This same principle applies to those of us who enjoy creating and wearing historically inspired costume. Most of us are not reenactors (who must follow rigid historical guidelines for their costumes), but rather costume enthusiasts, and this allows us greater freedom when choosing accessories to compliment our regalia, especially shoes. And for the costume enthusiast on a budget, shoes can often be the most expensive part of his or her ensemble. There is a pocket friendly alternative to purchasing historical, vintage, or reproduction footwear: the modern department store shoe (carefully selected for its historical-like qualities, of course).

Medieval Footwear

The ghillie is a fabulous little Irish/Scottish peasant shoe that has managed to transcend fashion trends over the centuries to modern times virtually unchanged. There are reputable medieval shoe makers at most Renaissance and Medieval festivals around the country, and indeed their footwear is well made. But custom work (and most of these shops only make custom shoes, which takes months to construct) is expensive. Ghillies are not only historically accurate and comfortable, but $20-30 a pair. You can purchase ghillies online or at most dance supply stores.

Colonial/Federal Footwear

Below is an historical 18th century mule – note the pointed toe, the curved French heel, etc.

PJ, a mutual friend of mine and Tonia’s, found this pair of mules at a local thrift store for $5. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the historical shoe above: the chunky heel and elongated toe.

This pair of modern black leather BCBG booties are mine – I bought these at DSW for $14 on cleanance. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the historical shoe above: The long pointed toe and the elevated French heel.

Below is an historical reproduction of a lady’s buckled shoe from Fugawee Footwear:

Tonia bought these Tom McAn colonial style buckled shoes at Kmart for $20. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the Fugawee reproduction shoe above: A high vamp, buckle detail, and low, chunky heel.

Victorian/Edwardian Boots

Below is an historical black leather button boot, circa 1900-1910. Not only did boots of this era have low, stacked Cuban-style heels (as shown), but many boots and shoes of this era sported a low and chunky spool or French heel.

Tonia bought these Victorian inspired boots at Cato for $12. Note the similar characteristics of this boot with those of other boots from the era: round toe, lacing front, stacked heel, and ankle length boot shaft.

Below are a pair of Mainframe fashion leather boots I bought in 1998 at Sears for $10 on clearance (I bought these specifically for costume). Note the similar characteristics of this boot with those of other boots from the era: rounded toe, front button detail, French-style heel, and ankle length boot shaft.

The Roaring ’20s/Jazz Age Footwear

Below is a vintage example of a 1920s court shoe (pump) – note the intricate strap design across the vamp of the foot, the low, stacked Cuban-style heel, and round toe.

Tonia bought these late-Edwardian/early-1920s inspired pumps at Cato for $12. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the vintage shoe above: intricate strap detail across the vamp, round toe, and low stacked heel.

These vintage, two-tone tawney and black Oxfords are a lovely example of a shoe design favored by fashionable ladies of the late-Edwardian/early-1920s period. Note that the shoe is constructed in two pieces (toe and shoe body) – other details to consider are the round toe, Mary Jane-style buttoned strap across the vamp, and a low French-style heel.

I bought these Bandolino leather wingtip Oxfords at DSW for $25 on clearance. I use them for both Edwardian and 1920s costuming. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the vintage shoe above: round toe, Oxford construction, Mary Jane-style button strap over the vamp, and a low heel.

Below are a flashy pair of metallic, two-toned leather sandals from the early-1920s. Note the round toe, open sides, buckling T-strap at the ankle, and low heel.

I bought these 1920s inspired sandals at JC Penny’s on clearance for $5. I specifically bought these for costuming. Note the similar characteristics of this shoe with those of the vintage shoe above: round toe, open sides, two-toned color, buckled T-stap at the ankle, and low heel.

1940s Footwear

Here is a darling pair of mid-1940s vintage beach sandals. Note the peep-toe, tie-strap around the ankle, and the wedged heel.

Tonia bought her 1940s inspired beach sandals at Target for $20 – note the similar characteristics of this summer shoe with those of the vintage summer shoe above: the peep-toe, tie-strap at the ankle, and wedged heel.

Below: Another lovely pair of vintage (dress) sandals – note the peep toe, platform, ankle strap, and block heel.

Tonia bought these 1940s inspired dress sandals at Baker’s for $10 on clearance (I do love these shoes – it’s a shame my foot is a size and a half bigger than hers). Note the similar characteristics of this sandal with those of the vintage sandals above: the peep toe, platform, ankle strap, and block heel.

Booties (characterized by the shoe shaft not extending above the ankle bone) were very popular beginning in the 1940s – the avert below gives a good idea of some of the design variations of the time:

Here is a comfortable pair of mid-1940s leather and canvas booties with a silk bow accent:

Tonia bought these wingtip booties at Cato for $20:

I bought these Steve Madden wingtip booties on clearance at DSW for $25:

I also bought these Nine West leather Oxford booties at DSW on clearance for $25:

Note the similar characteristics of these booties with those booties in the vintage advert and photo above: the shoe shaft does not extend above the ankle bone, round toe, lacing front, Oxford design, a low Cuban-style or block heel.

Of course, none of our modern shoe examples are exact in all historical aspects of their inspired (or ascribed) shoe era, but they do have key design attributes that make them usable for historically inspired costume. The trick is to know what makes a Victorian shoe a “Victorian shoe”, or what makes a 1940s bootie a “1940s bootie”. Making note of these style details will help you in choosing an appropriate modern alternative to an historical, vintage, or reproduction shoe.

Happy shopping – happy sewing!

"Wish you were here" shot from the Bridge of Dreams

 This is the covered bridge we found last year. It’s such a beautiful setting, so much so that we are trying to plan a special trip up just to take photos in costume. From there, we went to that farthest point out on our planned route, Breitenbach Winery:

 Breitenbach has some of the best wines I have been able to find in Ohio. They carry a nice selection, something for everyone. And, one of the best parts is that you can taste test before you buy. After we left here, we found a new favorite stop, right across the road:

Swiss Family Heritage Winery. How we have not noticed this winery before this trip, is beyond me. Once I noticed it was there, we had to stop in. They also have an awesome selection of wines, which you can also taste test. But, besides brewing wine, they also make their own cheese! Can it get any better? And here is where the case of wine comes in. lol. We each bought 2 bottles from each winery. Here’s the proof:

Honest, officer! It's all for medicinal purposes....

From there, we made our way to our next favorite stop:

Walnut Creek Bulk Groceries! This is where I stock up on my bulk baking goods, especially for the holiday baking season. Anything you need that you can’t find, you’ll find here, including the silver colored bee bee candies for the cut out cookies. And not just any silver bee bee candies, the ones that look like actual silver, just like the ones you used as a kid! But, besides bulk groceries, they have everything under the sun for your house, including every shape of cookie cutter you can imagine. Well, just about every shape. lol.

This trip around, we skipped stopping at the fabric outlet. It just didn’t feel right without the rest of the ladies. That, and the bulk grocery and wineries sorta drained our wallets a wee bit. But, there will be more trips and more chances to find some great deals on fabric. We did stop off at Sol’s Exchange in Berlin, however. Sol’s is a year round craft bizaar that is so large, it’s in two buildings. It’s been a long while since PJ and I shopped there. I did find a series of lovely painting prints that I have decided to collect. They are by an artist names Billy Jacobs. They are lovely and reasonably priced. I will be saving up for more of them.

After shopping at Sol’s, we wonder down the main street and peeked in a few more stores before decided that we needed to head off to Guggisberg Cheese Factory. This was at 4 o’clock, and the cheese factory closes at 5 o’clock. It’s just our luck that when we arrived, we found it closed with a sign on the door saying they were closing at 3 o’clock that day for they Christmas party. Really? :sigh: Guess we’ll just have to double up next time we stop.

On the way home, we were treated to a lovely site, compliments of Mother Nature:

The perfect end to a perfect day of shopping!

We at the Emerald Parlor hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and hope you have a great New Year. Be sure to join us in the coming year to see what new adventures we have.

]]> http://emeraldparlor.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/what-do-you-get-when-you-cross/feed/ 0 Miss Tonia 483 486 489 492 498 501 http://emeraldparlor.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/fyi-a-new-pattern-review-2/ http://emeraldparlor.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/fyi-a-new-pattern-review-2/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:54:50 +0000 Angela http://emeraldparlor.wordpress.com/?p=2585 Continue reading »

I just published the Emerald Parlor’s first pattern review for Old World Enterprises Patterns – click here!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Ooo, and keep your peepers open for Tonia’s upcoming post detailing her, PJ’s, and Elma’s trip to Amish Country (Holmes County, Ohio) over the weekend! I know I’m looking forward to reading it!

Blessings and happy sewing!

We are working on new patterns, and articles for your viewing pleasure. Until then, Blessing and Happy Sewing!

Be sure to check out the pattern review updates for Truly Victorian patterns TV170 and TV221! Blessings and happy sewing!

Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival

It is about that time – autumn is approaching and with the change of season in Ohio comes the many wonderful harvest and fall festivals that blossom all over the beautiful Buckeye state. I admit that the fall festival season in Ohio is my favorite time, and I am no stranger to the many wonderful events that claim so much of my expendable income each year – lol! But while this is a fun and festive season for most people who patron their favorite shows, for others it is quite the contrary, especially for those fair-goers who have become the victims of dishonest vendors and their shoddy, dubious, and sometimes illegal sales practices. Although most vendors (or merchants) who sell their goods and services at fairs, festivals, and trade shows are honest and provide a satisfactory product, there are clearly others who are not – or else there would be no basis for this article and the laws governing consumer protection. Here is what you need to know regarding persons or entities who choose to vend in the state of Ohio and, more importantly, your rights and responsibilities as a consumer:

1) In order to conduct retail sales transactions in the state of Ohio, individuals and business entities must register for and possess an Ohio vendor’s license.

This is good news for the consumer – it means that the seller’s information is on file with the state of Ohio, and includes the seller’s full name, business alias(es), permanent address (residential and/or business), federal tax identification or social security number, and state sales tax payment information. Furthermore, wherever a vendor peddles his wares, that particular fair, festival, or trade show must have the seller’s vendor’s license on file at all times. While the customer may not have full access to the seller’s information, the state and the festivals do, and from here, costumer complaints regarding a particular seller can be efficiently investigated and reconciled, or legal action taken against the vendor, if not the festival itself.

2) Simply because a vendor has sold his or her goods or services at a particular fair, festival, or trade show for years does not mean that the vendor is reputable or conducts business honestly.

An example of this comes directly from one of our many readers, who had placed a custom order for a pair of handmade gloves at a local festival with a well-known leather shop. Because the gloves would take time to craft and the vendor had other custom order obligations to fulfill, arrangements were made between the customer and the shop owner to pick-up the gloves at the festival the following year (this “pick-up” arrangement is a common practice among transient vendors who sell handcrafted items). When the customer returned to the festival the following year to collect his gloves, the leather vendor had not completed the work and refused the customer a full refund for services not rendered – the owner offered the customer half of the purchase price of the gloves back, claiming that the leather to construct the gloves had cost her the other half. In other words, the customer paid more than $100 for nothing. Attempts by the customer to collect the remaining half of his money were only met with hostility (even threats of physical harm) by the shop owner.

While this example of seller fraud seems almost ridiculous, extreme, or even questionable, it’s a very real situation for those patrons who have actually experienced it. And, sorry to say, but dubious selling practices are more common with transient vendors, who travel the fair, festival, and trade show circuit year around (often from state to state), than stationary vendors, who sell from one location in a brick and mortar shop and are subject to continuous scrutiny by their respective communities. What comes as a surprise to customers who fall prey to dishonest vendors, especially transient vendors, is that most of them have worked the same show(s) for years, sometimes decades without consequence – yes, these merchants continue to dupe people at the same festivals, year after year. Of course, what consumer wants to believe that a fair, festival, or trade show would sanction such erroneous seller behavior by continuing to contract vendors who nick from their patrons? The leather shop in question is just such an establishment, where over the years, various customers have suffered the whims of the owner, and all the while the host festival(s) continues to renew the vendor’s selling contract every year.

3) What you should do to avoid becoming a consumer victim at fairs, festivals, and trade shows, and what you can do if it happens to you:

I don’t offer these suggestions lightly. I was a transient vendor for more than ten years and know the ins and outs of the business throughly. I can say that I have never been a victim of vendor fraud, but I have had the privilege of being on the “inside” and knowing which vendors to avoid (this goes without saying).

- “Window shop” a festival before buying from any vendor. All that glitters is not gold and instant gratification is well and good, but other merchants might offer a higher quality product at comparable prices. Festival vendors are professional hawkers (high pressure sales professionals) who can easily sell the British crown jewels to old Queen Bess without cracking a grin – don’t give in and comparative shop.

-Always consider buying items “off the rack” (product currently available in the vender’s tent or shop): you can visually and tactually experience the product to discern quality; there is no real risk of suffering an incident of “services not rendered” and the frustrating ordeal of trying to get a refund (like our reader).

If a custom order is necessary (and sometimes it is), gather as much information as possible about the seller (his or her location in the festival), what products are being sold, the business’s name (you would not believe how many customers do not know the shop’s name where they just made a purchase – snap a picture of the shop with your cell phone if you have to). But most important, it should be noted in writing (on an order form – never commission custom work, or any other sales transaction, by verbal agreement, ever, ever, ever) the stipulations of the sale (including returns); further, the means of delivery and the date of delivery should be clearly noted – no exceptions!

-Pay for your purchases (especially custom orders) with a credit or debit card where possible; this gives you the power to dispute the purchase with your financial institution and recover your money if you should find the sales transaction to be fraudulent. Note that about half of transient vendors do not accept electronic payment (preferring cash) even for high-end items (credit card merchant fees cut into profits, cash is untraceable and non-taxable, no paper trial of a sales transaction, etc.), and many who do charge a “convenience fee” (do not buy from these sellers).

-Before committing to a sales transaction that could potentially be costly (especially regarding custom order purchases), ask to see the shop owner’s vendor’s license issued by the state of Ohio. According to Kate Hanson, Consumer Educational Director with the Ohio Attorney General’s office, “It should be a red flag if a fair vendor cannot or refuses to produce this information when asked.” Not only do you need to know if these vendors are legitimate, you need to know their names, especially when purchasing from a vendor at a themed show (i.e. Renaissance, old west, science fiction/fantasy, etc) – vendors that frequent themed shows often use an alias or alternate identity for anonymity and entertainment purposes. You can’t file a complaint against the Squash-buckling pirate Yellowbelly for plundering your purse and be taken seriously – it may raise a few eyebrows at the BBB. Further, Ms. Hanson cautions against purchasing custom order items from vendors who require cash payment upfront and in full. “While this practice is not unlawful,” she says, “it may create a greater risk of losing more of a substantial amount of money, in case a vendor fails to deliver.”

-Finally, if you do find that you have been subject to unfair business practices or fraud, immediately file a complaint with the following: 1) fair, festival, or trade show officials; 2) your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the BBB where the sales transaction took place; 3) your state’s attorney general’s office and the vendor’s state’s attorney general’s office. Ms. Hanson explains that these steps are necessary to ensure consumer protection and she reminds us that it’s very difficult for the state’s attorney general’s office to enforce fair business practices and advocate for the consumer when the costumer does not file a complaint against a vendor. Standing up for your rights as a consumer and fighting back (even if the process is slow going) is never a waste of time. As a former and very reputable transient vendor in the state of Ohio, I encourage you to demand fair business practices from vendors who are more than willing to take your money as well as your dignity.

For more information regarding consumer protection, to file a consumer complaint, or to speak with a consumer advocate, please visit the Office of the Ohio Attorney General.