Between sips of cocktails and entertainment by jazz legend Liberty Silver, everyone was talking about heels, hemlines and high spirits last night at the
Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. It was the opening night party for
The Roaring Twenties exhibition curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack.
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Beaded 1920s dresses at the Bata Shoe Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011 |
The 1920s was a period of post-war exuberance and women stepped away from their domestic duties and into the public sphere. These social changes were mirrored by a revolution in fashion. Not only did women forgo their corsets, they cut their hair, raised their hemlines, and began playing sports, driving cars, and kicking up their heels while they danced. In fact, the T-strap shoe was designed to keep women's shoes on their feet while doing the Charleston!
Now on display at the
Bata Shoe Museum are a gorgeous selection of beautiful 1920s women's shoes along with film clips and a selection of dresses and accessories. Seeing these shoes made me want to dance!
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1920s Shoes at the Bata Shoe Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011 |
Without exception, all the 1920s shoes on display are beautiful and wearable. I had to wonder why I cannot find shoes like this today instead of only ankle-breaker heels or paper thin flats. I'm hoping that a few shoe designers might just make their way into this tightly edited show and give us a pretty shoe that we can actually dance in!
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Boshevik Revolution Inspired 1920s shoes at the Bata Shoe Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011 |
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Menswear inspired oxford style 1920s shoes at the Bata Shoe Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011 |
