Shoe Roses

Jean Baptiste Joseph Pater, Concert ChampĂȘtre.18th century, Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

If you follow me on Twitter (MarieGossip) you may have seen a recent post on Shoe Roses.  I just stumbled on a pair of these fashion must haves in a lovely work by Jean Baptiste Pater!

This is a (now) inexpensive way to adorn some shoes if you are planning to go out in your best 18th Century garb for Halloween or any other Fancy Dress Party! For more ideas along those lines check out Heather's Costume Countdown!


Ok back to the shoe roses!!

Shoe Roses- expensive little works of art to adorn one's shoes.  They were crafted out of ribbon, usually fine silk, and designed to look like an elegant rose in full bloom.  They were very expensive if you can imagine!

They could be very elaborate or simplified, and cost would reflect this.  For our purposes we can create one of these for a very affordable price, with some of your favorite ribbon, a hot glue gun and if you are adventurous, a splash of glitter!

Merely fold the ribbon into loops and use dabs of glue to keep them down. (if you want to sew here is a simple tutorial)  With just one safety pin you can attach your shoe rose to some shoes for an instant statement that screams fashion, and also says, "do not step on my toes."  Other uses of shoe roses include hiding gouty ankles. 

7 comments:

  1. Why stop with roses? The one illustration looked more like a shoe snowflake. For a frosty winter fantasy outfit that would be perfect.

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  2. Anonymous9:12 AM

    My First Communion shoes had flowers, glittery balls, and..yes...crosses that you could button on or off. Similiar idea I suppose.

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  3. @Paul Miller it does look more like a snowflake, I should think I would like snowflake-...Would definitely need the glitter though.

    @Anonymous- Those sound like very cute modern shoe roses, button-on shoe roses! Did you have a fav. attachment?

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  4. I love the idea of shoe roses, also love floral wreaths for the head - when are those coming back? Let's try to revive the style, shall we?

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  5. If I may humbly confess, a pair of black slippers that I have owned for ages sports blue shoe roses. I must have had one afternoon cocktail too many when I purchased them. Needless to say, I rarely wear them and they still look pristine. Because I paid too much money for them, they are still in my closet. Hah!

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  6. Oh Vic share a pic of your shoe roses!

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  7. Ah, I hadn't thought of that. Shall do so as soon as I can figure out how to change the battery in my camera. Drat technical devices.

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