"In the Field" with Me - Episode 1: A tale of two pair of ebay heels

     I thought I would begin putting some of my advice into practice and sharing my own "in the field" wardrobe hunting experiences with you. What better way to begin than with something I have already talked about at length? Shoes!

I am ever searching the web for items for my various impressions, so as I was perusing ebay recently I came across a couple of listings I found interesting and worth sharing.

Exhibit A: "VTG 40s 50s SUZI CHRISTI Pinup Leather Slingback PeepToe Boho Rockabilly 10.5B"

A typical result when searching "40's vintage heels."

Look pretty nice, eh? Leather, 40's, slingback, peep-toe. . . they even say pinup! BUT let's look a little more closely. . . 

Notes indicate the good, the bad, and the ugly.

     Bonus points for being leather, but I'm afraid the authenticity mostly ends there. The peep-toe is GIANT and not the modest slight glimpse of toes popularized in the 1940's (think of the children!), which pegs these as more likely being from the 60's. Also, the little elastic tab that holds the buckle is a later feature (I'll do a bit more digging, but I feel pretty positive that developed in the 50's). 

     Now that's not saying if you already have some like these or find similar ones for $1.00 or $5.00 or so that they wouldn't do. They are definitely much better than many of the modern "vintage style" counterparts offered. However, look at the price! $70.00 for shoes touted as original 1940's is far too much. I'm simply offering tips for not being taken for a ride when shopping vintage. There are few things more deflating than realizing you've paid far too much for something that's not what you expected. Save your money and buy the well-made reproductions or do a bit more digging for originals. 

DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying that this seller (or any other) is deliberately lying to you about the age. Most simply do not know enough of the nuances to tell the difference. They deal in so many eras of items, it would be difficult for anyone to keep them all straight.

Exhibit B: "Retro VTG 20s 40s Real Leather Pump Peeptoe Nude Beige Camel STACKED Mid HEEL 10"

Yet another typical result when searching for "40's vintage heels."

Hmm. . . Cute! Looks good so far. Let's take a closer look.

Ah. This seller seems to know what they're talking about. These ARE 1980's (but more 1940's than 20's).

Breakdown. (oops I misspelled "label" in the picture)

The heel is. . . fine. Not perfect, but definitely not bad at all.

     Despite being 80's does 40's, these are actually more authentic than the older ones in the previous listing. I put an X on the label just so there's no confusion about the age on these. They are NOT from the 1940's, as stated in the listing. Be sure to always read through the entire listing before purchasing anything on ebay or etsy. These are perforated leather which was used in WWII era footwear (cooler in the summer too!), they have a nice modest and appropriate peep toe, and they slide on so there are no unauthentic fasteners. For the price, these are not a bad find.

Ready for the Air Show!

Another tip I may mention is that if you are unsure about a particular pair of shoes and they have a name on the label, look up the designer on ebay and see what pops up. When I searched "Suzi Christi" I got several other listings where the shoes were clearly 60's. 

Hopefully this has given you some good tips to take with you on your own adventures "out in the field" of the interweb!

I promise I'm working on some posts that are not about shoes. . . .