"Round-heeled" reported a similar phenomenon but due to excessive walking on the job--i.e., street-walker. This is a similar "understanding" of mine.... --Ruth Anne Baumgartner
I've always thought "round-heeled" was aimed more at the "easy to push over" in the sexually available sense... not so much streetwalker as er, um... "amateur enthusiast". And in reference to the "Walking Art" exhibit article the photo caption says "These 12-inch-high chopines are reproductions of a style worn by Venetian women in the 16th century." Well, pooh-pooh! I've never seen chopines that look like that. The ones that are laced have double rows of eyes and they dont have tongues like modern shoes. I dont know of any with a heel cap. The ones that are closed toed are usually mules. Most are open-toed. This is a modern shoe on a 16th-ISH platform. It appears to be suede which is not a 16th leather treatment. And as for the 16th c & Italy as the origin of chopines here are clear references to Spanish chopines in the 15th c; you can find one priest's c1485 diatribe against them in Ruth Matilda Anderson's book, Hispanic Dress. What these 21st century chopines are is amusing; they are a beautifully crafted homage to 16th style, but not a "reproduction". I will now go console my double-laced, open-toed, velvet & tasseled reproduction chopines and tell them how wonderful they truly are and if I get to DC this winter, I will go have a look at the exhibit. --cin Cynthia Barnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
