Puffer Posted June 10, 2011 Posted June 10, 2011 I have just finished reading Call the Midwife, by Jennifer Worth, who was born in 1935 and, by a sad coincidence, died this week (7 June) at the age of 75. After training as a nurse, Jennifer commenced her midwifery training in the East End of London in 1953. The book deals with her initial experiences and paints a vivid picture of life in London’s docklands as they then were – a mixture of humour, sadness, joy and suffering. In one chapter, Jennifer describes briefly her social life and the following passage is interesting: Thursday evening came. It was nice to be stepping up west for a change. I had found life with the sisters and the work in the East End so unexpectedly absorbing that I hadn’t wanted to go anywhere else. However, the chance to dress up couldn’t be resisted. Dress was rather formal in the 1950s. Long full skirts that flared outwards at the hem were in vogue; the smaller the waist and the tighter the waistband the better, irrespective of comfort. Nylon stockings were fairly new, and had seams that, de rigueur, had to be straight up the back of the leg. “Are my seams straight?” was a girl’s constant worried whisper to her friends. Shoes were killers, with five to six inch steel-capped stiletto heels and excruciating pointed toes. It was said that Barbara Goulden, the top fashion model of the day, had had her little toes amputated in order to squeeze her feet into them. Like all the smartest girls of the day, I would totter around London in those crazy shoes, and wouldn’t have been seen dead in anything else. I was rather surprised when I read this. Although Jennifer gives no specific dates for her various experiences, the implication is that she is describing her activities in the early part of her career, i.e. in 1953 (when she was 18 or so) or soon afterwards. Although stiletto heels were on the market from around that time, they did not become widely worn (at least in London) until 1956 or 1957 and really high stilettos with ‘winklepicker’ toes were not commonplace ‘high street’ fashion until 1959 or so, when they became very popular until at least 1964. I do question therefore whether Jennifer is accurately describing the shoes she regularly wore in the mid-50s, which sound more like typical 1960 fashion, although tight pencil skirts were by then more common than full flared skirts . I also wonder whether she did indeed wear heels that were as high as ‘five to six inch’. Although five inchers were readily available, anything higher was not seen that often, at least for normal street wear. However, Jennifer does say later in the chapter that she had trouble (understandably!) when walking on the pebbles of Brighton beach ‘wearing six inch stiletto heels’. Perhaps an exaggeration, or maybe wishful thinking – who knows! Incidentally, the comment about ‘Barbara Goulden, the top fashion model of the day’ is presumably meant to refer to Barbara Goalen (1921-2002), who was arguably Britain’s first ‘supermodel’ – see http://lindamorand212.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/british-model-extraordinaire-barbara-goalen/ I feel sure that she did not have any toes amputated! Does anyone have any clear memories of 1950s stilettos which support Jennifer’s account, or otherwise?
swollen Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 Hi Puffer, Enjoyed the post very much. I love the idea of so many women being concerned to be smartly heeled and to have immaculately ordered seams. Paradise. "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
manluvheels Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 Wishful over-exaggeration. Agreed. I would think the heights only got to 3 - 3.5 inches at that time. No doubt in the fashion world they were higher and more extreme - but the story was relating to ordinary girls. Nice imagery though. "A man cannot make a pair of shoes rightly unless he do it in a devout manner" - Thomas Carlyle
swollen Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 Oh, and Puffer, I meant to say thanks earlier for the link to the Barbara Goalen piece. I've often seen vintage images of this Lady and thought what a cooly serene beauty she was. Adorable, in every sense. "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
Puffer Posted June 16, 2011 Author Posted June 16, 2011 Wishful over-exaggeration. Agreed. I would think the heights only got to 3 - 3.5 inches at that time. No doubt in the fashion world they were higher and more extreme - but the story was relating to ordinary girls. Nice imagery though. I agree that the writer was almost certainly exaggerating, although perhaps not deliberately. If she was truly writing of the mid-1950s (the period of her book), stiletto heels higher than about 3.5" were not normally seen in everyday street wear and winklepicker toes had not yet appeared. But, by 1960, 4 - 5" stilettos were everywhere and winklepickers were the norm. In other words, the writer was probably exaggerating by one inch the heel height that she (and other ordinary girls) would have regularly worn for social activity in the 1959-64 period. I do have a good memory of this era (in and around London) and just wish I could have stopped the clock at 1960! Who else remembers it?
swollen Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 As a young boy in the late sixties I very much remember how my aunt and her friends often wore devastating shoes, usually black courts (suede or patent) with a point toe and a terrifyingly high and slender heel. I remember being struck dumb by the beauty of them as they walked and strutted, their sheer, swishing stockings took my breath away. I knew I found them electrifying but, being such a boy, not understanding why I found it impossible to look away. The magic of elegant women in their shoes hooked me young, and has kept me ensnared, very happily, ever since. I can honestly say I've never dated a Woman who didn't know and utilise the allure of her legs, feet and shoes. I expect it of her. "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
Roxyinheels Posted June 17, 2011 Posted June 17, 2011 ..maybe..she is coming up to you...... Elegance is my second name
swollen Posted June 17, 2011 Posted June 17, 2011 That would be sooo lovely... "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
rugratx27 Posted June 18, 2011 Posted June 18, 2011 As a young boy in the late sixties I very much remember how my aunt and her friends often wore devastating shoes, usually black courts (suede or patent) with a point toe and a terrifyingly high and slender heel. I remember being struck dumb by the beauty of them as they walked and strutted, their sheer, swishing stockings took my breath away. I knew I found them electrifying but, being such a boy, not understanding why I found it impossible to look away. The magic of elegant women in their shoes hooked me young, and has kept me ensnared, very happily, ever since. I can honestly say I've never dated a Woman who didn't know and utilise the allure of her legs, feet and shoes. I expect it of her. I have similar memories of aunts, and firends of my mums. The images have stuck with me forever and recently came back as my mother-in=-law gave my wife all her old shoes. Imaculately kept in their original boxes, suade, patent ..... lovely.
swollen Posted June 18, 2011 Posted June 18, 2011 rugratx27 Sounds like a gift from paradise! "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
roniheels Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I can remember seeing pictures of my Mom and her sister wearing high heels back in the fifties. The heels seemed very high in the pictures, but of course nothing compared to some of the stilettos available today. I remember hearing them talk about and try on each other's shoes (they wore the same size) and they used to praise the beauty of the high heels but commented on how high the heels were and sometimes it was hard to wear them for any length of time. I dod remember some of my Mom's high heels that she owned, and had them from the fifties. Most of them were three inch heels, give or take.
swollen Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Roniheels, What is it about a sexy, strict aunt in high heels..? Being a boy and just staring at them... Wonderful! "The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything." Nietzsche.
manluvheels Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 Most of them were three inch heels, give or take. Funnily enough, that was my sort of view but I didn't want to burst the balloon of some peoples fantasy memories. There again, fantasies are nice and the thought of strict aunts maybe even nicer!! "A man cannot make a pair of shoes rightly unless he do it in a devout manner" - Thomas Carlyle
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