Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[M.Photog]

Celebrating the 29th anniversary of meeting my wife tonight, so wearing shoes only a bit older than that...

Congratulations, you were married on my tenth anniversary. I am 58 now and my wife 56 now, I am from a time when you married whoever you took to the prom.

 

[smfdoc]

From the "It's good to almost be the King" department, comes these fashion and footwear tidbits about HRH Prince Charles. These are from the book "Not in front of the Corgis."

Prince Charles employs 133 staff to look after him and Camilla, more than 60 of them domestics: chefs, cooks, footmen, housemaids, gardeners, chauffeurs, cleaners, and his three personal valets—gentleman’s gentlemen—whose sole responsibility is the care of their royal master’s extensive wardrobe and choosing what he is to wear on any particular day. A serving soldier polishes the prince’s boots and shoes every day—he has 50 handmade pairs each costing over £800 ($1275) by Lobb of St James’s—and a housemaid washes his underwear as soon as it is discarded.

Nothing Charles or Camilla wears is ever allowed near a washing machine. Particular attention is paid to handkerchiefs, which are monogrammed and again all hand-washed, as it was found that when they were sent to a laundry, some would go missing—as souvenirs. HRH’s suits, of which he has 60, cost more than £3,000 ($4780) each, and his shirts, all handmade, cost £350 ($558) a time (he has more than 200), while his collar stiffeners are solid gold or silver. Charles’s valets also iron the laces of his shoes whenever they are taken off.

 

[JohnAAG]

From the "It's good to almost be the King" department, comes these fashion and footwear tidbits about HRH Prince Charles. These are from the book "Not in front of the Corgis."

Prince Charles employs 133 staff to look after him and Camilla, more than 60 of them domestics: chefs, cooks, footmen, housemaids, gardeners, chauffeurs, cleaners, and his three personal valets—gentleman’s gentlemen—whose sole responsibility is the care of their royal master’s extensive wardrobe and choosing what he is to wear on any particular day. A serving soldier polishes the prince’s boots and shoes every day—he has 50 handmade pairs each costing over £800 ($1275) by Lobb of St James’s—and a housemaid washes his underwear as soon as it is discarded.

Nothing Charles or Camilla wears is ever allowed near a washing machine. Particular attention is paid to handkerchiefs, which are monogrammed and again all hand-washed, as it was found that when they were sent to a laundry, some would go missing—as souvenirs. HRH’s suits, of which he has 60, cost more than £3,000 ($4780) each, and his shirts, all handmade, cost £350 ($558) a time (he has more than 200), while his collar stiffeners are solid gold or silver. Charles’s valets also iron the laces of his shoes whenever they are taken off.

I just had someone write a guest post on my website about Royal Warrants. In April 2017, Prince Charles granted a Warrant to Crockett & Jones, so a few pairs of those must be making their way into his rotation. He granted his very first Royal Warrant to Turnbull & Asser for his shirts.

This website is an interesting read if you're curious about which companies hold Royal Warrants

https://www.royalwarrant.org

Covers everything from tartans to ties to dress fabrics to alcohol to wrapping paper.

Some useless but fun information for a Saturday afternoon!

 

[M.Photog]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-shows-coat-patches-complete-holes-tears.html

Apparently he is fond of making things last.

 

[suitforcourt]

From the "It's good to almost be the King" department, comes these fashion and footwear tidbits about HRH Prince Charles. These are from the book "Not in front of the Corgis."

Prince Charles employs 133 staff to look after him and Camilla, more than 60 of them domestics: chefs, cooks, footmen, housemaids, gardeners, chauffeurs, cleaners, and his three personal valets—gentleman’s gentlemen—whose sole responsibility is the care of their royal master’s extensive wardrobe and choosing what he is to wear on any particular day. A serving soldier polishes the prince’s boots and shoes every day—he has 50 handmade pairs each costing over £800 ($1275) by Lobb of St James’s—and a housemaid washes his underwear as soon as it is discarded.

Nothing Charles or Camilla wears is ever allowed near a washing machine. Particular attention is paid to handkerchiefs, which are monogrammed and again all hand-washed, as it was found that when they were sent to a laundry, some would go missing—as souvenirs. HRH’s suits, of which he has 60, cost more than £3,000 ($4780) each, and his shirts, all handmade, cost £350 ($558) a time (he has more than 200), while his collar stiffeners are solid gold or silver. Charles’s valets also iron the laces of his shoes whenever they are taken off.

Polishes his boots and shoes everyday? Talk about first world problems!

 

[mreams99]

Polishes his boots and shoes everyday? Talk about first world problems!

I would like to have that job.
How hard can that be to touch up a pair or two of shoes each day?

 

[suitforcourt]

I would like to have that job.
How hard can that be to touch up a pair or two of shoes each day?

That's a great point. Someone from our group should apply. Then sell us the shoes that the Prince no longer wants.

 

[madhat]

Polishes his boots and shoes everyday? Talk about first world problems!

You're missing the crazy part; they iron the shoe laces!

 

[PSU John]

You're missing the crazy part; they iron the shoe laces!

That's why I don't like flat laces and wear only round - got tired of ironing them

 

[M635Guy]

Congratulations, you were married on my tenth anniversary. I am 58 now and my wife 56 now, I am from a time when you married whoever you took to the prom.

Our 25th wedding anniversary is this coming December

 

[mreams99]

You're missing the crazy part; they iron the shoe laces!

That IS crazy.
My valet changed all of my laces from flat to round.

 

[M.Photog]

Our 25th wedding anniversary is this coming December

I misread your comment. I thought that today was your wedding anniversary. I'm to busy hitting the like button for all the facebook comments on the picture my wife posted. 150 comments and the evening isn't over yet..

 

[davidVC]

From the "It's good to almost be the King" department, comes these fashion and footwear tidbits about HRH Prince Charles. These are from the book "Not in front of the Corgis."

Prince Charles employs 133 staff to look after him and Camilla, more than 60 of them domestics: chefs, cooks, footmen, housemaids, gardeners, chauffeurs, cleaners, and his three personal valets—gentleman’s gentlemen—whose sole responsibility is the care of their royal master’s extensive wardrobe and choosing what he is to wear on any particular day. A serving soldier polishes the prince’s boots and shoes every day—he has 50 handmade pairs each costing over £800 ($1275) by Lobb of St James’s—and a housemaid washes his underwear as soon as it is discarded.

Nothing Charles or Camilla wears is ever allowed near a washing machine. Particular attention is paid to handkerchiefs, which are monogrammed and again all hand-washed, as it was found that when they were sent to a laundry, some would go missing—as souvenirs. HRH’s suits, of which he has 60, cost more than £3,000 ($4780) each, and his shirts, all handmade, cost £350 ($558) a time (he has more than 200), while his collar stiffeners are solid gold or silver. Charles’s valets also iron the laces of his shoes whenever they are taken off.

Based on the shoes listed in his signature, @smfdoc is well within striking distance of HRH's 50 pair collection.

But @smfdoc doesn't list his servants so I am not sure if he can beat Charles in that category.

 

[suitforcourt]

Based on the shoes listed in his signature, @smfdoc is well within striking distance of HRH's 50 pair collection.

But @smfdoc doesn't list his servants so I am not sure if he can beat Charles in that category.

For fair compensation, I'd be happy to be a servant and shine someone's shoes. Not a hard job and no stress.

 

[smfdoc]

Based on the shoes listed in his signature, @smfdoc is well within striking distance of HRH's 50 pair collection.

But @smfdoc doesn't list his servants so I am not sure if he can beat Charles in that category.

We have had to cut back on domestics here at the palatial smfdoc palace. Down to a butler, cook, valet, two footmen and one maid. Old money does not go as far as it used to. Others may have to be let go, but I insist on keeping the maid.