Slipper c. 1936

Nancy Crimi designed this rendering of a slipper in an unknown year with watercolor, graphite and ink on paper. The design is of a very specific kind of fashionable slipper. During Crimi's lifetime, women's fashion became increasingly democratized, with ready-to-wear clothing and footwear becoming more widely available. The design of shoes, in particular, became more streamlined and practical, reflecting the changing roles of women in society. This is very much in evidence in the style of this slipper, which is elegant, but also has functional design elements. What is interesting here is how the changing status of women influenced even the most intimate of garments. A historian, using resources such as fashion magazines, photographs, and personal accounts, could research the evolution of the slipper and its connection to women's evolving roles, social status, and cultural values.