Stilettos in the 60s
While eating food can make you fat, and many clothes may be the right size but seem to be tailored for someone else, shoes stand out as an emotionally therapeutic form of consumption for women. And of all shoes, the aesthetically flexible stiletto may be the most satisfying of all, with a capacity to elongate stubby legs, accentuate calves and add an unparalleled level of sex appeal to a woman's physique.
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History
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Stilettos have a long history that can be traced back to the Renaissance, when Venetian aristocrats popularized high-heeled platform shoes called chopines. With their exaggerated heels up to 20 inches high, chopines served both to keep clothes clean from dirty streets and to elevate the wearer's physical height along with her social status. Centuries later, famous shoemakers Roger Vivier and Salvatore Ferragamo gained credit as the inventors of the stiletto. Ferragamo, who designed shoes for many famous movie stars including Marilyn Monroe, died in 1960 -- the beginning of a turbulent decade for the shoe.
Feminist Era
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Although by the 1960s stilettos had been around for several decades in forms that resemble modern examples, the decade marked a particularly defining era in fashion for women. Lower-heeled shoes prevailed during this time as the feminist movement gained momentum. Women increasingly thought of stilettos as physically crippling abominations by men to objectify women as decorations and sex objects. However, these narrow-heeled shoes allowed women to express themselves in styles that ranged from modestly to overtly sexual, in a shoe that had been gaining acceptance in the workplace and casual social settings alike. A shoe with this much versatility was bound to stick around and make its mark on fashion in generations to come.
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Popular Stars
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Born in 1933, actress Jayne Mansfield had gained recognition in virtually every aspect of the media by the 1960s. Known for her vibrant personality and vivacious career in television shows and Las Vegas nightclubs, Jayne transgressed the era's code for femininity by frequently wearing stilettos. Several female actresses were also known for donning the figure-enhancing shoe, including Ava Gardner and Diana Dors (often referred to as the English Marilyn Monroe), who performed in six and 24 films of the 1960s, respectively.
Vintage Revival
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Two decades later, in the post-feminist era of the 1980s, women re-embraced fashion, and the bold high heels that were widely shunned in the '60s. Sparked by counter-cultural street fashion, stilettos gained more popularity than ever. Shoes by famous designers like Manolo Blahnik adorned catwalks everywhere and paved the way for extra-tall heels of the '90s. Today, the stiletto still flourishes, thanks in part to the charming divas of the 1960s, onscreen and off, who were rebellious enough to wear them during a stagnant era for women's fashion.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
