Evening slippers

Evening slippers

Hook, Knowles & Co.

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hook, Knowles & Company was an upscale London firm whose clientele included the British royal family. On this pair of slippers, the novel beadwork design, the meticulously trimmed bow, and the topstitching of the heel are noteworthy indicators of the high quality. The use of beadwork on the vamp and the tiered bow form are characteristic features of the period. Bronze kidskin, produced by dyeing the leather with cochineal, came in and out of fashion for dressy women's shoes throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.