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Lady Violette

The Romantic Lifestyle

Vintage Shoes of the Week of Saint Patrick’s Day ~ Green Alligator Shoes From Italy

March 17th, 2011 by violette

Mariola Green Alligator Vintage Shoes

A beautiful pair of vintage dark forest green alligator pumps from Italy with tasteful and comfortable 2″ stacked black leather heels tie in front with a black satin ribbon bow. Handmade, all leather soles, and lining ~ beautifully constructed and exquisitely comfortable. Made by Maraola.

Incredibly well made and very comfortable. European size 38. Just gorgeous!

Practical and their vintage ads said, “Why wear anything else?” This is because they feel so good you don’t want to wear anything else. But they were originally so expensive one might not have been able to afford to wear them!

I do not know exactly when they were made. My research yields an approximate $800 price tag when new! If bought in the 1960’s. The style is timeless so I cannot place the year they were made exactly. It could be as far back as the 1940’s. Or as recently as the 80’s. I got them at a consignment shop in Brooklyn NY. For $30! The owner did not realize they were real alligator and she thought the color green was both unlucky and off beat. I happen to love green so I was happy to take them off her hands.

I know I have used the word comfortable four times in one short paragraph. That came out that way, instinctively because it is really true so I am going to leave it that way! No need to say more!

Perfect for Saint Patrick's Day! & Every Other Day

I am so glad I own these! I can figure out a way to wear them with almost anything! The style is totally classic. I love these shoes! They are green and to me green is very versatile. It is everywhere outside in nature so it follows that it must go with everything!

It goes well with navy. And with many  prints. In the top photo the shoes are photographed against my green Karistan flower strewn carpet. In the bottom photo I have used a vintage cotton gauze shawl as a background.

Green can, of course, be worn with black. And these shoes are perfect with Irish tweeds and hand knitted sweaters because of the alligator skins.

The weather has been extremely cold, wet and blustery so this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day will undoubtedly be very cold. As in the dead of winter! I will be happy to dress very cozily!

So these little guys should be just perfect! With a hand knit sweater, warm tights, a tweed suit, a green cape!

Handmade by Maraola of Italy

Sturdy and Elegant

Some people think green is unlucky. Christian Dior mentions that in his style dictionary. He also says that green has been lucky for him and he finds it  great color for accessories, such as hats and shoes. I have always loved it so I will wear it happily and consider it lucky.

If it was lucky for Christian Dior I think it is lucky for me as well!

There is such a thing as The Luck of The Irish! And I am Irish and I luckily look good in green and I am lucky enough to keep finding lovely green vintage items!

It is wise to rescue things and recycle or reuse them, to go green with the planet and to wear green if it both falls into your lap and makes you happy. I consciously try to do all these things.

Almost everything I own and use is enjoying a rebirth and regeneration in my possession. I want to invite every reader of my blog to recognize this fact and join me in both celebrating the specialness of old and forgotten treasures and finding enjoyment in renovating old things that are often better than new ones and still have a lot of life left in them.

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