Janes
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Bride to be? Win tickets to the National Wedding Show
Thanks to our friends at Bridalwave, five readers can snap up a ticket for themselves and a guest to the National Wedding Show on Saturday (tomorrow) at Earls' Court in London. And, if that wasn't enough, we've got another five pairs of tickets for Sunday too!
Don't worry if you can't make it, we'll have tickets up for grabs for the Birmingham show on 12-14 October too. There's bound to be loads of lovely wedding shoes there, as well as frocks, flowers, food and other frivolity.
Just email your name, contact details and which day you'd prefer today and we'll be in touch today! Enter now at bridalwaveATgmailDOTcom
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Menswear inspired shoes: Belle by Sigerson Morrison stiletto heeled oxford booties
The menswear inspired shoe trend continues, and thus far this Belle by Sigerson Morrison stiletto oxford (US$295) is the most feminine incarnation I've seen. I'm quite fond of the black version, but I feel that the visibility is somehow lacking, and that the cute design isn't as apparant as it could be. In the gray version, however, the suede and laces, sleek lines, contoured shape all complement each other quite well. The soft color and delicate shape are unmistakably feminine, while the top laces and oxford design are quite cutting-edge trendy.
Related: L.A.M.B. are bang on style with their Oxford Pumps | Cap toe pumps courtesy of Chanel, Guess and Dune | Shoe Express celebrates 500th birthday of the high heel!
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Versace's zipped bootie pumps, available from eLUXURY
As has been reported a couple of times recently, it seems that the current boot du jour is Versace's zipped bootie pump available at eLUXURY. Priced at nearly US$2000, they're made from leather and feature a rounded toe, silver zipper with logo-engraved pull, leather lining, metallic leather sole and a 5.5 inch stiletto heel. Far out of my price range and probably impossible to walk in, expect to see them on the feet of the likes of Mrs Beckham sometime soon!
Related: Versace's patent buckle booties | Salvatore Ferragamo's gorgeous Riccione sandals at Neiman Marcus | Pedro Garcia's 'Lucy' d'Orsay patent pumps at eLuxury
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Dita slips into some classic Louboutin's for Peta: World sits up and takes notice
I love Dita von Teese, poo to all those who say she's fake burlesque, she's promoting a look that's a heck of a lot more awesome than most celebs. More respect for the lady comes with her choice of shoes in her recent (and much talked about) ad for Peta.
She's slipped elegantly into a pair of Louboutins and they're one of my favourites, the Mouche Zeppa. They're available in white, black or navy for $875 from Neiman Marcus, for those who simply must splurge. And I can't blame you for doing so, although I will be very very jealous.
See more celebrities with an eye for great shoes, and get your own!
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[Source: Shoewawa]
Stuart Weitzman tries and fails with his Patent Cutout Booties
It's never long after a trend comes along that designers who didn't get there first start chopping the crap out of it. In my experience, this rarely trumps the original and that pretty much sums up my feelings on Stuart Weitzman's Patent Cutout Booties.
He appears to have taken the classic brogue/oxford boot and given it a bit of sass and originality by firstly making it patent and then making odd cutouts. I'm afraid it really falls down in the style stakes for me. Mixing genres like this basically Victorian inspired shoe with modern twists is a tricky business. I think Stuart should go back to the drawing board.
Related: Victorian style booties from Urban Outfitters | Dune's Texas booties go Victorian with style | York cuff ankle booties by Dolce Vita
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[Source: Shoewawa]
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