Slippers

E.D. Burt & Co. Fine Shoes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Special occasion clothing is the most commonly preserved, so while wedding and evening shoes are usually well represented in historical collections, surviving loungewear, such as this pair of boudoir slippers, is less common. This appealing and nicely detailed example highlights the prevailing taste for a deep and rich color scheme. The bright purple color was made possible by the discovery and development of synthetic dyes beginning in the late 1850s.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art