Over the centuries, the buckle has been an essential indicator of social status, representing an expression of ever-changing tastes and an element in harmony with aesthetic, technological, and material innovations (from the use of steel to the use of plastics). Naturally, it is also a striking and functional piece of ornamentation, essential in completing the look of every elegant outfit. This was especially true starting in 1700 when, during the era of the Sun King, women in the courts of France began to show their feet and, with them, also their splendid shining buckles. It was at the end of 1700 that buckles started to become so big and invasive as to even cause injury to the feet!
Other stories include that of Farinelli, who in 1700 flaunted buckles adorned with diamonds and exquisite embroideries, while Casanova unmasked a fraud pretending to be a nobleman thanks to the buckles of his shoes, which were not fine enough for a nobleman…
Now as in the past, the buckle has been an object of fascination, while inciting curiosity and interest, so it’s no surprise that Skira Editore decided to dedicate a striking and newly minted novel to it, “The History of the Buckle between Fashion and Jewellery (1700-1950)”, edited by Bianca Cappello and Samuele Magri. This careful study is filled with splendid images that trace the unusual visual and historic timeline of buckles (for shoes, belts, pants, cloaks, hats, etc.), starting from the private collection of the lawyer Pennasilico, which is one of the most important in the world with over 2,000 buckles.