Well, well. It happened again. I bought a pair of new shoes...But this time it wasn't my fault! I blame
Lily of Opulence! She keeps on tempting my eyes with the most gorgeous things on Twitter, and one day she had posted a link to a pair of shoes for sale at
1stdibs. When I saw these shoes - a pair of mules from the 50s, of the label
Frederick's of Hollywood - I almost choked on my coffee with chocolate milk! After contacting the seller about measurements and such, realizing they would fit my feet, and then waiting, waiting, and waiting, they now sleep soundly in a box underneath my bed, ready to be used by
moi!!!
Frederick's of Hollywood was founded in 1947 by Frederick Mellinger. When Mr. Frederick - as he was later known among his clientele - came home to the USA from WWII, he brought with him the idea to start selling the elegant, sensuous lingerie he had seen in Europe. In those days the good girls in America wore white cotton undies, so he caused quite a ruckus whit his black, racy lingerie, sky-high heeled shoes, and other figure-enhancing foundation wear and accessories. In 1948 he designed and started selling the first push-up bra, called the "Rising Star".
Later Mr. Frederick also started to design outer wear, and according to himself his goal was to offer "the most alluring, body-hugging, figure-enhancing outer fashions...always aimed at men." His lingerie was an instant success among Hollywood's movie stars, and part of his success was because he understood how both lingerie and outerwear, designed in the right way, can make women feel beautiful.
The shoes fit my feet perfectly! And one of the things I really fell for are the tassels made of small chains. As you can see they are attached to crystals to both the front and back, and when I walk they make a lovely little rustling sound.
The heels are pretty high for being from the 50s, but that's how Mr. Frederick made them, and when you wear them they give your feet and legs that perfect pin up-look! These mules are also what is called "Spring-O-Lators". They have a piece of elastic attached to the inner sole - you can see it in the picture above. Since mules don't have anything really holding your feet inside them, this elastic was inserted to make them better attached to your feet, and not fall off while walking. It really helps, and I have no idea why they don't make'em like this anymore. So here's to Spring-O-Lators!...And tassels...
